Thankful for Jade!! Well, it was back to work and school after having a wonderful 3 day weekend!!
It started off as normal day and the afternoon was pretty typical, until Tracy called me at 3:50 and told me that Jade was at the High School because he had a seizure on the bus.
WHAT? (I said to myself)
---how could this be. Another seizure?!?
(the sweetest part of the whole day was when I picked Jade up and I was asking him who he was sitting by on the bus and if there was anyone he knew on the bus , etc... and then he said "Gosh mom, thanks for the yummy lunch you sent me to eat today". What a sweetheart Jade is....always thinking of others, even when he's just had an ordeal himself).
In January (2004) when Jade was in 4th grade he collapsed in our hallway and was having full body convulsions, turning purple and then dazed for about 20 minutes after this happened. Before we could get him to the hospital this happened 2 more times.
Tracy knew that Jade was having a seizure, but we didn't know why and quite frankly we were both scared and worried that we might lose our son.
Well, they ran every test possible and they couldn't find anything abnormal in his brain. We even took him to Primary Children's hospital and they couldn't find anything wrong either.
They told us he had "Idiopathic" Epilepsy (of unexplained origin)...
meaning he has seizures, but they don't know why.
And so for the next 2 years every 6-8 weeks Jade would have a "seizure day" and would have 3-6 Gran-Mal seizures in a 12 hour period.
These are were hard on Jade and he would be physically exhausted
and sleep all day, hardly waking up at all.
The next few days of school would also be hard as he would try to remember things and couldn't.
(I think it was hardest on us as parents watching our sweet son going through all of this and feeling absolutely helpless not being able to do anything to help him).
Well from March of 2006 to May of 2007 Jade didn't have any seizures at all and so we worked really hard that summer weaning him off his seizure medication
as he did NOT like taking it as it made him feel like he was always in a fog
and numbed his senses.
He took his last medication in August of 2007
just a few days before he started school.
Jade was 1 thrilled kid
to be off his medication!
************
It was SO nice for Jade to finally feel like a normal person!! We felt like Jade was out of the woods. He went from August 2007 to November 2008 doing great. However, the day before Thanksgiving Ethan found Jade on the floor of his room having a seizure.
I was feeling so grateful as a mom that this was an "early out" day for the kids and that Jade was having a seizure in his home and not on the bus in front of his peers.
It's really hard as a parent to admit that your child has Epilepsy, but Jade does and it is not something that is going away anytime soon.
The saddest thing of all is that Jade has struggled his whole life with learning disabilities. He is a few years behind all of the kids his age in reading math and social skills and for him to have to struggle with Epilepsy on top of this leaves me saying: "Life is just not fair for my son"!
*************
However, he is "bright" in many areas and is excelling in art,
which I am thankful for.
There is nothing that a parent wants more than for their kids to have
SUCCESS in life!
I am amazed that through all of this Jade just remains a happy, kind hearted kid and never complains and he is always caring about others problems more than his own. He is amazing in this way and he teaches me ALOT!
So, each day I wake up with gratitude in my heart for a loving and kind husband who cherishes me as much as I cherish him and for two healthy boys who show me what life is REALLY all about!
I wouldn't change my life for anything...challenges make us stronger and the good days far out weigh the bad days!
Jade teaches us to keep putting
"1 foot in front of the other"
and we can make it to the top
of any mountain we choose to climb!
As a side note...
Thanksgiving Day 2008 (the day after Jade had a seizure)
I sang in a local choir presentation at the Rexburg Tabernacle.
One of the numbers was performed by a local opera singer with an amazing baritone voice...
he sang the song
"The Impossible Dream"
My husband, who is usually "stoic" was in tears as he thought about Jade and the struggles he'll have succeeding in life.
Here is a link of Andy Williams singing this song...
listen to all the words, it's touching!
(link)
The part that really gets Tracy is:
"This is my quest, to follow that star,
no matter how hopeless, no matter how far...."
***************
I "Cherish Every Moment" and wonder what I ever did to be blessed with such wonderful, amazing kids and the worlds greatest hubby!
Life really is GOOD!!
It started off as normal day and the afternoon was pretty typical, until Tracy called me at 3:50 and told me that Jade was at the High School because he had a seizure on the bus.
WHAT? (I said to myself)
---how could this be. Another seizure?!?
(the sweetest part of the whole day was when I picked Jade up and I was asking him who he was sitting by on the bus and if there was anyone he knew on the bus , etc... and then he said "Gosh mom, thanks for the yummy lunch you sent me to eat today". What a sweetheart Jade is....always thinking of others, even when he's just had an ordeal himself).
In January (2004) when Jade was in 4th grade he collapsed in our hallway and was having full body convulsions, turning purple and then dazed for about 20 minutes after this happened. Before we could get him to the hospital this happened 2 more times.Tracy knew that Jade was having a seizure, but we didn't know why and quite frankly we were both scared and worried that we might lose our son.
Well, they ran every test possible and they couldn't find anything abnormal in his brain. We even took him to Primary Children's hospital and they couldn't find anything wrong either.
They told us he had "Idiopathic" Epilepsy (of unexplained origin)...
meaning he has seizures, but they don't know why.
And so for the next 2 years every 6-8 weeks Jade would have a "seizure day" and would have 3-6 Gran-Mal seizures in a 12 hour period.These are were hard on Jade and he would be physically exhausted
and sleep all day, hardly waking up at all.
The next few days of school would also be hard as he would try to remember things and couldn't.
(I think it was hardest on us as parents watching our sweet son going through all of this and feeling absolutely helpless not being able to do anything to help him).
Well from March of 2006 to May of 2007 Jade didn't have any seizures at all and so we worked really hard that summer weaning him off his seizure medicationas he did NOT like taking it as it made him feel like he was always in a fog
and numbed his senses.
He took his last medication in August of 2007
just a few days before he started school.
Jade was 1 thrilled kid
to be off his medication!
************
It was SO nice for Jade to finally feel like a normal person!! We felt like Jade was out of the woods. He went from August 2007 to November 2008 doing great. However, the day before Thanksgiving Ethan found Jade on the floor of his room having a seizure.
I was feeling so grateful as a mom that this was an "early out" day for the kids and that Jade was having a seizure in his home and not on the bus in front of his peers.
It's really hard as a parent to admit that your child has Epilepsy, but Jade does and it is not something that is going away anytime soon.The saddest thing of all is that Jade has struggled his whole life with learning disabilities. He is a few years behind all of the kids his age in reading math and social skills and for him to have to struggle with Epilepsy on top of this leaves me saying: "Life is just not fair for my son"!
*************
However, he is "bright" in many areas and is excelling in art,
which I am thankful for.
There is nothing that a parent wants more than for their kids to have
SUCCESS in life!
I am amazed that through all of this Jade just remains a happy, kind hearted kid and never complains and he is always caring about others problems more than his own. He is amazing in this way and he teaches me ALOT!So, each day I wake up with gratitude in my heart for a loving and kind husband who cherishes me as much as I cherish him and for two healthy boys who show me what life is REALLY all about!
I wouldn't change my life for anything...challenges make us stronger and the good days far out weigh the bad days!
Jade teaches us to keep putting"1 foot in front of the other"
and we can make it to the top
of any mountain we choose to climb!
As a side note...
Thanksgiving Day 2008 (the day after Jade had a seizure)
I sang in a local choir presentation at the Rexburg Tabernacle.
One of the numbers was performed by a local opera singer with an amazing baritone voice...
he sang the song
"The Impossible Dream"
My husband, who is usually "stoic" was in tears as he thought about Jade and the struggles he'll have succeeding in life.
Here is a link of Andy Williams singing this song...
listen to all the words, it's touching!
(link)
The part that really gets Tracy is:
"This is my quest, to follow that star,
no matter how hopeless, no matter how far...."
***************
I "Cherish Every Moment" and wonder what I ever did to be blessed with such wonderful, amazing kids and the worlds greatest hubby!
Life really is GOOD!!
What a wonderful Gratitude post!
ReplyDeleteYour son is a handsome young man.. I'm sure he will have a bright future even with his challenges.. I mean look at how great his family is??
You guys are quite the hikers! How fun to be so active-- and show your kids the world. They are lucky!
I hurt reading about the seizures.. I can't imagine getting used to seeing them. It took my daughter a day or so to fully get back to her normal self, so I can't imagine having to deal with it all of the time..
My heart goes out to you with all that you and your son have had to go through with this. I feel for him and your family..
Beautiful song! It's amazing how certain music sings to our soul at different times in our life...