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Thursday, December 04, 2008

Gone for 30 Seconds



Ellie had a 30 second seizure today at school. 

30 seconds. 

I will take it over the last couple that have lasted for nearly an hour and only came under control after multiple doses of anticonvulsants.

30 seconds. Her lip was twitching and she was staring out into space, non responsive, and then she slept for 30 minutes.

Sigh. She has been fighting a cold. She did not have a fever. She has gained about 3 pounds and a few inches in height. We also started doing cranial sacral therapy again which has helped her tremendously in the past and is sure to get the CSF flowing and bathing her brain optimally. 

I went down to the school after I heard. She seemed tired but fine. When it was time to go to computer class she nearly jumped out of my arms, all four limbs in full extension she was so excited. That's a good sign. She was able to show her teachers how she is able to add and subtract. She wanted to sign all the letters to that wonderful song "A, You're Adorable" on the ride home -which is what we do every ride home. 

She was gone for 30 seconds and back again. I'm glad it was a short trip this time but sad she had to go at all. I am perplexed. I am not wanting to go and have a level drawn because she just had blood taken 10 days ago and because she hates that and because I hate her being on seizure meds. She's just not as bright on them as off. And it was 30 seconds. If all her seizures were like that I wouldn't medicate her at all and there is an argument out there that her seizures might have become more intense because I medicated her in the first place. Her initial seizures lasted 30 seconds followed by 30-40 minute post-ictal naps. The problem was she was having a few in a row around naps and upon waking, your typical between a rock and a hard place situation.

I am on a cleaning binge now. I clean when I am upset. It's a little more productive than losing it or crying. I save the crying part for quiet moments when I'm alone. I do some of my best thinking while tidying. What to do? Never a dull moment. 

Picture Description: Ellie wearing the BEAUTIFUl sweater that Maureen knitted for her on her 5th birthday. It fits perfectly now and is oh so warm. Thanks again Maureen!

6 comments:

Katy said...

Perhaps this is a good thing--she's outgrowing the big ones???

In ABR they say that certain cranial exercises can increase or cause seizures at first. Typically, these peter out after a few weeks and the child goes back to their usual ways. Maybe cranial/sacral is having a similar effect?

Ellen Seidman said...

Hi. I am sorry to hear about the seizure. They are always scary, I know. Max had them at birth, and then had a grand mal seizure at one and half that lasted an hour. The fear we felt that day was similar to how we felt at the hospital when he was born and everything went wrong....

I did cranial sacral therapy when Max was younger, we liked it a lot, too.

Ellie's so pretty in that sweater. I hope the seizures stay away.

Melanie said...

I'm sorry Ellie had the seizure, but thankful it wasn't a long drawn out one. I hope there are no more for a long, long time.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I'm sorry she had to go through that.

This may be a DHAC thing to say, and if it is, I apologize. But could the fact that the seizure was only 30 seconds be a sign of improvement?

Also, I had the same thought as Bird above when I read this. Could the CS therapy be causing this? And if so, I have heard that it is usually temporary.

I haven't commented for awhile, but have been enjoying the Ellie pics and all the fun Ellie birthday events and stuff. She's so, so cute!

Kathryn said...

I wish I could say it truly is improvement, a sign of outgrowing them. But honestly I am not so sure. When she first got seizures they were only for 30 seconds and she just got a little quiet and then would sleep.

It seems like there is no rhyme or reason to it sometimes.

That said, I do believe that the cranial sacral therapy is cleaning out some of the debris left over from the bleed and trauma and that can cause seizures.

She seems fine today. Knock on wood it was a once off.

Oh, and one more thing, her doctor told me that cisipride, in rare cases, has been known to increase seizures. So we are weaning her off it slowly.

I am sure all of these things - the drugs she is on, the therapies she is doing, her going through a growth spurt are all related.

Thanks to all.

Mamá Terapeuta said...

Kathryn, first of all a big hug for both!!!

I must second Bird. My daughter had her first seizure when we started an ABR exercise on the cranium area, because it made fluids move. I believe the same thing could be happening with cranial sacral therapy. At least this typo of exercise in ABR must be introduced slowly.

All the rest I would like to say, you already know it! Hope this never happens again.