Discoveries in Awesomeness

1: I really like Target diapers. They are a cent cheaper per diaper than Sams, just about as effective as Pampers and covered in adorable little polka dots. I feel like we gave them a try in the newborn size and didn't like them, so either I dreamed that (possible given our state of awareness during that diaper stage), our standards have changed, our our diapering needs have shifted. Either way, rock on.

2: Mya is lovin the whole milk and Carnation which means we are on our last container of formula. We (mom and dad) are not loving the weaning prep work. Just to document the ridiculousness of Mya's evening bottles for our future enjoyment (they put the morning madness to shame...really. like 30 minutes from refrigerator to bottle) here is tonight's formula: 4 oz milk to 2 oz gentlease. So that means 2 ounces water, 1 scoop formula, 4 ounces milk & 1/4 packet Carnation per bottle (yes, all of that x 4 in a pitcher is totally the way to go to get you through a day) . Now add a crushed B6, 1 ounce prune juice, 1 mL milk of mag.,  and 2 mL of Prevacid. Then mix 5 mL Topomax (cherry flavored) with a crushed Clobozan and 1/4 crushed Baclofen. Now get her to take the cherry concoction without half of it dribbling down her chin and the bottle without a gag, choke or spit-up of the waterfall variety and you win a prize.

3. Our new neurologist. Awesome. Well not really our neurologist b/c we still have the old one, but (and I learned a new word that spell check does not believe exists) our Epileptologist.

So our latest trip to neurology got swallowed up in the pukapolypse. AND (as an aside) I am proud to report that Things 1 and 3 have been in the car 3 times since the big event without episode. They were starving for all 3 trips, but still without episode is key. Back on topic: seizures: Here is what we learned. They are lots more drugs we can try. The ones that are most likely to have any effect have super scary side effects, but some more 'likely' than others. So, while we are choosing between scary side effects and scarier 'inaction' at least we have choices. Ketogenic diet (and we knew this), while also technically an option, won't really work in our situation b/c intake needs to be super specific (i.e. she needs to eat it all) and the prep work would put our evening bottles to shame and likely cause one or both of us to be committed. There is this other option that was something new to us called a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). And while we are a ways off from trying it, it is out there with future potential if the next rounds of drugs are ineffective. So at least we know there is a next step, which was something we were losing a bit of hope on. I just opened the paperwork (complete with DVD) on VNS that they mailed us today and the concept is pretty cool. They implant (surgery - but outpatient) this small device in the chest. A wire with electrodes on the end runs up to the neck and wraps around the vagus nerve that connects the brain to the rest of the body. The pulses it sends have been proven to reduce the frequency and severity of otherwise hard to control seizures.

One thing that I have learned through the last few years of my life: there are a ridiculous number of horrible things that can go wrong with the human body, and there are an almost equal number of fascinating and crazy treatment alternatives to try and fix them. The latter: pretty awesome.

Speaking of awesomeness: