Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Strangeness Continues...

Coiled SpringToday dad thought I'd still got "that" look about me. So sure enough at around 7pm I started to go off on one. Mum was there too so saw for herself. I was well past the chompie stage and dad started calling me and trying to get my attention with some gentle rubs and I popped out of it again. It's really very strange, but if you can catch it in time it looks like the full seizure can be at least postponed.

Afterwards it's like nothing happened, but sure enough five minutes go by and the chompies start again. Dad then distracts me again and away they go. This carries on for half an hour or so with varying little chompies to the stage where you'd think I was going into full seizure, but then all is calm.

It's all just very strange. It really is like over time the seizure builds like a coiled spring. Then it needs to release full force, but if you can catch it just right you can slow it and let it release a little more gradually.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Dad's Got Some Time Off... Again

Seizure MonsterAnd we know what that means. Dad's got the next few weeks off work to use up some of his vast number of holiday allowance. As usual that's the trigger for me to get a visit from the seizure monster. He was still at work on Thursday and Friday though, so we thought it a little too early when the first full seizure struck.

21:15 (Thursday) No yelling or anything, dad just heard mum putting me outside. Normally mum gives a yell when I start fitting and dad comes running to the rescue. Looks like mum just took care of me herself for this one. Well done mum!

14:30 (Friday) As I'd had a seizure and they usually come in clusters dad was a bit brave taking me into work with him. But he wanted to keep an eye on me. He was on the phone when I started fitting. He didn't notice but Bev, one of his co-workers, did and dad slammed down the phone and came to look after me.

It's the first time Bev would have seen this and must have looked really quite distressing. But actually this was a relatively mild seizure. There was the cramps and chomping but no real twisting of the head, it didn't even go into the paddling so much. Just a bit of trouble waking up and disorientation afterwards. Dad took me straight out after and I had a bit of a wander around the car park.

20:30 (Friday) Dad noticed me starting to go off into one, but again it turned out to be a relatively light one. Still big enough to get frustrated with and big enough to tire me out for ages afterwards though.

03:30 (Saturday) I woke dad up in the night having a seizure in the bedroom. But it was another mild one. In fact their was no pacing afterwards, or the need to go out, or to desperately eat something. I just went back off to sleep.

14:30 (Saturday) Dad took me along to act as mascot at one of his car meetings again. I'd been on my best behaviour all day. After we'd been home for an hour or so I started to go into one. It'd gone way past the chompie or Tabasco stage and I was all ready on my way into the fitting, but somehow dad managed to snap me out of it. He was holding my head as usual and calling me to try to get me distracted and the seizure just stopped! I'd not been into it long enough for any disorientation or tiredness. It just went away and was like it never happened... well almost.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Keeping Dad on His Toes

Been a much better week this week. I'm still having the chompies every so often, but it's not as regular as it was.

Just to annoy dad I've started playing up with taking my tablets lately. I'll let him drop them in my mouth, but then I'll either shake my head sending them flying, or just hold them in my mouth for ages making him think I've taken them. But I've also realised that if I wait for him to go to work I can sick them back up before I've eaten my breakfast. So mum will find a pile of slobber and bile with tablets in.

So dad's getting sneaky. He puts a bit of butter (well vegetable based spread) on them first as he know I can't resist the taste of butter.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Not Really Getting Better

Since the last seizure things have stayed around the same. I still have regular chompies, probably 10 a day. It's just very frustrating as I don't know when they are coming. They tend to be when I'm relaxing, but that could just be a coincidence, because I do a lot of relaxing! Mum and dad are worried that I'll get one on the stairs and that'll mean me being disorientated and possibly fall. The house isn't geared to deal with me falling downstairs, no carpet on the stairs and tiled floor at the bottom.

11:00 Dad was off work sick. He really wasn't well yesterday at all, so we make a great couple. I was just having a chompie when it just carried on too long. Next thing dad realises I'm going into a full seizure. Mum sticks a towel under my head and dad clears the table and sofa away from me so there's plenty of room.

21:15 We thought we'd gotten of lightly today. Was exactly the same deal as this morning chompie that didn't stop.

It's strange how throughout suffering epilepsy how it has changed subtly over time. Each seizure is somehow slightly different than before and the effects somehow a little different. Well maybe it's not so strange, I think we're getting used to just how life is just different and we just cope with whatever comes along. So on a positive side, things may not be getting better, but they're not getting any worse - just different.