Brady had a second seizure at 8 pm on June 5th. This one lasted 90 seconds. This seizure seemed more severe than the previous one at 12:14 am. His face was contorted and the convulsions seemed to be worse. There was excessive drooling and this time he lost bladder control. Afterwards he was ravenous and somewhat uncoordinated. He was unsettled and wanted to pace. By 10 pm, he was resting well and comfortably. Once the convulsions stopped I inserted a valium suppository and gave him 3 droppers of Rescue Remedy. After he was on his feet and fully aware of his surroundings, I gave him a small amount of vanilla ice cream.
Usually once he has a seizure after a break from them, another one will follow within a 24 hour period. This time it was approximately 20 hours between seizures. Hopefully, the cycle has been broken and there will be no further seizure activity.
Thank you dear God for watching over him and keeping him safe during the seizure and for a good recovery. We pray that we can have another good seizure free streak.
"For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go." ~~ Psalm 91:11 NLT
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
A seizure occurred after 91 days of freedom from this horrible disease called epilepsy
Much to my disappointment, I have to report that Brady had a seizure this morning at 12:14 am. Sadly, this ended his 91 day seizure-free streak.
It was a grand mal, however, the severity of it seemed less than in the past. For this we are very thankful. The seizure itself last about a minute. Once the convulsing stopped I inserted a valium suppository and gave him 3 droppers of Rescue Remedy. Within several minutes, by 12:18am, he was up on his feet and appeared to be fine. There was no pacing afterwards and he seemed to have his bearings as soon as he was on his feet. We are thankful not only that it was less severe and relatively short, but we are also thankful that he had a very quick recovery. He ate 1/2 cup of food, 1/4 at a time and was able to settle down and rest soon after.
On May 29th, his phenobarbital dose changed from 64.8 mg twice daily to 60 mg twice daily.
Dr. Katherman assured me that this small change in milligrams (which was a difference of 9.6mg a day) would not make a difference when I called to question this. Apparently, however, it was enough of a difference to cause a breakthrough seizure. He has been on the 60 mg tablet for a week, but as of tonight his dose will go back to 64.8 mg twice per day=129.6 mg per day instead of the 120 mg that he had been taking for a week.
With the restart of the clock, our prayers are that he will be able to maintain another long seizure-free stretch.
*Note: the reason for the change in milligrams was because when Dr. Slayman called a new prescription in to the pharmacy, she called in 60 mg (one tablet twice per day)
instead of 32.4 mg (two tablets twice per day). Evidently she did this so there would be less tablets for him to have to take. But honestly, he is taking so many pills, that one extra is not a worry.
It was a grand mal, however, the severity of it seemed less than in the past. For this we are very thankful. The seizure itself last about a minute. Once the convulsing stopped I inserted a valium suppository and gave him 3 droppers of Rescue Remedy. Within several minutes, by 12:18am, he was up on his feet and appeared to be fine. There was no pacing afterwards and he seemed to have his bearings as soon as he was on his feet. We are thankful not only that it was less severe and relatively short, but we are also thankful that he had a very quick recovery. He ate 1/2 cup of food, 1/4 at a time and was able to settle down and rest soon after.
On May 29th, his phenobarbital dose changed from 64.8 mg twice daily to 60 mg twice daily.
Dr. Katherman assured me that this small change in milligrams (which was a difference of 9.6mg a day) would not make a difference when I called to question this. Apparently, however, it was enough of a difference to cause a breakthrough seizure. He has been on the 60 mg tablet for a week, but as of tonight his dose will go back to 64.8 mg twice per day=129.6 mg per day instead of the 120 mg that he had been taking for a week.
With the restart of the clock, our prayers are that he will be able to maintain another long seizure-free stretch.
*Note: the reason for the change in milligrams was because when Dr. Slayman called a new prescription in to the pharmacy, she called in 60 mg (one tablet twice per day)
instead of 32.4 mg (two tablets twice per day). Evidently she did this so there would be less tablets for him to have to take. But honestly, he is taking so many pills, that one extra is not a worry.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Happy Update : )
Things continue to go well for Brady. As of today he is 91 days seizure free and we pray that he will continue to hold this great pattern. I have to admit when I think of him having those awful seizures, it makes me feel queasy. I can't thank God enough that he is doing so well. Brady had his third acupuncture session with Dr. Peace on May 24th and will have a fourth on June 7th.
He is feeling great and life is good. :)
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in sun-scorched land...You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~~Isaiah 58:11 NIV
He is feeling great and life is good. :)
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in sun-scorched land...You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~~Isaiah 58:11 NIV
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine: "For further reading on TCM, the following books are highly recommended:
Four Paws Five Directions (by: Cheryl Schwartz, DVM)
The Well Connected Dog: A Guide to Canine Acupressure (by: Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis)
Canine Acupressure: A treatment workbook (by: Nancy Zidonis and Marie Soderberg)
Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practice (edited by Allen M Schoen DVM and Susan G. Wynn DVM)
Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine (edited by Allen Schoen)
Veterinary Acupuncture: (by: Klide and Kung)
Some sites on the Internet you might like to peruse that deal mainly with veterinary acupuncture:
http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/veter.htm
http://www.altvetmed.com/acupunct.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/185564.asp
http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/webjour.htm
Human Acupuncture
http://www.acupuncture.com/"
Four Paws Five Directions (by: Cheryl Schwartz, DVM)
The Well Connected Dog: A Guide to Canine Acupressure (by: Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis)
Canine Acupressure: A treatment workbook (by: Nancy Zidonis and Marie Soderberg)
Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Principles and Practice (edited by Allen M Schoen DVM and Susan G. Wynn DVM)
Veterinary Acupuncture: Ancient Art to Modern Medicine (edited by Allen Schoen)
Veterinary Acupuncture: (by: Klide and Kung)
Some sites on the Internet you might like to peruse that deal mainly with veterinary acupuncture:
http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/veter.htm
http://www.altvetmed.com/acupunct.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/185564.asp
http://users.med.auth.gr/~karanik/english/webjour.htm
Human Acupuncture
http://www.acupuncture.com/"
Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine: "The root cause for the occurrence and development of disease in Chinese medicine is imbalance between Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are opposite forces, that when balanced, work together. Examples of Yin are water, passive, slow, night, and moon. Examples of Yang are fire, active, fast, day, and sun.
Chinese Medicine acknowledges several causes for disease.
External causes include wind, cold, damp, dryness, and heat. Wind includes things such as air conditioning, and some say it also includes microwaves, and radiation. The source of the external cause does not have to be a natural source. Internal causes are known as the, ÄúSeven Emotions,Äù. The emotions are anger, joy, grief, fear, worry, and anxiety. There is disagreement in various translations on what the exact 'Seven Emotions' are, but these six are pretty constant. Other causes of disease include constitution, diet, exercise, rest, and trauma.
In TCM seizures are often caused by heat generated by the liver, which generates wind, which causes the seizure. (The image of someone caught up in a wind storm might help explain that terminology.) Seizures can also commonly be caused by imbalances in the heart meridian. Deficient Kidney Yin can also play a role. If Kidney Yin is low, Yang is dominant, and heat is Yang. It is important to treat the Liver Heat, (or Heart, depending on the diagnosis), but also to work to bring the Kidney Yin back up, and in balance with Kidney Yang. The Kidneys, in TCM, are Water. Water helps Wood, (Liver), and hinders Fire (Heart), so if the Kidneys are out of balance, that could be a factor in the Liver or Heart imbalances that trigger seizures. By using the various methods of diagnosing imbalances, a practioner will be able to detemine the imbalances that need to be treated in any individual, and the best method for treating those imbalances."
Chinese Medicine acknowledges several causes for disease.
External causes include wind, cold, damp, dryness, and heat. Wind includes things such as air conditioning, and some say it also includes microwaves, and radiation. The source of the external cause does not have to be a natural source. Internal causes are known as the, ÄúSeven Emotions,Äù. The emotions are anger, joy, grief, fear, worry, and anxiety. There is disagreement in various translations on what the exact 'Seven Emotions' are, but these six are pretty constant. Other causes of disease include constitution, diet, exercise, rest, and trauma.
In TCM seizures are often caused by heat generated by the liver, which generates wind, which causes the seizure. (The image of someone caught up in a wind storm might help explain that terminology.) Seizures can also commonly be caused by imbalances in the heart meridian. Deficient Kidney Yin can also play a role. If Kidney Yin is low, Yang is dominant, and heat is Yang. It is important to treat the Liver Heat, (or Heart, depending on the diagnosis), but also to work to bring the Kidney Yin back up, and in balance with Kidney Yang. The Kidneys, in TCM, are Water. Water helps Wood, (Liver), and hinders Fire (Heart), so if the Kidneys are out of balance, that could be a factor in the Liver or Heart imbalances that trigger seizures. By using the various methods of diagnosing imbalances, a practioner will be able to detemine the imbalances that need to be treated in any individual, and the best method for treating those imbalances."
Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine: "The basic principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is to restore balance.
If a disease is due to an excess, that excess must be drained.
If it is due to a deficiency, that deficiency should be tonified.
If the problem is due to heat, that heat should be cooled.
If the problem is due to cold, that cold should be warmed.
If it is due to dryness, that dryness should be moistened.
And, if it is due to dampness, that dampness should be dried.
The root cause for the occurrence and development of disease in Chinese medicine is imbalance between Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are opposite forces, that when balanced, work together. Examples of Yin are water, passive, slow, night, and moon. Examples of Yang are fire, active, fast, day, and sun."
If a disease is due to an excess, that excess must be drained.
If it is due to a deficiency, that deficiency should be tonified.
If the problem is due to heat, that heat should be cooled.
If the problem is due to cold, that cold should be warmed.
If it is due to dryness, that dryness should be moistened.
And, if it is due to dampness, that dampness should be dried.
The root cause for the occurrence and development of disease in Chinese medicine is imbalance between Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are opposite forces, that when balanced, work together. Examples of Yin are water, passive, slow, night, and moon. Examples of Yang are fire, active, fast, day, and sun."
Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine: "Traditionally, in Chinese medicine, a variety of techniques are used to diagnosis the imbalances for an individual. The diagnostic process uses symptoms, and appearance, (including dry skin, weight, and odors). Also used are tongue diagnosis, (the tongue is looked at), and pulse diagnosis, which differs quite a bit from Western pulse taking. When checking the tongue, practioners look at color, shape, tongue coating, and cracks in the tongue. There are certain spots on the tongue that relate to the organs, (such as the liver and spleen), and they'll note how those certain areas look also.
When doing pulse diagnosis, the pulse is felt in 3 positions and 2 layers, each corresponding to an organ and meridian. There are 6 pulses on the right front paw: Large Intestine, Lungs, Stomach, Spleen/Pancreas, Kidney Yang, Pericardium. There are 6 pulses on the left front paw: Small Intestine, Heart, Gall bladder, Liver, Urinary Bladder, and Kidney Yin.
(NOTE: description of Kidney Yang and Kidney Yin follows)
Using all this information will help practioners determine where the energy blockages are, and how they should be treated. Some practioners have developed their own ways of reading the energy, and might have something that they do instead of, or in addition to, the traditional diagnostic techniques."
When doing pulse diagnosis, the pulse is felt in 3 positions and 2 layers, each corresponding to an organ and meridian. There are 6 pulses on the right front paw: Large Intestine, Lungs, Stomach, Spleen/Pancreas, Kidney Yang, Pericardium. There are 6 pulses on the left front paw: Small Intestine, Heart, Gall bladder, Liver, Urinary Bladder, and Kidney Yin.
(NOTE: description of Kidney Yang and Kidney Yin follows)
Using all this information will help practioners determine where the energy blockages are, and how they should be treated. Some practioners have developed their own ways of reading the energy, and might have something that they do instead of, or in addition to, the traditional diagnostic techniques."
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