What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?  I am sure that there are so many things that you can think of!  For me, the scariest things that could ever happen to me are the moments when something negative or life changing happen to my child.  As you all know, from prior posts or just from being connected to our life, Kayla has had an atypical childhood, that had a lot of influence from medical concerns. Initially, it was survival mode from hydrocephalus/brain tumor treatment and radiation, along with fighting the changes of prepubescent puberty with hormone therapy and good medical management.  We had little bumps in the road, but it felt like she was going to be somewhat of an outlier!  Good cognitive function (brain works good), overall good health (minus the above stated) and a zest for getting out and living life that made my momma heart swell.  We did have a major set back in January 2018, when she had a seizure on our long commute back to Chinle; it was scary, probably as scary as her initial brain tumor diagnosis, to recognize that your child was seizing as you were driving down a dark road. That was two years ago, with no new seizure on the horizon and talks of titrating her dosage down, to eventually discharging the medication. 

However, Sunday the 24th, in the midst of gathering gear and supplies, reading ourselves to go for a hike and explore the mountain side to maybe score some morel mushrooms, I heard a noise that sounded like a yelp or scream and a crash of ceramics. I was upstairs at that moment, but remember looking into the living room space to see my human sprawl on the ground turning blue, spilled planter and tipped planters. My heart dropped, a scream escaped my throat and I raced down to assess the scene, because a million things ran through my head, “did she trip and hit her head?”, “is she having a seizure from falling?”, along with probably a million other things. As soon as I was on the floor with her, I realized that she was having a seizure. Airway. Airway. Airway. I moved her to her side and to allow for an improved airway. My partner was helping with keeping her safe. The next thing I thought was safety and to improve her overall positioning by improving her head and neck position, and just to hold her and allow my partner to call 911.  She eventually came to, she was confused and disoriented, needed the restroom, was light sensitive and had a headache.  We called 911 dispatch back to tell them we didn’t need an ambulance and just would take her to the emergency department ourselves.  She had labs performed and it was deemed that she was slightly dehydrated, so she received IV fluids, and was shortly discharged because she was stable. 

One note to mention, she did jump back from this episode much faster than the initial episode two years ago. She is still fatigued and I am still wary, not letting her stay by herself and easing her back into activity.  Her provider feels that this might just be her normal and we will stay our course with medication and healthy living. My mind wanders on what her future will look like, with this possible seizure activity lurking in the background.  I am adamant about her living her life, but what are some of the new things that we are going to have to really think about?  I am not sure. We will continue to reach out and learn what life will be like,

The other purpose of sharing and transparency is learning.  Do you know what to do if you witness someone experiencing a seizure?  I am glad that some knowledge of seizure management tucked somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind that were available at the moment they were needed. But do you know what to do?  I want to share this simple information from the CDC regarding Seizure First Aid.  Did you know that seizures are common?  It is estimated that 1 in 10 people will experience a seizure in his or her lifetime, so I feel that it is good to have this information in your mind, if the need arises. If your child, or family member, you will know what to do.

https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm

By the way, Kayla is doing good. She is back to exploring. She is back to asking questions and making delicious food… Honestly, she is cooking something delicious right now…