Everyone keeps asking if we need anything. I actually DO have a need - on the morning that all of this went down (last Thursday), Bill and Jane Bailey went over to Durema Bailey's old house and pulled some Iris bulbs up to plant in the Durema Bailey Memorial Garden at the back of our house. They have been sitting in a bucket outside our back door and neither Bill nor I have the energy or time to plant them. If anyone is a gardener, please feel free to come by and plant them. Thanks.
Sam is doing okay. We're still resting and trying to get him to rest really takes a lot of energy! He's still not himself, but we expect that.
Thanks again for your prayers.
Teesa
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sam's heart and seizures
First, let me write this to Will P. - I think I never changed your email address in my mass email - can you please write us with the correct one and send your cell phone too. Sorry for my negligence.
This is our mass email from earlier today. I'm posting it on my blog since there are so many people praying for him and they all want to know the latest. It's easier than calling everyone.
We just got back from the pediatrician. Here's what we know...
The seizures were most likely caused by the fever spikes that he had (due to a viral infection). However, there is some small chance that it could be a heart problem that caused the seizures. Therefore, we will be seeing a cardiologist on Friday and he will assess all of the findings so far. According to our doctor this morning, they should be able to see everything they need to from the information they've already gathered.
We are giving Sam further Tylenol to reduce his fever until Wednesday night, assuming there are no other problems between now and then.
The doctor this morning said that one febrile seizure is normal, but two febrile seizures are rare. Three would be almost unheard of, but if it was going to happen it should have happened within 8 hours of the last one. So, like my friend Erica told me, the further away from the last seizure we get, the better. However, we are still being cautious and need to continue watching him for another one, in case it is related to his heart or he has a third one from another fever spike (again, the chances of this are minimal).
We are to stay at home this week and try to let Sam rest. He is a little uncoordinated right now (falling down when crawling or standing), but the doctor said he will be, because one seizure's energy output is equivalent to running a marathon and Sam's little body is probably very tired. He is in great spirits though - he even sang along with his Uncle Adam last night when he played the guitar and danced a little too.
Keep praying for him. Please continue sending these messages to your prayer supporters as well, we appreciate it.
God is with us.
Blessings,
Teesa and Bill K
This is our mass email from earlier today. I'm posting it on my blog since there are so many people praying for him and they all want to know the latest. It's easier than calling everyone.
We just got back from the pediatrician. Here's what we know...
The seizures were most likely caused by the fever spikes that he had (due to a viral infection). However, there is some small chance that it could be a heart problem that caused the seizures. Therefore, we will be seeing a cardiologist on Friday and he will assess all of the findings so far. According to our doctor this morning, they should be able to see everything they need to from the information they've already gathered.
We are giving Sam further Tylenol to reduce his fever until Wednesday night, assuming there are no other problems between now and then.
The doctor this morning said that one febrile seizure is normal, but two febrile seizures are rare. Three would be almost unheard of, but if it was going to happen it should have happened within 8 hours of the last one. So, like my friend Erica told me, the further away from the last seizure we get, the better. However, we are still being cautious and need to continue watching him for another one, in case it is related to his heart or he has a third one from another fever spike (again, the chances of this are minimal).
We are to stay at home this week and try to let Sam rest. He is a little uncoordinated right now (falling down when crawling or standing), but the doctor said he will be, because one seizure's energy output is equivalent to running a marathon and Sam's little body is probably very tired. He is in great spirits though - he even sang along with his Uncle Adam last night when he played the guitar and danced a little too.
Keep praying for him. Please continue sending these messages to your prayer supporters as well, we appreciate it.
God is with us.
Blessings,
Teesa and Bill K
When Sam could finally stand up (when he got enough energy), he was pitiful. He'd fall down quickly afterwards. That cast on his arm is where the IV was - to keep him from pulling it out.
He didn't take a paci before this experience. He wants it all the time now. This pic is from when he didn't have a fever for a few hours. Those eyes really reveal the struggles he'd been through.
He only wanted Mommy and Mommy's kisses. He won't go to sleep now without me holding him and he falls asleep in the crook of my neck. He never used to cuddle - I do believe he's a bit insecure.
His hospital room.
UPDATE: He had 100.3 before he went down tonight. We're keeping a close eye on his temp.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Update
We made it through the night with no evidence of a fever. We just took the heart monitor off, as it was only for a 24-hour period.
My brother and sister-in-law spent the night. Kendall did laundry, cooked, cleaned and pretty much made sure we didn't have a meltdown. We followed Sam everywhere, questioning every little spike in temp or sweaty moment.
Sam is asleep right now, as he fell asleep in my arms while we were eating breakfast in the kitchen. We are exhausted.
Thank God we are part of something Bigger in this world and we know that with the hundreds of people praying for Sam, we will be okay.
I'm going to go crash now.
Teesa
My brother and sister-in-law spent the night. Kendall did laundry, cooked, cleaned and pretty much made sure we didn't have a meltdown. We followed Sam everywhere, questioning every little spike in temp or sweaty moment.
Sam is asleep right now, as he fell asleep in my arms while we were eating breakfast in the kitchen. We are exhausted.
Thank God we are part of something Bigger in this world and we know that with the hundreds of people praying for Sam, we will be okay.
I'm going to go crash now.
Teesa
Sick Sam
We are finally back home, so I have my master email list with me now.
Here's an update for those of you who haven't heard:
Sam had a second seizure on Thursday about three hours after we brought him home from the hospital brought on from another fever spike. He had an abnormality in his ECG in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and then three or four more once we were there. They transferred him to the UNC Children's Hospital pediatric cardiac unit and put him on a heart monitor, along with several other monitors and gave him tons of Tylenol to prevent future spikes in his temperature (which brought on both seizures).
They said that one febrile seizure is normal, but two is very uncommon (called "complex febrile" seizures when there is more than one). The seizure problem is a separate problem from the heart one. We had already seen a cardiologist about two months ago from what the doctor thought was a "gallop" in his heartbeat. It turned out to be nothing, according to the doctor, but he took an ultrasound and ECG at that point.
When the team of doctors began working on Sam, they immediately called our previously seen cardiologist, because he is apparently the "rhythm" expert in this region. He has been the one working with us to discover the root of Sam's heart irregularities.
We have been sent home with a heart monitor to use until tomorrow morning and have been given detailed instructions about checking his heartrate and when to call 911. We are giving him more Tylenol to keep his fever down. It was 97.1 when we left the hospital (and had been down for about 15 hours) and is now 99.1 (down from 99.8 about half an hour ago). So, needless to say, we are on pins and needles about him.
My brother, Adam, and his wife, Kendall, are going to stay with us tonight and care for our needs since we are going to be only focusing on Sam's needs. We really appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for a low temperature, no more seizures and no future problems with his heart.
Thanks to everyone for your emails and phone calls. I hope you will understand if we haven't written back personally, but this seems to be the best way to tackle this. I am reading all your emails though, and really appreciate the love and support we are feeling.
We will let you know more when we do. We are going to hunker down at the house until Sam's pediatric appointment on Monday morning at 9:30am.
Bill told our pastor, Marty Jacumin, this morning that maybe God gave Sam the second seizure so they could catch the heart problem. Otherwise, we would not have known. We DO know that God is in control and we feel His presence with us.
Blessings,
Teesa and Bill
Here's an update for those of you who haven't heard:
Sam had a second seizure on Thursday about three hours after we brought him home from the hospital brought on from another fever spike. He had an abnormality in his ECG in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and then three or four more once we were there. They transferred him to the UNC Children's Hospital pediatric cardiac unit and put him on a heart monitor, along with several other monitors and gave him tons of Tylenol to prevent future spikes in his temperature (which brought on both seizures).
They said that one febrile seizure is normal, but two is very uncommon (called "complex febrile" seizures when there is more than one). The seizure problem is a separate problem from the heart one. We had already seen a cardiologist about two months ago from what the doctor thought was a "gallop" in his heartbeat. It turned out to be nothing, according to the doctor, but he took an ultrasound and ECG at that point.
When the team of doctors began working on Sam, they immediately called our previously seen cardiologist, because he is apparently the "rhythm" expert in this region. He has been the one working with us to discover the root of Sam's heart irregularities.
We have been sent home with a heart monitor to use until tomorrow morning and have been given detailed instructions about checking his heartrate and when to call 911. We are giving him more Tylenol to keep his fever down. It was 97.1 when we left the hospital (and had been down for about 15 hours) and is now 99.1 (down from 99.8 about half an hour ago). So, needless to say, we are on pins and needles about him.
My brother, Adam, and his wife, Kendall, are going to stay with us tonight and care for our needs since we are going to be only focusing on Sam's needs. We really appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for a low temperature, no more seizures and no future problems with his heart.
Thanks to everyone for your emails and phone calls. I hope you will understand if we haven't written back personally, but this seems to be the best way to tackle this. I am reading all your emails though, and really appreciate the love and support we are feeling.
We will let you know more when we do. We are going to hunker down at the house until Sam's pediatric appointment on Monday morning at 9:30am.
Bill told our pastor, Marty Jacumin, this morning that maybe God gave Sam the second seizure so they could catch the heart problem. Otherwise, we would not have known. We DO know that God is in control and we feel His presence with us.
Blessings,
Teesa and Bill
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
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