Protecting our kids…it’s what we as parents strive to do every day. It’s there in our minds when we send them off to school in the morning, and it’s there when we tuck them in and night and thank whomever for letting them be safe that day. However, what happens when something comes along, such as a disease, and we can’t protect our kids? What do we do when it feels like we have nothing but helplessness to hang onto?
Looking back on it, it almost seems like it never happened. My daughter, age 6, is a perfectly healthy child. One early morning, around 2 a.m., her grandmother, who was spending the night and sleeping in the same bed with her, awoke me, exclaiming “I think she’s having a seizure”. Flying up out of bed and rushing to my daughters’ room, I flipped on the light switch to find something I never in my life want to see again…my baby girl, eyes rolled back in her head, back arched, and arms and legs jerking and twitching uncontrollably. This lasted for several minutes, and all the while, despite the fact that my husband was on the telephone with EMS, all I could sit and do was protect her head, observe her, and think “why my daughter”?
An EEG and other tests later on that week did reveal seizure activity in my daughter, and medication was prescribed. My daughters seizures are now under control, however that feeling of helplessness helped me develop a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” if a seizure should occur again.
DO stay with the person having the seizure. No matter how tempting it feels to run, it is imperitive that the observer stays with the person having a seizure and documents important facts such as preceeding factors, any auras, the duration of the seizure, how the person acts after the seizure, etc.
DO get any objects out of the way. Cradle the persons head in your lap or on a pillow. If lying on the floor, move any chairs or any other obstructions out of the way.
DO loosen any restrictive clothing.
DO NOT try to restrain any of the extremities (arms, legs). Though it’s scary to see someone’s arms and legs flailing about, do not attempt to restrain the activity…it may cause more harm than good.
DO NOT stick anything in the persons mouth. This used to be considered a “do”, however, research has shown that it is best to not place anything in a person’s mouth…while they may bite their tongue during the seizure, they will not swallow it.
DO get the persons head to the side if at all possible. This helps the airway remain open and helps prevent secretions or mucous from being aspirated.
DO check for any injury after the seizure is over. Call them by name and ask them to perform a simple command, such as repeating a few words.
DO remain calm throughout the seizure and after. This is probably the hardest of all, but it can be done, and you’re calmness will help relieve the person’s anxiety.
Most importantly, treat the person with seizures as you would anyone else you encounter. They feel, see, think, smell, and taste as those of us without seizures. They’re not different, they’ve just got a little something “extra”!
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