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Eric Bissell

In The News

Here is a scan from this weeks Grafton News. Hard to believe the twins are 16 years old. I think they were about 18 months old in this photo.

16 years and we are still wondering what their full potentials will be. I guess that is true for all parents, although the expectations and possibilities are quite different. That said, parents of children with special needs usually learn early on that as long as their children are healthy and happy, the rest is just icing on the birthday cake.

16 years ago the twins were born on July 28, 1993; three and a half months too soon. Their due date was October 31, so more of a trick than a treat for their parents. But still amazing how far they have come. Had they been born just 10 years earlier, they would have been a miscarriage, so I suppose whatever they accomplish in their lives is just more frosting. But for myself, I would have missed out on so many valuable lessons. My life would be very different now and quite dull, I’m sure.

We took the twins to Six Flags for their birthday. Cousin Nick came along too and we had a fun time. Happy Birthday Eric and Aaron!

Six Flags New England
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Update on Eric’s Seizure

We took Eric to see a neurologist yesterday. After reviewing his history and test results, Eric was diagnosed with “complex partial epilepsy“. There are many different types of seizure disorders (epilepsy). So, the first step is to figure out the type, as the specific treatment depends on the type of seizure. Below is a list of seizure types from epilepsy.com:

Primary Generalized Seizures (seizures that begin with a widespread electrical discharge that involves both sides of the brain)

* Absence seizures
* Atypical absence seizures
* Myoclonic seizures
* Atonic seizures
* Tonic seizures
* Clonic seizures
* Tonic-clonic seizures

Partial Seizures (seizures that begin with an electrical discharge in one limited area of the brain)

* Simple partial seizures
* Complex partial seizures (Eric)
* Secondarily generalized seizures

As mentioned previously (Seizures and CP), kids with CP are at higher risk of having seizures, also puberty and/or growth spurts can bring on seizures. Eric fits all of these criteria. I was surprised to discover that Eric weight 116 lbs! He has gained 16 lbs in just a few months!

The plan is to start him on Trileptal today and see how he does with that. Trileptal is an anticonvulsant that works by decreasing nerve impulses that cause seizures.

After a busy morning at the hospital, Eric got to go to Disney on Ice at the DCU center in Worcester last night! He is a big Disney fan and especially loves the princesses. Disney on Ice is fun for him. He’s been a few times and knows what to expect. He can make noise without bothering anyone and the music drowns out any crying babies that might bother him.

Mickie & Eric
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Growing Concerns

I took Eric to pick up his new braces yesterday, new AFO’s (ankle-foot orthotics or in layman’s terms, leg braces) and a new body jacket (a brace to help in sit up straight). Unfortunately, his AFO’s have to be redone, because they were not made correctly. It’s a silly system really. If you need an orthopedic device, first you need an order from the doctor, then you take the order to an Orthotist who measures and sometimes – as in the case of AFOs – casts the feet. Then the casts or a scan of the cast is sent off to a company where the braces are made. Then they send them back to the Orthotist, who can then make minor adjustments. Years ago, the braces were made right there in the Orthotist’s office, so he/she had much more control over customizations. But now, with the current system, if there is a mistake, the braces have to be re-done. Seems wasteful and time consuming, not to mention getting all of this approved by insurance. Nothing is every easy with Eric…Will have to wait a bit longer for the AFOs.

We did get his new body jacket. It will take some time for Eric to get used to the new jacket. There is a break in period were we have to watch him closely for redness and/or irritated skin. Eric has kyphosis; his upper spine is bent forward from poor posture. Because of his cerebral palsy, he doesn’t have the strenght to sit up straight in his wheel chair, so he wears the body jacket to help support his torso, along with straps on his chair.

I was surprised to see how much Eric has grown in a relatively short time. I think he has had his old body jacket for about 18 months and just look at the difference in size! No wonder I’m having trouble lifting him! (old brace on the left, new on the right – well, obviously;-)

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Eric’s EEG Results

It was not a totally ideal study, because Eric didn’t fall asleep and because he was moving a lot. Nonetheless, there were no abnormalities that looked like they might have caused his seizure. So we will just wait and see if he has another. If he has another seizure he will see a neurologist.

As the doctor told us, everyone is allowed one seizure before starting medications. Could have been a fluke, although unlikely for Eric because of his cerebral palsy. Still we are hoping this was a one-time episode.

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Luck of the Irish?

Eric does have a wee bit of the Irish in him… I’m happy to let you all know that Eric was on his best behavior this morning, in spite of getting only 4 hours of sleep; he did very well with the EEG.  You never know how he will do and what will set him off.  There was one crying kid (which Eric doesn’t tolerate well), but we were able to close the door and they had a “white noise” machine in the room, which was great and helped to drowned out the noisy kid.  I had to sing to him for 1 hours straight, which I’m sure was tough on the tech, LOL!  And also promise him Burger King if he stayed still.  But really, it couldn’t have gone better.   The tech said it will take 3-5 days before we get the results.

Here are a couple of camera phone photos:

Eric having EEG – Not too happy here…

 

Here is a photo of Eric and the technician. Very nice guy and he was great with Eric, which helped a lot.  The test is complete and Eric is helping to rip off the probes, HAHAHA!

Eric and Don

 

More on Eric’s seizure and why he needed an EEG.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

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