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Gemini's Journal ~Part One~ (By Gemini In Ai Lee Ranessa Sandusky, aged 13) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Friday, February 4, 2005
Rated "G" by the Author.
Gemini decides to start a journal, as her brother, Johnny, and sister, Ronee', have done.
I decided to start a journal. It seems that my little brother and sister (Johnny and Ronee', both, of whom, are one year younger than I am; I am thirteen, by the way!) have been at the journalism game for quite some time now. I figure now it is my turn to do this.
To tell you a bit about myself, my name is Gemini. My full name is Gemini In Ai Lee Ranessa Sandusky, and I am 13, as I just mentioned. I am fairly tall for my age, but very skinny in nature; it makes me appear "lithe" or "willowy" in appearance. I have very long, silky-straight blue-black hair that falls to near my waist when it is hanging loose, uptilted eyes of golden-brown (more gold than brown), and a rather broad face. I was born in Japan, in the city of Tokyo, but I was adopted when I was maybe three years old; and it seems that the family I have now is the only family I have ever known. All I know about my early life is this: my parents were killed in a car accident when I was a baby, and my mother was Chinese while my dad was Japanese and part French (on his mother's side). I don't know if I had any siblings or not.
I seem to be a typical teenage girl: that is, suffice to say, I love talking on the phone (or on the computer) with my friends, listening to the latest hits (I love rock music, but I also love country/western and bluegrass), reading (I am a regular bookworm! LOL), and watching sitcoms on tv (Nick At Night) or talent shows like "American Idol" or "America's Most Talented Kids", but if I had to mention my greatest passion in life, it would be either dancing or gymnastics.
I have taken dance lessons ever since I can remember, it seems, and I started taking gymnastics at the age of five. I am happy to say that I have won several major junior championships in both dance and gymnastics. My goal in life is to e an elite Olympic-caliber gymnast and win a gold medal for the United States of America; that would be too awesome! :)
But there is a side to me that a lot of people aren't even aware of unless I tell them in the open or they see me have a seizure. I happen to have a "hidden disability" that really doesn't manifest itself unless my brain misfires, and because of it, I have seizures. It has proven to be both a blessing as well as a curse. I occasionally have seizures t hat czuse me to fall to the ground and start jerking uncontrollably. To control these seizures, I take medication, and I see my pediatric neurologist every few months, so he can keep tabs on just how well I am doing. Now, I usually don't remember much after I have a seizure--only that my body feels as though it went through a meat grinder (OW), and I feel all fuzzy-headed or confused--not to mention, incredibly tired, like I haven't slept in a few weeks. But once I get over the seizure's effects, I am usually then fine, and it is like there is nothing even wrong with me. It is really weird.
Because of my diasability, I have to have someone with me (in case I fall out), and I can't do certain things like be around strobe lights (for some reason, these aggravate my seizures, and more than likely I will have one unless I get out of there fast!), or be in the pool by myself. It is very annoying, but it is better that I maybe DO have someone with me because nobody knows when I will have a seizure (especially when swimming).
That is the downside of hvaing epilepsy. But this has also been a good thing because it's taught me to have more compassion towards people whose disabilities are more "noticeable", like my brother Johnny, who is in a wheelchair because of muscular dystrophy (he is also on oxygen, and he has seizures too sometimes due to brain damage) or my sister, Ronee', who wears braces on her legs and uses forearm crutches for walking because of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). It has made me a more mature, a more open-minded person in nature. I have learned all I possibly can about epilepsy, and even though I may have seizures sometimes, I still can do a lot of things, and my seizures are, for the most part, controlled by medication. Still, I can have a seizure at any time, which can be a major pain in the rear (especially if it happens during one of my gymnastics or dance meets).
To let people know of my "disability", I wear a special "Medic-Alert" bracelet, and I also carry a card stating of my condition. Or I tell them right up front, right in the open--or else they find out when I have a seizure (this can be brutally embarrassing, especially if I happen to lose control of my bowels or my bladder, which can, unfortunately, happen during one of my seizures).
If I were older, I wouldn't be able to drive, and more than likely, I would have a very hard time trying to find gainful employment. But I am only thirteen now, so I have a few years to wait!
My mother, Louisiana, knows all about epilepsy because she has it herself; but her seizures are, happily, controlled. She still has to take the medication every day, just as a precaution, though, but since she hasn't had a seizure in over nine/ten years now, she can now drive, and she has a very good job as a registered nurse (she is the "daytime charge nurse" at her job). I didn't know she even had epilepsy until I saw her "Medic-Alert" bracelet, and it really surprised me. She looked--well, so normal, so healthy--, and it really took me for surprise when I found out just how much in common we shared, even though I hadn't actually been born to her. It did, however, make me feel a lot better to know that, with the right combination of medications or support, people with epilepsy can live happy, seemingly normal lives--and even find a successful career.
I am in the seventh grade at Donelson Junior High School here in Nashville, Tennessee (where I live), and my homeroom teacher is Mr. Dickey. I like school a lot, and I have lots of friends. My best friend is Joylene Michelle Reynaud, and she is African-American, very pretty in nature. She is also into dance and gymnastics, too, just like me.
When I am not competing in dance or gymnastics meets, I like to read, watch tv, gab on the phone, listen to music, go to church every Sunday and Wednesday (we go to Christ Community Assembly of God Church, and our pastor is Bruce Bilkey), and go online (my computer has virus protection and "parental block", so don't you worry!). See? I told you I was a typical kid! LOL
Well, that is it for now. I will write more later. I am not really into writing, but I am sure that as I do this again in the future, I just may find myself liking it and enjoying it, and I will, no doubt, become more comfortable with it. Maybe I can even do something exciting, like write a book! (My mom and my sister, Ronee', both have written a book--mom is currently waiting to see if her second book has been accepted for publication--, but I don't know if I could ever do something THAT extreme! LOL) So I guess this is so long for now! 'Bye!
Love, your friend, Gemini In Ai Lee Ranessa Sandusky, aged 13. :)
This is a wonderfully performed 7 CD Children's audio book, made up of three books from the "Run, Rasputin. Run!" series of books. Expertly narrated by Pat Fraley. Your entire family will enjoy these exceptional tales!
I decided to start a journal. It seems that my little brother and sister (Johnny and Ronee', both, of whom, are one year younger than I am; I am thirteen, by the way!) have been at the journalism game for quite some time now. I figure now it is my turn to do this.
