Seizure Spectrum

Did you know that there are sooooo many kinds of seizures?  I was blown away by how many there were and how different they can be.  I was on “-onic” overload.  There are tonic-clonic (otherwise known as grand-mal), absence, tonic, clonic, myoclonic, and atonic…and those are just the generalized form, meaning they involve the whole or a very large portion of the brain.  These also impair consciousness.  There are also partial or focal seizures, involving a smaller or more localized part of the brain.  These guys break down even further into simple or complex seizures.  Simple ones do not impair consciousness but complex ones do.  Also, some partial ones can evolve into secondarily generalized seizures like those above.  So yea, like I said, crazy the spectrum, huh!?!  I must say though, I’m glad I looked all this up because I’ve heard all these words bantered about from time to time but I’ve never had a firm grasp until now.

After a night of research, I woke up a bit tired but I got right on with Insanity Core Cardio and Balance.  After 40 minutes I was more than ready for a shower and food.  Breakfast consisted of a vanilla protein breakfast cake made with maca powder and wheat germ.  I topped it in maple syrup and peanut butter with flaxseeds.  I even threw on chia seeds thrown for good measure.

I ate it on the way to campus before work.  I finished it just in time to walk the five minutes from the shuttle stop to work.  The morning consisted of pelleting DNA and teaching a co-worker the protocol along the way.  I honestly can’t imagine a morning  in recent memory that has crawled by any slower.  Finally, it was lunchtime.  I headed over to the student room across the street and dug into my corn chowder with TVP and blueberries on the side while I put the finishing touches on my neurology rotation paper regarding autism.

Soon after finishing, I meandered over to the neurology clinic.  Today's cool subject: Dravet syndrome.  This condition is also known as severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI).  Basically, the children have seizures in the first few months of life and those never remit.  They are exceeding hard to control so medications are usually required their whole lives.  Any kind of seizures can be involved and multiples types often are in the same individual.  Myoclonic seizures can develop later and may coincide with psychomotor regression, cognitive impairment, and/or ataxia.

I honestly cannot imagine what it would be like to see my child seizing.  I can’t figure how I would survive seeing it every day.  In this condition, especially, it would be so hard because the child’s seizures are very hard to get under control.  The constant medication adjustments, doctors appointments, man it would be wearying.

After clinic, which ended upwards of 5 o’clock and I didn’t leave school until almost six, I headed home and set myself promptly to making dinner.  The apple I had scarfed down in between patients this afternoon wasn’t keeping me full enough.  I even scarfed down blueberries while I was chopping veggies for my salad because I was starving.

This beast had romaine and spinach, tomato, carrot, celery, red pepper, mushrooms, nooch, and salad seasoning on top.  I dressed it in raspberry vinaigrette.  Thankfully, the dressing redeemed itself after its disappointing showing last time.  I think I just needed a bit more of it.  Post dinner time was filled with Harry Potter DVR watching, patient letter writing, and dessert eating.  I had a small bowl, or rather coffee mug, full of coco roos and honey roasted peanuts soaked in almond milk.

Nice and small and sweet enough to kick any cravings for the rest of the evening.  Afterwards, I took some time to write a thank you note to the folks at Myriad.  I figured it would be an appropriate display after all they did for us this past week.  I really did learn a lot and I had a stellar time.

Now, with all that out of the way, I think it’s time for bed perhaps.  Well, maybe some chapters in my new book first.  I started it on the way home from Salt Lake.  I’m pretty sucked in at the moment.  Though, I will say, that after finishing the Fifty Shades trilogy, I’m not sure I was ready for just your plain, old, ordinary book again…

Oh, and a tune since it’s Tuesday.  This one seemed a bit apropos with all the traveling I’m doing recently.  I know it’s not really about the baggage claim at the airport but hey, close enough for me.  It’s pretty catchy too!

Questions: What is your favorite salad dressing?
Do you know anyone with seizures?