Also, just for the record

[sholio]

With the present state of the world being what it is, I should not be allowed to read about apocalypses.

It doesn't even have to be an apocalypse that's likely to happen! The book in question was about a comet hitting the Earth and everyone wandering around trying to survive in the ensuing nuclear winter. Apparently my hindbrain REALLY DID NOT LIKE THAT, because I finished reading it last night in bed and then ended up having to get up for two hours and do relaxing things on the Internet to calm down enough to sleep.

So, right. No apocalypses for me right now.

I really enjoyed the book, though - On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis. It's YA with an autistic protagonist (written by an autistic author) and, as apocalypses go, it's not at all grimdark. A lot of bad stuff happens because, well, apocalypse (and if animal harm/animal death is an issue for you, be aware that a subplot includes pets being put to sleep), but overall it's an optimistic book about people pulling together and trying to help each other and rebuild society.

All the scenes of people wandering around in a dark, flooded wasteland trying to find enough food to survive were apparently traumatic in a way my brain couldn't quite deal with right now, though.

Comments

[recessional]

Yup. I mean fortunately for Norka she was young at the time, and the ASD + comorbid cognitive delay meant that the epileptic angle didn't add much to the constant one-on-one care she needed (and felt a lot better having!) anyway? But it would have made life a lot more difficult if it had continued into adulthood. So we're thankful she grew out of it, and touch-wood that it won't re-emerge.

And on the shallow upside personal level, I got to amaze every first aid instructor I ever had by already knowing what to do in case of someone having a tonic-clonic seizure (which bluntly is "call 911, make sure they don't hurt themselves, get everyone else to fuck off and make the area safe, keep an eye on protecting their heads, and otherwise do fuck all until the paramedics get there or the seizure stops, in which case put a blanket on them and be gentle and careful in helping them sit up/etc") instead of being O.O frozen when the scenario showed up. XD (I was always in classes, somehow, RIGHT when they moved the level of when you were expected to Know About It up one more, and one instructor would inevitably throw in the scenario having forgotten this.)

It's one of those conditions that is actually more and more limiting the older you get. A toddler with epilepsy doesn't need a lot more care than a toddler needs ANYWAY; a six year old can be on par with what a shy or anxious six-year-old would choose anyway; ....etc.

[rachelmanija]

I keep hoping the "what to do in case of seizure" first aid disseminates into the general population - it's so simple, but apparently not.

[recessional]

I almost think part of the problem is that it IS so simple? and t-c seizures are, to be honest, SCARY AS FUCK to see, almost as scary as a bleeding wound or a heart attack, so people sort of . . . *waves hand* jump to this strong assumption that there must be something Secret and Special that they can do/learn how to do/should know how to do (assuming they've ever thought about it), which is why crap like the Keep From Swallowing Tongue BS keeps hanging on.

I mean that was the other feature of the continually amazing - was everyone else in the class turning to me with this face of OMG WHAT SECRET IS IT! and then there being this air of " . . . oh" when I explained, and being all, that's it?

Because that is it. You as first aider can't do sweet fuck all. Their brain has gone haywire, you cannot do bugger all for their brain, all you can do is gently keep their body from getting damaged by the space around it until their brain stops being haywire, and then give them a blanket. You are indeed totally helpless. Sorry!

(Tho honestly complex partial seizures are the ones that scare ME. Partials they can probably still keep themselves from dying even if behaviourally everything's gone totally weird, of the general ones you really either have absence, which isn't an emergency so much as a "and nooooow we need to go see the doc" or you have the Big Ones that knock out consciousness/interaction where all you can do is keep them from injury and wait for the EMTs.

But complex-partials, they can be severely impaired and thus at risk, while still being present enough to flip out at you or resist all attempts to help etc. It's like dealing with concussion: they may suddenly decide YOU ARE THE WORST THING EVER because their brain has gone BDSZZZDT!!!! and like augh. *RANDOM*)