Furious Seasons

August 01, 2007

Medicate Chief Justice John Roberts

Most of you know that, on Monday, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts suffered a seizure, fell down and whatnot. Since he suffered a seizure of some kind--petit mal? grand mal? no one's saying--in 1993, there are reports that Roberts now crosses a clinical barrier into epilepsy.

I am fascinated by the Roberts story in so many ways. First, I wish him, his family, his family dog, and pet goldfish all the best. This has got to be a very weird interruption in his life. But since the Chief Justice is no ordinary person--he's the Chief Justice for God's sake!--permit me to say some extraordinary things. Mostly in jest, but to serve a point.

I want the Chief Justice medicated and right now. Dope that guy with Lamictal, stat.

Why? Because he has a neurological illness--a kissing cousin of mental illness for the purposes of this metaphor--and treatment means medication and medication means side-effects and side-effects mean injuries and he's a Chief Justice who gets to decide the law of the land on regulations affecting pharma companies, drug regulation, class action lawsuit procedures, federal discrimination law, civil rights and the like and he'd be taking some of the same anti-convulsants that have proven to be kind of rough on millions of people with bipolar disorder and epilepsy and for once it'd be nice to have someone sitting in a power chair in this country who feels our pain. Who has to go through all the tradeoffs in life that we do. Who has people wanting him fired because he acts weird sometimes. Who has some citizens keeping their distance from him because they think they know how he'll act. Maybe he'll lose his drivers license. And so on.

OK, perhaps I am dreaming out loud a bit too much there, but the Chief Justice being diagnosed and medicated would be staggering in a social sense. When I was in high school, a classmate of mine had epilepsy and people used to call him crazy behind his back. I know things have improved, but they aren't that much better when it comes to social regard for people with alleged disabilities. I wonder what people think of the prospect of Roberts' being on 1,500 mgs. a day of Depakote and possibly sitting on the high court for another 30 years. Would it do anything to wipe out the lame assumptions regular people and doctors make about people with mental illnesses each day? You tell me.

In an even weirder way, I can personally appreciate the spot Roberts is in. In 1993, I twice experienced the kind of mental brownout and loss of contact with reality that the Chief Justice went through in 1993 and the other day. One day, I was driving along I-5 in San Diego and suddenly I was three miles farther down the road and couldn't account for getting there. Something similar happened a few weeks later. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1989, I had done enough reading to know that browning out like that could be something. So did my psychiatrist and the neurologist he sent me to. (Yes, I had decent health insurance in 1993.) I underwent two EEG studies, an MRI (I did not enjoy that procedure one bit) and took Tegretol for several months. Then, whatever was going on, died down and the docs decided that I'd had some transient seizure activity as a result of a concussion the year before, and back I went to being a garden variety bipolar.

In a way, I hope that's Roberts' outcome. Whatever was going on, goes away and he goes on with being John Roberts, Chief Justice. And no one bats an eye. But I hope he never forgets the fear and trembling he's felt the last few days and remembers it very clearly when, in the future, cases involving the lives of more common Americans--in ADA cases, say, or when pharma companies lie about their products--come before the court for cert, review and judgment. We could use some bias in our favor on the high court and in public life.

I've never forgotten how scared I was during my brownout phase.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at August 1, 2007 12:05 AM

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Comments

I was thinking the same thing (sort of) today. He evidently did have an event in 93 and now has crossed a line.
I'm sure thinking about what "could" have happened to him, his family or someone else if he had been driving or something scares him to death.

*Not wishing this on him; but on a plus side*

There would be "someone on meds" who may get pissed off, or frustrated with the side effects etc...AND "someone with epilepsy and on meds" who happens to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Still competent? Yes. Is he intelligent? Yes.
Perhaps the stigma of epilepsy would take a small, well deserved hit.

We could also hope that people who make anti-seizure meds would scramble to make better...oh that's pushing it, isn't it?

Posted by: d~from bpchicks at August 1, 2007 12:15 AM

If he was a Chief Justice on the Canadian Supreme Court he'd be eligible to treat the seizures with some quality weed... which, thanks to the Canadian court system, is (mostly) legal.

Posted by: Gabriel... at August 1, 2007 02:26 AM

Ah, yes, watch the Chief Justice dodge the diagnosis of Epilepsy, watch epileptics pick up his dodging tactics to dodge the absurd stigma placed on epileptics. Sounds like he's had two grand mal seizures, so he's epileptic. Before my parents had me labeled bipolar even though I've never been diagnosed with that condition, as I've mentioned I was a vocational rehabilitation counselor. Folks labeled as epileptic were among my favorite clients, people who generally hated the anti convulsants they were forced to take as well as the debilitating stigma. Thanks for making the connection Phillip. Lets see if this is good news for those of us in the disability ghetto. I think in the end Roberts will do the right thing as, while I disagree with much of his philosophy, I'm betting he's a decent guy. (I'm also guessing he's had other seizures and covered them up to avoid the stigma of epilepsy).

Posted by: Sally at August 1, 2007 04:07 AM

Well, if you read the recent powerpoint presentation given by Fuller Torrey at the San Diego 2007 NAMI Conference, you will read on page 18 [pdf]

"Court orders to take medication should be applicable across state lines.The problem is similar to that for individuals with active tuberculosis or vehicle drivers with epilepsy who may be a danger to other people if they do not take their medication regularly."--Torrey[TAC]
Torrey also discusses what I have been talking about here re: implantable medical devices.[remember Stanley Foundation is working on Haldol under the skin disk]He discusses that on page 16 re:methods for guaranteeing individuals take medication.

NOW, with that in mind, Justice Roberts,according to Fuller Torrey, is a danger to be driving per epilepsy and he better take his meds or quite possibly could be in a outpatient forced medication system that TAC touts.

I encourage everyone to read the entire powerpoint presentation, because it is full of outrageous commentary and that is how Torrey gives presentations to large groups of NAMI supporters[parents,families, etc.]
Also, many times Bipolar and epilepsy can be mistaken one for another and therefore one cannot often rule out either one, and end up on anti-seizure medications and doctors claim "mystery as to why the med works, it just does."
Anyone reading that wants more information regarding seizures and Bipolar here is a link where I have gathered some information [articles,abstracts]on the topic.

Epilepsy, Seizures, or Bipolar Disorder?

Posted by: Stephany at August 1, 2007 04:43 AM

Link to Torrey's 2007 National NAMI Conference powerpoint [in PDF form]:
Torrey National NAMI Conference 2007.

Posted by: Stephany at August 1, 2007 04:49 AM

Also, I just recently read at Mind Hacks that it is not known as Grand Mal seizures any longer it is Tonic-Clonic Seizure. The read about epilepsy is a good one at Mind Hacks, read it HERE

Also, I think Philip has made an excellent point regarding someone with power to influence--taking these meds and possibly understanding the mental illness stigma and battle fought daily by millions [of tax payers]Citizens.

Posted by: Stephany at August 1, 2007 05:03 AM

"It is but a brush by hand of the Sun of God mocking his title as the Chief Justice and, too, His slight against the nation heralding herself as the greatest and most powerful nation on the planet," Yacub 7 Ali Prime Minister & national spokesman Lucifer Nigaros said. "Neither is he the Chief Justice of anything or this nation the greatest or most powerful."

I have to agree!

http://www.americanpatriate.com/chief_justice_john_roberts_bitch_by_god3.html

Posted by: Booker Johnston at August 1, 2007 08:34 AM

CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS BITCH SLAPPED BY GOD

I have to agree!

Posted by: Booker Johnston at August 1, 2007 08:37 AM

You know this is off topic but that is the funniest thing I've read lately "Bitch Slapped by God".

Shit maybe that's why my life is so complicated now, does God bitch slap? I thought I only did that, I think to myself.

Posted by: Stephany at August 1, 2007 12:16 PM

Savage: "You're telling me there's no possibility of a conspiracy by the Democrats" to cause Roberts' seizure?

http://mediamatters.org/items/200708010001?f=h_latest

Now I've read it all!!

Posted by: Masale.Wallah at August 1, 2007 09:04 PM

In the midst of the usual who-ha and abstract reading, I forgot to say what first came to my mind was; that must have been scary and horrible, and I appreciate you telling your personal story here.

As far as being heard in D.C.--well Sandra Day as Sandra told my daughter "You can sleep tonight because everything is okay." --she also said "No comment" too many times to count. Retirement is a good thing, eh?

Posted by: Stephany at August 2, 2007 11:08 PM

You know, I had a seizure on June 19 this year, and one seven years ago. I was relieved to hear about it publically so I didn't feel like 'it was something I did'. I think it educated America, and all of my tests came back just fine as well. Having been taking Lamictal for seven and half weeks, I feel horrible and want off of it. To slam him, for whatever he decides, is offensive when it's not you. Everyone is an individual, everyone has a choice.
We all go thru things, as you mentioned your situation.........

Posted by: kellie at August 29, 2007 02:50 PM