Southern View: November 21, 2017

SOUTHERN VIEW Tuesday November 21 2017 9
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
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End the stigma around epilepsy
November
is Epilepsy
Awareness
Month,
Coastal-
Burwood
Ward city
councillor
Glenn Livingstone speaks
about his experience with
the condition
I was first diagnosed with
epilepsy at 19.
I’m now 54 and have not let the
condition hold me back, in fact
I’ve used it as a springboard to set
goals and achieve them.
Leading up to the diagnosis,
I could not work out why I was
having uncontrollable twitches
when falling asleep.
At a 1983 Youth Easter Camp
I had a seizure, where I blacked
out and was taken to hospital
with concussion and a suspected
broken nose.
My worried parents waited
while an electroencephalogram
revealed the spikes of the ‘extra’
electricity in my brain.
Following this, I was diagnosed
with myoclonic epilepsy. I was
put on medication, which I’ve remained
on since, in order to keep
the epilepsy under control.
One of the consequences of this
newly-acquired condition was
not being able to drive for two
years.
It also meant cycling with a
helmet. Cycling wearing a yellow
helmet in Palmerston North in
1983 was a novel experience for
everyone, both me and the locals.
“Hey skid-lid”, or “moon-head”
were all part of the experience of
passing motorists in Palmy.
Shortly after I was diagnosed
and told someone about it, they
said: “Oh, you’re an epileptic.”
It was that labelling that was to
become the impetus for me to set
goals and pursue them.
In February, I will be taking
part in my seventh Coast to
Coast event with MP Poto Williams.
If you see someone having a
seizure and lying on the ground,
ensure that they do not come
into contact with any furniture
if inside and that they can’t hurt
themselves.
Once the seizure is finished,
depending on the severity of it,
check that they’re able to breathe
without any obstructions in their
mouth.
They will probably be able
to talk to you but may be a bit
groggy. In some cases they may
need medical attention but every
person and every case is different.
Those of us with epilepsy, our
family and friends, want to be
accepted. We should all work to
put an end to the stigma around
it.
Those of us with epilepsy have
extra electricity in our brains!
So employ us, be cool with us
and above all, give us a chance.
FLAME FILES
• By Mark Thomas – fire risk
management officer
JUST AFTER Guy Fawkes
weekend, I left town for a week.
On my return, I found heaps
of vegetation fires, grass, bushes
and trees had been attended.
While that’s a sign of the time
of year, it’s also disappointing
to see how many of them were
the result of fireworks.
The worst incident occurred
on November 11 in Harewood,
where a firework thrown on to
the roof of a house set the roof
on fire.
A smoke alarm alerted the
occupants but one was still
burnt while escaping.
If found, the idiot responsible
might well face a charge of
arson. Because recklessness is
now included in the actions
that might constitute the crime.
And you don’t get much more
reckless than this.
Going through the week’s fire
calls, I almost finished without
seeing a single kitchen cooking
fire, which is almost unheard
of.
Until I got to Wednesday
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
Fireworks continue
to cause issues
Lifestyle Village for over 50 yrs
when some people went out
from their apartment in Madras
St and left a pot on the
working stove.
The neighbour downstairs
smelt smoke and called it in.
The occupants just beat the
first fire truck in returning and
had the job of cleaning up the
smoke damage.
One week, just maybe, we’ll
get through without a single
one of these totally preventable
incidents.
Outside fires are banned.
For good reason. A brazier left
burning on a deck in Parklands
on Wednesday night fell over
seemingly after everyone had
gone to bed.
The deck was destroyed. Also
very preventable.
A great Bakery
and Cafe
78 Main Street, Oxford
Phone 03 312 4397
51 Main West Road, Sheffield
Phone 03 318 3876
www.sheffieldpieshop.co.nz
For all your catering needs
Shop online
with the in
store special
prices!
Discount code:
Goat
themohairstore
140 Colombo Street, Beckenham
Phone 03 943 1639
www.themohairstore.co.nz
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Sue 027 440 1282 Greg 027 535 9113
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