Seventeen Months

What is this?  Another blog posting from the elusive Epilepys Really Stinks Blogger?  Well, yes.

It's been seventeen months since Liz had her last seizure.  That's the best she's done in, well...ever, actually.  That's not to say there hasn't been issues, but I don't think they're seizure related issues.

In April, she experienced some, for lack of a better term, stuff that I couldn't explain.  Violent bursts of temper, emotional outbursts, and acting out in troubling (and weird) ways (Ex. I walked in on her spreading poop all over her bathroom walls and toilet.  She promptly was given a stern talking-to, and a sponge with some cleaner.).   I called her neurologist, and explained what was going on to him.  He suggested that we see a pediatric psychiatrist, since he didn't believe that her actions were related to seizure activity.  He said that in a lot of pediatric epilepsy cases, the children also experience psychiatric issues.  So, I got on the phone to the insurance, and made her appointment with the best pediatric psychiatrist in the area. 

Now ask me when her appointment is?  Big Hint:  Notice I didn't say "was".  It's July 20th.  Fact is, when you get an appointment with a good pediatric psychiatrist, you wait for your appointment.  In the meantime, she was still having issues, so I was faced with trying to find ways to deal with and cope with her chaotic bursts. 

This is going to sound absolutely INSANE, but I turned to acupuncture.  In January of this year, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (which, by the way, also really stinks).  Instead of taking the nasty medications that my doctors wanted me to take, I turned to a more natural way of treating it.  I did what I do best, and turned to the internet to research ways to treat the pain and weird symptoms of this condition.  The one I came across consistently was acupuncture, so I did some more research and found an absolutely fabulous acupuncturist in our area.  I now see her about every two weeks, and when I told her about what was going on with Liz, she said, "Let me work on her!"  So, she did for three sessions, and it has helped SO MUCH.  Liz doesn't mind the needles, and at the end of her session, she can tell the difference in before and after.  She knows when she needs it, and I let her make the decision.  She still has bursts of odd activity and temper, but it's fewer and far between than it was before. 

So, that's the gist of it.  She's not had seizures in a LONG time, but she's still going through some weird stuff.  My fears get the best of me sometimes, and I worry that she'll be diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder or an anxiety disorder.  My gut tells me it's related to her ADHD diagnosis, but I'm, of course, not a doctor.  We'll see in a few weeks what the doctor thinks. 

Thanks for reading, and have a great 4th of July!!