Home update

Henna has been home since Wed. and I have NOT seen a seizure!!!  Praise the Lord.  I really am walking around holding my breath waiting to see one.  She is still taking her normal medications each day.  I'm not watching her every second so she could be having some but as far as I can tell she hasn't.

The operation Henna had is known for helping drop seizures. Henna had many daily.  The operation can also help other types of seizures as well.  If this operation stops all of Henna's seizures it will truly be an answer to prayer.  We must wait and see what happens next.

The corpus callosotomy is most helpful for generalized tonic clonic or grand mal seizures and drop attacks. Seizures are not usually stopped entirely by this procedure; however, the effects of the seizure are usually less severe. Often patients may have seizures on only one side of the body instead of both sides, after surgery. 

What Is Corpus Callosotomy?

The corpus callosum is a body of specialized nerve tissue that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Information passes back and forth through the corpus callosum, allowing both hemispheres of the brain to "talk" with each other. Though the corpus callosum helps coordinate brain function in both hemispheres, it can also transmit abnormal electrical activity that can lead to seizures involving the entire brain.

During a corpus callosotomy, no tissue or portion of the brain is removed — instead, the connection between the two hemispheres is either disrupted, in a partial corpus callosotomy, or totally severed, in a complete corpus callosotomy.

Henna had a complete corpus callosotomy.  Her seizures are generalized, without a focal point.

How Seizures Are Controlled by Corpus Callosotomy

While corpus callosotomy, unlike other types of epilepsy surgery, doesn't remove the actual origination point of the seizures, it can greatly reduce their frequency and severity. When the tissue that forms the corpus callosum is severed, the electrical activity that causes a seizure can no longer spread from one hemisphere to the other. Once seizure activity is confined to a hemisphere of the brain, seizures tend to occur less often and with diminished intensity.

Henna has been a little sassy and wants to resume her normal activities.  The doctor wants her to rest, nap, and take it easy for the next few weeks.  Funny!  :-)  Those of you who know Henna are smiling right now at the thought.

I cancelled Jill's House this weekend.  It was just to early for her to go.  She'll have respite there in Sept.  Carter has been here which has helped pass the time.  We have been doing craft projects, baking, and watching movies.

Henna's incision looks wonderful.  What skillful hands her surgeon has!  The incision is about 6" long and is very thin.  Her hair covers it so unless you look for it you can barely see it.  It's healing nicely.   I have to watch her because she's started to scratch it.  The doctor said that after 48 hours the incision site has actually sealed so she can't open it up.  The worst she could do is make it bleed.  Her doctor said there are layers of stitches.  Isn't the body an amazing thing?  I marvel at what our body can do and what we still don't know about it.  I DO know that while sitting in the hospital with Henna I added some pudge to my body.  Sigh...   It comes on so quickly and is so stubborn when I ask it to leave.  Ha!

Today is another down day.  Henna was up early "barking" orders.  I just checked on her and she has crawled back into bed.  Good for her!  Rest is good...

Have a restful weekend everyone!

Jan