Bye Bye Epilepsy

Saturday, October 3rd 2009, we had a family movie night - Davon (10), Jerell (8), Rob and I. Of course, it was an action movie the boys had picked so I fell asleep before the end. Rob woke me when the movie was over, we said goodnight to the boys and all went to bed. Within an hour or so I hear Davon trying to get my attention. My first thought was "why isn't he in bed?!" - but I finally realized what he was saying... "Something's wrong with Jerell!"     My heart almost stopped.

We raced downstairs and to Jerell's bedside. He was seemingly asleep but making weird noises. I tried to wake him, thinking he was having a nightmare. Then I saw him shake. And bubbles were forming in the corners of his lips. I quickly realized he wasn't just having a bad dream, something was definitely not right. I called 911 - almost unable to even press those three numbers on the phone as I was in complete panic-mode. I remember feeling out of breath and the words wouldn't even form when the 911 operator was asking me to explain what was going on. I didn't want to "slow down" and tell him "what exactly is going on" - just send an ambulance!

The EMT's, police officers and even a firetruck arrived within minutes. When they put him in a neck brace and loaded him on to the ambulance I was absolutely terrified. I figured, if the emt's aren't bothering to talk to me anymore, ask if I want him taken to the hopital but are just taking him away as if I'm not there, this wasn't good.

Jerell being loaded into the ambulance

 

They told me to sit up front but then said I could ride in the back with him. He still hadn't woken up, even after a shot (can't remember what it was) during the ride. No reaction whatsoever. I didn't know if I was on my way to where I'd leave my son, never to see him awake, or possibly alive, ever again.

 



We were finally told, in the ER, that he appeared to have had a seizure, cause unknown. And to not worry, kids can have seizures when they have a high fever and there are no long term affects most of the time. But Jerell wasn't sick, didn't have a fever.


Getting a CT scan

After a few hours they told us he would be admitted. I still didn't know what was going on. I just prayed that he would be alright. And after sleeping for quite awhile he woke up and seemed "normal". That morning they did an EEG.

 



 

Jerell actually enjoyed being in the hospital - being delivered food throughout the day, lots of video games and movies at his request and pretty much being the center of attention! And of course, missing school :)

 



 

Baby brother Dathan came to visit

He stayed two nights and I was given the diagnosis - Epilepsy. I couldn't believe this was really happening. Questions flooded my mind...  How does my 8 year old go from being perfectly healthy to now having something like this?? How am I suppose to sleep at night knowing this could happen again, and maybe next time no one will realize he's seizing and he'll choke? Will my 3 other kids develop Epilepsy? Or something even worse?

 

 

I realized I had to trust God to take care of Jerell (and the other boys) - it was all in His hands. And I was grateful that, as of now, he was okay.

 

 

Over the next year he only had a couple seizures, usually only when he forgot to take his medicine, none of which were as severe as the first.

 

 

But last week we hit the 2 year mark - the required 2 years of being seizure-free to start the process of weaning off the medicine. While I am a bit nervous, I am, again, trusting God. Jerell is very excited to not have to take his medicine anymore or have to tell people he has Epilepsy, that he'll be "normal" again. 

*Update 2/13/13 -  Within a week of stopping the medicine Jerell came home from a friends' house having symptoms of having had a seizure the night before. I talked to his neurologist on the phone and was told to restart the medication. We have an appointment in March to see him but I'm assuming he'll have to start the 2 year period over again. Jerell wasn't as upset as I was about the whole incident, saying, "I'd rather take medicine than feel like this".