The rest of the story

I just love that title...I feel like Paul Harvey!! How fun! Anyway, I petered out on the story there and some people have been questioning how our girly is doing now. So...

She was able to leave the hospital on Saturday, just 5 days after everything happened. Her neurology  team was actually prepared to send her home on Friday, but I declined.  There were still too many unanswered questions for me to feel safe, driving the 2 hours home.

The origin of this seizure is still unknown. While she did have a fever the day that she seized, it wasn't that high. She's had higher fevers many times, even since the stroke in November, with no seizure activity. Sometimes, as the brain heals from a traumatic injury, seizures will occur. She has a lot of scar tissue in her brain, and even a slight temperature can be enough to make things misfire and a seizure begin. That said, she is now on an anti-seizure medication called Carbatrol.We have a love hate relationship with this stuff already!! Of course, I am  very thankful that there is a medication to help control seizures and hopefully, prevent this situation again. As with all medications, it comes with a list of side effects. The first few days, she was HOPELESSLY clumsy. Stand up, fall down, stand up fall down. We felt like we were always saying " Gracie pick your feet up!" or " Straighten your head. Hold your head up high, sweetie!". She had a very hard time holding her head up, and that was VERY difficult to see. She had that hard time when she first woke up in November as well.

We have started calling her our "Sour patch kid". She has mood swings that rival anybody with bi polar disorder that I've ever known. One minute she will be laughing and hugging you, without a care in the world. The next, she is crying and screaming. We are just taking it one day at a time though, and so far everyday has been better. I never thought I would miss the days of having her put up a fight to go to bed, but it was heartbreaking to have her climb into bed at 6:30 or 7, AFTER a 3 hour nap, and fall asleep immediately. She would say " I'm just so VERY tired, Mommy." and within about 5 minutes, out for the night. Then I would cry. The last few nights have been more normal though...a lot of "where's my tup?" and "pray with me and lay with me."

We have resumed therapy, and her therapists do see a MARKED difference in her, especially in her motor movements and the hemiplegia on her right side. ONE DAY AT A TIME!!