How Is David?: 02/01/2009

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Getting moving

David's speech therapist back in August was a funny, loud man who said David needed to Get Moving! Well, David has visited two college campuses in the last few weeks, applied to two junior colleges to pick up classes before fall, worked on scholarships, and is motivated and happy! He also took the SAT and got a really high math score and did pretty well in the verbal too.

We are getting more and more accustomed to no seizures, and to his mind being clearer and clearer.

We have a Dr Maleeva appointment this Friday. Please pray for a good one. Thanks!!!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Six months!!

Six months, six months, six months, SIX MONTHS. It sounds so good. Six months ago today David was in the ICU with brain trauma from the grid that would have diagnosed the source of his epilepsy. Instead it caused swelling and nearly caused a coma. Now David has fully recovered and has had no seizures, anyway! Thank you God!! God has been so good to us!

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?

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Getting moving

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Six months!!

Pray for David

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

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