How Is David?: 07/01/2009

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Still ok

David hasn't had any more trouble since Tuesday night.
He had a lot of freedom taking the bus to PCC for a math class--gone. Now I drive him till we understand how likely it is he will have seizures.
We also are going to work to get him more resilient, which may take a while.
I am soooo glad this happened now and not two months from now when he would have been living in a dorm 2000 miles away! God's mercy.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

My Jaw Won't Shut (Figuratively)

On Sunday, I overexerted myself, and had the ~50th aura since the surgery.

On Monday and Tuesday, I forgot my morning doses of medecine, as I had many times before.

Tuesday morning I also had an aura that lasted 30 - 60 seconds while I was in class at Pasadena City College. (Taking Calculus 2, if you're curious).

Then, Tuesday evening, as Dad was helping me with choosing what classes to take at LeTourneau University, I had a long bad aura, and as I found out two days later, it was followed by a big, bad seizure, which I do not remember.

It is hard to grasp the fact that after 11 months and one week with no seizures, I had another; this could mean working out my plans for college all over again.

However, the verse from Job has come to my mind, and I resolve to mean it:

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

All quiet today

David was tired but no seizures today. He stayed home from class and just felt crummy, napped, and did homework.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Bad news--the one I dread

David had a bad seizure tonight. He is fine now. But we are so disappointed. He had missed the last two morning doses of medicine and I guess his brain couldn't take that. Pray for healing from this monster. Thanks.

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?