graphic: Martha G. Brady

A few years ago, I became aware of what I now call “unappreciated blessings.”

Let me back up and give some background. I have been an epileptic since I was 20 years old. When I was about 1/2 way through nurses’ training, I started having seizures. The big ones. The ones where you fall on the floor unconscious. You make a scene if you are in public. You bite your tongue. It isn’t a pretty sight.

For 30 years, I was well regulated on medication. I had a breakthrough seizure every 7-10 years. If you have to have epilepsy, I was very blessed that way. At times, my neurologists thought they would take me off medication, but when they did a 24 hour EEG on me  (a monitor thing I carried around at home) it showed constant seizure activity. So they scrapped that idea!  stop

The year I turned 50, all that changed. I became allergic to my medication. It had been around for years. It was nice and cheap. So I started on an odyssey of medications. For a few years, I was on one that worked for awhile. But then, I started having seizures every month and even as often as every week. My doctor in Tyler, sent me to a seizure specialist in Dallas.

Over a four year period, my medications were changed around, I had seizures at all times of the day and of course, couldn’t drive. With no resolution from medication, they did a surgical implant. After a year, the results from it, were not particularly great. But my seizures had settled into a 28 day pattern.

My doctor looked at my meds again and saw that I was on estrogen replacement. (They went over my meds on every visit.) I had asked him on my first visit if this could be related to hormones and he had poo-pooed the idea. But on this one, he stated, “Estrogen is to seizures what gasoline is to a fire. Progesterone will put it out. Have your internist start you on a low dose of progesterone and that should take care of your problem.” Sure enough. On the lowest dose, I went four months without a seizure. He upgraded me a touch and I went 6 years!

What did I learn?

During that time, I realized how much I had taken for granted the blessing of thinking, of not having frequent seizures, of having a life that flowed regularly without those kinds of interruptions constantly crashing into your life and ruining the day’s plans…whatever they were.

At one point, I was afraid this was going to define the remainder of my life. It seemed there was no solution to what was happening. Here I was in my 50’s and it seemed my life was over.

But now, I’m in my 70’s and am healthier! Who knew? I’ve learned to count my blessings, even those I didn’t appreciate. There are so many I take for granted.

How about you? What blessings do you take for granted? What blessings do you find yourself complaining about because you take for granted blessings others don’t even have? Sometimes, GOD allows us to not have a blessing we have had…good health, the ability to think, a relatively uninterrupted life…so we can appreciate what we have had. No that isn’t always the only reason. He isn’t toying with us. But when we get a taste of life without some of our unappreciated blessings, we learn to appreciate them more when/if they are returned.

Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 106:1