WELL, team, the last two weeks have been extremely hit or miss with yours truly. Shall we?
The big thing was the weird tonic-clonic seizure I had, out of nowhere, the Thursday before last. I don’t remember it at all myself, I remember talking to my mother in the kitchen late in the afternoon, and then I remember sitting on the floor in the kitchen being a real bitch to my mom, who was saying nonsensical things to me about how something was wrong and she needed to call 911. Because I am never mad at my mom, or really in general, I assumed I was dreaming, because I am frequently yelling at loved ones in my dreams.
By the time the paramedics arrived, I was beginning to suspect I was awake, and when they did not leave as soon as I (sweat-soaked and bug-eyed and with my blood pressure through the roof) told them my mom was a crazy old bat and to leave me alone…well, I started to think that I might have had a seizure.
They took me in, I got a clean head CT scan, and then everyone became relatively disinterested in the seizure. I have since learned that a massive number of men and women have exactly one really bitchin’ tonic-clonic seizure in their lives, and that’s it. I’m seeing a neurologist for follow-up, obviously, but there’s every chance this is just a Fun Story a few years down the road.
Then I slept off and on for the next 2-4 days, during which time I tweeted and texted and called people but formed zero memories of having done so. I was also a bit chattier and pushier than usual, which is apparently extremely common. Almost two weeks out, my brain is almost totally back to normal, but still a bit bad at short-term memory formation. I also got a partial muscle tear in my left arm while seizing, which has been really unpleasant and will just take time.
I had planned to go to NYC this past weekend for ages, specifically to appear at Symphony Space in conversation with my dear friend Nicole Chung, whose debut book is kicking ass and taking names. I had no intention of cancelling, once I got permission to fly, but I did slash-and-burn any and all other plans for my time there, which resulted in maybe the only Relaxing and Restorative trip to Manhattan I have ever had. I got a free upgrade at the Carlyle Hotel and wound up with this ridiculous two-bedroom suite with wraparound views and a kitchen and a living room, which I immediately populated with a small entourage of friends who also wanted to come support Nikki’s book. It was lovely. We got the hotel salon to send up hair and makeup people to make us pretty (I got bangs!) and ate thousands of dumplings and watched TV and talked and cried and did not go anywhere.
I’ll be doing a longer installment tomorrow but wanted to be like “this is where I have been!”
Love N