Rhiannon update

My gorgeous girl is the most delightful baby in the world. Obviously I am biased.... oh well.

She is nine and a half months old now. She is starting to say some deliberate words rather than just babbling. She can say Dadda and Mum Mum. She is also getting quite good at saying ta when you give her things. She can also say star for her toy star in the bath.

She is almost ready to walk without holding onto any thing though this has made her more accident prone and we are having to be super careful as when she lets go she invariably topples. Fortunately we are quite good at catching.

She really likes going for walks sat in the baby back pack which Matthew carries.

Well I had better sign off for today as it is nearly bed time.

Byeee

My tooth fell out!!

Last Tuesday night I was chatting on the phone to my friend Sharon and one of my front teeth just snapped off!

I should start the story about my teeth from the beginning. About ten years ago I had a fit in the street and snapped three of my top front teeth off at root level, plus split my chin which required a number of stitches.

Anyway over the next year of two I had significant dental treatment at Cardiff Dental hospital. I had a fixed brace and the roots which were still in my gums were slowly pulled out until they were half exposed. I then had three crowns put on. A dental miracle. The conslutant who repaired my teeth was a genius. I have had lovely looking teeth since then.

HOWEVER.......


When I had my fit a few weeks ago I must have fractured my front left tooth at the root (the dentist thinks this was probably due to how hard I clench my teeth) and a couple of days later the glue that held the crown on was not enough and it snapped off. I am now left looking like a hag from a medieval film. I have a huge black gap. Fortunately the nerve for this tooth was removed in previous treatment so I am not in any pain. I am however without a tooth.

I got an emergency appointment last Wednesday (day after it happened) and my dentist did a temporary repair. He popped two metal pins in the root (the half of the root still in the gum) and glued my crown - which I kept- back on. We hoped this would last until my dental appointment next Tuesday when I was booked in for x-rays and a filling anyway. Unfortunately for me the crown only stayed in for 24 hours and then fell off again.

I think my options - other than looking like an evil hideous hag are to reset the root and attach the crown or take off my two other crowns and have a bridge fitted. This would be quite a large bridge. So it looks like I will be visiting the dentist for quite some time and trying not to smile in public too much.

I have returned to work but my mouth is quite frankly embarrassing. Last time I had smashed my teeth up I had just started a new job. I found out from a couple of colleagues a year for so later that when I started they thought I must be really rough and that I must have been in a fight to have had my teeth knocked out. They said they were quite scared of me. So I guess strangers who don't know the story will think the same.

Well I have managed to get an emergency appointment tomorrow morning (Monday) rather than waiting until Tuesday. My employers are being really good and have let me book a half day. I am on probation so I am a bit worried about asking for any time off in a period where I should have my head down impressing the bosses. Still they keep telling me not to worry so i will have to try not to worry.

I would put a picture on line but I am too vain. I haven't stopped going out or to work or anything but a permanent record on the blog forever is a bit much. I am trying to stay good humoured and laugh it off as I find that that is the bet way I can cope in this particular situation.

Neurologists appointment

My appointment went really well. I did chicken out of asking about the VNS as I don't think I could go through with surgery so I didn't see the point.

Before I even had chance to say hello he said he was sorry to hear I had had more seizures. I felt quite reassured at this as he had clearly looked up my notes and received an update from my GP as to my situation. It is great to speak to the same person all the time as they know your case and you don't have to start from scratch every time.

I told him I was sure I had forgotten my tablets after checking tech cupboard . He advised I could start to take a second tablet - sodium valporate or if I was sure I had forgotten tablet I could wait and see what happens as if I don't forget any more tablets this may not happen again. He did point out that it was probably more than forgetting the tablet and it could have been a number of things: such as lower dosage in my system plus being tired or stressed, or just unlucky.

I am not keen to take epilim again as I have taken it before and it made me feel quite drowsy. It is also recommended not to take this whilst pregnant. As we have not decided whether to have another child - so we haven't ruled out another in the future, I don't want to take it and then have to go through the rigmarole of changing tablets again.

We were worried that when I have breakthrough fits now I seem to have two or three in quick succession rather than just one, which was the old pattern.

I have therefore been given Clobazam (please excuse the spelling). Basically if I have another breakthrough fit I take this tablet straight away and it is a bit like a top up and should stop me having any more. I take a couple more over the next 24 hours whilst carrying on with my normal medication. After that the risk should be over. I have a couple in my purse in case I am out and some in the kitchen cupboard for if I am at home. It might make me quite drowsy but I am usually drowsy anyway so I guess I will just be even more sleepy.

I have another check up in 6 months time.

I was really pleased with the appointment. The Consultant is really approachable and I don't feel rushed to leave the room. He always asks both myself and Matthew if we have any more questions at the end of the appointment and I know that if I have any problems he will take calls from my GP and provide emergency advice to her if he cannot see me straight away.

Anyway touch wood I will be fit free for a while. I am trying not to feel too sorry for myself about it but since becoming pregnant they have been more frequent and I know them being months apart probably sounds, to some with more frequent fits like I am lucky but I always get to the point where I think I am back to how I used to be and that I might be getting to the point where it will be a few years before I have another and then wham, I have another and feel like I am back to square one.

Still I refuse to be maudlin and have lots of other things to be grateful for.

Neurologists appointment tomorrow

I have an appointment with my Neurologist tomorrow. I have had the appointment booked for ages, it is just coincidence that it is so close to my last fits. I am quite nervous actually. I don't want them to just keep slapping my medication up or adding another tablet to the one I already take. I have spoken to people on multiple medications before and they never seem very happy.

Someone was telling me about a vagus nerve stimulator - a bit like a pacemaker but for the brain but I don't know if this would be appropriate for my type of epilepsy. When I looked it up it seemed to be predominantly people with auras who found it most useful and I don't have those. Still i can but ask.

Matthew is coming with me. He usually comes to the neurologist as he can describe what the fits were like and how I behaved afterwards. As I can't remember any of that stuff he is helpful. Also if the appointment is a bit stressful or I can't take everything in we can talk it over later and discuss everything at leisure.

Anyway I am going to run a nice hot bubble bath and relax now.

Byeeee

More Fits :-(

Disappointingly I had some more fits last week. Last Wednesday Morning I woke my poor husband by having a fit whilst still asleep. The first time I have had one in bed. As I make quite a loud noise as my throat constricts at the start of a fit I probably frightened the life out of him. I had another two later in the morning. One in front of Rhiannon who apparently looked quite startled. Fortunately I was not holding her as I was still groggy from the first fit so small blessings there.

My lovely mother-in-law Jenny came around to help with Rhiannon whilst Matthew looked after me, and then my parents came over later so Jenny could go to work. Well I think she went to work. The whole day is a bit of a blur really. Three fits is exhausting. We managed to see my GP who did a pregnancy test to check it wasn't a hormone surge causing the fits. Fortunately there were no surprises and I am not pregnant. I love Rhiannon to bits but I can't imagine having another baby at the moment.

Looking back I am almost positive I forgot to take my medication the night before the fits so I guess this is probably my own fault. You would think that given I take the tablets so regularly it would be impossible to forget them, but I think it becomes such a habit that you don't think about it and oops, you forget to take them. I am not forgetful very often so hopefully I can avoid any further mistakes.

Luckily I have a check up with my neurologist Mr Goulding next week so I can have a chat with him about it. I hope the answer is not to just put the dose up, or add more drugs. I guess i will have to be patient and await the verdict.

HOLIDAYS

Well we have not long returned from our holidays. We went to Keswick in the Lake District with my husband's family. Twelve of us in all (including two babies). We had a lovely time. There were Grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. A real family week away. We all got on really well. well for the most part. A couple of blips but considering how many of us there was we did really well.

We all managed to get some fell walking in. Rhiannon had a couple of walks up some steep fells on her Daddy's back. She thinks that riding in his back pack is hilarious and spends the whole time tapping his head and laughing whilst having a good nosey about. The weather held out quite well for us and we got some excellent views of the Lakes.

We did a few more touristy things as well. I would recommend taking children to Trotters World of animals if you are in the area. All the kids on our trip really enjoyed themselves. They also enjoyed a boat trip on Derwent Water. Plus fish and chips at the Keswickian in town are not to be missed. I cannot visit Keswick without a trip there these days. A bit of a tradition for Matthew and myself.

Unfortunately I am not as fit as I used to be so I couldn't climb any really big mountains like Skiddaw. Still that would have been too long a trip for Rhiannon and I would have had to leave her all day rather than a few hours. Now I am back at work I don't like ot let her out of my sight too long.