All Good Things Must Come To An End

Once again, it's been too long since my last update, though I do feel like I have something of an excuse. It's a bad one, but still...


Things were going well.


Yup, that's it. December 16th was the last seizure Rachel had, until this morning. That's exactly 5 weeks. It's a wonderful break for her, and incredibly nerve-wracking for us. It's also the longest break she's had in a couple of years.


David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Obama, has called epilepsy "terrorism of the brain". You never know when it's going to strike next, and you really can't plan for it. Planning for future events is optimism at its finest. You go ahead and make plans, and then hope that you don't have to cancel at the last minute, or leave early because a seizure takes place at an inconvenient time.


I've found there to be an interesting dynamic among the group of E-parents I'm a part of: We tend to share everything about our bad days, down to the most painful details, but when things are quiet, and going well, we hesitate. It's as if sharing about it out loud will somehow cause the fragile bubble to burst, and holding our breath will let it float along just a little bit longer. Meanwhile, we wait for that shoe to drop, and all hell to break loose again.


Rachel has experienced at least two partial seizures so far today, and there may be more later. On the upside, the odds are very good that the current seizure activity will not impact her 17th birthday celebration on Sunday. Now we'll be able to relax a little more, and maybe even allow her to go see a movie with friends, and not feel that we have to go along. 


I sure wish I knew what exactly it was that came together in perfect proportions to give Rach such a break. I'd bottle it up, and dole it out daily.


**ETA: After hitting 'post' on this entry, I checked the email, and found a lovely $100 donation from Canada! Thanks so much. The thermometer has been updated, and we're now over $8000! It's amazing to think how far we've come since we began at the end of July.:)


-Kelly