More Than Stone

Last night my husband and I were going to finish up purchasing a few last minute Christmas items. The phone rang; it was my eldest daughter, Erin. She and my youngest daughter, Becca, had left about an hour prior to go to a gym. Becca had a seizure in the car. Erin had pulled over and called the rescue squad. By the time Erin called me, the seizure was over and Becca was shaken up, but ok. Erin was also shaken up. I’ve always had a fear that Becca would have a seizure while I was alone in the car with her. I can’t imagine how scary it was for Erin.

It’s been almost 4 months since Becca had a tonic clonic seizure. This was a set back. I’m not sure what triggered the seizure, as normally, they are in the morning. She has never had a seizure at night. We think that perhaps it was some of the flashing lights on the freeway, as she does have some photosensitive triggers. I hate epilepsy. I simply freaking hate it. Erin said she could not fall asleep last night. No matter what she tried to think about, she found her mind always going back to seeing Becca seizing. It’s traumatic to see. It’s terrifying to witness.

What do you tell your 14 year old daughter? What do you say when she looks up at you with her big blue eyes and asks “Mom, why did this happen again? I’m taking my medicine. Why?” What do you say to your 18 year old daughter when she says “Mom, I just kept wondering how long Becca was seizing before I saw her. How long did I not notice?”

The picture below is my daughter and her best friend, Reagan. Reagan has witnessed several of Becca’s seizures and has been a wonderful friend. Last night, Reagan and Becca cried together. They cried over another lost moment. The cried over the setback. They cried because of epilepsy.

There are thousands of people that do not have control over epilepsy, even with the many treatments now available. Epilepsy is a horrible disease. It affects every aspect of life. I know that it’s Christmas. I know that many have given to (RED)emption. Would you consider making a donation to the Epilepsy foundation? Every penny counts. Every penny has the possibility of making a difference for those who have this disease, and the people that love them. Would you consider posting something on your blog to raise epilepsy awareness, even if you can’t give?

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