Jacob's Journey

I will try to keep this is short, sweet and to the point. Realm of Caring has changed our lives and for the first time in 7 years true hope and the power of prayer has prevailed. In 2006 our little Jacob suffered a Grand Mal Seizure and stopped breathing in our living room. Thanks to some excellent CPR and First Aide training I was able to attend to Jacob until paramedics arrived. Jacob was then taken to the hospital where he continued with seizure activity for several hours. Several weeks following his Grand Mal Seizure Jacob continued to experience many different types of seizures and he was placed on Keppra for prevention. Despite his other disabilities Jacob went from a smiling little boy, communicating the best he knew how, to a little boy who slept or who was in a daze 70% of his day. Jacob had very little appetite because the medication would keep his abilities suppressed and of course the long list of side effects of irritability, muscle spasms, inability to sleep, etc., etc. didn’t help either. Now of course the doctors would argue that these symptoms were related to his original diagnosis of a rare form of Dystrophy but they were wrong. Sorry Docs you don’t always know best, and I would put a parents one on one, 24 hour a day experience of 20 years with their child up against your PHD any day. Even a good doctor would say that parents can be their children’s best doctor or nurse at times. For five years this was the way we lived. People don’t realize that seizures just don’t affect the patient but those who are also around that person. Many times despite the medication and even with the Keppra, seizures worsened. Our son would not make noise when having seizures he would only make movement, so in order for us to get any sleep at all, I would have Jacob sleep with me so that I could feel him when he was having troubles. It was devastating. After 5 years things began to worsen. At that 5 year mark, I began seeking out alternative therapies, remedies and dietary changes that could possibly turn my sons condition around. I did end up finding some therapies that began what I call our turning point. Through some of these other therapies I began to notice that upon giving my son his Keppra seizures began to become more frequent and severe as if we were going completely backwards. Fortunately I did at the time have a very good neurologist who listened to my concerns and began to work with me on bringing the dosage of Keppra down. As we did this, the symptoms Jacob experienced would subside for a time. We began to understand the alternative therapies we were giving Jacob provided enough support that not as much medication was needed. We did this process for the majority of 2012 but towards the end of 2012 Jacob’s reactions to the Keppra grew more and more severe. There were times that Jacob would not sleep for 24-36 hours suffering seizures, breathing issues, heart palpitations, muscle spasms, gagging and vomiting. When these spells took place there was nothing I could do but sit up with him for those 24-36 hours and hold him close to hopefully alleviate some of these symptoms. By the time I really began speaking out to new doctors in regards to his Keppra they did not believe that such a little dosage of Keppra was causing this many problems. No matter how much I tried to tell them. Of course with most parents, at this point you are crying out to God for an answer. You have turned over every rock for some type of relief. In the beginning of 2013 I saw a program on either the History Channel or Discovery Channel about a young boy suffering seizures and finding relief through the use of a special blend of Cannabis. I was instantly intrigued and rocked to the core of my soul. I knew my prayer had been answered. This was the answer that was going to help our Jacob finally find relief. Through several months of my own research and speaking with doctors in support of Medical Cannabis, I made my decision to pursue what was placed in our path. I was encouraged to contact Realm of Caring, and funny before being referred to Realm of Caring from others, I had actually ran into information on my own about them. The beginning of 2013 has been one of the toughest times for our family. However, in May, that changed from trials and tribulations, to triumph. I understand that Jacob will need support the rest of his life for his diagnosis but I do also know that support doesn’t have to be something that harms him. We went through the process legally for Jacob to obtain the Medical Cannabis through Realm of Caring. I had no idea how much of a turning point this would be. The night of May 30 we began our first dosage of Medical Cannabis for Jacob. Now for most people that understand seizures and how they work, you will also understand that nighttime can be the most treacherous time for those suffering with seizures. Jacob slept all night long without an ounce of difficulty. As a matter of fact I slept so sound myself that I awoke startled. I hadn’t slept that good in years, and I am most certain Jacob hadn’t either. The morning of May 30 was the last dosage of Keppra Jacob has received, and despite just a few a adjustments of dosage of the Medical Cannabis and some dietary changes Jacob is now seizure free. No night time scares, no issues with storms, etc etc. and even if there is a slight disruption there is only a slight muscle spasm that is quickly addressed with some of the other supportive therapies I continue to utilize. The Medical Cannabis has pushed Jacob over the threshold for victory over 7 years of hell, and I will give God above all the glory first and foremost. I humbly thank Realm of Caring for their heart to help others and the extreme amount of sacrifice, dedication and hard work they continue to give to help others. There are no words that justify the gratitude for this Mother’s broken and mending heart. God bless you Realm of Caring Team! God bless you!