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Aidan UPdate 11 a.m.
5Hi, we got back from the Dr.’s. Here’s what we know:
The prognosis is that we must continue to be vigilant with future fevers. Normally, and Aidan is normal so far for this situation, is that children will have ‘one’ episode per sickness. The two yesterday count as one. The duration of the seizure wasn’t particularly long and the display of them was a classic one. The only damaging effect is on the sleep and the nerves of the parents.
We’re clear for Urbana. The protocol when Aidan visits folks will just be no different that before. If he feels warm, take his temp. (we bought an expensive, new, accurate thermometer) and if you feel nervous just give him Tylenol.
The older he gets, the less frequent these will come until he’s about 5 or 6 and they shouldn’t happen anymore.
We’re riding the Tylenol/Ibuprofen till tomorrow morning and then we should see how he’s doing.
At this point, she’s not concerned about any long term implications. The seizures are ‘harmless’ neurologically.
The cause of this situation was an ear infection with the existing infection being a contributing factor.
Phone us if you want more info.
Aidan Update 7:26 a.m.
0Hi everyone,
We road through the night really well. His temprature stayed below 100 all night. We had a midnight viewing of the Wiggles.
Our plan is to see the doctor sometime this morning and see what she has to say.
In other news, our doorbell is busted, we think. It looks like the original one and now it’s humming like a bee and the doorbell doesn’t work. It rang at 6:30 and no one was there and now it doesn’t work.
Aidan update 11:30 p.m. Sunday night
0Hi everyone. I didn’t think I would have to write this again, but here’s a brief update for those of you that need caught up.
This afternoon around 2:45 p.m. Aidan had another febrial seizure after a nap of his. He felt really warm to the touch and the seizure lasted for quite a bit. We called the ambulance and they stabilized him here and we went into the emergency room where he had a second seizure. After a round of antibiotics and several doses of tylenol and ibuprofen we’re back home. At one point after some friends left tonight he started to take a turn for the worse again and came close to having another seizure but it didn’t happen.
Thanks so much for your prayers, and visiting and everything. We love you all. Tonight is going to be tylenol and ibuprofen every three hours until we see the dr. tomorrow. It’s going to be a long night.
We also found out that the odds of getting a fourth seizure are slim now that he’s had three.
I’m famous! :)
1We’ve had a ton of snow today (roughly 10 or so inches) and no work (everything was cancelled) so I popped out and took a picture and, on a whim, submitted the picture to CNN and it made it up. Check it out here:
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/weather/0611/gallery.winter.ireports/content.2.4.html
Happy Anniversary
1Today marks a rather ominous anniversary for us as a family. A year ago today was a Sunday and Melissa, Aidan and I headed out for a Youth group activity at church. Aidan had been feeling a bit ill the whole weekend, but it wasn’t anything that was particularly devistating and it seemed that he was on the mend. Well, following the activity as we were all sitting aorund, Aidan’s fever spiked and he had a fairly big fever seizure in the lobby of our church that caused him to stop breathing for sometime.
There were a lot of tears, a lot more prayer and a lot of fearful hearts that evening. It was at that moment we shook loose the bonds of medocrity and complacancy and again started down the path to what God intends for us. I wish I had enough time and a trusted audience to speak of what this event did to our church and our family. Suffice to say there is a good story there for Aidan one day in the future of faithfulness, of love and of community.
If you want to read the original post, it’s here, and a post from our dear friends the ouns is here as well. One of the more poignant moments from the evening was after having our entire pastoral staff come in to visit that night talking with the nurse, who was a believer, and the paper that she wrote on for us as she heard that a child was coming in ‘under full arrest’ and how she was praying for us with the possiblity of not seeing Aidan ever again. I also remember later watching Aidan sleep not knowing the implications of the seizure and possible long term damage it had done; he woke up and immediately asked for his elmo doll. It was a gift to hear those words.
So, tonight, we’re celebrating. It’s been a trial-filled year as God has lovingly beat some things out of us but we have emerged much different people than we were 12 months ago and 12 months from today we’ll be different people yet.
I think it will be good and right to mark today as part of our family’s calendar and use the day to be thankful for having a God and friends who won’t let us be complacent, who speak truth into our lives even when it hurts and who will weep with us when we need it.
I wish I could put into better words what I’ve learned about myself from this experience; about being real, about loving well and keeping people close even though it hurts sometimes. Instead, I turn to a favorite ‘poet’ of mine – Joey Belville. Lead singer of the group The Echoing Green, this song sums up this day so well for me. Love to you all.
SUFFER (Joey B., Chrissy J.)
With a moon half-empty
and a sky that’s gone to waste
and the twilight offers cold embrace
the amber of autumn fades
and the greys of summer’s mistakes
and the dreams we try to replicate…
they fall away
isn’t this world something wonderful
that we were made to suffer both it’s honesty and cruelty?
today
with a heart half-empty
and a light I’ve yet to see
and the sadness takes ahold of me
and fire-white burns like…
agony.
entropy.
we all fall apart
to the cadence of our bleedng hearts
they fall away
isn’t this world something wonderful
that we were made to suffer both it’s majesty and cruelty?
they fall away…
and is grace not something beautiful that we were made to suffer?
the lucid touch of clemency.
and our tears become a sanctuary we are made to suffer
with tenderness and empathy.
we are made to suffer.