[/caption]On Wednesday, Ellie had an unexpected seizure. I was interviewing for respite care earlier that day and assuring them that I was not too concerned about her having a seizure because she didn't even have one after her most recent surgeries. Anyway, Thom had just left for badminton when Ellie started yelling from her room that she had had an accident. I raced upstairs and found her standing by the doorway, sort of stuck, unable to step up out of the room. I tried to help her up over the step when she suddenly fell to the floor drooling and unresponsive. I shouted downstairs for Ben to bring my phone, which he could not locate. I raced downstairs (with the baby probably saying, "What the heck happened to my peaceful home??") grabbed my phone and called Thom. Because badminton had already begun, he could not hear his phone. So I called my neighbor Lindsay and she ran outside to her car with her 2-year-old, adorable Juna, to alert Thom to the situation. She raced to the high school and began searching for the gym where Thom was playing. As Lindsay was searching, Ellie started coming to a bit. She was able to talk with me but not able to stand or sit. She continued to stare over to her left side. And everything but everything was funny to her at that point. Which is what I think is the great thing about seizures that you can feel so happy and carefree after they are done. Almost as if something has been reset.
When Thom arrived home he administered the anti-seizure meds and we decided it would be prudent to take Ellie to the ER to check her sodium levels. We were just totally convinced that her sodium had dropped and that was what caused the seizure. Well, in the ER we discovered that her sodium was still in the normal/slightly high range. After a quick brain MRI (invented by our neurosurgeon, Dr. Iskandar) it was discovered that the cysts had actually grown again. Her preventative anti-seizure meds were increased and she and Thom went home.
On Saturday Ellie seemed more sleepy but she had not slept much on Friday night so we were not particularly concerned. Then she continued to sleep all night Saturday night. When Thom administered her morning meds, he was unable to awaken her and became concerned. She was also running a fever. Thom and Ellie rushed off to the ER once again. She was given a stress dose of steroids (100 mg, her usual maintenance dosage for steroids because her body does not produce them is 5mg, 3 times a day.) The steroids seemed to revive her. When I arrived in the ER, Ellie had a small seizure, maybe 3 minutes long. But in that amount of time, I was able to run out of her room yelling, "SHE'S HAVING A SEIZURE!!" By the time the ER personnel sauntered in (it takes a LOT to get them excited!) Ellie was coming out of the seizure. Since then she has had 3-4 mini seizures sometimes only noticeable because her oxygen levels drop. Don't know if the seizures are being caused by an infection (less likely) or the cysts (possibly more likely) or something entirely unexpected and unknown as of yet.
I like the fish and the rain. Caitlyn was a fish one year (when she was 2 or 3??) and I was the sea. Interesting. The year prior she was an octopus and I was the ocean. My costume was the same. So easy. So fun! So economical.
ReplyDeleteWe can bring you food. What are you craving? It is easy for us to pick up or cook and deliver. We can have Ben over Tuesday afternoon. Anything else? You say the word and we will do our best to respond in the affirmative!