Brynn had a wonderful time at Camp Alabama provided by Med Camps of Louisiana! For 5 days at Camp Shining Stars for children with Seizure Disorders. He was able to ride a horse, swim, shoot arrows, enjoy nature and he even danced! What a blessing it is to have him have so much fun with children just like him. Priceless, you just cannot put a price on his tremendously happy smile and knowing he feels like he belongs somewhere. Please visit http://www.medcamps.com/ to learn more about MedCamps. They provide Camp experience in a medically supervised environment at no cost for children who other wise would never know a Camp experience. 

They have a wish list for musical instruments, archery arrows, soccer nets, bedding for twin size beds, pillows, art supplies, golf carts, puzzles, costumes, board games, Gift Cards, beds, (Wal-Mart, Target, Lowes), Paint balls and CO2 cartridges. They also have an "Adopt-A-Camper" Program. The program covers 9 wonderful Camping programs for children with Spina Bifida and Orthopedic Conditions, Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Disabilities, Asthma, Autism, Sickle Cell, Hearing/Speech/Vision Impairments, Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder and Asthma.  
                                                

  We got the 21 hour Video EEG results back while Brynn was away at Camp. No seizures were captured on the 21 hour recording! He of course does still have the same areas of dysfunction as well as the Epileptic Spikes. At this time, he does not appear to be in a state of Encephalopathy. We will keep the three medications exactly as they are and will only change anything if he starts a downward spiral again. I will be getting him in to the Neuropsychologist soon to see where he is cognitively. I would guess he is about where he was last August, perhaps making strides in a few areas, but perhaps falling back in a few also. I am looking forward to moving soon... More about that another time! :) Brynn did get approved for SSI last week too. I expected to have to fight for it and he would be closer to 18 before he got approved, but they approved him the first time. Such a relief knowing that if anything happens to either my Husband or I or us both, he will be taken care of. Here in LA there is a 5-6 year waiting list for Waiver services for MR children/adults. I have already picked one of his siblings and discussed with them all that someone will have to take care of him, he is blessed to have 3 older and 2 younger siblings. So it's only natural to look forward... with praise and thanksgiving that the Father got us this far... and knowing that He and He alone holds the future... With that I look forward with great anticipation, praying for His will to be done, now and always... ~Denise

 

    

Okay, I put this off long enough....  Went back to Children's for our June appointment. Brynn is currently stable at an average of 4 Complex Partials and 1 or 2 tonics a week. Just ONE Tonic Clonic in the whole month of June and one so far in July. May be the best we will get... Could get better.... could get much worse and fast. Wouldn't it be nice to know...

 Cognitive functioning has slowed again, and we have weaned Zonegran.   Keeping Klonopin, Depakene and Vimpat for now. We went for a Video EEG on Thursday and Friday last week. He had a good night, so I am unsure if they caught any seizures. Talked to the Eleptologist about Brynn also. She said that he has Congenital Intractable Multifocal Epilepsy.
I asked if it caused his Cognitive Disorder and MR, she said no... He was born that way. She also told me that with his left Occipital Lobe, Frontal Lobe and Right Centrotemporal .     He actually could be blind, could have not talked or walked. She said he does very well in spite of what is going on in his brain and that Children's brains are amazing that they can go around these issues and one area takes over the others lack. She told Brynn he was brave and she was proud of him for doing so good through the testing... and she told him he is AMAZING! We talked a little about Genetic testing, said I will have to ask his Neuro about that. I mentioned Fragile X, she said most Fragile X  children are moderate/severe MR, he is mild MR with Cognitive Disorder, could be Fragile X but could be Prader Willi or others too...

Hmmm, Prader Willi... that syndrome that I was laughed at for suggesting to that Neuro before his second known Tonic Clonic? Yeah, oddly enough I haven't even thought about that syndrome in the two years since Brynn's Epilepsy got out of control. Looking back on the conversation I should have asked tons of questions... but I froze mentally after she said he could be blind... could have never learned to talk and walk... I was so taken back by the miracle of it all. He can ride a bike, a four wheeler... He may only read on a 1st Grade entry level, but you should see him change a tire and work on a bike.... You should see him play on his iPad... You should see him laugh and play... 

          
Of course now I think what if it moves, starts somewhere else? What then? No negativity Denise, you didn't come this far to become a faithless fearer of the future! No, take it all one day at a time and be ever so grateful that my precious Brynn can indeed walk, talk and see. Appreciate everything he can do and make the best out of what he has, whew. So... onward we will go. Going to ask again for genetic testing. I went back over his previous Video EEG report and I understand it better now after talking to her. I understand th faulty wiring comments better and I actually comprehend what dysfunction in the brain means. I still have a lot to learn about this Epilepsy monster, but I have come full circle to reality...
The reality is that he was just born this way. Our Abba Father makes no mistakes. He is a beautiful miracle, as all children are. He just sparkles differently and his light just so happens to flicker too much at times. What an amazing boy he is indeed! Hard to believe in just a few months he will be a... TEENAGER!
 Brynn is so excited to go to Med Camp on the 15th for a whole week!! I am excited for him to have such a wonderful opportunity to have a fun filled week in a medically supervised environment to ride horses, canoe, swim, hike, archery and most importantly meet other children like him! :) 



 
 

Lots of beautiful sparkly children will be there... just like him!      :)