Breakthrough
 |
| Google search image |
Lately, that’s been a buzz word when it comes to COVID,the vaccines and breakthrough infections. I used to associate that word with religion and the advancement of desires and “answered prayers”. The meaning of breakthrough is any significant or sudden advance, development, achievement, or increase, as in scientific knowledge (dictionary dot com). More recently on my adult life, I have associated the word with my daughter having “breakthrough seizures”.
Kerstin has a vagal/vagus nerve stimulator or VNS; she is also prescribed 4 different seizure medications. Before the VNS was implanted she was on meds only and had breakthrough seizures and some would get really bad; talking full tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures. We were advised by her neurologist that the VNS would be a good way to help reduce her seizures without adding more medications that would have her so sedated that she would be sleepy most of the time and not very alert. Yes! We wanted that option and Kerstin was implanted in March of 2019.
Kerstin’s seizure activity has gone down tremendously. However, she still had seizure activity and from time to time, seizure activity becomes visible. They have not turned to a grand mal. Kerstin’s last grand mal was in the parking lot of a Walmart; February 2019, one month before her VNS surgery.
Breakthroughs happen. Have they been has horrible as pre-VNS? No! Thankfully, no! Should I stop her meds or have the stimulator removed because she still has very sporadic breakthrough seizures? Hell no! The breakthrough seizures don’t have my child convulsing then leave her sleep or out of it for up to 24 hours afterwards.
Back to that breakthrough definition; scientific knowledge tells me that there is a possibility of seizures but, they are not like those before Kerstin was medicated and implanted - had a layer of protection.
These days, layers of protection are critically important to me for my family. I have a child with a very complex medical history and protecting her is important to me.
😷 💉
#MaskedAndVaccinated
