Jess just had a 9 minute seizure. I think that is what these are. Not 100% sure, but that is the only word I can think of. She used my bathroom and then came to sit on the bed next to me (I have the start of a migraine and have been laying down.)
She was just staring and it seemed off somehow. So I noted the time and started talking to her. Her skin was like ice so I wrapped a blanket around her. She could move her eyes some and make a whining noise but both were difficult. Her eyelids would flutter but were open mostly. After about 5 minutes she could blink her eyes if she worked at it, but they fluttered as she closed them.
I tried to see if I could make her lay down. I could push her over but her legs didn't straighten out the way they would normally. They stayed bent at the waist and knee. I didn't push her far, just shifted her back some to see if her body would move normally or not, then sat her up the way she was.
I didn't know if pushing her into laying down would cause a problem or not, so I didn't mess with her much. She could remember what she was seeing with her eyes, so I opened a couple of cross stitch magazines my mom gave me to give her something to look at. It seemed to help her not freak out - gave her something to focus on.
It did not end suddenly, like she snapped out of it. Over about a minute's time she got more able to make noise and move her eyes and then her head. She also was able to move her fingers and grasp my hand. Gradually her body became less stiff and she was able to move, but the pain was bad as the stiffness retreated.
I don't know what kind of seizure this would be. Several people have told me that people with "real" seizures don't know what is going on and don't remember them. I don't think it is true because I had a couple of episodes like this one at about age 11. I was in one specific area of one store when mine happened and they never happened anywhere else. My parents acted like it was no big deal or I imagined it, so I didn't think much of it. Later I figured it was the flickering lighting from the florescent lights in the store.
I will call her neuro on Mon and maybe this time will hear something by Wed or Thurs. Otherwise we will go to the ER in the city to get this reported. Cannot go to the close ER because they will give her benadryl. period. (Our bizarre local ER only seems to give benadryl - even tried it when she had a sprained wrist and when thank you had a cut that needed stitches!)
911 says it is not an emergency and if they dispatch an ambulance we will have to pay up front - and insurance won't cover them for this. Can you say GRRRRRRRRR!!!!! I am totally upset but we cannot pay the fee to call them and ins won't pay unless her life is in danger. Meaning not breathing, bleeding, bone sticking out (won't come for a broken bone unless it is poking through the skin - they tell you to go see an ortho doctor or take yourself to the ER), or totally out of control mentally ill patient.
So that isn't even an option. I am glad I called them from the other room - I watned to not scare Jess because I was pretty sure she could understand what was going on around her.
The 911 operator did say that if she stays unresponsive for over 30 min to call back because then it would be different. She clearly felt bad - seems budget cuts have gotten to them also.
I feel so helpless right now. I don't know how to fix my baby or even how to get someone to care enough to help her.
She was just staring and it seemed off somehow. So I noted the time and started talking to her. Her skin was like ice so I wrapped a blanket around her. She could move her eyes some and make a whining noise but both were difficult. Her eyelids would flutter but were open mostly. After about 5 minutes she could blink her eyes if she worked at it, but they fluttered as she closed them.
I tried to see if I could make her lay down. I could push her over but her legs didn't straighten out the way they would normally. They stayed bent at the waist and knee. I didn't push her far, just shifted her back some to see if her body would move normally or not, then sat her up the way she was.
I didn't know if pushing her into laying down would cause a problem or not, so I didn't mess with her much. She could remember what she was seeing with her eyes, so I opened a couple of cross stitch magazines my mom gave me to give her something to look at. It seemed to help her not freak out - gave her something to focus on.
It did not end suddenly, like she snapped out of it. Over about a minute's time she got more able to make noise and move her eyes and then her head. She also was able to move her fingers and grasp my hand. Gradually her body became less stiff and she was able to move, but the pain was bad as the stiffness retreated.
I don't know what kind of seizure this would be. Several people have told me that people with "real" seizures don't know what is going on and don't remember them. I don't think it is true because I had a couple of episodes like this one at about age 11. I was in one specific area of one store when mine happened and they never happened anywhere else. My parents acted like it was no big deal or I imagined it, so I didn't think much of it. Later I figured it was the flickering lighting from the florescent lights in the store.
I will call her neuro on Mon and maybe this time will hear something by Wed or Thurs. Otherwise we will go to the ER in the city to get this reported. Cannot go to the close ER because they will give her benadryl. period. (Our bizarre local ER only seems to give benadryl - even tried it when she had a sprained wrist and when thank you had a cut that needed stitches!)
911 says it is not an emergency and if they dispatch an ambulance we will have to pay up front - and insurance won't cover them for this. Can you say GRRRRRRRRR!!!!! I am totally upset but we cannot pay the fee to call them and ins won't pay unless her life is in danger. Meaning not breathing, bleeding, bone sticking out (won't come for a broken bone unless it is poking through the skin - they tell you to go see an ortho doctor or take yourself to the ER), or totally out of control mentally ill patient.
So that isn't even an option. I am glad I called them from the other room - I watned to not scare Jess because I was pretty sure she could understand what was going on around her.
The 911 operator did say that if she stays unresponsive for over 30 min to call back because then it would be different. She clearly felt bad - seems budget cuts have gotten to them also.
I feel so helpless right now. I don't know how to fix my baby or even how to get someone to care enough to help her.