Bree's New Medication

Our neurologist called yesterday and has decided to put Bree on Keppra. It's a very common drug used to control seizures with no side effects. She'll start slowly on her dosage and in 9 days be at a therapeutic level. So far her seizures have been very mild, with only 3-4 noticable seizures a day. However, her irritability is through the roof. She will have frequent screaming fits most likely cause by her seizures. It's hard to tell if she's in pain from a headache or blurred vision. The Keppra should only take a couple of days to see results and I plan on speaking with their neurologist to see if we can try B6 vitamins to help with the irritability. Paige is doing great! She's her happy-go-luck self and showing no signs of seizures. So all we need to do is wait and see if the Keppra works.

Here we go again!

About a week and a half ago Bree was getting big red bumps on her leg. A few days later the cluster moved to her arms. Her pediatrician said they looked like mosquito bites so I left it at that. Thursday she developed a cluster on her cheek that looked so painful. I decided to call the Neurologist and he told me to stop the medication and to give her Benadryl over the weekend. He asked that I call on Monday to discuss and alternate medication. Well on Saturday Bree began to have frequent eye rolling and gazing. She would drop her head and seem unresponsive. These types of seizures are common with the activity found in the occipital lobe. On Sunday I kept a closer eye and noticed it happened quite a few times again. I'm not sure if it was the haulting of medication that brought on the seizures or the allergic reaction. I called the doctor this morning and I'm waiting for his call back. I hope the next medication we try will be more affective. I never would have thought the seizure would come back so quickly. We're also keeping our eye on Paige; her seizures started shortly after Bree's before.

Another busy week!

Tuesday was a busy day. After dropping Connor off at school I took the girls to Orlando, an hour and 45 minute drive, to have their helmets adjusted. Their Orthotist, Steve, said he was very pleased with the improvement they're already showing. We go back next week. After that I picked Connor up from school and went straight to Daytona for OT/PT. While there Paige started to scoot on her belly and Bree sat for a few seconds with little support. Their OT said that they are really benefitting from therapy and improving by leaps and bounds. I continue to do exercises with them at home the other 5 days they don't have therapy.

Wednesday we took the girls to the Conklin Center for the Blind to meet with Stacy, a vision specialist with Early Intervention. She brought us into two rooms filled with toys for every age. She had us lay the girls in a large ball pit to help them make a connection with the different muscles in the body - they loved it. Then she had the girls sit in this chair and showed them different colored, textured, and moving toys. She told us that most of the Cortical babies she sees don't respond as well as the girls had. She told us it would be work on our part but that she's hopeful they will have sight. She sent us home with a special chair and table and a box filled with toys. These toys will help with senory intergration and gross motor skills. She will continue to meet with the girls once a week. Stacy told us we may be able to get a second chair from First Step - where the girls go for OT/PT. Tomorrow they have an appt. so I will ask.

Tonight we're going to Connor's Open House at school. We're so proud of him and he's been a great big brother. I'm looking forward to seeing what he's been up to at school.

Visit their Photo album for new pictures!!!

Saying good bye to Website

I've been very busy making the girl's blog and photo gallery the best it can be. I've learned so much in the process and have decided to make this website their home page. This website offers many things that I can not do on their first website (not to mention this is free)! So as soon as I have made all my adjustments I will be closing http://www.paigeandbree.com/. You can now use www.paigeandbree.blogspot.com/ as their new website. There are many links on this page that I hope you'll visit. Please feel free to leave comments to let me know what you like or what you would like to see. Paige and Bree thank you!

They get their helmets!

Tuesday we went to Orlando to get Paige and Bree's cranial molding helmets. The helmets are to treat their plagiocephaly (flattening of the back of the head). They will have to wear the helmets 23 hours a day for the next 3 months. We go once a week for adjustments as their head grows. So far they don't seem bothered by them although Bree's seems a little low on the front; she can barely see past it. I will be adding new pictures to their photo album for everyone to see.
In other news: OT/PT is going well! They are continuing to go twice a week and we will find out tomorrow if they were approved for massage therapy. Then they will be going three times a week. They were also evaluated by a vision specialist from the Conklin Center for the Blind. We go Wednesday to begin vision services. The nice thing about it is that they will come to the house; we won't need to go to Daytona four days a week.
Overall they are doing great! We are very pleased with their progress and look forward to what they will do next.