My PSA for the Day...

Today kicks off National Epilepsy Awareness Month.

I've been living with epilepsy for over 10 years now courtesy of my thankfully evicted meningioma brain tumor. I feel like one of the lucky ones because my simple partial seizures are controlled by a low dosage of Trileptal. That wasn't always the case.

I recently came across the following excellent educational website I'd like to pass along:

http://www.talkaboutit.org/

Here's to increasing awareness not just in the month of November, but every day.

Meningioma Mommas Making Its Mark

My non-profit, Meningioma Mommas is over 10% of the way towards my goal to raise$1,000,000 for meningioma specific research. A check for $20,000 was presented to Dr. Elizabeth Claus and the Brain Science Foundation during the recent 3rd Annual Meningioma Awareness Day in Boston. Our latest donation will contribute to the ongoing ground breaking research Dr. Claus and her committed team continue to pursue.

Meningioma Mommas can think of no other person we’d like to be supporting because not only does Dr. Claus believe in our plight, she has dedicated her life’s work to unraveling the mystery that afflicts each of us with a meningioma.

It is a privilege and an honor to know that we can contribute to her novel approach to understanding meningiomas.

You are our champion, crusader, and hero.

My Loyal Lab

You're my first son and have been my companion from an early start in life.
Thank you for your love, loyalty, and quirky moments that last 10 years.

http://www.lizholzemer.com/upload/Koufax%20My%20Crutch.pdf

You Just Never Know

I got a kick out of this photo I was emailed. You just never know where you'll find someone enjoying a no-brainer! If you're looking for a good read for these lazy, hot summer days, may I suggest Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor. Happy reading!

15 & Counting...

I dedicate today to a man I met 16 years ago, became engaged to after a four-month long-distance courtship and exchanged "I do's" with in a city known more for its tackiness, not its tradition.

Even though Mark and I won't spend today celebrating our marriage in Vegas, we'll still relive the moments that keep us together. Of course we'll begin with Jean-Claude who pronounced us man and wife just before midnight at the Candlelight Wedding Chapel; our first meal together--a $2.99 steak-n-eggs breakfast we shared before we boarded a plane to Colorado Springs where Mark would later pitch that evening. Yes, we spent our honeymoon in a Triple-A stadium. No fuss, no muss and it's pretty much remained that way without any regrets.

It’s impossible to sum up a decade-and-a-half with someone, but I still marvel at what I’m often reminded of.

We’ve survived and savored:

Cross-country and international months' long separations; living out of suitcases and sharing Venezuelan-roach-infested hotel rooms; residing in my in-law’s basement; arm surgery, breast surgery, brain surgeries; moving into our first home we’ve already created 12 years worth of memories in; dead ends and new beginnings; heated fights and even hotter reconciliations; the birth of a miracle daughter and son; challenging points of view and seeking refuge in separate rooms; compromising and down-sizing; expressing what needs to be said and appreciating the times when hugs say it all; the cheers and fears; and the laughter and tears.

And yes, the answer is still yes just like the first time you asked me on that Vancouver park bench if I believed in chemistry.

Happy Anniversary Mark!

The Writer's [Inner] Journey

Thank you Meredith Resnick for giving me the opportunity to guest appear on your wonderful blog.

The Writer's [Inner] Journey

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The Rules...

I think most would agree that our lives are ruled by too many rules. They're often ignored, broken or tweaked for a particular set of circumstances and groups of people. Rules schmules I say! In fact, I think we'd all get along much better if we adhered to a simpler set of rules. Because in the end it all boils down to a matter of respect. I'm a huge fan of the rules my daughter, Hannah just posted on her bedroom door.

RULES OF MY ROOM


1. No gum.

2. No copying.

3. No stealing stuff.

4. No looking in my secrets.

5. No eating or drinking.

6. Always listen to me when you are in my room.

7. No doing whatever you want.

8. No sitting in my pink fluffy chair.

9. Got it? If you break any of these rules, you owe me a quarter.