A Rough Start

A Rough Start

Tanya was a first time mom. Elizabeth their beautiful, darling child, was just two months old. The fight that she and Steven had, about Elizabeth’s condition was horrible. It wasn't really a fight! Both of them were frightened, not knowing what to do, how to manage, what was happening!

It really almost looked normal, except for the long - too long - achingly long - pauses between her little breaths. And Elizabeth’s little eyelashes, so long and curly, fluttering and blinking. The first time it happened it was over in an instant. Still, Tanya didn’t think it looked right and called the paediatrician’s office. When she described what she saw, the nurse told her to come in immediately. But even as she was talking, Elizabeth’s eyelids fluttered and blinked again; she seemed to grow stiff. 

“Call 911 and get to the hospital immediately. I’ll have Dr. Pierce meet you at emergency. Stay on the phone with me until the paramedics get there. I’ll walk you through what to do.”

The nurse was saying to ‘protect her head’, ‘lay her on something soft’, ‘when the seizure stops turn her on her side’.......The voice on the other end of the phone kept Tanya from fainting. Tanya was crying and shaking. Steven, home for lunch, called 911 as soon as he saw Elizabeth stiffen. He was pacing, viciously raking his fingers through his hair. In all the Infant Parenting Classes they took, this possibility must have been addressed. But he couldn’t remember! Infant CPR? That was it! He could make sure she was breathing.......

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Elizabeth celebrated her fifth birthday, complete with birthday cake, mommy, daddy and baby brother Joey, grandma and grandpa, cousins and balloons - and lots and lots of toys. She still couldn’t pronounce the word epilepsy, but when she felt ‘far away’ she went to any of the adults in her family and told them ‘far away, far away’. The family had learned about how to help Elizabeth manage her seizures. She was very clear about taking her medicine. If a busy life took Tanya or Steven, even five minutes past medication time, Elizabeth would get her stool up to the sink for a glass of water. With great sternness, she would remind her parents of the time. Babysitter’s were definitely under her careful watch and knew that there were two things you did not avoid - her medication and reading all the pages of a story!

Information about symptoms of Infant Seizures from:

Epilepsy Foundation at ~   www.epilepsyfoundation.org