06.19.09
I thought it’d be done
I don’t know why I truly believed and trusted in ‘modern’ medicine. I thought for sure that the iron supplement would curb any future episodes. Boy was I wrong.
He’s had 2 now since he’s been on the iron, and today’s was the scariest. Of course none are truly nonchalant, but today’s was worrisome.
It wasn’t long, thankfully only a minute. When he exhaled all his breath it is about 15 seconds before he stiffens and either passes out or seizes. That means his brain is depleted of oxygen for those 15 seconds. Today’s seizure, his lungs were affected. Well, I should say the diaphragm because it was only until about 45 seconds into the seizure that he started to get a little air in. That is an entire minute without oxygen to the brain. One minute, can you hold your breath for one minute? I can’t.
Dh and I had a bit of an argument after about whether or not to give mouth-to-mouth at that point. He says no because based upon what he’s been taught you shouldn’t give mouth to mouth during a seizure. He’s basing it on the idea that normal seizures are not directly from breath holding spells but an automatic system shortage, and often the person is breathing in hitches. If you force are into the lung of someone who already has air in them you can damage the lungs.
But duh, we know he has no air in him because we watch him breath it all the way out. Yes, sure, the text books don’t recommend it, but the text books don’t even mention this type of situation, they expect people to think beyond the text book, which is something dh cannot do. I, however, often say screw the rules and go with the gut.
Pffft. Shit this isn’t fun. And it all started because his sister didn’t want him wrecking her cd player so she took it away and said no. That’s it. The pediatrician even said not to let this affect our parenting or we will have a monster on our hands. Oh lady, that ain’t a worry with me.
Little shit.
Kristina said,
June 19, 2009 at 11:02 am
Wow, Jody. I can’t even imagine watching my child be like that. I can’t imagine how hard it is!! Your doctor can’t tell you whether you should give mouth-to-mouth in that sort of situation? Very scary.
((((((((((hugs)))))))))
shmode said,
June 19, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Truthfully I didn’t think to ask as he’s always breathed through each previous seizure. I may put a call in to her.
Katie said,
June 19, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I agree with Kristinia–call and ask your doctor. If I remember correctly, it takes about four minutes without oxygen to cause brain damage. A minute would be terrifying to watch, but it shouldn’t be even close to permanently harming him.
shmode said,
June 19, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Oh good, although a minute sucks, I had no idea the upper threshold of that, thank you!
Laura said,
June 20, 2009 at 7:13 am
I guess you could imagine him swimming underwater during that minute. Here comes big mouth, I know I have never been here before and I have no background about anything, but if this originated from a fight, mightn’t he need to talk to a therapist to help him figure out how to control his emotions? Sorry, you can delete me if you want.
shmode said,
June 20, 2009 at 7:47 am
Nah, no need to delete an honest thought and I can see the idea behind it. But he’s 21 months old and is just wanting his toy, or his soother, or his sister doesn’t want him to jump off the bed so she puts him down. The drs assure me that he’ll grow out of it by the time therapy for his emotions would be useful.
Thanks anyway!
morethananelectrician said,
June 20, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Wow! This sure is a puzzling one…and a tough one to crack. Your fear of seizures HAS to impact your parenting…I don’t know how you can keep it from doing so…you have about another year of the tantrum stage….
Thankfully he is alright…