After a seizure on Wednesday, September 29, following nearly four months of no seizures, Stephanie was taking it easy and I was taking time off of work as much as possible while my parents watched Brady (3) and Halle (1) so that she could get as much rest as possible, as lack of sleep is a trigger for seizures. The week was mostly uneventful, though she was still wiped out physically from having had a seizure earlier in the week. On Saturday, October 2, Stephanie was having petit mal (or, absence) seizures, which a short seizures that appear as though the person is spacing out for a moment. They were more powerful than usual and Stephanie had the feeling she might have another grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizure. By midnight, I talked to a doctor and filled a prescription for Ativan in addition to her current medication, and she took a dose at 1am on Sunday, October 3.
At 1:25am, Stephanie had another grand mal seizure. This would make two seizures over the course of 4 days. Previously, the closest she had had two seizures was a month apart. Worse yet, she had another grand mal seizure at 2:20am that same day, making it less than an hour between seizures. I made the decision not to call EMS because there is really nothing they can do to stop a seizure, and she was safe from injuring herself. They’ve also run all the tests. So, she stayed home.
I am a friend of Mark Mirotto’s and he asked for prayers. I have been where you are – a few years back, while returning from lunch with my husband, I dropped with a Grand Mal – never had had any seizures. Thus began the odyssey. I know how frustrating it is – the painful headaches, the feeling that somehow you are now “defective”, the loss of memory and now having your life dictated by the mis-firings in your brain. I have been seizure free (grand or petites) approx. 3 years now. The med that worked the best for me has been Lamictal. We were able to prove mine were hormonally based so a 2 tiered approach was finally done – birth control pills to chemically stop the periods and Lamictal to stop any prediposition. I can honestly say the loss of memory (from both the seizures and Topomax)has been by far the most frustrating for me and my family. If either of you would like to talk, Mark can tell you how to reach myself or my husband, Randy. Blessings on all of you – it definitely impacts the whole family.