Hi Stuckey! Welcome to CWE.
As you can see, a very friendly group.
I hope your daughter is feeling well, and that you and your wife are trying not to stress too much....I know, easier said then done.
I have grand mals that reappeared when I was just starting to go through puberty. When I got older I started having petite mals. However, I grew out of those. The best thing that you can do is to get as much info as you can. This is a great site, because we are all willing to share our own experiences. When reading the posts here, you'll find a wide range of opinions and experiences. Which just goes to remind us that everybody's different.
Some of us who take meds have absolutely no problems. Others have horrible side effects and have to switch meds often. Others choose not to take meds and use alternative treatments. Still others use certain alternative treatments in conjunction with their meds in an attempt to stay on as low a dosge of meds as possible.
I can't say that any one way is better than the others. It's all a matter of what works best for the person with epilepsy.
Now, as for figuring out what triggers the seizures....your best bet is for your daughter (or you if she's too young) to start keeping a journal. Write down everything she eats or drinks (as well as how much and when), how much sleep she gets each night, any stress she's under, any odd feelings (deja vu, odd smells or sounds, migraines, etc...) that she might get, as well as any seizures she has (including how long they lasted and what she was doing prior to it). After keeping track for a while (and yes, I doubt you'll see a pattern quickly so give it at least a couple of weeks), hopefully you'll see a pattern. Hopefully, you'll find a pattern and then be able to avoid those triggers. Lots of different things can be triggers. For example certain foods, certain smells, a woman's time of the month, lack of sleep, too much stress, flickering lights (those new corkscrew shaped lightbulbs and the lights used in commercial buildings like stores and schools for example, as well as video games and certain movie lighting effects), particular pattern, even certain sounds to name a few. Also, low blood sugar can trigger it. If you feel that low blood sugar might be the issue, then she'll need to eat at least 5 times a day, cut out the refined sugars as much as possible and always try to eat protein with a carb (I know this one on personal exprience...). Oh! Also, keep track of any growth spurts as well as her time of month (if she's old enough.) Hormones can trigger seizures too.
There's a few basic things you can do while looking for a pattern...such as make sure that she gets at least 7 hours of sleep each night, and if she drinks high caffeine drinks like energy drinks or coffee make sure that she cuts back. Check out the epilepsy 101 thread in my signature. There's some great info on epilepsy there. Check out the alternative treatments thread (I believe it's in the library here...). Also, try to stay calm. I say this only because when I was a child, I picked up on the frustration, worry, and fear of my mom after I had a seizure, and as a result I always feel quilty after I have one....even now. My dad on the other hand was laid back, cracked a joke, and smiled. So whever parents had to be called, I always asked that it be my dad. For me, he was more comforting and made the situation less stressful for me. I know this seems like so much information. So feel free to ask questions, chime in, or just vent in the padded room. Epilepsy can be very frustrating. Just know that you are not going through this alone. I hope this helped.
