The Athena Method

What is The Athena Method?

The Athena Method was my brain child. Pun intended. Athena is known in Greek mythology as the “wise warrior.” In my epilepsy journey I have chosen to be a wise warrior and I think my approach to coping with epilepsy can be catching. My sincerest wish and desire is to empower women with epilepsy to advocate for themselves by providing them with knowledge, wisdom, and insight. Specifically in the areas of education, employment, nourishment, healthcare, housing, and negotiation tactics. I’ve accrued a lifetime of knowledge and experience in my battle with epilepsy. I feel I’m qualified to provide this guidance because I consider myself an epilepsy veteran. I have no doubt, together, we can achieve great things.

If you have a uterus and ovaries and are of child bearing age, you are painfully aware of what the menstrual cycle is. Catamenial Epilepsy is when your seizures follow the ups and downs of your hormones throughout your menstrual cycle. The major players we’ll focus on are estrogen and progesterone. I’ll share what my personal experience with catamenial epilepsy is to help illustrate it for you. I used to have clusters of grand mal (tonic clonic) seizures which are gnarly seizures where the individual first enters the “tonic” phase. They lose consciousness, muscle stiffening occurs, and they fall. This is followed by the “clonic” phase which is convulsing and rhythmic violent jerking. The cluster (meaning multiple, sometimes back to back) seizures I would have would occur, like clockwork, when I was menstruating, on day fourteen of my cycle when ovulation takes place, and the last week of my cycle approximately days 23-28. I began to notice the pattern. It turns out at these specific times during the menstrual cycle progesterone takes a dive. You can think of estrogen as “pro-seizure” as in it can trigger seizures, and progesterone as “anti-seizure” indicating that it is a seizure deterrent.

I began to BEG neurologists to put me on a progesterone only birth control after reading what little research was available in medical journals. I was dismissed, got eye rolls, and one doctor even laughed at me at the mention of catamenial epilepsy. It took me ten years but I finally encountered a phenomenally talented, insightful, and open minded neurologist at a Boston healthcare facility. She was the first neurologist to hear me. She understood from her experience with female patients with epilepsy there was much to be learned about the role of progesterone and a better understanding of catamenial epilepsy. I was put on Aygestin which is synthetic version of progesterone created in a lab. My seizures changed what felt like overnight. They changed to complex partials, which in me involve staring, unresponsiveness, loss of conscious, stuttering, and lip smacking. However, now I didn’t fall, no biting my tongue until it bled, no peeing my pants, no splitting headache. Score! They were also much less frequent. It improved my quality of life in spades. It was an extremely validating moment for me. I had been right and all of the doctors before my current one had been wrong.

My current med cocktail consists of two seizure meds and a high dose of Aygestin. I will soon be switching to Depo-Provera because it is a stronger synthetic progestin (lab made medication that mimics endogenous ie natural progesterone). I’ve gone six months with only having four seizures that were avoidable. That’s pretty impressive for someone that used to have almost two hundred grand mal seizures a year.

Recipe of the Week

All recipes posted on The Athena Method were created with the challenges people with epilepsy face in the kitchen in mind. All appliances in these recipes have timers and will shut off when the timer ends making it much safer to prepare food when home alone. These appliances also broaden your meal preparation choices.

Disclaimer

Please take caution regarding kitchen hazards like burns, cuts, fire, and allergies. Cooking and being in the kitchen in general are dangerous for anyone particularly those of us with epilepsy. The authors, facilitators, and anyone associated with this recipe and blog take no responsibility for death, injury, etc. incurred as a result of making this recipe.

Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

I recommend the Emeril Lagasse Extra Large French Door Air Fryer

Feeds 2 people

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO for short)
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
½ Tsp Black ground pepper
½ Tsp Salt

Directions

In large mixing bowl, place pork tenderloin, be careful when removing from packaging, you don’t want to drip raw pork juice everywhere. I open mine over the sink or open garbage can.

Pour the EVOO all over the pork tenderloin. Then add everything else. Rub all over tenderloin until all ingredients are equally spread on.

Using “Bake” option on Air Fryer, The temperature should be 400 degrees for 20 minutes. After it’s done preheating, place tenderloin on baking tray with short sides and bake.

When Air Fryer signals it’s done, carefully remove tray with oven mitts containing pork tenderloin from AirFryer keeping in mind everything will be hot.

Place tray on hot pads or surface of kitchen stove that is not on. Take the temperature with a kitchen thermometer in the middle of the tenderloin. Anything 155 degrees and above is done! Allow to cool for ten minutes.

Pick up cooked tenderloin carefully with tongs and place on cutting board. Make slices and enjoy.

Joke of the Week

What type of cycles do women ride?

Menstrual cycles

Song of the Week

What’s Up by 4 Non Blondes