March 26th Purple Day for Epilepsy 2016

I had so many ideas as to what I wanted to do on March 26th. What I was able to do, was make a pair of purple tie dyed pants, and add cuffs and fabric covered buttons to my vintage coat, matching the coat to the pants. 

The drive from Enderby to Vancouver was not interesting and beautiful as it could be, due to motion sickness. At least I got the motion sickness over with right away. Driving to Vancouver was just the beginning of a trip that took, my sister, my daughter, my grandson and myself to Toronto, New York and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Steve loved the old phone box and the art inside.

Purple Day was the beginning of this trip, Yolanda wrapped Omar in a beautiful purple wrap and Steve tagged along, not much purple to be seen on him. I handed out epilepsy first aid cards, pencils, magnets and brochures about epilepsy, all along Commercial Drive. People asked questions and I was happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. Checked out the music shop and got to play some Ukulele's, and a banjo. The biggest excitement for the day was the run away electric scooter. We were walking up hill and there was a commotion at the top, a women was on this electric scooter yelling,in a French Canadian accent "Move out of the way, move out of the way, I can't stop!". People were  stepping aside, my thoughts were, how do you stop her and not get hurt, Yolanda grabbed the back of her seat I grabbed the handle bars and a man grabbed something else and we managed to stop her. I just held onto those bars with the wheels turned so it wouldn't get away again. Our hearts were just thumping and the woman's lips were purple. It was a good day we diverted a disaster and more people were aware of how to care for someone having a seizure. 

On Sunday we had a family dinner to celebrate Omar turning 6 months old.  It was a good weekend in Vancouver. 

Grandview Park off Commercial Drive in Vancouver. 

Grandview Park, many shades of purple, Of the brightly tie dyed tea shirt, Steve says "I would never wear such an in your face bold print.". I wanted to wear it since epilepsy is bold and in your face. 

Walking down the street can be dangerous if you have active seizures. Dress for safety, On my feet I have boots with low heels and lace up to protect the ankles from twisting and scrapping. In the last 6 months I have had my first two black eye's. My light weight glasses and the ground can do a big number on the eye's, black, bloody, bumps and stitches. When I am home alone or a seizure could be around the corner, I now wear my sports glasses. They are designed to protect the eye's from impact, during sports.
"If I had a chose of how I get black eye's, sprained ankles, torn ligaments, I would not choose epilepsy."

The Five of Us

Steve Fultz on guitar, Karen Durant, Jackie Rudsvick, Mimi Kim, Joyce Taguchi, at Mimi's Tearoom March 26, 2015.

April 10th "River Talk" www.enderbyrivertalk.com finally came out and this is the picture on page 13 that Jette Russell took. Thank you Jette what a great picture of the  five of us!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 was Purple for Epilepsy Awareness Day. At nine years old Cassidy Megan founded the day five years ago. "I wanted to Have one day where everyone in the world could show support for people with epilepsy and teach people about epilepsy." Ten year old Cassidy shook hands with the Queen and last year Cassidy was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.

I started off my day by walking the dogs, exercise, sunshine and dusty air.

With a basket of goodies I received from The Center For Epilepsy and Seizure Control in BC, I strolled down to the Tea at the "Country Coffee Shop" with possible support group participants. I walked into the Coffee shop and it was full, a table of four was set aside for us, lucky, by the time the last couple arrived another table became available for the six of us. We were noticeable allwearing purple, except for Kelly who was wearing red, in fact I noticed a lot of red. Anyone walking in wearing purple got a pencil, magnet, bracelet, bookmark, of their choosing. Three of us have epilepsy, one of us feels isolated by her epilepsy and was excited about having a support group in Enderby. After the tea I walked about the town and handed out my goodies, to eager takers, in doing so I met more people with epilepsy or who have family or friends and would also be interested in a support group.

March 26TH happened to fall on a Tuesday which is Toastmasters night, I took the position as Chair for the evening with the theme "Epilepsy". I invited the new support group and three were able to come to the meeting. Everyone had some tone of purple on, I was sure John in his fedora with squares of purple paper in his hat band would scare off the guests with his hand shake of a purple, balloon stuffed glove. For the break we had cookies and purple corn chips with purple, beet dip. Heather thought a purple dip was a good choice, if we spill, it wouldn't be as noticeable on our purple clothing, as John dropped a lump of dip from his chip, onto Heather's skirt.

I reached back into my past as I researched famous people with Epilepsy, Neil Young was one of my favorite singer song writers. I quenched my throat with water, and took a deep breath, out of my throat came "Helpless", helpless, helpless, helpless, helpless......the song felt suitable for the day, the feeling you may have at loosing your drivers license, waking in the street, not knowing where you are, with strangers yelling at you as if you are drunk, pain in all your body, confusion, doctors voices spinning in your head, pharmaceuticals, no climbing of ladders, no taking of bathes..........Helpless.

I'll get over it, who can be sad when they are wearing purple flowery Tom canvas shoes, every one wanted my shoes, at a size 3 girls they only fit me.

Love you all!