Free at last

How much time do I spend in turmoil, wailing and gnashing my teeth, and wondering—

“Will he ever…?”
“Can he even…?”
“Why doesn’t he…?”

If I stop to remind myself that Nik does things in his own time, I am able to let go of the anxiety; Nik has shown me countless times that he is capable but he must find his own pace, his own rhythm. And when he finds that groove —that perfect chemistry that only Nik can know —magic happens.

****************************************************************

So many babies who have some sort of special medical needs from birth or shortly after —be it from extreme prematurity, genetic anomaly, or some sort of trauma or insult surrounding gestation or birth— end up being given so many medications; this one to stave off infection, that one to keep the heart from stopping periodically, another one to help with digestion, seizures, blood clotting —and so on. The longer term ramifications of these medications can not ever truly be known though reasonably logical conclusions can be drawn from years of accumulated data. Still, when a parent is faced with life and death choices, it can be more than difficult to weigh and measure the long-term effects of a particular drug against the permanence of losing one’s child.

One is forced to make imperfect choices with little objectivity.

****************************************************************

Nik began having absence seizures when he was roughly fifteen months old. At first, we thought they were simple staring spells —Nik’s little way of finding respite from the bombardment of sensory input which accompanied the revolving door of therapists and visiting nurses to our home and frequent trips to one or another doctor in the cadre of specialists for all of his -isms, -itises, and –oses. It wasn’t until he was two that Nik finally got an official diagnosis and began yet another medication.

We went through a few different meds before we found the one which seemed to be the most effective with the least negative side effects. Little did we realize that the cure would also bring about a new problem. Apparently, as we gradually ramped up to the appropriate maintenance dose, Nik began to experience a marked sense of disorientation and dissociation. He felt funny; his balance and coordination —already grossly delayed—were significantly impaired. Because we had no basis for comparison, Niksdad and I did not realize it.

With each incremental increase in the medication Nik felt the fuzziness invading his head. Because he couldn’t tell us with words or signs, he told us in the only way he could; he began waking with screams and howls as he shook and swatted at his head in his attempts to make the sensation go away. We never made the connection between the medications Nik received at dinner with the behavior which occurred hours later. The onset was so gradual that we thought there must be some underlying physical issue; something else had to be causing our son’s horrific discomfort.

A month after Nik’s third birthday, another medication was prescribed for the headaches we all— the doctors included— were certain were from some other source. The second medicine enhanced the effects of the first; a vicious cycle ensued. As we continued to increase the dose of the first medicine, the second one magnified the intensity of its effects on Nik. Nik’s once rapid progress with gross and fine motor skills seemed to stall; his previously voracious appetite completely disappeared. The smiling, laughing child I knew wasn’t replaced with something or someone else but his attention span began to dwindle greatly. Nik’s autistic characteristics became more pronounced; they were there all along but they became the first thing we saw more and more.

Can I prove any of this beyond a shadow of a doubt? Unfortunately, no.

****************************************************************

Though he loves to brush his teeth at home —sitting on my lap as we sing a song about brushing — Nik has always hated our trips to the dentist. I don’t blame him; he has to be restrained by strangers who don’t want to take the time necessary to allow him to explore and find his comfort level. Unfortunately, we don’t have a choice about dentists right now so we try to make the best of it; I still have to argue though to be allowed to hold Nik on my lap instead of sacrificing him to their care.

Having discussed the issue with the neurologist and the pediatrician, we recently decided to try a low dose of diazepam (valium) to help Nik relax a bit; if he’s not anxious about it he won’t fight, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong. WRONG.

You know how some doctors tell parents not to give their kids Benadryl or cold medicine before flying because it can have the opposite of its intended effect? That’s called a paradox response. Yeah, that’s what happened to Nik when he got the drug in his system. To say it wasn’t pretty would be a gross understatement. Picture your sweet little child strung out on PCP (Angel Dust); you’ll get the picture.

I tell you this not to garner sympathy but to illustrate a point. At the peak of his medically induced rampage, all of Nik’s previous behaviors relating to his episodic pain returned in full blossom —and then some. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever witnessed; doubly so because I knew that I had caused it. I knew that it was simply Nik’s mind and body reacting to the horrible, disorienting sensations caused by the drug; the knowledge brought no comfort.

Sobbing as I drove the 54 miles home with my feral child, I had a flash of insight.

****************************************************************

When we tried to increase Nik’s second seizure medication a few months ago, in preparation for weaning off the first one —the one we worried was causing headaches— Nik’s episodes of horrifying pain and related behaviors drastically increased; his temperament became more volatile and his meltdowns more frequent and more intense. As soon as we realized this and we reverted to the status quo Nik began to improve. After numerous discussions with the neurologist, we decided we should try to wean Nik off of the second medication instead; it has more long-term negative effects on cognition and liver function.

The change was not instantaneous but it was rapid. As we gradually decreased Nik’s daily dose of the medication, we began to see marked shifts in Nik’s attention span, his interest in social interaction, and his desire and ability to initiate play. With each decrease in dose it seems we have witnessed a blossoming of Nik’s personality and intellect; his keen problem solving skills have reached new heights. Nik’s motor skills and communication have been catapulted to a level we had not expected to see for quite a while longer. But the best and most important change we have seen?

The complete cessation of Nik’s episodic, debilitating pain. (Knock wood!)

Can I prove this theory beyond a shadow of a doubt? No, again. But the explosion of cognition, motor skills, and rich social interaction that I see in Nik on a daily basis tells me all I need to know.

Sometimes magic happens all on its own. Sometimes it needs a helping hand.