Another Adventure with Tate...

... but this is not the adventure I was looking for.

No...   we've been at the hospital since Monday, when Tate had episodes.  Fainting, that looked a lot like seizures.  (Rigid body, vomiting, unresponsive.)  Not fun.  Especially the part about going to the ER after the first one,  having the second one there in front of the triage nurse, and getting sent home after five hours, and then having a third one that took us right back to the ER.  And getting a second IV placed.  And then lingering in the ER until 2:15am, when they finally got a room for us.  Because after nearly nine hours (minus driving home, Tate collapsing, and us driving right back) the ER very nearly had another patient.  Me.

Finally getting up to the Peds unit and the friendly and familiar (from Tate's previous stay) nurses was a huge relief.  Probably more so for me, as I could finally lie down.

Since Monday, Tate has had two IV's, two blood draws, two (or three?) lie-down-sit-up-stand-up blood pressure tests, two EKGs, an EEG (great picture forthcoming...), a CAT scan, and an MRI.  And if I there is part of the medical alphabet I somehow missed, chalk it up to lack of sleep.

The good news is - it's not epilepsy.  No brain damage.

The bad news is - we probably won't ever know what really caused it.

Two possibilities...

The most likely is that he's fighting off a virus (bloodwork and a mild fever support this), became dehydrated, and - for some reason - that caused the episodes, which the neurologist called anoxic seizures (not epileptic seizures).  If I understand this right, basically his blood pressure dropped and his brain temporarily wasn't getting enough oxygen.

The less likely possibility (and the impetus for some of the tests) is the chance of there being a connection between jumping on the trampoline Monday afternoon (when Tate first noticed feeling nauseous), his hearing loss (the same nerves process hearing and balance), and the seizures.

Just so you know, there's a big difference between feeling dizzy = lightheaded and feeling dizzy = the-world-is-spinning.  The spinning feeling - which Tate doesn't report - would link it to the nerve/inner ear.

If it ever happens again (and I hope and pray not!) we're to watch his eyes for twitching.

And in the meantime, no exercise (no soccer!) for a week, and no trampoline for THREE MONTHS.  Just in case.  And to protect him if it should happen again.

Thanks to all you friends for your prayers and to Mel-beth, and Gramma and Grampa for covering the other boys.

It's good to be home.