Luv'N Lambert Life

Mental Health, Homeschooling, Epilepsy and More

Epilepsy Awareness

My Heart, My Soul is Angry {Epilepsy Awareness}

by

My heart aches.   It’s been a long time since I have blogged anything about our Epilepsy.  I have closed it off and tried to ignore it’s existence but this week the Monster has made sure I know he’s there.  It’s been a long week and it’s not over yet.
Three seizures in three days for Jackson.  Two mild and one very big one that I honestly questioned whether or not it was going to stop.  I want to break.  I want to cry.  I can’t because Jackson needs his Momma strong.  Winston, Emmalee and Laycie need their Momma strong.

These seizures are becoming the norm in our family.  They were already an integral part but now they are a prominent, daily feature in our life.  I hate it.  I hate they exist.  I hate they happen every day.  I want to scream at this monster to just go the hell away, to leave my baby boy alone.  I want to scream at God to make them stop.  
Sometimes I whisper it — I know He hears my soul pleading.
I beg Him to stop the seizures.  I beg Him to heal my babies.  I beg Him to just listen, just take it away and make it all stop, to give my sweet baby boy the normal, seizure free life that he deserves.  To give my girls the same.  He hears me but still we fight this battle to which we have no control over. 
I may never know why. I am not meant to understand His logic, His reasoning behind the Monster’s attacks on my family.  Sometimes I feel like it’s just a game but I know there must be some purpose, some greater reason that I just cannot see.
My heart, my soul is angry.  He knows it and yet He still loves me.  That’s the way it is.  I try not to be angry and not to take my anger out on Him.  Yet, I know God is there – waiting.  He’s waiting for me to break, to come to Him so He can heal the hurt and pain that only He can.  
He’s waiting for me to share this story, for others who suffer like me.  To share it for other’s who watch their babies suffer with this damned disorder daily, just like mine do.  I know this is my purpose, yet sometimes I fight it.  I don’t wish to be a seizure Momma, yet here I am.
And then the words flow, much as they are tonight.  I feel led by God to share, to spill my heart and bare these wounds that haunt me.  When I rise, I stand strong again, in Faith, Love and in Grace that is given only by Him.  
I am undeserving but oh so thankful for His Grace, for His Love and for every single minute that I am blessed to love my babies on this Earth and beyond.  I cannot imagine this world without them, though I know they are only gifted to me for a specific amount of time.  I pray it never be cut short, that I am able to outlive them and they live long, seizure free lives.  I know that may not happen but I pray it does, like most Momma’s do.
I just want the Monster to stop – to go away and let my babies live happy, long lives full of Love and Faith, to be able to fulfill their dreams and wishes without convulsions and pain.  Maybe one day. Until then, I will patiently wait and continue to pray and have Faith.  It’s all any Momma can do for her babes.

Our Journey To Using Essential Oils {Epilepsy Awareness}

by

Some of you do and don’t know that I’ve been researching Essential Oils for the past few months.  I’ve known of Essential Oils for quite a while now but at first I was extremely skeptical of them.  I mean these oils are created from the leaves of many plants, making them extremely potent and to my mind potent is equal to DANGER.  It’s enough for us to have to deal with taking processed drugs daily to control our Epilepsy, but adding in another element to control this was just crazy to me.

Then someone spoke up and asked me about using Essential Oils to treat Jackson’s uncontrolled seizures.  They spoke with me about how these oils have helped their own family, through sickness and to stay well.  I was intrigued but I still wasn’t sold on the matter.  I struck out on my own to learn more.

The first company to come my way was Young Living Essential Oils.  Information from this company is all over the place.  People promote it daily.  I was impressed but I was very overwhelmed by the push to sale this product (not from the original person I spoke with but others who were also helpful on my journey to learning about Essential Oils).  I spoke with many, many representatives from Young Living, Inc and I was sold on the product but my guilty Mom conscience could not get past the start up cost.  The kit you purchase is a wonderful deal at $150 and I still consider going that route if I ever have enough money to do so but for us, that just wasn’t a feasible sum of money to place onto something that may or may not be beneficial to our family.

I began seeking a way to make Essential Oils affordable to my family.  Everyone who knows me knows that I am an extremely frugal person and that I won’t spend anything more than I must to provide for my family, making every cent I can count.  If you know me, then you also know I follow my heart which I feel is strongly connected to God and often shows me the way to the things He wishes for my family.  He never fails me and He surely has not on this either.

I began looking at alternative companies.  I thoroughly Googled Essential Oils and their companies.  I read the fine lines of others who were talking about these oils.  I questioned friends about who they used, read through the replies on their Facebook statuses about this same topic I was learning about.  I found several companies that sold Essential Oils that may fit my budget.

My next step was narrowing down my choices.  There are so many Essential Oil companies available to choose from that it’s hard to know who’s good, who’s bad and who’s just so-so.  I chose two that interested me most and I went back and forth on their websites.  Then I prayed about my choices and went to bed.

The next day, one company stood out in my head: Plant Therapy.  This relatively new company with it’s super low prices scared me at first.  I was unsure.  I had the company in my head and heart but I wasn’t sure if they were right for our family.  What if there oils were not as good as Young Living?  What a waste that would be!

I needed answers so I messaged Plant Therapy with questions I had about using oils on my babies, in treatment for their Epilepsy.  Their customer service was amazing!  I received a return email within a few hours and the email wasn’t selling me their product, but asking me more about what I was looking for with our treatment.  The customer service rep spoke with me and then went to find the answers I needed through the rest of Plant Therapy’s amazing staff.  She went beyond her job to provide help that I needed in my pursuit of this.

As we spoke back and forth through email, I saw “signs” of this company being right for us.  My dear friend, who also helped me create a list of Essential Oils to avoid in Epilepsy, had allowed her name to be used as a reference of approval on one of the blog posts created for Plant Therapy.  I’ve known this person for a long while and have watched her journey with natural treatments and aromatherapy for quite a while now.  I trust her opinion and the fact she supports this company was a relief to me.

Even through all of this though, I was still nervous about trying out these oils.  What if something went wrong?  What if it did more damage than good?  Still after all my reading it was worth the chance to stop these seizures my sweet boy can’t stop.

As I was emailing and reading on Plant Therapy’s website, I noticed a “deal” they have.  If you sign up for their newsletter, you get $10 off your order if you order within 24 hours.  Since they have free shipping and the product I wanted was only $6.99 for a Frankincense Oil Roll-on just to try out, I was getting my product for free!  I did add in some peppermint and some lavender oils to try, as well as a roll-on of their wonderful Calming The Child Synergy oil to try out.  My cost was around $25 for all of it once the $10 discount was applied.  This more than fit our budget!

It took less than a week for my order to arrive.  I immediately began using the Frankincense oil on Jackson and we’ve had great results.  Although it’s not controlling his seizures 100% (he’s still on his Phenobarbital for treating his Epilepsy as well), it has helped to significantly decrease his seizures from 10 minutes long to less than a minute in length.  It’s also helped to stop his seizures while he is in a Generalized Tonic Clonic.  I’m very happy with the results.

I’m also thrilled with our other oils.  The Calming the Child Synergy helps calm Jackson down when he’s fussy.  It soothing and smells great.  Laycie also enjoys that oil when she’s feeling wound up and just needs to relax.

I mix our lavender and our peppermint oils with coconut oil as a carrier and properly diluted some so that I would have it on hand daily.  I use them on all kinds of things and sometimes use a mixture for back and muscle pain.  I use the lavender to treat cuts, burns, acne, diaper rash and more.  Even my friends love the mixtures I have made!

I’m still learning about using Essential Oils but I have to say choosing Plant Therapy for our oils was the best decision I have made so far.  They fit our budget and allow me room to experiment without feeling like I’ve wasted a ton of money on products.  I like knowing I can message them any time and get accurate answers, information and don’t have to talk to several different people to do that.  Plant Therapy leaves me with that small-town, personal feel.

My journey into oils has also lead me to start a Facebook group for Epilepsy families called Epilepsy and Essential Oils/Natural Treatments.  This group is open to all parents, patients and caregivers of those who have Epilepsy and are looking for alternative treatments for their family.  It is not brand oriented, but instead supports the choice of using oils regardless of brand and the safe use of oils with your family.  I inspire to help others who are lost on this journey as I was when I first began researching this topic.

I hope our experience with Essential Oils will be beneficial to someone else and help them find their way to better health for their loved one as it has us.  I will continue to blog about our treatment and experiences as we learn and grow on this journey.

~ Dana

*Disclaimer – this blog post is my own opinion.  I have not been gifted any product by either of these companies with the exception of a Peppermint sample from Young Living, Inc. for personal and not for review use.  All oils have been purchased out of my own pocket and used personally by me and my family without payment or reimbursement from either company mentioned above.  I do not work for either company and therefore do not gain anything by writing this blog post or including links there-in.  I’m including this disclaimer in accordance to FTC guidelines.


Life is a Blessing, No Matter the Challenges {Epilepsy Awareness}

by

Our life and our days revolve around our life with Epilepsy.  As a child growing up with this disorder, I was never concerned because my Mother protected me.  As a parent raising children who have Epilepsy, I am constantly concerned for the health of my beautiful children.

It’s not easy being on either side of this disorder: both as a person with Epilepsy or a parent with Epilepsy.  I’m thankful that I have mostly outgrown the effects of this disorder, that my oldest son, who I often forget to mention, doesn’t have Epilepsy, and that my oldest daughter has also outgrown her seizures for the most part.  That doesn’t make this life any less challenging to live.

I often find a hard time focusing on the day to day because I’m so overly consumed with waiting on the next seizure.  I often forget things because my brain is always on Epilepsy overdrive.  My constant worry is that one of my three children will have a seizure that day and that they may not come back out of it.  Even though Emma has outgrown her seizures, they could come back at any time with any traumatic event.

This is our life and most days it’s hard for me to talk about in person, so I come here to blog it — I can share, get my thoughts and feelings out without having to be face to face with someone to do that.  I am able to talk, really talk and express myself, our ups, downs and fears through our blog.  It’s been a real blessing to be able to share our life with others, to show them a small peak into our world and say “Hey, this is where we are, what we are doing and how it’s all going for us”.

Life is a gift no matter how challenging.  It’s a gift that cannot be replaced and is so short to live.  We must live that life to the absolute fullest and never miss a minute, even while given challenges like living with Epilepsy.

I have to say if my Mom taught me anything while raising me throughout my life as a child with Epilepsy, it is to embrace my life, to allow my children to live their lives to their fullest potential and to let no one hold us back from that.  And I do that for my children every single day.  I’m thankful for the gift they are in my life and even for this dreadful disorder which fills our days and keeps them busy.  I’m thankful for each minute, each second with each of my children as they are also thankful for those seconds with their Mother every day.  Life is the real blessing to live.

A Very Quick Update! {Thoughts From Me}

by

It’s been a rough week so I’m a bit behind on my post for the week.  Jackson has had two seizures.   Laycie’s also had a mild cold so I ended up having to cancel the boy’s birthday bash for the weekend.  I’m planning to make up for it soon.

I’m exhausted simply because of all that’s going on.  It’s really taking it’s toll.  I have so much to do but my family’s health has trumped anything that I need done.

Luckily, today Laycie’s feeling better but Jackson is still breaking through with his seizures.  I did a little shopping today and found Laycie some new boots to keep her feet warm for the winter as she goes back and forth between our home and her Grandma’s next door.

I also found Jackson a new Taggie blanket and also a snuggly Puppy blankie.  He loves them both.

I also found him a pair of flip-flops that are just a bit too big.  Lately, he’s been wanting to wear everyone’s too big shoes.  Great for his play-acting but not so great for a big boy who is just beginning to learn to walk.  He loves his new shoes and the fact they are just a bit too big!  He’s had so much fun walking in those this afternoon.

I’m short on time and energy so this post is going to be very short.  Please say a prayer for our family’s health and for my sweet Jackson to feel better soon.  Thanks y’all.  Until next time…

Essential Oil Images for Epilepsy {Epilepsy Awareness}

by

With the kids lacking so much control for their Epilepsy and a few other health issues like ADHD, OCD and sleep troubles, I have recently been researching other options for treating their medical needs outside of medications.  This has led me to researching Essential Oils for treatment and I’m so excited by what I am finding.  To keep track of what I can and cannot use for children, I’ve created a few images listing these things.  Please feel free to use these for yourself, print or share but please know that I am NOT an essential oils expert, nor am I an aromatherapist or a doctor.  I’m only a Mom who is trying to prevent seizures for her children. 

*Please do NOT edit these images or place your business URL on them and please link back where appropriate.*


Here go the Essential Oil images I have created thus far: 

Verified by MonsterInsights