Back in Action

Oh fall, as always you have brought us such joy, such healing.

I apologize for my extended absence; we have had a hard few months. Weeks ago I tried to write this post but I just couldn't get through it. I decided to publish it as-is so maybe you can understand why I was gone so long. When we finally got done with treatment for HUS and getting her tube fixed, she was sick and miserable I figured she was just healing and recovering and exhausted. When she developed a 101 fever, I figured she had picked up a virus. After a week, I was worried. After eight days, she had a seizure like I have never seen before. Normally her seizures are myoclonic, isolated to one hand or foot or facial muscle. I was standing in the kitchen making dinner or something when she suddenly toppled sideways on the couch from a sitting position. Then she collapsed off the couch and shook violently on the floor, groaning and and drooling. I rushed to her; she was unresponsive with open eyes. I called 911, but by the time the paramedics arrived she was herself again. They advised that it was probably a febrile (fever) seizure and left. After the second seizure of this magnitude, I made an appointment with the neurologist for a few days later. She had two more seizures before the appointment.

Neurology switched her to Keppra, which stopped the seizures but made her quiet and nauseous. She threw up a couple of times, she had a fever and her chest and throat were rubbed raw from coughing. And she often complained of "hurting, Mama." After looking up the side effects of Keppra I called the neurologist about twelve times before I finally got them to switch her to something else. The nasty side effects went away, but she was still complaining of a vague and occasionally excruciating pain.

We are masking her pain with a powerful prescription and trying to pin down a more definite source so we can get her a proper treatment. The long and the short of it is that we've had a rough summer, but it is now fall and as the blistering heat has faded away, so has Maisie's many woes, at least a bit. On the first day of fall, just a week ago, my doctor confirmed wonderful news.

I'm pregnant.

So that's nice.