How do you recognize a complex partial seizure?
I have been asking myself this when my son's neuro told me his findings. While chatting with other teen parents who's children were diagnosed with CPS... it seems as though a number of neuro disorders were suspected until a seizure was captured on an EEG. I've learned this can be very difficult to do.
It seems ambulatory eeg would be fairly easy to do and far less problematic than all sorts of medicine trials, I wonder why that isn't done more? Maybe it's expensive?
The inconsistency of symptoms also seemed to make my son's psychiatrist doubt his original diagnosis but couldn't quite put his finger on what it could be. His pdoc is very experienced and accomplished for treating adolescent ADHD so we were puzzled why his treatment would work one week and fail the next.
Part of me is looking hindsight at all the other dianosis and doc notes from the time he was an infant. The thought of the possibility that he may have had this since infancy makes me venture into the 'What ifs" Why didn't his pediatrician, psychiatrist, school professionals, and I miss this... as it seems we all kept blaming the each other for his issues.
I went through this too, and it's so not worth the emotional drain, we all did the best we could. I read a quote I liked today from Anne Lamont:
"Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a better past."
His neuro says this type of seizure would often leave the person completely unaware of them. I once tutored a student who had epilepsy in reading and he would have staring spells in mid paragraph. When i brought it to his attention, he looked puzzled as if I had made them up. This would continue after he read a few sentences. I know the nurse video taped the episode so they could show his neuro and it help in changing meds/dossage.
oh wow, my DD has those mid sentence staring spells but they are very brief and I only notice them when I am mid-sentence lecturing her lol, I think it's just her way of tuning out to send me a message but I'll have to keep a closer watch now.
I'm still frustrated and sad but I know it is what it is. He will have to take medication for the next 5 years and if he doesn't have another seizure, it is considered in remission. Transportation, on the other hand, is a bit tricky figuring out when it is a good safe time for him to drive independently.
Oh, that is a dilemma. Will the meds "cure" the seizures permanently at some point? Do they understand what causes them in the first place?
Best of luck going forward, I am happy for you and you son to finally know what is going on so you can focus on the right path going forward, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, thanks for sharing all of this.
