Seizures

I have mentioned this before but I don't think that I have ever wrote a blog post about it. So, here goes.

When I was three years old I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I am sure that this was unwelcome news to my parents, who were already dealing with my various other health problems. Anyway, I was put on an anti seizure medication called tegretol xr. I remember first taking it in chewable form then switching to the pills that you swallow.

I took it in varying doses, up to 3 times daily (although usually just once daily) until I was 38 years old. By that point, I had been seizure free for twenty years. The last time I had a big seizure where I had to go to the hospital, I was 18. I foolishly stayed awake for a long time playing video games. Not getting enough solid sleep and flashing lights are one of my seizure triggers.

By the age of 38, after being seizure free for twenty years, I worked with my doctor to wean myself off of tegretol xr. Because I had been told that taking tegretol xr for an extended period of time can be damaging to your liver. It took me about a year but I was able to get off the medication totally.

The doctors did a test where they measured my brain activity while they intentionally tried to provoke a seizure. Luckily, they were unable to do so. I will always have the possibility of returning to have seizures. However, as of 2026, I am three years into this journey and I am still seizure free. Hopefully, I will remain so. I thought I was pretty special, being able to get off my medication. However, I did some research and 50-75% of people with epilepsy are able to come off their medications. I hope this was a straight forward explanation.

Til next time, Tyler 

Exercise For Me

Most of you, if not all of you, reading this currently, have the ability to exercise, not because you enjoy it (I am willing to bet most of you don't enjoy it!). However, if you choose not to exercise, you won't make any progress physically or mentally. But for the vast majority of you, not working out will not help you or harm you. The vast majority of you can continu your lives as normal without doing any exercise.

My situation is different. I have learned since I have been back home, that my brain is capable of plasticity. By that, I mean that even though I suffered damage to my fourth ventricle which has resulted in my balance issues and speech issues. I am slowly but surely retraining the undamaged areas of my brain to take over the functions which were previously controlled by the damaged areas.

I must exercise intensively six days a week. I don't know if I will have to continue to work out six days a week for the rest of my life. However, I might. I will keep it up for as long as I can. Not because I enjoy it (I don't) but because it is the only thing I have found that allows me to retrain my brain. When I take multiple days off, I notice when I go back to working out, my brain is sluggish and does not connect properly with my body. Not working out for multiple days, months or years is not an option for me. It will negatively affect my health both physically and mentally. 

I don't enjoy all of this exercise. However, I do enjoy knowing that my brain is reconnecting with my body. I still remember the first time that it happened to me, after six years of inactivity. I cried like a baby because I was convinced that it would never happen again for me.

Doing all of this exercise is not easy or enjoyable for me. Having my brain go dormant again is not something that I ever want to happen again. All the effort is worth it. Besides, it will keep me generally healthier for longer and it will protect me against getting dementia. I hope I have done a decent job of explaining all of this.

Til next time, Tyler 

Lost Connections

I was just thinking today about a former friend of mine. I don't want to identify him in order to protect the privacy of his family, who I am still close to.

Him and I were friends for years. He was not my best friend, but he was a good friend of mine. About fifteen years ago, more or less, recently after he got married, he decided to cut off everyone in his life. I did nothing wrong (that I know of) and I was given no explanation by him.

He stopped talking to all of his family, his friends and everyone who knew him. After all of these years, I don't know if he is still married, has kids or even if he is still alive. I can't imagine a circumstance where I would cut out everyone in my life. Family and friends.

I know his family. They are good people. They may have made some mistakes. However, cutting off contact with them completely (not to mention all of your friends) seems extreme. I can't imagine any circumstance where I would do the same thing. I love my family and friends and I would never want to take away my parents ability to see their only grand daughter.

I wish him well, if he is still alive. I hope he is happy. After all of these years, I don't expect to ever talk to or see him again. That is a shame, because he was a good guy. He is missing out on spending time with his family and friends who love him. However, he made his choice for whatever reason and I won't be able to change his mind. Make sure you hold your loved ones tightly and tell them (and show them) how you feel.

Til next time, Tyler 

Remembering those whom I have lost

I noticed on my Facebook page that yesterday was the seven year anniversary of a former coworker's death. We were never close friends but I did teach with him in Colombia. In 2019, at the young age of 34, he was attending a bachelor party in Scotland (where he was from) and he was involved in a kayaking accident. His kayak overturned and he drowned sadly.

None of us know the exact hour or manner of our death. That is why it is so important to be grateful for every day that you have and take full advantage of them!

I have lost my maternal grandparents, at the relatively young ages of 78 and 82. I have also lost my paternal grandfather, who died in 1972. My grandmother's second husband, died in 2014 at the age of 75. Now, I have only my paternal grandmother left she is 90 years old as of 2026. Sam is not the only person that I know who has died young. My friend Therisa Schmidt died in a car accident at the tender age of only seventeen. A friend of mine from my travel group died in a car crash at only twenty seven years old. 

My ex roommate in Colombia, Mark died alone in his apartment in Africa of a brain aneurysm. I also had 2 friends from my former travel group, whom I knew. They died tragically too young. One of them died of a massive heart attack at the age of 47 and the other of cancer at the age of 56. Both were gone to young. I have also lost a former boss of mine, to cancer at the age of 71. He was a heavy smoker though. That bad habit will catch up with you. 

There are more people who I have lost but I don't want to bore you by detailing each one. The important thing to remember is that this life is fleeting and temporary. Don't take it for granted. Live each day as if it were your last. Be sure to take full advantage of every day that you are above ground. Hold on to your loved ones tightly and don't go to bed angry. Say what you want to say, to who you need to say it to. Don't wait because you may not get another chance. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I have no idea how or when I will die. Hopefully, it will be peaceful painless a long time from now. However, even if I die tomorrow, I will be happy with the life that I have had. I have seen and done things, in my 41 short years on this planet that many people never have the ability to see and do in their entire lives. Despite all of my health challenges, I would not change anything. Everything that has happened to me, I have learned from. I still consider myself one of the luckiest men alive. I am so grateful for everyone who has supported me and given me the opportunity to have a better life than I ever dreamed possible, and much better than the doctors predicted for me as an infant. I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for me. 

Til next time, Tyler 

July Update

I was trying to give you dear readers a monthly update, however once my wife and daughter Eliana Valentina got here I was too busy to do it. Now that they have returned home to Pamplona Spain, I will give you my update.

I won't rehash all of the time the girls were here. I already have a separate blog entry about their trip if you are interested in reading about it. Needless to say, they both had a great time here. As did I, and my parents.

I have already updated you on my progress both physically,mentally and emotionally. I was too busy when the girls were here to work out as intensely and consistently as I needed. I have noticed some backsliding between my brain/body connection. However, I was not totally inactive for the entire time that the girls were here.

I struggled my first few days back to my normal routine. However, I am back to working out hard and consistently six days a week. So, things are connecting correctly again. I will be here until August 31st. So, I am looking forward to solidifying the gains that I have made. 

My next challenge will be to continue working hard both physically and mentally when I get back home to Pamplona Spain. I will have to rely on myself and my new found sense of motivation, since I won't have anyone else to push me to keep improving. However, I didn't do all of this hard work just to lose it all, due to being lazy. I am doing this for myself but also because I know that the closer I get to normal life the easier it will be for everyone around me. If everyone around me has not given up on me, I can't give up on myself.

Til next time, Tyler 

The Girls Return Home

My wife Jenny and daughter Eliana Valentina returned home to Pamplona Spain. We had a great time seeing them both. My daughter Eliana Valentina had some unique Texas experiences and she got to spend time with both sides of my family and her grandparents enjoyed spoiling her rotten.

Of course, I miss the girls already. I will be here in Texas until the end of August. I will continue working as hard as possible on my physical recovery, trying to get in the best shape possible before I go back. 

I am far more fortunate than I deserve. Life is hard. However, hard doesn't mean impossible. I am grateful for every day that I have above ground. I have amazing family and friends and extended family. I may never get back to normal life again, but the closer I get to normal, the easier it will be on the girls and everyone else around me. I don't want to be a burden, not when I have the capacity to be more independent myself. It will be long, hard lifelong work to keep my brain active. However, hard does not mean impossible. It will be worth all of the effort. 

Til next time, Tyler 

My Eventual Last Day of Life

Because of my multiple brushes with my eventual death, and having come close to dying many times, I think about my mortality more than the average person.

I have already written my will, planned my funeral and even prewritten my obituary. I am also an organ donor and plan to donate my brain and body to science. Due to living in Spain, where burial space is limited, I won't be having a traditional headstone and burial plot. Instead, I will be cremated and on my urn which will contain my ashes, I will have it inscribed "Here lies a man who got all he ever wanted".

It is my hope that doing all of this preplanning for my eventual death will spare my loved ones some added stress (although I know that they will be sad). It was the actor Anthony Hopkins who once said a quote that I really liked. He said "Very few of us humans know the exact hour or manner of our death, however, death is the great equalizer, eventually coming for everyone, regardless of social status, wealth, race, age, gender or anything else that you can measure."

For years now, I have said that I want to live until I am 89 years old. I have never changed my answer because I feel that if I reach 89 years old while still being healthy physically and mentally, that would be enough for me to see and do everything that I want without lingering on too long. However, once I get to 89 years old, I may decide that I haven't seen or done enough yet! 

I am grateful for everything. Despite all of my health challenges, I wouldn't wish any of this on my worst enemy. Life is hard but absolutely worth living. I have learned a life lesson from everything,both the good and the bad. I wouldn't change anything even if I could. I am blessed beyond measure. I am grateful for every day that I have had and hopefully I will have many more. 

Til next time, Tyler 

My Blog of Random Thoughts

I have a lot of random thoughts that I wanted to consolidate into written form. Here goes : I was recently asked by my cousin, how I remain positive in the face of such adversity.

I told her that I am no one special. However, I consciously choose to remain positive despite my challenges. Because it would be easier to fall into a negative feedback loop. However, that would do nothing to help me move forward physically or mentally. So, the only other logical choice for me is to remain positive, focusing on the good things and good people in my life. I choose to celebrate every new day that I have been given. I am far more fortunate than I deserve. 

I have had an amazing life over the past 41 years (and hopefully many more years to come). I certainly have had many highs and lows. I have visited 47 countries and counting. I have lived and worked in seven different countries. My one year abroad has turned into seventeen (as of 2026). I have seen and done more than most people will in their entire lives, in only 41 short years. However, believe it or not, I consider myself very fortunate. I am grateful even for all of the challenges. I wouldn't change anything even if I could. Because I have learned a valuable life lesson throughout it all. 

I will have to keep exercising nearly daily for the rest of my life. It won't be easy. However, I am not doing it for my general health (although that is an extra added benefit). I am doing it to keep my brain from going dormant again. Another added benefit, in addition to general health benefits, it will protect me from mental decline. I still don't enjoy all of this exercise. However, it is a necessity for me. I am thankful that I am in good enough shape to do it. I am also thankful that my brain is responding (however slowly and effortful that is required). 

I have amazing family and friends who love me unconditionally. I am in far better shape than some others, despite all of my challenges. If my family and friends refuse to give up on me, it would be unfair of me to give up on myself before they do. I spent far too long accepting only an average life, refusing to push myself to get better. Well no longer. I may never return fully to normal life. However, for my own sake and for the sake of everyone else around me, I cannot give up and settle for only average or acceptable. I have to strive for greatness, it will be a long, hard road ahead. However, hard does not mean impossible. Well this has been my blog of random thoughts. Thanks for reading. 

Til next time, Tyler