Today is International Epilepsy Awareness Day.
Amber has been diagnosed with late onset generalized Epilepsy. She had her first seizure on August 13th, 2014, while she was 37.5 weeks pregnant with Thatcher. We got to meet him a couple of hours after her seizure and everybody seemed certain her event was a pregnancy related eclamptic seizure and they were discharged with a clean bill of health. A very scary day, followed by tremendous joy.
18 days later she had another seizure at the breakfast table. "Everybody gets 1 seizure in their life. Once you have 2 unprovoked seizures, you've got Epilepsy," so I'm told by the neurologists.
Amber has had 5 seizures in the last 7 months. They are tonic-clonic seizures, formerly called grand mal seizures, but are the ones you see on tv. They are scary, but we've been lucky she hasn't hurt herself more than she has (fractured rib, compression fractures in her vertebrates).
We are working with neurologists to minimize the chance of seizures through medication. From what we understand, Epilepsy effects everybody differently, and so do the drugs. The struggle is to find the right drug, or combination of drugs, that suppress the seizures with the least amount of side effects.
Having 2 little boys, Arlo is now almost 2.5 and Thatcher is 7 months, is stressful. Having Epilepsy is stressful. I have so much respect to my wife and those like her. Thanks to all the family, friends and collegues who have been so helpful thus far, and to those whom we will call upon for help in the future.
