Thank-you to everyone who has thought or prayed for us the past week, inquired about Charlotte’s health, or dropped off a card to us. When you’re in the midst of an emergency such as what our family went through recently, it’s easy to feel as if you’re the only one to have ever experienced it. It’s so comforting to know you’re not.
I’m flattered that so many of you shared your personal stories with Andrew and I, and we’re more positive about her future — whatever it may bring — as a result. In addition to being bolstered by empathy, you have helped reassure us that pediatric seizures aren’t a death knell, or a life sentence of worry.
Since last week’s column, we have thankfully had little to worry about. Monday was a long day; Charlotte’s scheduled 2:30 p.m. MRI kept being delayed. The little trouper was finally allowed to eat at 7 p.m. that night — a full 24 hours without food — when it was apparent the MRI wasn’t going to happen. The gods must have noted her resolve, however, for a nurse told us later that night that Charlotte would have her MRI at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The three of us happily went home later that day with clear MRI and EEG reports.
Charlotte will remain on an anti-seizure medication for at least three months, when she has a follow-up appointment with her neurologist, who suggests that the seizures were a result of the stomach bug she had the day prior. Considering the complexities of the brain, however, one can never be too sure, so we’ll keep just a bit of a closer eye on her than usual. But she’s recovered from her stomach bug, and, most importantly, she’s not had a seizure in over a week. So far, so good.
We have many things to be thankful for: St. Marys Memorial Hospital’s still-open emergency room, the fine weather which made for easy drives to London and back, and Charlotte’s own resilience. She impressed us with her patience during our stay... and learned some skills. If she stood in her hospital crib, she was level with us, and surprised us on Sunday by giving hugs and kisses for the first time.
We’ve had a quiet week at home, recovering physically and mentally. We’re a fortunate family in that we live at our workplace; even if Andrew is busy, he’s only a flight of stairs away. We’ve had to make some sacrifices so I could stay home, but the trade-off — us being together for our daughter’s most formative years — is more than worth it.
One of the surprisingly easy sacrifices has been cutting our cable television. Even though we only had a basic package, we were wasting a lot of time in front of the tube and paying for it. We only have one “must see” night of television and the rest of our viewing was pretty mindless. After all, how many Simpsons reruns and decorating shows do we really need to watch?
The customer service representative who took my call was incredulous that people would just choose to opt out of cable. “But... how will you... enjoy... television?” she wondered. The answer is simple: the Internet. If you have a high-definition television and a laptop, you can connect them (usually with one wire) and stream Internet content on your TV, as most networks offer their shows for free online. This, coupled with an $8 monthly subscription to movie and television show library service Netflix.ca, meets our TV needs for now. I’m surprised at how little we miss traditional television; we’re reading more and rediscovering board games, and generally feel less bound to the clock.
Cutting the cable cord is a bit of a trend among those who are more familiar with how media content and delivery overlaps, but it’s also a sign of how once disparate items in your house — phone, television, computer — are closer than ever before. And, let’s be honest, it’s nice to give the kiss-off to a major corporation that has had a stranglehold on cable television access.
Even the most devout couch potato would agree that Sunday morning TV is the pits — an abrasive mix of political talk shows, televangelists and infomercials that’s easy to ignore. If you’re just hanging around the house, it’s a fine time for the family to make breakfast together to warm the mind and body on a cold winter’s day.
Charlotte enjoyed my homemade pancakes for the first time this weekend — and how! She devoured an entire one herself. These are just as easy as the box-batter variety, and healthier, too.

Charlotte’s pancakes
(Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Bridal Edition Cookbook)
2 eggs
1 3⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
1⁄4 cup oatmeal flakes or ground flax seeds
1 1⁄2 cup milk
2 tbsp. brown sugar
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 tsp. baking powder
1⁄2 tsp. salt
2 cups frozen raspberries
Beat eggs in medium bowl until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients except raspberries and beat until just smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat until a drop of water bubbles. Pour about a cup of batter onto pan for pancakes that are about seven inches in diameter; arrange about seven or eight raspberries evenly on top. Flip pancake when tops are bubbly and edges dry, then cook for about a minute. You may need to scrape burnt fruit bits from pan between pancakes.
Serve warm with maple syrup. Makes five seven-inch pancakes.