Keppra Archives - Fran Cannon Slayton

A San Francisco Moment

Jul 20, 20212 CommentsBrain Tumor, Cancer Milestones, Cancer Surgery, Keppra, Reducing Steroids, Steroids, Uncategorized

A few nights ago, we stayed with our college friend, Grace Han McMahon, and her wonderful husband, Ted, in their home just outside of San Francisco. We reconnected with Grace a couple years ago in an incredibly small-world moment: Marshall ran into Grace when they both were walking down the hallway of Marshall’s mother’s retirement community in Newport News, Virginia. Turns out Grace’s parents live in the same community! Fast forward, Grace very graciously invited us to stay with her family during our trip. With very little lead time (because our schedule has been so last minute) Grace somehow put […]

Epilepsy?

Feb 23, 201714 CommentsBrain Tumor, Cancer Milestones, Epilepsy, Keppra, MRI, Oncologist Visits, Seizures and Brain Tumors, Side Effects of Medications, UncategorizedCancer Milestones, Children's Author Brain Cancer, epilepsy, Fran Cannon Slayton, Keppra, MRI, oligodendroglioma, Scanxiety, Seizures and Brain Tumors, Side Effects of Steroids, Snowball Moon Author

Two weeks ago, a neurologist – an epilepsy specialist – told me she thinks I have epilepsy. I have to admit, it was a pretty stunning thing to hear. After all, I’ve never lost consciousness due to a seizure, and I have had only one real event that I’d even classify as seizure-like – and that was the night that landed me in the hospital when I was diagnosed with brain cancer. It would be easy to try to dismiss what the epilepsy doctor told me – after all, the whole reason I went to see her in the first […]

Abbey Normal

Jan 20, 201712 CommentsFatigue, Hospital Visits, Infection, Keppra, Oncologist Visits, Seizures and Brain Tumors, Side Effects of Medications, Uncategorized, UTIAbnormal EEG, EEG, Keppra, Sleep-deprived EEG

They told me that my last EEG was slightly off. My first response to this news was, frankly, to be a bit offended. What do you mean my brain is “slightly off”? How judgmental of you, Medical Establishment. You’re not exactly the epitome of normality either, I want you to know. Actually, “slightly off” wasn’t the technical phrase they used. The technical phrase was something to the effect that I had a couple “spike and slow curve” weirdnesses (“weirdnesses” is the technical term) on my EEG reading. This could be a sign of seizure activity in my brain. Or it […]

Ups and Downs

Jun 23, 20166 CommentsInfection, Keppra, Losing Weight on Steroids, Oncologist Visits, Reducing Steroids, Seizures and Brain Tumors, Side Effects of Medications, Steroids, Tapering SteroidsSide Effects of Medications

Ups. One of the BIG ups in my life is that since my brain tumor was removed, the hip and shoulder problems that I’ve dealt for years are, very slowly, getting better! I didn’t fully realize how bad things were until my muscles started unclenching and untwisting and loosening. What a difference! Frankly, it’s a little disconcerting at times. These muscles have been clamped down for so long, it feels scary for them finally to let go. Joints are clunking into places they haven’t been for years. It feels like my rear end might fall off. But it also feels […]