How Is David?: 01/01/2009

Friday, January 16, 2009

Come Sunday

This Sunday we would like to offer chili and cake from 1pm to 3pm at our home to thank our friends who have prayed for David and given us moral support! He turned 20 last week, and is doing college applications and plans to live on campus starting this fall so there is a lot to celebrate!

Time 1-3 pm Sunday January 18, 2009
Address 2464 Upper Terrace, La Crescenta, 91214 http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=RNWK,RNWK:2006-06,RNWK:en&q=2464%20Upper%20Terrace%2C%20La%20crescenta%2C%20ca&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
Phone 818 249 2809

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, David! Now you are 20. You have made it through the teen years with grace. Nothing major to regret. Good job! Thank you, David. Thank you, God!

I haven't counted in a while but...it's now been 166 days with no seizures.

In a couple weeks David might be eligible for a driver's permit.

I could cry--these are all such happy things!

Life is good without seizures. For me it's like I was trapped underwater but now have bounced up to the surface. Bounce! Bounce! This is fun!

Pray for David

+Pray for no seizures and healing from epilepsy.

+Pray for no colds (often come with seizures), wisdom in matters of health.
+Thank God for the period of no seizures from July 31 2008 to July 7, 2009, even with one less medicine and his VNS implant being turned way low inadvertently.
+Thank God for a full recovery from the trauma caused by the grid on August 1 2008.

+Thank God for strength during the first four semesters at college.

+Pray for strength and wisdom through the third year, taken from home.

+Thank God for three months with no seizures, from early August to early November '11

+Pray for that pattern, of no seizures or even auras, to resume and remain

WHAT'S UP WITH DAVID--updated 9/19/09

David was diagnosed with focal epilepsy in 2000.
He has tried seven meds and had a device implanted, but still has had seizures and side effects.
Since summer 2007 he has been on a track toward surgery, which can be very effective. In July 2008 we got to the final stage which is to have grid surgery.
Grid surgery on July 29 involved placing a silicone grid of electrodes directly on his brain. A cable connected his head to an EEG screen, and he stayed in his hospital room to have seizures. If the grid shows where seizures come from then usually the spot can be removed and the epilepsy is gone or alleviated greatly.
Things went wrong on August 1 when the grid turned out to be very irritating and caused a lot of fluid buildup and swelling so it had to be taken out in emergency surgery as David started slipping into a coma. The opportunity to do therapeutic surgery was lost for the time.
But things started going well as he had no seizures for 11 months and 1 week after coming out of the hospital. Things are really good because he (accidentally) started taking one less medicine, and because his vagal nerve stimulator was (accidentally) set way too low after surgery, and still no seizures. This is very unexpected so maybe the trauma altered something in his brain and healed his epilepsy.
Despite some bumps things are still going well, with very few seizures. After asking for the VNS to be turned down, then having many more auras, turning it back up, and having sleep trouble, he has had seven seizures since July 7, '09. However, each seizure has been gentler than the last, and a common denominator has been found in many of them - looking at computer/TV screens too long.

How Is David?

Friday, January 16, 2009

Come Sunday

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Happy Birthday!

Pray for David

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WHAT'S UP WITH DAVID--updated 9/19/09

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