New Year, New Doctor

It's been awhile since I've posted an update about Owen. He actually did pretty well this summer. He stayed healthy, and fortunately the weather for the most part stayed comfortable enough for him to enjoy outdoor activities.

I have been searching for a new neurologist for Owen for quite some time. We feel it's in Owen's best interest to move on from the dr. he has been seeing since he was two; to sum it up, we feel as if Owen was treated like a number and most importantly, his seizures aren't even remotely controlled at the present time. At our last appointment with this doctor, he mentioned that since we are getting down to the "end of the road as far as seizure treatments," we have two riskier medication options. The first option involves liver and blood checks every other week because liver failure and death are possibilities. The second option "offers" an almost certain, eventual, permanent loss of peripheral vision. Though this was a seemingly impossible choice to make, we opted to try the first option, felbatol. Well, this trial lasted a little less than two weeks. We couldn't do it. Owen was acting off, the seizures went nowhere and he soon after got a fever. We weaned him off and never looked back. We did take him in for the liver and blood check; the results were all normal, phew!

Owen is seeing a new doctor next week, Dr. Seeley from Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. I have my list of questions ready and am hoping this doctor can get somewhere with this seizures.

Currently, Owen is only taking two medications for his epilepsy (he was taking four, and a total of 12 pills a day). I feel we are at a crossroads; we are forced to choose from two horrible options....having our happy Owen here with us but seeing more seizures, or seeing a lethargic, half here Owen with a few less seizures a day. We are, for now, choosing to see our happy, wide-eyed, sweet, awake Owen. 

Switching gears, while Owen and I went to his doctor about a month ago, we got to catch a Royals game with the Clark's. Owen and I sat right above the KC bullpen. There were people always passing by, yelling at the players to throw them a ball....some were just straight up begging. I was halfway paying attention to the game while talking to another mom about seizures, and Coach Eiland points Owen and I out. He threw a ball up just for Owen. Out of all the little boys beside us, screaming for a ball, he picked Owen. It was a pretty cool, definitely memorable moment.