We were in Colorado recently and saw some friends we haven’t seen in over a year. The school year has also started, and we’re seeing parents and children that we haven’t seen all summer. In both cases, people are seeing our lives at specific points in time. They’re seeing us then and now, but they don’t see us in the in-between.
The in-between is where the highs and the lows are. It’s where the daily struggles of living with epilepsy are visible. It’s where the seizures feel like they never end. It’s where there are long stretches of days that seem impossible and where sometimes hope is lost.
The in-between is also where small accomplishments seem enormous and where incremental progress seems like leaps and bounds. It’s where not going backward is sometimes as good as moving forward. It’s where a baseball game feels like the World Series and where climbing a rock wall feels like summiting Everest.
The in-between is where every challenge and victory brings us closer together as a family. It’s where we shape our perspective. And it’s where our actions and how we approach the world shows how far we’ve come.
The in-between is where we live. The in-between is our every day.
I’m so glad I found your blog. Your monthly essays remind me of our struggles when our daughter, born in 1999, was struggling with multiple health issues. It wasn’t until her 16th birthday that she had her first seizure at a baseball game and our lives were changed forever. She’s at a university now but our weeks are still consumed with doctor visits, medication changes and the constant worry. She is handling it okay and tries to remain optimistic and positive. Your words are encouraging to us as parents to know we are not alone. Thank you
Thank you for sharing your story, Katherine. I’m glad your daughter is trying to stay positive. Sometimes attitude is one of the only things we can control in this whole, messy thing. Best to you and your family! ~Dave
We have been where you are. Others cannot understand. My hope for you is that someday you will be on “The Other Side” of epilepsy like Rose and I are. We are stronger and better from that terrible journey. Hang in the Epilepsy Dad Dave.
Seizure Mama
As always, thanks for the encouragement Flower!