Stability is precious. When something changes (like last week's grand mal seizure) hope tends to plummet.
Last week at school Milli suffered a significant seizure that began with her dropping to the floor and produced severe convulsions and unconsciousness. When I picked her up within the hour she was barely semi-conscious and not very responsive; she began to vomit in the car and couldn't wake up sufficiently to know it was happening. I had to pull over quickly and hold her head forward so she didn't choke.
Hospital was of course a consideration, but every time she's gone to hospital in the past it's taken hours to be seen. Hours in a waiting room with a normal child are bad enough, but Milli finds any kind of wait unbearable, and I felt it would stress her even further. So home we went, planning to call my doctor and try to slip in between appointments at first chance.
Not a chance. Local doctors have full books (mostly) and full appointment schedules; none of the doctors we see could squeeze her in that day, or the next. With a long weekend ensuing, we didn't manage to find an appointment until a week later.
Ah well. She was groggy all that first day and unhappy and non-contacty for 2 days after that, but by the fourth day she was showing signs of full recovery. Now she's a little more prone to tears than usual, but quite happy and well. Ironically this is doctor day!
What we need to do next of course is work out whether the seizure was a one-off or evidence of full-on epilepsy. Unfortunately over the past six months Milli has also had fits of vomiting (sometimes quite violent) while at school, at a rate of about one per month. It's possible these were a form of sub-seizure epilepsy.
I guess after 3 years without medical investigation and thorough examination (as opposed to the whole pediatric rigmarole: visits; questions; diagnoses; tests) it's time to go back to base for a new assessment. However if she does have fully fledged epilepsy then I imagine we'll be considering drug therapy for the first time. I don't mind that if it's clear that she's going to have regular seizures, but I have to hope there are no brain-deadening side effects. I know Milli is happiest when she's alert; there's nothing she enjoys more than games of chasings and catch and kiss.
So there we have it, a simple round-up of what's been going on, with no major 'what if' or 'how did this come about?'.
Sometimes that's all I'm capable of anyhow.
Something causes autism.
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