Jack's Mom
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In October, 2012, when he was 19, he had his first tonic-clonic seizure. It happened around 2 am. He had gone to bed about 30 minutes earlier when my husband and I were awakened by strange noises. We both went in his room and realized he was having a seizure. The convulsions lasted 5-10 minutes. We took him to the hospital where they observed him for awhile and then sent us home with instructions to follow up with a Neurologist. He didn't remember anything until about 45 minutes after the seizure. He was sore all over for quite a while and did a number on his tongue. About a week later he had an MRI and EEG, both of which were normal. His blood test from the hospital showed THC, so they wrote it off to that, diet, sleep deprivation, and other things common to 19 year olds. He wasn't put on medication.
In May, 2013, when he was 20, he was sleeping at camp around 12:30 am, fell off his bunk, his head hit the cement floor and he suffered another seizure. This one was shorter and he remembers waking up on the floor. His body wasn't sore the next day, so I assume it was much more minor. His skull was fractured and he had a subdural hematoma, which eventually resolved, so the seizure was thought to have occurred secondary to the head trauma and unrelated to the first one, although we'll never know for sure. He had several CT Scans and other than the fractured skull and hematoma, everything was normal. Drug screen was negative. He was put on Keppra for two weeks.
Saturday morning around 1 am, he was showering and had just turned off the water when I heard shampoo bottles falling into tub. Then I heard him yell and soon the rhythmic noises like the first seizure. My husband had to break down the locked bathroom door and again we witnessed the seizure. This one also lasted quite a while and he was awake but doesn't remember about the first 30-45 minutes afterward. He was complaining of chest pain so they did head and chest CT Scans. The head CT was normal. The chest CT showed a fractured sternum, apparently caused by his chest muscles. He chewed on his tongue, but not as bad as the first time. His back is sore, and of course the sternum is causing him pain, but the rest of his body isn't as sore as the first time. They've now decided that he probably has epilepsy, and have put him on Keppra for 6 months.
So, he is supposed to be leaving for college in August (he delayed it for a few years while he grew up!). Since his seizures have been far apart, we won't know if the Keppra is working unless he has another one. The doctor has told him that he shouldn't be driving, which isn't an issue right now as his chest is too sore, but we'll need to figure out something when he goes to college as he'll be living off campus. The doctor also advised him to stay away from alcohol, which is difficult for a 21 year old in his college years. Has anyone out there had a child diagnosed with epilepsy shortly before he/she left for college, or even while he/she was at college? What do I need to know? I've spent plenty of time lecturing him about bad decisions that could kill him, but what else should I do?
In May, 2013, when he was 20, he was sleeping at camp around 12:30 am, fell off his bunk, his head hit the cement floor and he suffered another seizure. This one was shorter and he remembers waking up on the floor. His body wasn't sore the next day, so I assume it was much more minor. His skull was fractured and he had a subdural hematoma, which eventually resolved, so the seizure was thought to have occurred secondary to the head trauma and unrelated to the first one, although we'll never know for sure. He had several CT Scans and other than the fractured skull and hematoma, everything was normal. Drug screen was negative. He was put on Keppra for two weeks.
Saturday morning around 1 am, he was showering and had just turned off the water when I heard shampoo bottles falling into tub. Then I heard him yell and soon the rhythmic noises like the first seizure. My husband had to break down the locked bathroom door and again we witnessed the seizure. This one also lasted quite a while and he was awake but doesn't remember about the first 30-45 minutes afterward. He was complaining of chest pain so they did head and chest CT Scans. The head CT was normal. The chest CT showed a fractured sternum, apparently caused by his chest muscles. He chewed on his tongue, but not as bad as the first time. His back is sore, and of course the sternum is causing him pain, but the rest of his body isn't as sore as the first time. They've now decided that he probably has epilepsy, and have put him on Keppra for 6 months.
So, he is supposed to be leaving for college in August (he delayed it for a few years while he grew up!). Since his seizures have been far apart, we won't know if the Keppra is working unless he has another one. The doctor has told him that he shouldn't be driving, which isn't an issue right now as his chest is too sore, but we'll need to figure out something when he goes to college as he'll be living off campus. The doctor also advised him to stay away from alcohol, which is difficult for a 21 year old in his college years. Has anyone out there had a child diagnosed with epilepsy shortly before he/she left for college, or even while he/she was at college? What do I need to know? I've spent plenty of time lecturing him about bad decisions that could kill him, but what else should I do?