(flight nurses getting Abby ready)
We became concerned after the 6th seizure when her abdominal incision bled a little bit into the dressing and she had a low grade fever. The neurosurgery resident on-call reassured us over the phone that increased seizure activity is normal after a shunt placement. The shunt relieved so much pressure (ICP) so quickly that it can cause the brain to become irritable.
Just minutes after talking with him Abby went into a status seizure (prolonged). So we rushed to the ER. Fortunately the Diastat given at home stopped the seizure after 17 minutes and she didn't need any more meds.
They scanned her head and did a shunt series of x-rays to make sure it was still functioning, in addition to blood work etc. Because she had a fever above 101 at this point the doctors decided to transfer her back to Children's in Birmingham, where she could be more closely monitored.
She didn't just get transferred, she got to FLY to Children's in a helicopter! We were very surprised this was happening and for obvious reasons caused our anxiety levels to jump up a few notches. (the flight nurses were both NICU nurses for over 10 years and bonded quickly to Abby)
Long story short - the shunt was working properly, she went all night without any more fevers or seizures, and we got to bring her home again Thursday mid-morning. She has been seizure free since coming home which has allowed her to rest much more comfortably.
Thank you to all who prayed for our girl. It's been a rough week but we are so grateful she is still here with us, cozy and safe on our couch!
Thank you Lord for the peace and strength you give in times of crisis.
2 comments:
i am glad she is home now but that had to be terrifying to have her airlifted. Her seizures sound so scary, I don't know how you can ever not worry about how Abby is.
I love the pics of Levi, he is so cute with all his chubbiness.
I asked about you when we were at Christy's the other week & was saddened to hear about the difficult time little Abby had been having. Im glad to see that seizures have stopped. I really love the photos of your sweet family & cannot believe how much Levi has grown. You're in our hearts & in our prayers.
Love, Sharon Dowdy :)
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