David is in surgery now. Things were a little slow getting started with the MRI he needed before surgery but nothing major. I will post when there is news. Also photos. I took several at 4:30 am as David, Bijan and Sam (!) were leaving. Sam thought it would be exciting to go and he's an early riser. Hopefully he's a good napper too.
Bijan hasn't said yet if anyone noticed my artwork on David's head. We just had to do something creative--and there was a lovely dark head of hair to be buzzed off, and clippers that worked pretty well for shaving messages on it. We thought of "do not open till July 29" but it was too long. "Open here" seemed risky in case it confused someone in the OR. "Remove before flight" just barely fit and is a tag seen often on planes and is primo for jokes. Anyway, Bijan won't take David up till his epilepsy is under control, and David certainly couldn't pilot a plane till he's healed and off meds. So the bad bit of brain needs to be removed before flight.
Stress generates weird humor around here.
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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 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
Use the Blog Archive to start from the beginning of this record
Blog Archive
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2008
(130)
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July
(19)
- Pray
- Cautious, but....!
- Doing better
- Peaceful sleep and seizures!
- A Trying Time
- More normal
- Swell guy
- Great Morning!
- Photos of this morning
- Resting up at the CCU
- He is out and did well but pray
- Go!
- Ready, Set...
- Passed!
- Three Prayer Requests
- Welcome Sean!
- More meds, less seizures
- More soon
- Success then....
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July
(19)
My angel!
2008
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.
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.
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