Living with Epilepsy

When our child is sick, we get frantic. No matter if it is just a cough or cold or a fever, we find ourselves constantly checking to see if our kid is okay. I know I was one kid who loved sick days because it meant more time with my mom. I carry with me a lot of loving memories of my mom and her chicken shell sopas - that’s a family recipe for chicken soup.

I remember the look in my mom and dad’s eyes when my sister had to be rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. She was having convulsions and none of us knew what to do. All we could do was pray and trust that the doctors would be able to treat her quickly.

Now that I am a parent myself, I have felt that heart clutching moment when you know something is wrong with your child and you are helpless. It all comes down to acting quickly to get proper medical attention, trusting your doctors and a whole lot of prayer.

My heart goes out to those parents who have a child with a long term sickness. The daughter of my friend has been admitted to the hospital. After more than a week, her daughter will be coming home tomorrow. The epilepsy though is still there though quieted for the moment.

The National Society of Epilepsy defines epilepsy as the tendency to have repeated seizures that begin in the brain. Anyone can develop, at any age. It is not limited to any sex, gender or age and zeizures happen for various reasons.
There isn’t much that can be done about epilepsy. There is no cure at this time. All that can be done is to make sure that your child is taking the proper medicines and has a first class doctor.

What do you do if your child or a member of your family is having a seizure:

• clear the area of anything that can harm him or her, such as possible falling objects or sharp items.
• Call for medical assistance immediately.

If your loved one has epilepsy, thay can live a normal full life. It is best though to make sure that they have a medical alert bracelt or necklace that lists the diagnosis they were given, medication, doctor and an emergency number to call. This will allow the team to give your child exactly what he needs more quickly and that can make all the difference.