I work full time as a second grade teacher. This week we are on spring break, and my goal for this beautifully warm Monday was laundry and dishes.
I spent the early morning with little Sammy, playing. He has been doing such a great job with his tone, crawling everywhere and even pulling himself up to standing next to the couch. All the while I am watching his hands and feet for any strange movements.His sisters wake up and I convince them to watch him while I clean up. They cheerfully say yes, but I’m often having to stop what I’m doing to move him back into the “safe” play area, or pick him up because his sisters leave him, Still regularly checking those limbs.
I make everybody lunch and I take the kids over to grandma’s house to play for a bit while I go clean my classroom. It was very productive, finally not having to carry or redirect my one year old. After three hours I go back to pick them up. They’re eating macaroni and cheese, but Sammy is refusing to eat. We have had issues in the past where he doesn’t eat for the babysitter. He clings to me like a koala. I can tell he’s sleepy, and grandma tells me he took a little nap. We hang out for a bit, visiting and talking. I hand him to grandma so I can use the restroom.
When I come out, I notice something strange about his mouth. I go immediately and hold his mouth open, and sure enough his tongue is actively twitching. Seizure.
We have had experiences with focal seizures turning generalized, especially in the face, but recently we noticed if we catch it soon enough, give a rescue dose, and get him to nap it will stop without hospital intervention. I call my husband and I load my children into the car, praying Sweet Sammy will fall asleep as we drive home. He doesn’t. We get home and take him straight upstairs into the dark bed room. 20 minutes after he falls asleep the seizure stops. The whole thing is 45 minutes.
That was an hour ago. I am still sitting in the dark room. Rocking the baby. No laundry done. No energy to cook dinner. No desire to move him into his bed. My arm is asleep. My back is hurting. But I’m not going to move.I’m going to snuggle this precious love of mine. I’m going to enjoy the fact that we get to spend the evening home as a family and not in the emergency room. 💜