Second Seizure

Yesterday afternoon I was making oatmeal scotchies (a delicious butterscotch cookie my mom always made) for snack while the kids were finishing up screen time as Carly napped.  The twins had been in their bedroom watching a Youtube How To video on Minecraft (because #eightyearoldboys) when Jack called to me, "Mom, Logan's acting weird!" I stepped into the hallway and saw Logan laying on the floor as Jack touched Logan's arm and said, "He's shaking.  Yeah, he's definitely shaking." I rushed over, dropped to my knees and confirmed that he was seizing.  

I immediately pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed 911.  As I was doing that I asked Jack to get Josh who was outside breaking up the ice.  Jack went to the door and yelled for Josh, who dropped his shovel and ran inside.  He rubbed Logan's back and talked reassuringly to him as he continued to seize. I answered the 911 operator's questions and soon heard the ambulance. The seizure lasted 2 minutes that I timed, although from Jack's description of Logan's behavior beforehand, I think it was about a minute longer than that. 

He said they'd been watching the show when Logan got up (presumably to come have cookies) and slammed into the wall in their room.  Jack instinctively knew something was wrong because he said he stood up and went to Logan and pushed on his shoulder, but Logan didn't respond. Then Logan walked/fell out of their bedroom door before crashing into the hallway and collapsing onto the floor.  When Jack went to Logan in their bedroom he said Logan's eyelids were fluttering crazy fast.

As he was seizing, thankfully, I could hear Logan breathing.  He was making these strange clicking noises as he seized and I just kept thinking, "Stop. Stop. Stop," willing it to end.  If I hadn't known to check my phone to mark the time, I would have had no idea how long the seizure lasted.  It felt like an eternity. It was the most powerless feeling I have ever experienced as a parent.  To know there was nothing I could do but wait.  It really made me realize how little control we have as parents. 

After I hung up with 911, I called our amazing across-the-street neighbors who dropped everything to come over and watch the three healthy kids so Josh and I could both accompany Logan to the ER.  

I rode in the ambulance with him and Josh followed in our van.  Currently our whole town is shut down due to an ice storm, and yesterday morning there was a three car pile up on our street, so driving is very dangerous. I was grateful to be in the ambulance, and grateful Josh got us winter tires with studs for the van.  The EMT's were shoveling out the road so they could roll Logan on the stretcher into the back of the ambulance.

On the drive to the hospital Logan was able to answer most questions we asked him, although searching for words was really hard.  Later he said that was embarrassing and frustrating.  Once we arrived, they checked his blood and put in a call to the neurologist in.  We heard back fairly quickly and the neurologist, thankfully, didn't want to put Logan on medication just yet.  He recommended we follow up with the pediatric neurologist in Spokane, so that's the plan from here.

Being at the hospital, I was reminded again of what a small town we live in.  The woman who checked us in has a daughter in 3rd grade at Logan's school, one of the fireman who arrived on scene knew our neighbor and the EMT riding with us knew the EMT who took Logan last time he had a seizure. It's just nice to be surrounded by so many people rooting for us.

As we sat waiting in the Emergency room and Logan slept, Josh and I talked about how grateful we are that we're not in our remote village in Alaska.  The timing of these seizures has been so amazing.  The hospital could not be closer in our new hometown.

Once we got home and relieved the neighbors, we started getting the kids ready for bed.  As Josh sat surrounded by kids reading bedtime stories I felt so grateful I could have cried.  The big brothers were super helpful with Carly while we were gone and I felt really proud of them.  And Logan, for all intents & purposes, was completely fine. You'd have never known he had a seizure.

He should be able to go to school as usual.  His only restrictions are heights (nothing higher than 6 feet) and submersion in water (ie swimming/baths).  I am hopeful to get an appointment quickly and start searching for answers, but with Josh's epilepsy diagnosis 13 years ago, I learned that many times with the brain, there are no clear answers.

***