I haven't blogged much recently. I seem to be spending more time checking up on S when I'm alone here and she is resting or sleeping. When the PAs are here, I still spend a lot of time with S.
I'm still very concerned about the 'seizures/fits', particularly their length and apparently increasing frequency. This morning I've found this very interesting website which seems to describe every known type of seizure:
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures
What happens to S doesn't come close to matching any of the detailed descriptions on this site. Also, I haven't searched exhaustively but all the duration times mentioned are much less than the 10-12 minutes which S's events seem to have lasted, though as the event seems to gradually morph into very deep sleep it's difficult to be sure. It's all very perplexing.
Another thing I've picked up from the site is the possibility that Omega 3/oily fish may help reduce the number and duration of seizures. This may be worth trying even bearing in mind the possibility that these are not epileptic seizures
Showing posts with label epilepsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label epilepsy. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Fit number 3
S had another fit today. Our carer had not been here long and was feeding S her lunch. I was in the kitchen when the carer called me to come quickly. I went straight in and it was just like the last fit. We lowered the bed and got her into the recovery position. There was a small bit of regurgitated fruit that came out and the dreadful-sounding gurgling breathing. The carer asked if we should phone for an ambulance but I reminded her that the GP said, after the last fit, that we call the surgery and he or the other partner would come as soon as they could. So rather than ringing 999 we decided to hold on. The surgery was closed for lunch so we couldn't call for 15 mins.
The fit subsided after about 8 mins though it's difficult to be exact as she was fairly passive during and after and the breathing gradually sounded a bit more normal as she seemed to drift onto quite a deep sleep. I was able to use the oxymeter and found the level was normal, at 97, even during the fit. This was a bit of a relief. Temperature was also normal.
At bang on 2 when the surgery opened, I phoned and got straight through! The receptionist talked to the GP on the phone and eventually came back with the message that he would call round in about 30 mins.
When he came S was pretty much back to normal, though tired. He did her BP and listened to her chest - no problems. We discussed whether she should be on an anticonvulsant and he thought that as all three fits had happened at similar times and she is nearly always on the hospital bed or in the wheelchair, comparatively safe, it was probably better to avoid the possibility of complications with other meds, at least for the time being. Fine by me.
So all in all, much less traumatic and tedious than the ambulance trips to A and E for the day, yet the same positive news that we would have got there. I would do the same again unless the oxygen level was a concern.
It's still very scary - particularly for the carers who hasn't seen S have a fit before - but I'm glad we held our nerve.
S soon ate the rest of her lunch quite happily and is, as far as we can see, back to normal.
The fit subsided after about 8 mins though it's difficult to be exact as she was fairly passive during and after and the breathing gradually sounded a bit more normal as she seemed to drift onto quite a deep sleep. I was able to use the oxymeter and found the level was normal, at 97, even during the fit. This was a bit of a relief. Temperature was also normal.
At bang on 2 when the surgery opened, I phoned and got straight through! The receptionist talked to the GP on the phone and eventually came back with the message that he would call round in about 30 mins.
When he came S was pretty much back to normal, though tired. He did her BP and listened to her chest - no problems. We discussed whether she should be on an anticonvulsant and he thought that as all three fits had happened at similar times and she is nearly always on the hospital bed or in the wheelchair, comparatively safe, it was probably better to avoid the possibility of complications with other meds, at least for the time being. Fine by me.
So all in all, much less traumatic and tedious than the ambulance trips to A and E for the day, yet the same positive news that we would have got there. I would do the same again unless the oxygen level was a concern.
It's still very scary - particularly for the carers who hasn't seen S have a fit before - but I'm glad we held our nerve.
S soon ate the rest of her lunch quite happily and is, as far as we can see, back to normal.
Friday, 20 November 2015
S has had another fit
Fortunately it's clear that it wasn't as bad as the last time. Although it was horrible to witness and hear (she was breathing in a strange gurgly way for 7 or 8 mins) she recovered quickly in terms of vital signs. The first responder got here before the fit was even properly over and her oxygen level was normal (it helped that as she was in the hospital bed I was able to get her into the recovery position very quickly, unlike last time when she was in a very awkward crumpled position and it was deemed potentially dangerous to move her).
I've looked at the NHS Choices page on seizures (fits):
It was scary - you know anything can happen but it's still a shock when it does - but I found I was able to cope. I was very reluctant to go to A & E after our last experience and I phoned our GP before I agreed and he said to go, if only for the bloods. Our carer came straight to the hospital, as did S's daughter who brought her very recently-born baby with her. So the waiting was actually quite bearable.
All the tests were fine, including a chest x-ray (as the thing started when she was drinking and coughed so there was a risk of aspiration pneumonia developing) ECG and various blood tests. Her chest sounded fine as well.
Rather than wait 3 hours for an ambulance home, S's daughter drove me to collect the wheelchair and vehicle. I then drove back and our carer helped me lift S into the chair and we came home in tandem. We then got her back on the bed and settled ready for an evening snack. She had eaten most of a sandwich at the hospital so no problems with her appetite. Two days later everything suggest that she is pretty much back to where she was so just a 'normal' fit, if there is such a thing, but we shall see.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Epilepsy/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
It confirms that there is an enormous range of symptoms that can constitute a seizure, e.g. S regularly has what could well be Myoclonic seizures, particularly at breakfast time and these can occur in conjunction with other types of seizure.
Also, it confirms that not all seizures are due to epilepsy.
It looks as though this is yet another area that I need to get clued-up about.
It confirms that there is an enormous range of symptoms that can constitute a seizure, e.g. S regularly has what could well be Myoclonic seizures, particularly at breakfast time and these can occur in conjunction with other types of seizure.
Also, it confirms that not all seizures are due to epilepsy.
It looks as though this is yet another area that I need to get clued-up about.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
S has had a fit
This was the first time I've seen anything quite like this. I had left her sitting on the the toilet waiting for the mobile hairdresser. When I went back in after a few minutes she was still sitting on the loo but twisted up. She looked as if she was wringing her hands and she looked very agitated. She was totally unresponsive. Also her breathing and a little bit of coughing suggested she might start to vomit.
Then she slipped down to the floor. I couldn't stop her but was able to stop her banging anything in the process. She was in an uncomfortable sitting position against the radiator but I was reluctant to move her in case we ended up in a worse position. Her breathing sounded quite laboured and gurgly so I decided to call 999. It wasn't considered 'life threatening' so it took a while before an ambulance became available during which time the operator stayed on the line though I can't say she said much. She asked but I was unable to say whether S was asleep or unconscious. Then a 'volunteer first responder' arrived. Finally, the ambulance. By this time things were looking a little better. S opened her eyes a bit (she normally has them closed for much of the time).
They decided on the Accident and Emergency department at our large local hospital. S's daughter had arrived by now which was great and she followed us to the hospital. In the ambulance S looked better still, holding her head up normally, not back on the pillow and with open eyes for much of the time.
I won't bore you with a full account but in the 5 or so hours we saw many different people in a variety of uniforms, most of whom did a little bit (mostly tests) then went away. Blood tests suggested she might have a slight infection. They gave her a chest x-ray which was fine and talked of testing her urine but dropped this idea, probably because they realised it would not be easy. Blood pressure, pulse etc were all in the normal range from almost the time we got there.
Eventually, they said she could go home but we could contact them if there were any further problems. I was fine with that.
She is not back to normal mobility wise yet but can stand and walk. She's eating normally. The stairs are more of a challenge than usual so we stayed upstairs on the first evening and had to stay downstairs yesterday as she just couldn't get up the stairs.
Then she slipped down to the floor. I couldn't stop her but was able to stop her banging anything in the process. She was in an uncomfortable sitting position against the radiator but I was reluctant to move her in case we ended up in a worse position. Her breathing sounded quite laboured and gurgly so I decided to call 999. It wasn't considered 'life threatening' so it took a while before an ambulance became available during which time the operator stayed on the line though I can't say she said much. She asked but I was unable to say whether S was asleep or unconscious. Then a 'volunteer first responder' arrived. Finally, the ambulance. By this time things were looking a little better. S opened her eyes a bit (she normally has them closed for much of the time).
They decided on the Accident and Emergency department at our large local hospital. S's daughter had arrived by now which was great and she followed us to the hospital. In the ambulance S looked better still, holding her head up normally, not back on the pillow and with open eyes for much of the time.
I won't bore you with a full account but in the 5 or so hours we saw many different people in a variety of uniforms, most of whom did a little bit (mostly tests) then went away. Blood tests suggested she might have a slight infection. They gave her a chest x-ray which was fine and talked of testing her urine but dropped this idea, probably because they realised it would not be easy. Blood pressure, pulse etc were all in the normal range from almost the time we got there.
Eventually, they said she could go home but we could contact them if there were any further problems. I was fine with that.
She is not back to normal mobility wise yet but can stand and walk. She's eating normally. The stairs are more of a challenge than usual so we stayed upstairs on the first evening and had to stay downstairs yesterday as she just couldn't get up the stairs.
Such events are always shocking. I know things might get worse again but at the moment I'm fairly hopeful that this might just be a one-off. She has been prescribed antibiotics for the suspected UTI but unfortunately the first med prescribed made her vomit so I'm hoping to get a replacement by this evening.
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