At the end of last week, I noticed Elijah do some startles right before he woke up in the chamber. I didn't think too much of it at the time. It seemed that Elijah was lying on me a bit cock-eyed and so I thought he just felt like he was falling and startled himself awake (we've all experienced that haven't we?). But then, he did it again today and I freaked out. It doesn't seem right that he'd keep doing this while we're in the chamber (this is the third time) and I'm afraid that what I witnessed were seizures. My mommy radar is going off.
Seizures terrify me. It's kind of my worst nightmare. Elijah isn't acting any different and seems to be completely fine. That doesn't mean that we aren't taking this seriously. We are. Andy and I have been talking on the phone a lot today trying to figure out what to do. At this point, we're postponing any further hyperbaric treatments, but will be continuing with the physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I'll be watching Eli like a hawk.
I've been feeling so stressed, worried that we've done the wrong thing for Elijah. Then I remind myself that HBOT has been good for Elijah. He's made so many positive changes and he's still making positive changes. He's still splashing in the tub with his hands and seems generally happy. Other than those little twitches, he seems to be our same happy boy. Please, please, please pray for us. I'm so worried about seizures. Still not positive that is what happened, but I need to trust my gut and gut tells me something isn't quite right. It seems that what Elijah is experiencing is most likely a result of oxygen toxicity. By taking away the oxygen, we shouldn't see anything else that looks like seizures. Pray for our little man.
This isn't life threatening and Elijah seems completely fine. It's been a bad day and we'd really appreciate your prayers. Please pray for our health and safety, especially for Elijah. He also seems to be fighting off something and has a bit of a runny nose (the kid has NEVER had a cold). The odd twitches I saw in the chamber could also be a result of him fighting off some sort of a cold. I've heard children with seizure history can have more seizures or start having seizures during an illness. Argh. I am so sick of worrying.
I do still believe in the effectiveness of HBOT and I hope I don't scare anyone off from trying it. I think the gains Elijah has received from the therapy are priceless and I don't think it has harmed him. He has done startles while waking at times before we ever did HBOT, so it's possible that those were also seizures. It's just so hard to know sometimes, but I think it's important to follow our gut instincts. Oxygen is great, but too much oxygen can be not so great. It's important to pay attention to the cues of your child and we're trying so hard to do the right thing. Why does being a parent have to give me high blood pressure?!
Anyway, I know I've asked about five times already, but I'd really appreciate the prayers. I know that God is watching out for us and that everything will be okay and that everything IS okay. Thanks again for all of the support.
(The picture is Elijah playing with markers and apparently trying to wear it as lipstick. Look how tired the poor guy looks.)
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