Interesting FND News

Wednesday began with a 3-hour clinic board meeting. We are facing amazing challenges, not just a battle finding a doctor. We need more space for the clinic and face having to raise a lot of money for expansion. But we are an amazing group. I still feel like a boy in a man’s world, but I will persevere.

After the board meeting, I walked with Her Highness, went to the pharmacy and got medicine for Jay who has Covid and then I came home to be with Bruno a bit, but more work came in emails and by 6:30 I was baked. I made myself a monster salad and a nice big batch of my new favourite recipe for vinaigrette (with puréed shallots) that I love. 

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I joined an FND group on Facebook where I saw a headline about psychogenic seizures and read it. It was very interesting. Here’s the paragraph that sums up the article:

There are just over 3 million Americans with epilepsy who experience seizures due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A smaller group of people also have seizures not caused by epilepsy – known by many names, including functional seizures, psychogenic seizures, nonepileptic seizures, or even the pejorative term pseudoseizures. Scientists have long understood these as the body’s response to mental stressors, like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. But a new study finds that functional seizures are associated with structural changes in the brain that can be seen using MRI.

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This morning I have a meeting with Nancy to do clinic work, but I expect to have the afternoon to myself. Now that it’s fire season, I love sitting by the fireplace to read. When I settle in with Bruno, all the pets come to join me. I am so deeply fond of them. They are sure to join me today because even Sheba is huddling close to the fire because it’s a very wet morning. It was pouring rain when I got up.

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Another project: I’ve written to the Gabriola Arts Council proposing that I write short pithy articles for their newsletter about professional practice issues for visual artists. I sent one to them yesterday and I’m hoping they like the idea.

All this work, for the clinic, STAMMA, the monologue festival and now, the arts council, is making me feel like the old Chris is back. 

Island Monologue Festival

My friend, Edwin, sent this to me: “We'll always remember her sense of humour and that beautiful smile. I was on Guard of Honour, waiting for the King of Saudi Arabia, on Horse guards Parade ground. On the right flank were Scots Guard (100 guardsmen), a gap, HM The Queen, mounted in uniform alongside her was the CO, Colonel Gerald, another gap, then on the left flank, the Queen’s Company Grenadier Guards (another 100 guardsmen). We’re stood at ease waiting. Suddenly the silence was broken by Colonel Gerald’s charger erupting with horse farts at full volume for two minutes. Embarrassed and staring straight ahead Colonel Gerald said, “Sorry about that Your Majesty!” She replied, in a wonderful voice, “That’s alright Gerald. . . . I thought it was your horse!” 200 guardsmen silently cried with laughter and tapped their rifle butts on the gravel. From that moment, every man there adored her!”

It's a great story, and I have no doubt about her naughty sense of humour, but how did 200 guardsmen hear her reply in an official outdoor parade?

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Tuesday was rather dull. The weather was dull and damp, and I was dull because I did not sleep on Monday night. However, I enjoyed the time I spent with Bruno and loved having a day without any clinic work. I haven’t been having much time to spend in the Périgord with Bruno; I’ve been too busy with volunteering. So, yesterday was a delightful change.

I had a nice big fire in the morning (3:30 am) and another in the late afternoon. It certainly turns a damp and cold day into a lovely cozy inside day. 

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I sent this email yesterday: “Hello Island Playwrights and James Bay New Horizons Society. I did 3 monologues professionally and was a regular of The Flame in Vancouver. The Flame is a storytelling collective. I was also an educator, professionally. While I was teaching at Emily Carr University of Art & Design, I awoke one day and started a new life that, for the ensuing two years meant up to 20 seizures a day and extreme disfluency. I'd reached the end of my working life. I’m now officially disabled because my impediment can be so severe for months at a time. But I’ve learned tricks. Perhaps you know that people who stutter can sing. It’s communicating using a different neural pathway. I can be verbal if I speak in rhythm and in rhyme. If I am successful with this application, I will become, for you, an old white weak rapper that, through my effort, will make your audience feel good. I promise. Attached is my submission. Thank you for this opportunity and your trust.”

It's an application to be part of the first annual Island Monologue Festival. Just applying is exciting.

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The sun is back today, but the ground is finally retaining water. I’ve a ton of errands to do today, but the day begins with a l-o-n-g clinic board meeting.

Scam; STAMMA

Monday began with the scam. It was incredibly upsetting. It had my friend. Rod’s, return address and was imperceptible as a scam. Somehow, some asshole thief was intercepting Rod’s emails. Thankfully, my morning walk with Stacy got my mind off it.

When I got home from the walk, there was a ton of work requests from the clinic team. The work also helped keep my mind from obsessing about the scam. Of course, what they wanted was due yesterday, so I was hard at it from 10:00 am until 3:30. Once done, I rushed into the village to buy something to take for dessert because I just didn’t have the energy to bake something.

I went to Stacy’s for dinner with Nancy H. and had a wonderful time. My speech has been good for a few weeks now and I’m really enjoying being almost fluent with friends. When I think back to 2016, I’ve come a long, long way back to normal since then.

As I write, it’s 9:30 am. I’ve been up since 3:00, but I didn’t sleep all night for fear of missing my 4:00 am Zoom call with the UK medics. That call finished at around 5:30, after which I had a bit of a lie down, but again, I didn’t sleep because I had another Zoom call at 8:00. Both calls were about STAMMA related volunteer work I’m doing.

Now, I’m officially the administrator and host of the STAMMA Adults New to Stammering (ANTS) support group. Every member but me lives in the UK, but I am the coordinator. Weird, eh?! But I’m very proud to be in this role. Thanks to this group, I function well without needing the help of Dr. Shoha. My next task with them is working with them to make a short film on adult-onset stuttering. I know far, far more about it than anyone at STAMMA because since it’s inception, STAMMA has worked with developmental stutterers. Adult-onset stutterers are classified as acquired stuttering, and this is new to STAMMA—hence, a lot of my work for STAMMA.

On a different topic, I’m going to submit a monologue to the first Islands Monologue Festival that is happening in Victoria in March of next year. I’m going to submit the monologue I wrote and performed for The Flame in Vancouver in 2017. If accepted, I’ll get an honorarium that will help me finance a trip to Victoria to perform it. I have a feeling I might get accepted because of the unique nature of my piece—it’s about stuttering and by a person who stutters.

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We had a downpour last night and it’s going to be a wet day today. I welcome the change. I am looking forward to a day without clinic work to do that I can spend with Bruno and be by the fire. I also plan to have a nap this afternoon.

Scammed Again

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I got scammed again. I got an email from my friend Rod (from his actual address) asking me to buy an Amazon gift card for him and I did. And it was received. And then he asked me to get another one, so I called him, and he knew nothing at all about the emails. But it is his real address that I sent the gift card to. I am out $250. Thieving fuckers make me sick. It’s the second time in a month I’ve fallen for a scam. 

Light rain fell last night; I’m glad for my lawns and gardens. But it was just a dampening of the yard. This morning, the sky is partially clear, but there are nice white fluffy clouds. I am so pissed about being scammed. It’s ruined my morning. I was so flustered I missed my training session with STAMMA. I wrote to Kristin right away and we’ll straighten things out tomorrow.

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Yesterday went as planned—slowly and gently. I enjoyed the big community dog walk. I know most of the people now, and it’s a joy to have brief chats with many of them. It was bright and sunny as we walked, but the clouds started rolling in as I arrived home. So, I read and watched a movie and The Great Canadian Baking Show (that I love). 

Sea Jasper