About Me

Wisconsin, United States

Friday, February 27, 2009

A seizure recorded

Stuart had another seizure tonight around midnight. He spent the day doing all the normal stuff, watching TV, playing video games and hanging out. He came back from a friends after playing the usual 2 hours of video games, took a shower and then lied down on the front room floor. He knew it was coming because as he went from the bathroom to the front room he said, "here it comes." I remember hearing him say that a couple of times before it got quiet. By the time I got around the corner his body was contorted and he was seizing. It was more of a stiff muscle seizure than the convulsing kind although he did convulse a little. Hmm, maybe not. No, I don't think there was any convulsing this time. His eyes were shut, he was face down with his head resting on his left arm, which was stretched out straight. He lifted his head a few times like a new born baby who is learning to hold it's head up. Then he started the snorting, drooling, heavy-rapid breathing. At this point his eyes were open but he wasn't responsive. I started wiping the sweat from his face and noticed a slight flintch when I touched him with the towel. This response got more and more pronounced the more he came out of this part of the seizure. He tried to get up off the floor in this semi-conscious state but his muscles were so taxed by this point that he fell back down to the floor. Then Stuart tried to get up by rolling over but only got as far as rolling to the side of his stomach before he seemed to loose consciousness again and he'd fall back down. At some point he was able to sit up, but was still only semi-conscious because he wasn't answering any questions, he was glassy eyed, and still snorting with the rapid breathing thing. He bit his tongue this time hard enough to make it bleed. Not a lot of blood but he won't be eating spicy foods for a few days. As he was sitting on the floor in his under ware, I draped a towel over his lap to cover his private parts. He kept picking up the towel and playing with it like he might be trying to cover himself like with a blanket, but the towel wasn't big enough, so he was confused. Maybe thinking, "what is wrong with this blanket?" Finally he started to answer questions, but he was also falling asleep sitting up. So I decided it might be safe to have him go downstairs to bed. NOT. My renter and i got him standing up, and it seemed like Stuart decided to sit in the chair, so we both let go of Stuart to move the headphones on the seat cushion. When we let go Stuart lost balance and control and ended up stumbling to the other side of the room and running into the table where he knocked the pictures to the floor. We tried to catch Stuart before he got to the table but we were too late, all we could do was guide him back to the chair, like you might help a drunk walk. He made it to the chair where he collapsed because his muscles are too weak to support him, and slept for the next 20 minutes still breathing heavy and rapid. Once in a while he would open his eyes, rub his face (it goes kind of numb when he bits his tongue) and go back to sleep.
After he woke up, or came out of it/came to, he decided to go to bed. At this point he was able to walk on his own and made it safely down the stairs. He repeats saying things like it's something important that he shouldn't forget. He has asked a couple of times in the past hour, "what happened?" or "was Andrew here?" (my renter was here to help) His muscles are starting to get very sore now. His tongue is swelling. I can tell because his speech is different, like he is trying to talk through his teeth with his mouth full.
Another six months before he can get his drivers license.
I wasn't as scared this time as I have been in the past. My biggest concern is that point when he is mobile but still only semi-conscious, when he headed for the chair but ended up on the other side of the room running into the table. During this point of the seizures, he has gotten up and headed for the highway, tripped over the curb while he was walking into the church, and almost hit an emergency person who was "2 inches from my face." Oh ya, and walked out of the house and down the block in his underware.
He'll be sore for about a week, be disappointed that he can't get his drivers license yet, and be more vigilant about taking his meds.

SWAT Team

SWAT Team
The SWAT Team from the local PD did some training in the house down the street. All the officers lined up behind the first guy who was holding a sheild, and they all marched to the house and "raided" it. There was a picture of a very buff sweaty guy with a big rifle just inside the door of the SWAT van.

Stuart the leprachan

Stuart the leprachan
I think he got this at Lagoon