Laura Sedor
#0
I have been thinking about this for a long time....but I wanted to get some opinions before I actually start it.
A bit of a background about me - I have had epilepsy since I was 12 years old. Thankfully, my seizures are controlled by medicine. However - I know many who are not as fortunate. Going through years of my medicine not working - and me being unable to control my seizures - I have somewhat of an idea of what many people go through when they have uncontrolled epilepsy.
I have seen many secular support group websites out on the web - various forums, blogs, etc. However - I never have seen any Christian support group sites - and even moreso haven\'t seen any for Orthodox Christians.
So my question for you is this. Do you think that there would be an avenue for /benefit of having a website specifically for those who have epilepsy who are Orthodox Christians? Or - would it be helpful to expand it to people who have any chronic disease, disability, etc? Do you think it would be better to expand it to Christians in general? Or do you think this wouldn\'t work?
I have wanted for years to have a support group to be a part of myself - and I would love to be able to help provide a support group for others as well - especially if we could support each other spiritually as well.
Please let me know. I look forward to your replies.
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John Chan
#3
I keep getting sidetracked when I try to reply to this thread...
anyway - I would recommend starting a group here in OC as a test run. Perhaps contact some of the members who are in the medical field as well.
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Laura Sedor
#4
That\'s a great idea :-) Thanks!
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CB
#5
It also depends on what you define as a chronic disease....some for example, would argue that manic depression fits this bill, or even ADHD...(but I severely would argue against the latter....)
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EG
#2
I would heartily support your effort at such a website. Liturgy and prayer, so central, receive great attention in our Church, but we also need to integrate the great grace we receive through these with every aspect of our lives, addressing soul, body, and spirit in all their outworkings. I wrote and M.A thesis on Orthodoxy and disability with the Antiochian House of Studies and was commissioned to follow it up with a website: http://armsopenwide.wordpress.com (Arms Open Wide: Orthodox Christian Disability Resources) My wife and I are houseparents of a group home. But that\'s only one type of disability. I try to explore others as well, but much of what I do is pretty general. I feel as though there are others who are touched by disability more personally than me that could contribute more.
I have a friend who has had a serious form of epilepsy. He took meds but it wasn\'t fully controlled. I\'ve been there for quite a few of his seizures. His life has lacked some basic supports most of us take for granted on top of his epilepsy. He\'s not Orthodox Christian, but he has faith in Christ and pretty much rolls with the punches, and he\'s had some very hard ones.
And so I very much am behind what you are considering doing. God bless, Ephrem
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Marie Moffitt
#1
I\'d definitely start a group on OC!
I\'ve been thinking about doing the same thing for asthma. It helps to get together with people who face the same issues and approach life from similar viewpoints.
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Ana Hudici
#6
I have someone in my family who had epilepsy for almost 30 years. It was not the doctors finally who healed her but the Holy Water from the Holy Maslu(the Romanian word of the service) . She put all her faith in it and gave up the pills.This miracle happened 18 years ago.
God bless!
Ana
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Marie Moffitt
#7
Beware of prematurely stopping the medications God has provided to us. A good friend of mine stopped taking her medications, had a seizure while driving, and plowed her car into a group of people, injuring several and nearly killing one of them.
Sometimes God wants us to accept medications with humility.
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