BRE

 rayray:  I am currently in the process of determining if my 9 year old son has BRE. He had his first problem while at his dad's house on July 11 and the next seizure, which I and my 12 year old son fully witnessed, on July 17. At first I thought he got over heated, but after we got home, took him to his pediatrician and talked to a few family members, I believe he has BRE. He has an EEG and MRI scheduled for next Wed. As his mother, I am obviously worried, but after talking to my former sister-in law and doing some research, I am no longer worried as much as I was. This is what I found out:                         1. It can be hereditary. My ex-husband's niece had BRE as a child, took medication for approx. 18 months, and has seemed to outgrow it. I think she is now 22 and not had another problem since. However, there is no known cause for it.                          2. It is often found in boys more than girls                          3. Children with the illness do not typically have problems in school, but some have difficulty with reading/ literature or spatial skills. My son has had difficulty with reading and received help. I wish I would have known then what I know now. It would have made it easier knowing what the specific problem was.                          4. It often occurs when the child is sleeping; ie going to or waking up from. In both cases, my son was waking up.                           5. It typically affects the one side of the body, usually starting in the face. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how scary it was to see my son go through what he did. a friend of mine, with whom we were vacationing at the time of the episode, thought he was having a stroke. Fortunately, he didn't have a grand mal, I was freaked out enough by what I saw without that happening.                          6. It is often brought on by over exhaustion or over-stimulation. In both cases, my son was overly tired. I also know that my former sister-in law said that her daughter experienced the same thing, and to be cautious, they always made sure she got plenty of rest. I know you said you were nervous about letting him sleep alone, but maybe if you make sure he does over exert himself or takes an afternoon nap, with you close by, you will be more comfortable with placing him in his own bed in the evening because the likelihood he will have a seizure will not be as great.                         7. Seizures are often accompanied by drooling and the inability to talk. When I learned this it made me wonder how long this problem has/had been occuring. My son drools alot while he sleeps; I just thought it was because he slept with his mouth open. I'm not sure how much of this information you already know. I am obviously new at this, but one thing I do know, is that when I feel more educated about an issue, I feel I am much more capable of handling it. My prayers are with you. Keep me in yours as well; we'll find out for sure next Wed