Home Sweet Home

Hello everyone!

I am happy to report that I am home and resting comfortably after another two day hospital stay.

Tuesday night, I had just completed a 1.5 mile jog and was resting on the couch while dinner was being prepared. As I was laying down, I felt a very funny sensation on the left side of my body and realized I couldn't move my left arm or left leg. I cried out for my mom to help me and fell back onto the couch and went into a seizure. This seizure was completely different then the first one. I remember pretty much the entire seizure from start to finish and never lost consciousness. The seizure only lasted about a minute or so but being trapped in my head it felt like it lasted forever. I can remember seeing my left arm extended out next to me and I could feel my left foot cramping, which was severely painful, and my thought process was that I was going to most likely dislocate my shoulder. I experienced a deafening noise in both ears that sounded like electricity running through wires (like if you have ever walked next to a transformer and heard the electrical buzz). Towards the end of the seizure I lost my hearing and really had a sort of "out of body experience" as I heard someone hyperventilating and it took a few seconds for me to realize that it was ME breathing that way. The entire time I was seizing I did not have the ability to speak and so I had no way to communicate with anyone around me, even though all I wanted to do was yell and scream because it was so painful. I wish I had passed out during this seizure because it was the most terrifying experience of my life. Once I regained the ability to speak, the first words out of my mouth were "Call 9-1-1". My speech was slurred for a few minutes, but quickly returned, but I never experienced a posttictal state of confusion or disorientation. I knew what day it was and where I was and what happened immediately after the conclusion of the seizure.

I arrived at the Emergency room shortly after 7pm and was promptly admitted and moved up to the hematology/oncology floor. I thought I would only have to stay for 1 day, but it turned into a two day event as I underwent blood work and MRIs and CT Scans and an EEG. Everything came back good, but there was some abnormality noted in my EEG so the decision was made to increase my Keppra dosage to 750 mg, twice daily. They wanted me to stay an extra night and meet with the neurologist, but my neurosurgeon Dr. Baronia told them I could go home if I wanted. I elected to forgo the neurology consult since my scans looked good and go home so I can sleep in my own bed (I can always meet with the neurologist later).

The good news with all of this is I was still able to receive my chemotherapy and radiation without interruption, so I don't have to tack additional days on to my treatment. Tomorrow will be the end of week two of chemotherapy and radiation and I will have exactly one month left of treatment. The bad news is that with this new onset seizure, my ability to drive has been delayed and my 6 months starts over (I will be driving my car to smash the radiation mask, so my compliance will have to take a back seat for a brief moment). Onward and upward my friends! Have a wonderful Halloween!