September 19, 2009 - Rough Ride!

Hello All. We have had a few challenging and informative days. Erik began to seize on the way home from school on Thursday. We intervened but were unable to stop the seizure completely so we called 911 and had Erik transported to Duke. He remained there overnight for observation and we returned home late Friday afternoon. This chain of events gave us the opportunity to discuss and explore some treatment options for Erik with his physicians including medication increases, adding medications, and Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS). Over the next week or so, we have decided to explore with his physicians the VNS. This device is like a "pace maker for the brain". It is a small implant under the skin near the collar bone that sends out impulses that interrupt seizure patterns. The interesting thing is that it also works with a magnet so if we know seizure activity is building up, we can run the magnet across the area where the device is and it will send a signal that can interrupt the pattern that is building up. There is quite a bit of information available about the VNS which honestly we have not had the time to fully investigate. Please keep this potential treatment for Erik in your prayers. As we have seen in the past, we are confident that God will lead us in the right direction as we consider all options. Thanks so much for continuing to pray for our family. Erik's Family

September 11, 2009 - We're Home!

Hello All. We are home now and have been steadily improving over the course of the week. I won't say much but I will say this . . . the past 2 days have been REALLY good for Erik. Don't want to "jinx" us here! Thanks for the prayers that are seeing us through this transitional time. We are excited about school starting next week for Erik and have been able to take care of most follow-up appointments and a few other annual appointments this week which has been really good. Pray that Erik will remain seizure free and that next week will be "uneventful" from setbacks for him as he rejoins his teachers and classmates. Erik does appear to be focusing better these days and is really happy to be back home with his siblings. The time apart passed quickly but being back home has been WONDERFUL! Take care and we will keep in touch! Love in Christ, Erik's Family

September 2, 2009 - Almost done!

Hello all! Can you believe it? Treatment here in Charlotte is almost complete! Erik is doing okay but we are ready to get home. Mostly because his seizure activity has increased during treatment and we want to get home and get settled. We plan for Erik to return to school on September 14th. This will give him a little time to get closer to his baseline before entering the stimulating world of school. Pray for the next few weeks to go well for him and pray for safe travel for us on Friday. We have been researching results from treatment and it appears that many patients experience changes in the 4-6 weeks post completion of therapy. Keep Erik in your prayers and we will share progress with you as we continue down this path of healing. We have met some wonderful people here - HBOT staff, nurses, neighbors - again, God has filled this challenging time with unexpected rewards! Just think about the people we have met (especially the nurses) who have learned about HBOT and can share it with the numerous patients they will encounter! God's purposes for this trip reach further than we planned! Thanks for all of your prayers and support! Erik's Family