A Bittersweet Anniversary

Tomorrow my sweet, middle son turns 11 years old. Last year at this time, we were also preparing for a birthday, but we were preparing for something else as well. We were preparing for Seth's brain surgery. How scared and sad we all felt, but we tried to put on a happy face and celebrate anyway. I am happy to say that we have had a lot to celebrate over the past year, and our wounds from last year, both physical and emotional, have mostly healed. 

September 2012

Over the past year, Seth has had only two seizures that we know of. We last saw his neurologist in June and she has no medical explanation for his decrease in seizure activity. Seth had another EEG in June and the results were the same or similar to previous studies, meaning that nothing has changed in his brain. We know that at some point Seth's seizure activity may increase again, but I can't even begin to express what a breath of fresh air this lull in activity has been. It has allowed our family to focus on things other than seizures, medical appointments, medical bills and insurance companies. We have been able to focus on life instead, and we have been able to feel a thankfulness that I don't think I would have known if we had not had this experience. Despite all that my son and our family has endured, we are blessed beyond belief. You are our blessings. Thank you for being in our lives.

Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness 3/26/13

We're not looking back.

Epilepsy Warrior!

Purple Day is Coming!

Purple Day is coming! March 26th is designated as Purple Day, an international day of epilepsy awareness, in which supporters are invited to wear purple in support of epilepsy awareness. Our family will be participating in support of Seth, and we invite you to join us and wear purple to help raise awareness, because every seizure matters.

Five Months Seizure Free!

I am happy to report that Seth has been seizure free for five months now! I hadn't intended to be away from the blog for so long, but sometimes I feel like I'm holding my breath, afraid to speak about how well Seth is doing for fear that I will jinx him. I know it's a silly thought, but it's strange how the mind works.

Since my last blog post, Seth had a follow up appointment with his neurologist and was given the all clear for all activities with no restrictions. The swelling from the fluid pocket reduced and was back to normal approximately two months post surgery. His neurologist really can't explain why Seth has had no seizures since the craniotomy, but has said that she has had some kids go up to six months seizure free after the procedure. Whatever the reason, we are enjoying the honeymoon period and will take each and every hour, day and month we can get without seizures. We have decided not to make any changes at this time and unless things worsen, Seth won't need to follow up again until the spring. We have the option to try surgery again at some point, but don't feel ready to travel that path again just yet.

The school year has developed into a very good one for Seth. We met with school faculty in the fall and developed an accommodation plan to help Seth be successful in school. The accommodation plan is much like an IEP, but as Seth attends a private school, they are not required to implement IEP's. Seth's teacher and the team are committed to his success and do a fantastic job of focusing on his strengths, providing encouragement and helping to increase his self-esteem.

We couldn't feel more blessed and are so thankful for the people who support Seth, and in turn support us. The prayers said for Seth and our family, supportive words and acts of kindness from others have left an everlasting imprint on our family. We have seen God's goodness in others and have been strengthened by it.