I went to see my friend the doctor Friday. :-) We haven't visited for about six months, and he seemed almost excited to see me! I can't imagine why!? I had the opportunity to introduce him to Robert for the first time, which was great, because Robert got to tell him his version of what it's like when I have a seizure. I thought Robert might actually SHOW him, but he restrained himself and just told him. (Showing him can be sort of FUNNY, but I guess the Doc's office is not the time for fun and games).
After chatting it up for about 20 minutes, and after I confessed that I am still having the "small" seizures, but no "big" seizures, Doc had lots to say. He explained to me (using the brain model sitting next to his chair) that these small seizures happen "here" in the brain and it's only the Topamax that I'm taking that keep them from spreading (as he makes sparkly spirit fingers to the rest of the brain model) and becoming "big" seizure (otherwise known as grand mal seizures).
Hmmm...So. If I wasn't taking this medicine, everytime I have one my "small" seizures I'd be having a "big" seizure? OOOOOHHHH. Those "big" seizures hurt. These small ones are just embarrassing and inconvenient and somewhat dangerous. The big ones are all of those AND they hurt AND they're MORE dangerous. YIKES. I'm having the small once about once or twice a month! Good thing the medicine is at least controlling the big ones!
So Doc goes on to say we have to do something with the medicine I'm on. He said we can't just up the med I'm on because it's not completely working and the side effects are not acceptable the way they are. So the one he wanted to add at my last appointment, we're adding. He said that hopefully, this new one will control the SMALL seizures completely, AND the big seizures. The idea is to have me on both for a while, then take me off the med I'm currently on, and see if the new med will control both the BIG seizures and the SMALL seizures. But we won't know until we try.
The new medicine has some interesting possible effects. Among the usual side effects are nausea, dizziness, fatigue, possible confusion, etc... but the fun one is something called Hyponatremia, or not having enough salt in your blood. The first time Doc mentioned this med to me, he said, "Yeah, so you'll just have to be sure to eat a lot of salty foods while you're on this med because it really zaps all the sodium out of your blood, and it can put you in the hospital really quickly because of that. He'll do blood tests in two weeks to check that level. Sounds like fun, eh?!
OH! And! it's REALLY expensive, too. For a one month supply, it's $293.00. I buy my medicine from Canada, and so it's only going to be $190.00. I found some coolness on the manufacturer's website and got a free trial for the first six weeks (YEAH!), so by the end of the day when I had the prescription filled, the freeness of it made up for the fact that I was being put on it in the first place.
That happiness will wear off when I start taking it Sunday night. :-(
2 comments:
So let me get this right. The one medicine makes you lose weight and the other one makes you have to eat all the pototo chips that you want. Right... I don't care if you have to eat mud pies as long as it controls the seizures.
Ang-first I agree with your Mom-and...to add to your Aunt Kathy's list-salt licks and pretzels, or the brine solution Brand uses for her turkeys. Love you honey-hope you do alright on this med. Thanks again for Sunday-it was deliciously fabulous!!
Post a Comment