Christmas Seizures

We were so excited about Christmas time, but as soon as Christmas break started for the kids, the illnesses started. I (Amelia) was sick with an aweful head cold, then Ken got it 2 weeks later.  Annelise got the fever and throwing up from about Dec. 22 to Dec. 26.  Liesl was ill also during that time, but not as bad. David got it right after Christmas and had it for a week - probably the FLU.  He wanted a re-do on his Christmas break.  But, as we've discovered, if Charles gets ill, that usually leads to seizures.  Sure enough, right after cooking all day Christmas Eve, and heading  to Grandma's house for dinner, it became clear we would have a quiet dinner alone.  Ken and I and Annelise and Charles stayed home, but Liesl and David went to family dinner at Grandma's house.  Charles had a fever and seizures, including a "tonic" seizure - only his second to date.  We went to Walgreens on Christmas Day to get more of his "emergency" medicine - Clonazapam (same family as new daily Clobazam) but more fast acting.  Grandma Dianne Greaves gave Charles new pajamas that she MADE him for Christmas...that was a highlight that day for sure!  Here's a picture of him on Christmas Eve in his new jammies.  At one point, we had planned to drive to Utah for a week after Christmas, and are SO glad we had already cancelled that trip - with ALL the illness and poor little Charles' episodes.

Medicine #2 was shortlived...We're on medicine #3 now

So, after a disasterous 1 month on Topamax, Dr. Levisohn switched Charles over to Clobazam in the hopes that his side affects (weakness and tremors in his legs) would stop and in general, he would have fewer seizures and issues.  Well, that worked for 3 months and we thought a miracle drug was in place, so much that our first line in our Christmas card talked about how thrilled we were about how he was doing.  We should have knocked on wood. More to come...this picture is from his Dr. appt. at Children's Hospital the first week of December with Dr. Levisohn.  He likes to fall asleep on the way to this appointment, many times.  Cute kid - he stays asleep from the valet guy to the stroller to the department.