05/30/11–Grand Mal Cluster

I have not had to write for a long time. 274 days to be exact!!!

I don’t count the focal seizure as a seizure, but if I did it’s been over 100 days since then as well.

Around 3:00 pm on Memorial Day Topaz came to me in the computer room and had a grand mal seizure. He got through that one and went right into a second one. He was wedged in a not good area and I was sitting in my desk chair and couldn’t really get to him very well so I am not sure if he peed on himself or not. And being that it’s so hot out, I didn’t let him out right away.

My husband was outside and I needed his help so it was kind of chaotic but we got his cocktail in him and will give him another valium and two whole PB tonight when I give him his pills.

I cannot think of any triggers although we’ve had some wonky weather lately and it was really warm today. I washed the bedding on our bed. He may have gotten into the cat food a few times. And we switched to 1 pack of turkey meat – instead of chicken. Not sure about a trigger. Could be a number of things, we’ve actually been living life lately and not worrying about triggers…isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?

I will say this, the post ictal stage has been rough…he has wandered around for most of the night, been SUPER clingy, and even came to me at one point when I was SURE he was about to seize again…he didn’t, thankfully, but he was totally acting like he was going to.

Hopefully he will be better tomorrow.

02/10/2011–Focal Seizure

I believe Topaz had what is called a Focal or Partial seizure tonight. I was laying in bed and I thought I could feel him shaking or shivering. He’s done this before, so I really didn’t think anything of it.

I called him up closer to me and noticed his head was kind of bobbing and he had that far away look in his eyes. He also seemed to get a little rigid like he was going into a Grand Mal seizure.

I got really worried because I was alone and he was on our bed and I wasn’t ready to deal with a seizure alone so I texted my husband to come home.

I observed him on the bed for a short time and decided to give him his typical after seizure cocktail just in case this was a type of seizure. While I was getting that together I grabbed my camera and took a little video. He didn’t look like he was in any immediate distress and was responding to his name and everything so I gave our other dog some ice cream and let his melt for a minute in some warm water before mixing in the rest of the ingredients (valium, PB and rescue remedy).

Here’s the video:

I posted this video on Facebook and also asked in the Epil-K9 and people who responded do believe it was a focal seizure.

My husband did come home as requested – thank you, honey! – and he called the vet on the way. They said that we did everything they would do and for us to just watch him. If it gets worse to bring him in. We didn’t have to take him in, but I was ready to!

Topaz slept for a bit and when it was time for his night pills he was still a bit shaky so I gave him some more valium and his regular PB dose and then we went to bed.

He was really clingy and needy for most of the night, sleeping right on me for a long time (not his usual). But he did well through the night with this episode not escalating to anything more.

He went 164 days without a seizure, which is just AWESOME! And I am not totally resetting his clock now, but starting a new countdown from this episode.

Other than this, everything has been great. I suspect he got into the cat food once in the past week, but besides that, all has been normal.

We have to take him to the new vet next week or the week after for a blood draw. I’m hoping that will go off without a hitch. The vet is not his favorite place to be! I will update again after the appointment.