Visited a friend for lunch yesterday. She is raising her granddaughter who is struggling with PNES. I had never heard of this until it appeared in her life. It's a condition in which you have what appears to be epileptic seizures but which are actually triggered by psychological factors. When I was there her granddaughter passed out and had a seizure, all while simply attempting to brush her teeth. It's heartbreaking and devastating to this family. We were going to go out to lunch but it was not to be so I brought some leftovers and we ate and talked. One of the things that was sad was hearing how appreciative she was that I came. She said people just don't come. I think it's not that she doesn't have people that care about her, it's that once again, we are so uncomfortable with anything with a whiff of mental illness, even though so many of us struggle with some level or form of it. It's kind of the human condition, no?
I was touched by my visit because I love them, and it was yet another reminder that we need to reach out to one another. I know there are many times I have failed, but as I've been touched by those that have reached out to me at various times, I realize how important it is, and I try to do it myself. Imperfectly, but I try.
All my love to you, JoAnne.