Beginnings

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful, because I come to you for safety. In the shadow of your wings I find protection until the raging storms are over. - Psalm 57:1

In January 2014 J started his first year in primary school. Shortly after we received a letter from his teacher regarding problems J experienced, which included attention span. We sent J for a battery of tests - hearing and eye tests, occupational therapy evaluation as well as an orthodidactic assessment. Both the occupational and orthodidactic therapists indicated that there were definite underdeveloped areas.

We don't elaborate much on our experience with occupational therapists on this blog, save to say that it was the closest we ever came to financial rape. We know there are very good, very competent occupational therapists out there - we just haven't met them yet.

We consulted a paediatrician about the reported problems as well as J's bed wetting, which increased dramatically.

J's paediatrician sent him for an Electroencephalogram (EEG) early in March 2014, which indicated the following abnormal focal temporal waves. 

A subsequent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan showed no abnormalities, however. The paediatrician decided that J probably had Petit Mal (absence seizures). J was put on Epilim (Liquid) and we were told that the problem will probably go away in about two years. This was not acceptable to us. If one doesn't know what it is, how can one predict that it would go away? You have to know it before you can ignore it ... right? 

However, it seemed if J's concentration span improved and the bed-wetting stopped. 

The paediatrician then prescribed Epilim (prolonged release tablets) and in about a week's time, J's concentration span started to falter and in about two weeks time the bed-wetting was back with a vengeance. Blood tests (which were frequently conducted) indicated lower sodium valproate (Epilim related) levels with the prolonged release tablets. Although J was put back on Epilim (Liquid) the bed-wetting continued, thereafter. 

Overall prominent symptoms during this period were:

• Excessive tiredness
• Short concentration span
• Slight, medium and heavy body spasms
• Paleness
• Bed-wetting
• Nausea and stomach ache, supposedly medicine-related

"Courage, dear heart" - C.S. Lewis

Signs

"Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny." - C.S. Lewis

Even when J was a baby he would sometimes appear drawn into himself. During these instances he would stare in front of him with a slight frown, looking very serious. We always joked that he will probably become a minister due to his seriousness. 

When J was about three years old, his kindergarten teacher indicated that he frequently didn't react to instructions or even voices for that matter. She suggested that we take him for a hearing test. We knew J didn't have hearing problems but we took him for tests anyway and the audiologist confirmed that J's hearing was normal. Everybody else's response was: ... "come on he is a 3 year old child for goodness sake!". 

In April during his fifth year, another teacher indicated that J was very slow in completing tasks, did not follow instructions through and had problems with attention. We took J to a therapist, who indicated that, except for some minor reflex underdevelopment, there were no serious problems. Everybody else's response was: ... "come on he is a 5 year old child for goodness sake!". 

We noticed that J would have spasms during his sleep. For example, a tell-tale sign that J fell asleep was a single initial shoulder jerk. More spasms (shoulders, arms legs) followed during a sleep cycle, which varied in intensity and frequency.

At about age six, occasional bed-wetting started but there was no pattern we could detect. And in anyway - J was just a small child for goodness sake!

“Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different...” - C.S. Lewis