hospital stay

[heathercorn]

good news, josh was able to get on my health insurance jan 1st. we found a dr who specializes in epilepsy. this is the first time he has had in depth medical care since childhood. the dr ran some tests over the last month was not totally satisfied with the findings. this week he admitted josh to the hospital for 24 hr video eeg monitoring. josh has been ready to get this done, he can not wait for an accurate diagnosis and get on a better medication. they slowly lowered his dilantin the last couple days. yesterday he had a seizure in the morning. the dr was very pleased with the results he got. dx josh with primary generalized epilipsy and is starting a new medicine.....help me, i can't remember...starts with a D..dopa?something. anyway last night josh went to bathroom by himself and had another seizure. i ran in there pretty quick, but he still got bruised up. he slept all through the night, thank goodness. i came home for a little bit to take our dog out this morning
people, i am so scared. i still don't know very much about epilepsy. this was only the third seizure i have seen josh have. i am so afraid he is going to die from the epilepsy or having a seizure. i know i probably sound like a worry wort but he is my life and i just am so scared...
anyway thanks for listening. i am taking our dog to be boarded for the next couple days, she just is not getting enough people time from me right now....not sure when i will be back to check email but i know ya'll are out there thinking of us.

[Bernard]

Great news for Josh. I hope the new treatment regimen (Topamax or Depakote?) works out for him.

[heathercorn]

depakote! the dr came by today and said the eeg from today looks better than yesterday. he is thinking josh will be out on saturday.

[Bernard]

Good news. I didn't have time to fully respond to your initial post earlier today.

i still don't know very much about epilepsy.

This is a good place to start: epilepsy 101

i am so afraid he is going to die from the epilepsy or having a seizure.

While it is a possibility, it is not probable. I think something like 50-60% of people with epilepsy find good seizure control with anti-epileptic drugs and live mostly normal lives. Of the remaining folk, most will find a measure of seizure control using non-drug approaches.

Sounds like Josh is in good hands currently.

[heathercorn]

thanks for the 101. good reading!

[Stacy]

Don't be too scared. I've been to the hospital 8 times in the past 3 years with a total of over 50 seizures. I'm not only alive and kickin', but I'm even 'with it".... I get closer and closer every day to finding out how to fix my problem. It's different for everyone, so keep track of your son's stuff... have him do it. After a while, it will show a pattern. notice that it may be from not breathing correctly at night too.