Sno and Alerting

Here's an update on Henna and Sno...

 

Henna has been having seizures but not the intensity or length they were. I have not seen any drop seizures but she now has different kinds, or should I say they present differently. She had 12+ today at school. They last about 5-10 seconds and Henna is coherent. This has scared her because she feels them and doesn’t know what to do. She said it feels like someone is kicking her head and she also has a side smile similar to palsy. That’s been what I watch for. If you didn’t know it you wouldn’t catch the seizure and only think she had a weird smile. Henna will also start playing with her retainer during the seizure.  I think this is a nervous reaction.  She has had the same jerking movements and noises like a grand mal but it’s only lasted seconds. Just like the beginning of a grand mal. I have also seen one of her regular, checked out, seizure with jerking arm movement.

So you can see we’re still trying to figure out what’s going to happen. At least she hasn’t dropped and hurt herself. She’s still going to need someone to look out for her. Sno has been alerting after she “checks” Henna.  When Sno checks she goes up to Henna and smells her mouth or ear. If Henna is going to have a seizure or has had a seizure Sno will lick profusely on her mouth or ear and not stop. We are also prompting her to bark when this happens. The problem has been that Henna sits in a chair at school and Sno is on the floor. When Henna has a seizure the scent will rise and Sno will catch it when it falls which is usually after the seizure has started. Now that the seizures are short they are finished before Sno gets the whiff. That’s why getting Sno to “check” Henna frequently is imperative.

I am also getting better at watching Sno’s behaviors. I’m so used to watching Henna but it’s Sno I have to watch. When Henna had a headache the other day Sno wouldn’t leave her alone. She checked her, alerted, and then followed with a bark. I was perplexed because I didn’t see a seizure but Henna then told me she had a headache. Sno will get antsy when Henna isn’t feeling well and will follow her around. The bond is getting stronger and as it does I anticipate Sno will start alerting more and watch Henna better. We have to remember that Sno is still just over a year old. It amazes me the discipline she has at school at just a year old. Every once in a while when it’s just Sno and I walking in the hallway she will do a skip and start to pull at her leash to play. Gotta love it!

We rode the bus for the first time today and Sno did great. On and off the bus without a hitch.

Tomorrow we go for a follow-up with Henna’s neurosurgeon and I’ll ask about the new seizures. Henna’s incision is almost healed but is still itchy. When I pull her hair into a ponytail you can’t see the incision.  I'm really please with the way the incision looks.  It's nice and thin.

 

Henna's had a few more seizures since we've been home.  She's now settled on the couch watching Charlotte's Web.  One of our favorites!

 

Have a great week.

Jan

Sno sitting by her girl.

Some down time to chew.

Henna working with her new aide, Mr. W.