Unraveling the Spider’s Net: A Family’s Struggle With Epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, and Depression

"People are important. Although some persons may consider that people with disabilities cannot live ordinary lives, as long as they believe in themselves, they will survive. Never allow a person or a situation to overpower you." These words are as true today as they were when my father said them to me in 1945, when he realized that epilepsy would be with me for life. Since then I have had five hip surgeries, cancer, cataract surgery, and several other physical problems that could be considered disabling. Yet, I have obtained two bachelor's degrees, one in Education and the other in Fine Arts, a Masters degree in the Science of Psychology, and am now enrolled in a Doctorate program at Walden University in Health Psychology. We have had several deaths in the family in the past few years, and the birth of my great-granddaughter, Sania Machele Schumacher-Drink this past May. Life is always changing, so why should people show bias to those who have Epilepsy, Depression, or Parkinson's disease simply because they are not understood? We are constantly met with new challenges. For every bad thing that occurs, many more good things happen. I am originally from Wharton, Texas, but I have lived all over the country and traveled abroad quite a bit. Art, writing and selling Mary Kay Cosmetics have enabled me continue to appreciate people, as well as the many trials that occur. We grow stronger through overcoming these trials. I am a member of the American Medical Writers Association, American Epilepsy Society, International Association of Scientific Studies of Intellectual Disabilities, as well as the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut. I have been a member of the American Medical Illustrators organization as well. I have spoken at medical conferences in 19 countries from Bombay to Beijing in an endeavor to make Epilepsy better understood. Unraveling the Spider's Net, Epilepsy, Depression and Parkinson's Disease is an attempt to show people that the cause of people's difficulty is not the disorder, as much as the attitude of the public to said disorders. Epilepsy has been with us for many years, yet it still is not understood. In this book, I have tried to portray persons with epilepsy as ordinary people who live ordinary lives in spite of their problems. More people are suffering from epilepsy today as a side effect of Tumor surgery than was true twenty years ago. If a person is determined to overcome a problem, he or she will. Emilia and George, who were characters in Surviving the Spider's Net, a Family's Struggle with Abuse and Epilepsy are faced with different and challenging problems in this book as they see their family grow and new problems, such as Medicaid, Social Security, and Health care are faced. Everything comes with a price. Will they be able to meet the price?