I don't plan to give a detailed background on my seizure history right at the start. Instead, since this is primarily a journal, I plan to fill in a little detail throughout my entries. I would like to primarily illustrate the present by recording how the UP wristband has helped me to control my seizures. I will say that I had a right frontal lobe brain injury (hemotoma) at the age of 15. I did not start having seizures until I was almost 30. I was very hard on my body in between. I worked hard and played hard. I enjoyed my academic pursuits leading to my doctoral degree as much I enjoyed partying. Both led to sometimes long periods without sleep. Over the course of the last few years, I've done most things recommended by my neurologists. Admittedly, I had a hard time making lifestyle changes necessary and the adjustments in my behavior were made gradually, every event an indicator that I needed to take the doctor's advice more seriously. At this point in time I don't drink any alcohol or use any recreational drugs except caffeine. When I drink caffeine, I try to do so moderately (not more than a single cup per day). I am currently taking 750 mg of leviteracetam (Keppra) twice a day (once when waking, once before bed) as an anticonvulsant.
I first saw wristbands tracking personal health at the apple store. The Nike Fuel band didn't appeal to me, since sleep is one of the primary factors affecting my seizure threshold and that product seemed mostly aimed at those specifically interested in exercise. The Lark smartband was also appealing, but there were two attributes that attracted me to the UP instead. First, the Lark seemed bulkier. Since I plan to be pretty serious about this, I wanted a band I can wear all the time. Second, I really liked the idea of an alarm tuned to the stage of my sleep cycle, which one of the features of the UP wristband.
Today was my first day using the Jawbone UP. It was simple (5 min max) to initially set up and came fully charged. So far the software has been completely intuitive. I was able to log my meals, exercise ect. without any hiccups. Using the band today I have noticed that I am more conscientious of my actions, which is exactly what I had hoped. I have been more aware of the content of what I am eating, and abstained from junk food today. I also drank more water and exercised at the gym for the first time in a long time. The real test will be for how long it will all last... Time to figure out how to set it up for sleep and set an alarm!
No comments:
Post a Comment