When Pigs Take Flight Blog

Where the Amazing Story Began…

The movie, Brain on Fire (2016), based on the memoir by Susannah Cahalan entitled Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (2012) ended abruptly. In the movie’s final scenes, Susannah, played by Chloe Moretz, recovers from her ordeal—her “month of madness”—and several months of rehabilitation, and returns to work…The movie ends there, and in all honesty, I felt as if I were left hanging; perhaps, because I knew that this is where the more amazing story began…

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Aging Not-So-Gracefully

With my birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, my 20-year high school reunion in the books and the five-year anniversary of my battle with encephalitis in the rear-view mirror, lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about age and mortality.

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Faring Florence Forth

The Florence Forth weekend was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. I thought I’d share my thoughts on the trip for those of you who haven’t been able to attend or would like to know more about it. I meant to post this much sooner but the past month slipped away so fast!

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My Kryptonite

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Christopher Reeves

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The SNUGGLE is Real

Recovering from a brain injury takes an extraordinary amount of time and patience. In the case of anti-NMDA encephalitis, even the most optimistic doctors speaking of best case scenario patients will forewarn at least 12 months of rehabilitation. For most of us it is much longer, with bits and pieces of ourselves reappearing along an unpredictable timeline that spans an indefinite number of years. This extended length of rehabilitation can often cause further frustration, stress, and anxiety and it can feel as though you take one step back for every two steps forward.

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Christmas Past, Present and Future

Nearly four years ago, the very beginning symptoms of anti-NMDA were slowly beginning to fray the edges of my physical and mental health. And, though it would take a few months to fully unravel and then, even after extensive treatment, it would take more than a year to recover, this time of year always brings to mind the very beginning of this journey. I find myself reflecting on where I’ve been and where I’m going.

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The Ultimate Posting

GUEST POST. In my 25-year career at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada, I have had 3 postings abroad: New Delhi, Damascus and Paris. Each location an exciting and interesting journey, with unique charms, life-long memories, and friends I may not have had the opportunity to meet. Upon my return to headquarters in 2004, I was looking forward to establishing a place I could call a permanent home for myself and my family, before heading out again on perhaps one final posting.

That fourth and final posting did come – although sooner than expected and without the requisite pre-posting formalities.

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We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.
[Winston Churchill]

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