Luv'N Lambert Life

A blog about living with Epilepsy, IBHS, Homeschooling and so much more

MRI

December Update from Us! {Thoughts from Me}

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Our life is pretty busy right now with the Christmas Holidays, a looming 11th Birthday and lots and lots of doctors appointments.  Christmas will be past this weekend and the lovely summer-like weather outside leaves us feeling more like Christmas in July than December.  There definitely will not be a White Christmas for those of us in Georgetown, SC this year!

Next Wednesday, my handsome son is turning 11!  It’s been a fight just to keep his day free of doctors appointments for his sister but Momma has been insistant that they leave my boy’s big day free and clear for him alone.  It’s so easy to get lost in the shuffle when two of your sisters have health issues.  I have always tried to make sure that his day is special, especially when Christmas also steals so much from it, too.  So this year we will be having his party on his big day complete with a sleepover with all our good friends.  And we can’t wait!!

As for the doctors visits, my sweet Emmalee is keeping us busy, not with seizures this time but instead with her toe walking.  Her doctor is sending us for a quick MRI of her spine to be sure it isn’t tethered causing her to toe walk.  Then back to her office on Thursday for a full physical and hopefully the results of the MRI which I pray are negative.  After the first of the year, depending on the results of the MRI, we will have more appointments with more doctors to repair whatever is going on with my beautiful girl.  It promises to be a busy New Year for us in 2012.

So we will definitely be busy this coming year with school and doctors and simply loving life together.  Bring it on, 2012… we impatiently await your arrival with cheer!!

30 Days Living with Epilepsy Day 3 {Epilepsy Awareness}

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What tests were done to diagnose your Epilepsy?
For myself, I barely remember the tests.  I do recall going traveling 3 hours by car to MUSC in Charleston, SC weekly for several years in my childhood.  I recall having bloodwork done at least once monthly, often more.  I recall having EEG’s done monthly too.  I also recall having x-ray and CT-Scans done to see what my brain was up to.  As a child it was a stressful time and now going through it all with my own girls, I see that it was just as stressful for my mother to go through too.

My oldest daughter’s Epilepsy was diagnosed after two light seizures that she had at 3 months.  She was immediately sent to MUSC in Charleston too and immediately diagnosed with Epilepsy after her doctor reviewed her medical charts and my family history with this disorder.  She was given and EEG which showed a normal working brain, yet we know it wasn’t because she was seizing for no reason.  She was not put through any other tests, except for bloodwork and she was placed on medication for the next four years of life.

My youngest daughter’s Epilepsy was not so easily diagnosed.  She went through every test in the book: an EEG, EKG, MRI, CT-Scan, X-rays in the old fashioned turn of the century wooden torture like device, and blood work only to diagnose her with the very thing I told them in the first place: Familial Epilepsy.  Nowadays she only has to have occasional bloodwork and an EEG here or there. 

As you can tell, tests to diagnose this disorder varies with each case.  Some doctors prefer to be more thorough while others choose not to torture a small child when they pretty much know what is wrong.  Either way it’s important to have a correct diagnoses and to treat each case to prevent seizure that could lead to serious damage for the person going through them. 

– Dana