This Monday, I have one thing to give thanks for. One thing I am so grateful for that I cannot see beyond it right now.

Our "Bemma"

On Friday evening, our four year old daughter had a 35 minute seizure. This was the most bizarre, upsetting experience I think I have ever had and I am very glad the weekend is over and my daughter is feeling well right now.

In fact, Alleluia!! Thank you God…more than one thousand times.

For our family, any readers with medical experience…or anyone who is just plain curious about seizures, please read on.

The details of Friday night:

7:05: Emma is on the bed, watching a movie on my laptop. She was eating a roll leftover from Dinner. I looked over at her and she was rubbing the roll over her face…over & over. I thought she was messing around and told her to stop. She did not.

7:06 p.m.: I went over to her and realized she was staring into space. Several things ran through my mind–was she choking? I pulled the roll out of her hand and started asking her to look at me, to speak to me–no response. At this point, I have noticed her body is also limp, and I began wondering if she was having a stroke or something. I yell for my husband.

7:08: I have picked Emma up (now know I should have just rolled her on her side–sorry to be an English major in that moment) But, anyway, I hand her to my Husband, my college son enters room and calls 911.

7:30: Em still totally limp and staring into space. Ambulance arrives–yeah. 7:30. I was upset it took so long. Apparently that is not unusual. Meanwhile Emma is still in what would have called a catatonic state–later I find out that is called “Atonic”.

around 8:00: We arrive at Hospital. My husband help Em the whole way to the hospital and he said she began to respond to his voice after she got some oxygen. When we arrived at hospital, she seemed very groggy–but she was back! I have never been so happy to see her face–since the seizure many people have said that seizures can come in different ways, strengths, etc. All I knew, Friday night, was that she seemed really far away and I was so worried.

At the hospital we got a cat scan and blood work done. That ruled out many potential problems. Unfortunately, our ER doctor was so busy trying to cheer us up saying things like “Kids have petit mals seizures all the time,” I began to think he knew absolutely nothing. We asked for any information about seizures and “what should we do next?” and ER doc made several more dumb comments along the line of “Kids will be kids”, etc–and I’m thinking…my kid was gone for 30 minutes???? Anyway, we went home–with no idea what had really happened and no paperwork–I will never do that again, but I think we were just so relieved that she was ok…

11:00 pm: I talk with my family, my husband has talked with his fam, and almost everyone agrees that seizures can come & go, but a 30 minute one is unusual, and we should find out more about it.

11:30: Chris takes first shift staying up with Em because we do not feel comfortable sleeping after what we had seen earlier. Bless his heart, he didn’t wake me until 3:30, then I stayed up with her.

Next Day, 10:00 a.m.: Husband calls pediatrician. Horrid–ok, maybe just busy–front office lady will not put us through to pediatrician. (Remember we had NO paperwork of anykind from ER), Office lady says Doc will call us later. We wait. Em cranky and very hungry.

3:00: Doc. calls. Says seizures are no big deal and that she thinks Emma has had a “absence” seizure. I feel very relaxed and better thinking someone knows what it is.

4:00: I look up absence seizures. They sound like what Em had, but NORMALLY last like 30 seconds. I start wondering about quality of care again.

4-6 p.m.: keep researching. Around 7 pm Husband and I decide that this does not all match up and we are worried she could have another seizure and have some kind of brain damage. We decide to take Em to Children’s Hospital about an hour away the next day to try to get an EEG to see what might be going on. Husband calls pediatrician asks her to call ahead and get some clearance. She says she really does not have any “pull” there.

9:00 p.m.: Talk to my sis who is an OT. She strongly recommends getting an EEG and at least knowing for sure what type of seizure we are dealing with. Tells me they have a drug that can help shorten the length/severity of seizures I should find out about. She is upset Doc did not tell us more. She recommends going to Children’s Hospital as well.

10 p.m.: Husband goes back to ER and asks for paperwork so we can bring it to the Children’s Hospital. Same ER doc there, says cannot get paperwork. Husband comes home frustrated…

Next Day, 11:00 a.m: We are admitted to Children’s Hospital. Wait ages, but see a great doc and pediatric neurologist!! They get paperwork from other hospital, and discuss everything with us. Such a radical difference in care. They are so gentle with Em and explain so much to us. They set up an EEG for later this week, and potentially an MRI/sleep study. They do feel the seizure is an absence seizure, a type that will not cause brain damage in and of itself. But, they also agree that the length of time she was out was odd and warrants further study.

9:00 p.m.: They give us a prescription that I can give Em if she seizes again, so that she does not have to go through 30 minutes again. Thank you!

11:30: We sleep pretty darn well, knowing, to some extent, that while Em may have more seizures, they will most likely not be damaging to her brain. We slept well, knowing that we are in God’s hands and we used the brains God gave us to go find better care for our daughter.

Monday: I know that this Multitude Monday I am astoundingly grateful that God sent me my Husband, who handled everyone so carefully, and the great Pediatric Neurologist who really wanted to help. I am very thankful for so many friends and family who are praying for Em. I am also very thankful that my baby is doing ok and we are on the way to figuring out what we need to do.

You know, I have been a mom for over 22 years and have never run into any of this, but some seizures, such as febrile seizures, are not so uncommon. Other types are more unusual, such as those associated with epilepsy, etc. Sounds like we will have a lot to learn…and while it sounds like Em may have a type that is recurring, it is also manageable.

While I still know very little, here are several things I learned this weekend:

• Roll a child having a seizure over on their side-wait for seizure to subside, just make sure they cannot fall/damage themselves that way.
• Do not put anything in their mouths. They will not choke on their tongues.
• Do not leave a child who seizes alone in water (probably obvious:)

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5. Re-Boot for Multitude Monday