Tag Manager

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Epilepsy Update

We had the quarterly visit with the neurologist today. Bottom line is that Kels has once more lost decent control of her seizures. We're at a holding pattern - brain surgery, VNS implant, scores upon scores of drugs (Keppra, Dilantin, Carbotrol, Tegretol, Zonegran, Lamictal, Lyrica, etc.) and nothing has worked for her. This is her life and could very well be her lot for the rest of her life.

At today's visit, she looked at her doc and asked, "Why do I keep losing control?" His answser? Due to the ever changing nature of seizure disorder in some patient, they have no idea. My question was, "Will she ever gain and keep seizure control?" His answer? No idea.

I want so badly for my baby to have a normal life. This is the normal, though. And it sucks.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Blood Pressure and Other Pressing Issues


My employer offers this great, onsite fitness center. It's free, it's open during the work day, and it's convenient. So in my infinite quest for better health (and the quest of being the BEST looking 40 something year old I can be) I went to sign up this morning. I filled out the online questionnaire, scheduled my prerequisite orientation, and then took my handy-dandy health form down to one of the clinics to get a nurse to take my blood pressure and sign my form.

That's when things took a downward spiral. My first pressure reading was 184/117, which nearly caused my friendly nurse to have a stroke of her own. She strongly urged me to go to the ER, however I told her that I didn't want to go to the ER. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled with my own practitioner in a couple weeks. She said that my pressure was stroke level and again strongly urged me to see if I can get in a little sooner. I told her that I had to plan my days off and that I had one scheduled and would be fine until then. So she made me promise to come back in a couple of hours and let her take the reading again.

Fast forward to lunch time. Second reading was 164/107 -- hey, moving in the right direction, right??? But no wash, she insisted on my seeing the doc sooner and to top it off? She didn't sign my form.

What better way to prove I'm unhealthy enough to want to get healthy, right? Yeah, didn't fly. So instead I came home and popped a Lisinopril and will call my doc in the morning. All this for a little exercise.