I was talking to another mom yesterday as she related to me a story that I knew well. Her adult daughter had started seizing the day before, over 20 Grand mal seizures in a 2 hour period. The mom wasn’t able to get the prescribed rescue meds into her daughter between the seizures. That was the part that was terrifying. She had to call the ambulance for transportation to the hospital where they could administer the needed medication. After a few hours, they were able to go home. When the daughter awoke in the night with more seizure, the mom was able to administer the medication so the crisis was averted.
As she was relating her story, I discovered that I was holding my breath and felt sick to my stomach. It was as if I had been standing there with her going through the experience.
In those minutes, each second seems to last a lifetime. As your child is seizing uncontrollably and all you can do is get them to the floor, turn them on their side, clear the surrounding area and the wait until it’s over. Frantically watching the clock to make sure that it doesn’t go ‘too long.’ In my opinion any seizure of any length is too long. Even after 37 years of caring for Nick through seizures, I don’t ever feel prepared and it is never easy.
The picture I included today was taken after a particularly long seizure series. Nick was asleep as is his usual pattern when the seizures finally stop and his sister Karen crawled into his bed behind him, exhausted emotionally and physically from the ordeal.
Unexpected and random, it often feel like a sucker punch to the gut when these situations happen. I am grateful for the emotional and physical support that we have received from our family and friends. I hope that I am able to give support to others when they need it.
Please share with me when you have been blessed by others during your darkest times. I believe that is an incredible blessing to hear the stories of others.
If you know someone who would benefit form this blog, or the book when it comes out, please share this with them.
