Prayers Please

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_DrW
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _DrW »

Daniel Peterson wrote:I want to thank those here who offered prayers and expressed support and kindness.

My son's seizure occurred just after midnight, Saturday night, at our house. It was utterly terrifying. After the convulsions ended, he stopped breathing and turned blue. For a moment, I actually thought he was dead. I was holding him, and it was one of the worst moments of my life.

Fortunately, we were able to grab our neighbor (and fellow ward member) from across the street, who is a physician and the director of our large regional medical center's intensive care unit. His help has been invaluable. And the paramedics arrived shortly thereafter.

A second seizure occurred in the emergency room.

However, tests since then (CAT scan, MRI, blood analysis, etc.) have failed to show any abnormality, which is both reassuring and disconcerting. Our son is now home, on anti-seizure medication. We are watching and waiting to see what, if anything, will happen. And he will, of course, be undergoing further medical examination.

Again, thanks very, very much for the kind expressions here and in PMs.

Dan,

Don't mean to take too much of your time here. However, if it is of any encouragement to you, your son's case is so far developing much as our son's did. Although very frightening, his first seizure was not as severe as you describe.

As is the case with your son, however, the scans and other diagnostic work-ups, including extensive EEG monitoring, showed no abnormalities when they were done starting a few hours after the initial grand mal.

Thereafter, and within 72 hours or so, there were a few less dramatic seizures. He was put on meds, which were slowly withdrawn over the next several months or so under close supervision. He has been fine ever since with no detectable neurological damage or deficits.

So, all in all, I would say that the fact that no abnormalities were found during the diagnostic work up is a very good sign indeed.

Again, all the best.

Bary
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."

DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
_Yoda

Re: Prayers Please

Post by _Yoda »

Dr. W,

Do we know what causes these types of random seizures?
_Daniel Peterson
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _Daniel Peterson »

DrW wrote:Don't mean to take too much of your time here. However, if it is of any encouragement to you, your son's case is so far developing much as our son's did. Although very frightening, his first seizure was not as severe as you describe.

As is the case with your son, however, the scans and other diagnostic work-ups, including extensive EEG monitoring, showed no abnormalities when they were done starting a few hours after the initial grand mal.

Thereafter, and within 72 hours or so, there were a few less dramatic seizures. He was put on meds, which were slowly withdrawn over the next several months or so under close supervision. He has been fine ever since with no detectable neurological damage or deficits.

So, all in all, I would say that the fact that no abnormalities were found during the diagnostic work up is a very good sign indeed.

Again, all the best.

Bary

That's very encouraging. Thank you.
_Jersey Girl
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _Jersey Girl »

I have some experience aiding persons with grand mal seizures. I also have had the unfortunate experience of holding a possibly dying loved one in my arms. It is a terrifying experience that sends a cold and paralyzing shock throughout the body and mind.

I will continue to keep your family in my prayers.

Be of good courage,

Jersey Girl
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
_Fence Sitter
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _Fence Sitter »

Daniel Peterson wrote:That's very encouraging. Thank you.



Dan,

When one of my sons suffered a skate boarding head injury, a few years back, we went through some of what you are going through. While our situation was different, we still had to deal with the fear of seizures and the anti seizure medicine and in his case a long hospital stay. He is doing fine now. I have never seen a greater outpouring of support toward my family than during that time. It was at the same time both a great comfort to me and almost overwhelming, the love we felt from our friends, our family and the members of our ward. I realized what great strength can be drawn from those people during such a time of crisis and I leaned upon them heavily in that time.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
_thews
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _thews »

Prayers sent. For those who don't believe that prayers work... they do.
2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
2 Tim 4:4 They will turn their ears away from the truth & turn aside to myths
_TrashcanMan79
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _TrashcanMan79 »

thews wrote:For those who don't believe that prayers work... they do.

That would be a discussion for another thread.
_DrW
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _DrW »

liz3564 wrote:Dr. W,

Do we know what causes these types of random seizures?

I am not an MD. I attended medical school to become a research scientist.

However, as I am sure Dr. Peterson can confirm, when one's child suffers an unexpected grand mal, it doesn't take much time to teach oneself what the causes can be.

It has been several years since our adventure and that is something one does not forget.

In instances when there are no known or readily apparent underlying causes for seizures, such as a genetic disorders or malformed blood vessels in the brain (including those from a stroke), and when diagnostics do not indicate a brain tumor (which is apparently the case here), what one is left with are things like illicit drug use or withdrawal (not likely here, either) infections of the brain or dura (encephalitis, meningitis, etc.), abnormal glucose or electrolyte levels, and recent head injuries.

In our case, we believe that our son had suffered an head injury a day or so before the grand mal and had not said anything to us about it. This is the best we could come up with for a cause.

It is important to remember that the brains of young people are very plastic. They can recover fully from many kinds of injuries, especially given the right medical care and after-injury meds and management. Since there were no signs of abnormalities or physical injury to the brain in what was certainly a complete work-up, I would say that cautious but optimistic watchful waiting, with careful medical supervision, is in order.
David Hume: "---Mistakes in philosophy are merely ridiculous, those in religion are dangerous."

DrW: "Mistakes in science are learning opportunities and are eventually corrected."
_Polygamy-Porter
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Re: Prayers Please

Post by _Polygamy-Porter »

thews wrote:Prayers sent. For those who don't believe that prayers work... they do.

Please leave your recruitment tactics out of this thread.
New name: Boaz
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_Yoda

Re: Prayers Please

Post by _Yoda »

(Moderator Note) Unpinned at Dan's request.
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