Cheers for JK Rowling - and a nod to Keppra

Well, it's been a while and I really can't explain why.

I've been snowed under by ordinary family stuff including caring for a few precious grandchildren for several days. But why I haven't found time to update is a puzzle.

C. decided that she'd better rein in her seizures when her nieces and nephew arrived. More realistically, the only change in her diet and meds that I can credit with the turnaround - and that's very reluctantly - is raising her Keppra dose.

Two weeks ago when she was wracked with seizures I asked the neurologist whether she'd recommend raising Keppra. She liked the idea. So we're now at 2,500 mg/day, divided into two doses

I would have preferred an improvement due to the raised cannabis. But unfortunately that hasn't been the case for several months.

Not that we're about to drop it, of course. I still hold out hope. Perhaps once we get the license for a monthly bottle of THC and can experiment with a daily dose of it we'll see positive changes.

I listened to Christiane Amanpour's interview with J.K. Rowling [link and below] on CNN - twice through! It was music to my ears.

In these parts, we are bombarded with "news" reports lauding the largest chain of institutions for children and young adults with disabilities. Local media outlets cover everything from groundbreaking ceremonies for expansion buildings to visits by local politicians, celebrities and wealthy donors.

Never a negative word is uttered about the popularity of warehousing these most vulnerable children. Certainly, the concept of de-institutionalization of people with disabilities - Rowling's goal - is never, ever raised.

I urge you to watch this Rowling interview - once will suffice.

She's intelligent, articulate and passionate about her organization, Lumos. "As much as possible, Lumos wants to help children return home to the arms of those they love", she told Amanpour.

Amen.