Upcoming presentations scheduled for February and March.
I am pleased to announce the first in a series of presentations that One Giant Leap will be actively involved with, promoting, and delivering. As part of the overall mandate, the exchange of free information and knowledge is extremely valuable...therefore we will be actively searching for groups, associations, non-profit organizations, etc. who would benefit from a well-organized presentation covering diverse issues related to the rehabilitation of acute and chronic conditions, as well as mild to severe motor dysfunction. The first presentation will be held in Cali, Colombia and will focus on an innovative technique for the rehabilitation of mild to severe motor dysfunctions. It will be presented by Richard Paletta, licensed physiotherapist and senior ABR instructor, in spanish and demonstrate the theoretical, conceptual, and practical considerations of this technique. Our efforts extend to all of the Americas, therefore I am hoping tp be able to network to groups, associations, organizations, and families across Canada and the U.S. and offer similar free presentations, seminars, and workshops. The topics covered in One Giant Leap are diverse...therefore the messages reflect this. It is not my mandate to endorse or promote one specific product or therapy...rather to engage in the most healthy exchange of useful information that will ultimately enable parents, families, and professionals to make comfortable and productive rehabilitative decisions.
Please stay tuned for upcoming presentations, and do not hesitate to communicate with me for information if needed.
Cheers!
The One Giant Leap Video Series is now active. Go to the One Giant Leap Facebook page and watch or post a question / concern.
Q&A on Seizures and Cerebral Palsy
This is the first in a series of Q&A
sessions sponsored by One Giant Leap. The main objective of these
sessions is to provide a forum for people to ask specific questions,
exchange experiences, and contribute to their overall understanding of
select topics and issues surrounding rehabilitation. The issue of seizures is without question one of the most elusive and concerning challenges in Cerebral Palsy. It typically generates a significant amount of stress and worry within the CP community as well as the extended family. One of the most effective means of addressing seizures is to gain a practical, theoretical, and conceptual understanding of the genesis, manifestations, triggers, and other related topics.
Therefore One Giant Leap will open this discussion for a designated time and invite any and all questions, comments, feedback, and shared experiences of all kinds. Any specific questions related to seizures will be answered and addressed personally by One Giant Leap.
To post questions, comments, and experiences, go to the One Giant Leap Facebook Page.
All messages should be placed within the Q&A comment box on the One Giant Leap Facebook page. English, Francais, y espanol...all are welcome!
Session starts July 13th and will end July 23rd at 12:00am
My son is almost 3, he has CP as a result of a hypoxic brain injury at 6 mo. He takes Keppra for seizures & thankfully it has worked well so far. We were told his seizures would look more like the absence(sp?) type. Some mornings I do notice him staring off with a fixed gaze for a few seconds but then it passes. He usually continues to move his hands or arms while it's happening though. He also has cortical vision impairment which makes it difficult for us to tell how much he can actually see. So I can't tell if these are actual seizures or not or if I should be worried about him having them.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Nelson family! Your concerns are very common amongst other parents and it stems from an obvious strong parental instinct. It is also very common for parents to be extremely nervous / frightened / anxious when it comes to seizures...this is also a very intuitive reaction, of course. The COUNTER-INTUITIVE part is the realization that seizures aren't a problem in themsleves...they are a SYMPTOM of an underlying condition. To be precise, the actual discharge in the brain is the symptomatic response to the brain surpassing its processing capacity. It is important to remember that there are many variables that can challenge the brains processing abilities...environmental (temperature), nutritional, hormonal, chemical, mechanical, visual, etc...therefore it is extremely difficult to pin-point which variable (or combination of variables) are the primary contributors.
DeleteWith this in mind, we then come to address one of your underlying questions: "should I be worried about him having them". Although they are generally unpleasant events for parents to watch, unless they are violent and/or result in some periods of non-breathing, they do not make the extent of the brain injury worse (this is a common misconception). Therefore there should be no particular worry placed on them as they are a reflection of his reality and are essentially symptomatic. You can equate the symptomatic nature of seizures with the symptomatic nature of vomiting when you have a high fever. The nausea is the symptomatic REFLECTION of the fever much like the seizures are the symptomatic reflection of a variety of potential dysfunctions (electrolytic imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, circulatory dysfunction, etc).
It should also be understood that medication is something that is purely at the discretion of your childs physician. This area is not my area of expertise, nor is this the proper forum in which to provide any responsible feedback. However, in my experience with CP children all over the world, the rationale for their use is generally to reduce the visible manifestation of the seizures. Although this has some merit to it, unless there is some focused strategy to address the cause as well as the symptoms, it is an approach that typically ends with simply higher doses or implementation of different medications. Anti-seizure medication is most effective when it is part of a larger strategy.
To summarize with a comment related more specifically to your case, it would also be a wise strategic plan to continue investigation into the actual seizure itself. As you mention, you are not even able to discern whether these events are actually seizures...therefore further discussions with your neurologist would certainly contribute to a more effective strategy.
There is indeed a great deal more that can be discussed regarding the specifics of seizures, however in most cases the physiological perspective is out-weighed by the practical realities of daily life. Therefore, my parting remarks would be to continue your investigations into this topic...the greater the understanding, the greater is the potential to formulate strategies that not only align with your parental value system, but produce effective results.
I will be posting a comprehensive post on seizures in the very near future that will provide a more comprehensive look into this important topic.
I hope this has been helpful and please do not hesitate to post more comments and questions!
Cheers!
Thank you, that was helpful, & reassuring as I was worried about them making the brain injury worse. He has been making good progress lately & so I always stress about potential setbacks. Good to know! And I agree about the medications, I think that's why I haven't called up our Neurologist, I'm not keen on adding a 2nd medication unless it's necessary.
ReplyDeleteThanks again
I'm glad that my feedback was helpful. This is indeed a very "visceral" topic that is typicaly characterized by alot of emotion and obvious concern. I applaud your pro-activeness in getting informed and seeking more feedback and perspective. I have had the honour and luxury of meeting with hundreds of families all over the world regarding this very topic...and your concerns are universal. Please feel free to communicate with me again if you require any other feedback or enhancement...and continue your active research into CP! All the best! Gavin
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