Baylee's Seizure Disorder-Absence Seizures

Up until January 15th, 2010 my daughter Baylee has been a relatively healthy child. Just so happened in November 2009 she had a fever for the first time in like 3 years!!! Yup 3 years, she usually gets an annual cold but that is about it! We have been very lucky,very blessed.
On January 15th,2010 we headed for a weekend Business Conference for Michael in Valley Forge, PA.
After a 3 hr drive we arrived at the conference center. I napped but was semi concious when we arrived as I heard Michael ask Baylee if she wanted a cot for the room. I heard her reply "Yes" as we pulled to the front of the hotel. As usual Michael went to check us in as Baylee and I stayed in the car to wait for him and a Bell Hop, and as usual I ask her "how was the ride?" but this time I didn't get an answer. I turned to her and she was staring at me, so I asked her again and she was just staring a me not saying a word. I called her name and even tickled her but NOTHING. I actually thought she was kidding around with me and told her "if this is a joke it's NOT funny" but she still continued to just stare. It was like she was looking at me but looking through me. I started to panic and screamed for Michael thinking he could actually hear me though the double glass doors! I got my Cell and called him. By now I was on the drivers side of the Van calling her name with still no response though she did turn her head to me. Michael came running out and into the passenger side of the van and called her name and she turned to him, a minute after she looked at him her head slowly rolled back to the right and started shaking, her mouth looked like a fish gasping for air. We thought she was having a stroke. In all the commotion someone called for an ambulance thankfully because we were wrecks! The head shaking lasted about a minute or 2, a young man who was training to be an EMT came and looked at her, she was still staring and when he asked her what her name was,we could clearly see she was trying to answer but couldn't. He got her to drink some water but she was still pretty out of it.
The Ambulance came and she was loaded in. I was able to go but Michael had to drive there. In the Ambulance she was still out of it until she saw the needle they were going to put in her for the IV, it was then she said her first words since saying "YES" to the cot. She screamed-"NO!"
and then started crying. So I knew then she was back! She was taken to Phoenixville Hospital
a very small hospital compared to our NYC hospitals. After an hour or so (LOL the nurse kept coming and telling us they were having a busy day, we took a look in the halls NO ONE was about, she noticed us looking around and said "oh you're from NY this is busy for us" LOL) Baylee was given an EKG, taken for a CAT scan and Xrays, they also took Blood and Urine. The doctor finally came in to tell us that all her tests came back normal except for her xray which showed a slight curve in her spine and after a conference call with The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia she could be released! We were told she may never have another seizure again, or she could have one in a week, a month, a year. We needed to follow up with her Ped and a Pediatric Neurologist.
We made the decision to stay in Valley Forge instead of subjecting Baylee to a 3 hr ride back home and of course she didn't want to miss going to The King of Prussia Mall for a day of spoiling! Thankfully the hotel was kind enough to hold our room for us! Thank you to them!!!
And HUGE HUGE HUGE Thank Yous to our dear Friend Heather for being the ear for me to cry to and for posting asking for prayers from our FB friends and family!!!! LOVE YOU HEATHER!!!!!
Bay was treated to a Shopping Spree at the King of Prussia Mall
the next day as we kept a watchful eye on her. We got back home Sunday night, by Monday we had an appointment with her Ped for Tuesday and then an appointment with a Pediatric Neurologist shortly after. She was scheduled for a MRI and an EEG and a 24 hr EEG.
Her MRI came out normal her EEGs did not :( her EEGs showed that she was having 3-4 second seizures through out her brain pretty much all day mostly at night and while she was sleeping. These type of seizures are called Absence Seizures. (When we thought back to a year or so ago I was having an issue schooling her, she wasn't paying attention, she'd kinda space out, she wasn't remembering her lessons well and I just assumed she was being a lil rebel and brushing off her work,
little did we know what was really going on in/with her brain)
Since they are happening to her so frequently her neurologist
immediately put her on Depakote. Thank GOD for sprinkle Caps...there was NO WAY she was swallowing any pills and she can take her meds with Pudding or Yogurt! :D

So here we are June 8th,2010, Baylee had a Neuro appointment in the
Morn and her Liver function,medication level,cell counts all normal! She
needs an EEG in office and 24 hr and blood work in August, then back to
the Neuro in September!!!!
All in all she is doing really well, leading a pretty normal active life! She does Girl Scouts and Dance Classes and despite her lack of memory skills we worked really hard the past 2 months for her to ace the PASS test! We are so very PROUD of her!!!!