Jaime Simpson

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At least the tube was taken out. I’m so loopy but wanted to give you an update. The complex cyst was taken out for biopsy and so was a lot of endometriosis BEFORE my seizures. I woke up 2 days later and thought it was the same day. #EndometriosisSurgery #EndometriosisAwareness #SurgeryRecovery #SeizureRecovery

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When I look back at seizure footage, I feel so much embarrassment imagining all of the people that walked past and thought “what’s wrong with that girl?” I started posting my seizures to bring awareness to Epilepsy and to take back some of the embarrassment I felt from seizures. I don’t want anyone to feel embarrassed of Epilepsy. It’s not your fault. You rarely can make it go away by “doing all the right things.” You’re not possessed and I’m so sorry that so many scary movies have connected convulsions with something evil in you. If you have Epilepsy, no one should bridge that with “not praying enough.” It’s a real neurological disease that causes electrical misfires in the brain. Epilepsy isn’t always convulsive. The majority of people that automatically think all seizures are grand mal when I explain that I have Epilepsy is a big part of why I advocate for this neurological disease. * This video is from a while ago but I think the educational aspect of it is still important. Epilepsy is dangerous. It makes you dependent upon people in your surroundings to make sure you’re okay, don’t get injured, and don’t go into status epilepticus. That’s why I talk about it so much. #EpilepsyAwareness #SeizureAwareness #EpilepsyAdvocate #SeizureEducation #ThisIsEpilepsy DisabilityAwareness InvisibleDisability NeurologicalDisorder FocalSeizures AbsenceSeizures EpilepsyWarrior DisabilityAdvocate SeizureSafety TravelWithDisability AirportAccessibility EndTheStigma

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Thank you aunt Dolly for giving us joy and love. I guess it’s time for us to hold the torch now. “If you look hard enough, You’ll find grace that rebuilt itself in the dark and a softness that survived what was meant to shatter it” My favorite Dolly quote is “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” #DollyParton #AuntDolly #DollyWisdom #DollyPartonQuotes #choosejoy

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How I’ve been feeling while having to use my wheelchair lately 🥹🧑🏼‍🩰 If you’ve never watched dance moms, you’re less likely to understand this gem 💎 @Abby Lee Miller I’ve had to get my wheelchair back out after two recent hospitalizations. For those that don’t know, I’ve had epilepsy my entire life and a complex medical history that worsened into adulthood but in 2019, I was in a major car accident. I’ve been in and out of a wheelchair since (“ambulatory wheelchair user”). When I can, I don’t use it. It’s hard to navigate a 400 pound wheelchair and have low vision! I’m also a very independent girly for someone who has a dependent body and not a fan of getting pushed. Recently, I went through intubation + medically induced coma after status epilepticus triggered by infection and then I had a complex cyst removed (pending biopsy) and endometriosis followed by status epilepticus in the Post Op area causing yet another medically induced coma + intubation plus a bonus grapefruit sized hematoma under the cyst incision. My body has been TIRED. I can’t take more than a few steps without blacking out and my brain is still catching up on a few things after being a tad swollen from a status and propofol. #abbyleemiller #dancemoms #wheelchairuser #wheelchairdance

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The reality of managing chronic illnesses in a theme park ✨ I always expect a lot of stares because it isn’t normal to watch people do IV meds in the middle of a non-medical environment. I DO think it’s really important to educate ourselves, our children, and loved ones on what not to say and how to be respectful around those with differences. Almost EVERYTIME I do my meds, I get at least one rude comment. I think it’s important to see medical care from a different perspective. Medical care looks like so many things. If we are just kind, curious without being invasive, and willing to teach our kids that different doesn’t mean scary or weird, we can make public spaces feel a little more welcoming for everyone. #DisneyWorld #DisneyAccessibility #ChronicIllnessAwareness #DisabledAtDisney #ServiceDogAtDisney

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I hate how I look when I have seizures. 1 in 26 people have epilepsy and 1 in 12 have a seizure in their life. That’s a lot. This is an older video and I am okay. I still have seizures sometimes. You can see in this video that I have some disconjugate gaze and Strabismus in seizures from this video. I have been put in a medically induced coma multiple times due to status epilepticus. I’m doing a lot better than I was currently. I’m grateful for echo. If you want to see how he really works with seizures, this is a great example. Yes, he can give me a sequence of behaviors before a seizure. Honestly, the trained sequence of behaviors is easy work for an Aussie. What I’m most proud of is his perseverance to finish the job and his ability to understand when human help is present so he may stay out of the way or when he should help because humans aren’t aware or there. He’s not perfect of course because he’s still a dog but I can’t imagine a better working dog for me. You have no idea what having some control to know when a seizure might happen even seconds before I lose awareness, means to me. It’s everything. Thank you Echo. #EpilepsyAwareness #SeizureAlertDog #ServiceDogAtWork #SeizureResponseDog #LifeWithEpilepsy

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I wasn’t going to post this because wellll I didn’t get to go to NYFW this year buuut I decided to let the video escape draft prison so you have an idea of how I’m trying to balance my health and wanting so badly to “seize” rare opportunities. Everyone looks like they are having so much fun in NY and I’m jealous. Anyways, I’m doing a lot better now. Here’s to next year 🥂🤞🏼 #DisabilityAdvocate #EpilepsyAwareness #TPNLife #ServiceDogLife #NewYorkFashionWeek

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The first time I found Echo one the fridge 🥰 Aussies are super smart dogs. Echo and did a trick dog performance for his Elite Trick Dog Title and one of those tricks was climbing a cat tower. Clearly Echo thought the fridge was the basically same thing. Aussies are also sneaky. I technically never told him he couldn’t have those treats. And Voilà now we have the notorious fridge dog. He has been sitting on the fridge when I let him ever since. We even built a hammock with stairs in my office 🤭 #AustralianShepherd #AussieLife #SmartDog #TrickDog #FridgeDog

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No caption needed #HealingThroughMusic #ShowerTherapy #SingItOut #MusicIsHealing #FindingMyselfAgain

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Never easy but always worth it ❤️‍🩹 Sometimes healing means going somewhere quiet enough to remember what matters most. We had no screen options and no phones. I woke up in the middle of the night and made Ruben walk me halfway to the bathroom. In the cold, with sounds of owls around us, we looked up and saw so many stars that we couldn’t see before. Suddenly the world was still. ✨ Love doesn’t have to look like surviving. It can look like moments of warm light through trees, little hands reaching for ours, big warm dogs leaning against you, and choosing to be fully present with them. Maybe stillness isn’t doing nothing, but noticing how much wonder and love stays still within us 🫂 #FamilyCamping #DisabledAndAdventurous #CampingWithKids #LifeWithServiceDogs #FindingStillness

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It’s happening! This morning we saw two surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses. Everyone has come in and marked me and prepped me for surgery. Prayers always #endometriosis #complexcyst #6incisions #hopefullyrelief

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I have two surgeons going in to get endometriosis and a complex cyst out. I have already diagnosed endometriosis that runs in my family. My sister had stage 4 endometriosis removed. They will also be removing a complex cyst in my abdomen and sending it off for biopsy. All good vibes, prayers, etc are welcomed 🩷 Endometriosis is so common and underdiagnosed. I really hope that changes one day and I see some personal relief from however many excisions they decide to make it my tummy. I’m sorry this is so short but wanted to keep you updated. I have gone through so many health hurdles and there are other surgeries to come. Surgeries can be fatal for VEDS patients and that always scares me. I don’t heal fast either. I just hope I can get through them while still feeling like I can live life in peace and be a good mom.