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When I was diagnosed with depression - some idiot doctor put me on depakote. I read it was to treat epilepsy and couldn't figure that out at all. It did nothing for me but cause the "flat effect" where you don't feel happy or sad. You basically feel nothing. I told my regular doctor and he didn't care. I was on it quite some time before he finally moved me to something better.

I know they also used depakote for Bi-polars. I never had that either. But, I am thinking now after Blooie's information that THANK G-D I never had any of that when I was pg.
In fact once my pregnancy was confirmed I went off all meds. And I stayed off for 13 years. Despite my doctors wishes. He tried to tell me the new stuff wouldn't affect a baby. I did NOT believe that. Besides I nursed my son.

It was very hard for me not to be on the good meds. I was tearful( Dr.would write down) and anxious about my baby - I was reading so much about crib deaths,etc. When he had a cough, I slept on the floor next to the crib- so I'd hear him & wake up.

None the less- after the 13 years I was very ready to go back on my meds, so I could really feel and enjoy life. That was great and we had a lot of good adventures then.

Now that I sleep so much - I have missed several days of my med, and lipitor etc.. Not deliberate I just forget. I know I could easily get by on half the dose I am taking, and then wean off. But would not do that without doctor's advice and I don't have a doctor anymore (outlived two of them) .
 
Diva, almost all seizure blocking medications are lumped into the category of “antidepressants”, and many are used for things other than what they were developed to treat as well. For instance, I was first prescribed Dilantin for the first years of my seizure disorder, then was switched to Phenobarbital when I continued to have breakthrough seizures. But after waking up in a panic on the couch late one morning, jumping into my car and racing to the school because I did not remember getting the kids ready that morning and was convinced I’d sent them to school naked, that was the end of those! After that I used Neurontin for my seizures for a couple of years, but built up too great a tolerance and again I was switched to a combination of Dilantin and Tegretol. Finally Ken and I talked it over and decided that since my seizures are nocturnal focal motor seizures, it was really stupid to keep taking these heavy meds and risking the side effects, and under medical supervision, I tapered off until I was off everything completely. The agreement was that if I ever had a serious episode, or experienced a daytime seizure, I would go back on antidepressants.

Fast forward to 4 years ago. The peripheral artery disease I have was making the neuropathy in my feet unbearable. Even just the sheet on my feet at night could make me cry. I use a foot tent made from a bolster to keep bedding off my feet. I have to order socks because it’s hard to find any with no toe seams, which I can’t tolerate. My neurologist put me on Lyrica, but the resulting edema was hard on my circulation and heart. April of last year I again found myself on Neurontin, but for my neuropathy this time instead of my seizures. The difference is night and day. I don’t know if I’ll again build up a tolerance for it or not, but for now I’ll definitely take the relief it offers and worry about increasing the dosages later!

My sister Linda was given Neurontin for her severe restless leg syndrome. Other people are prescribed Neurontin for fibromyalgia, for pain, and even for relief from Shingles sometimes. So all from one antidepressant, there are at least 6 different uses right there. Go figger! I so wish some of the other drugs that were initially tried for Jenny’s much more serious seizures would have worked, and she could have avoided Depakote altogether, but it is the only thing that has stopped her seizures, as long as she doesn’t miss even a single dose. And I worry so much about Kendra, who has been taking Kepra, Onfi, and Lamactil all at the same time, and is still nowhere near under control. It’s time to try something else - finding seizure control is not an exact science and meds and dosages have to fine tuned - trying, increasing, adding, rejecting, and then trying something else. I’m so glad that you didn’t use Depakote when you were expecting! I adore my girls but I wouldn’t wish what they go through on anyone’s baby!
 
Blooie said:
Oh, man! That makes me sad. I guess they all fall at sometime or another, but it's still sad when it happens.

Okay, parameters strongly set by Jenny...and Katie's attorneys. Katie got her first debit card in the mail today. Yep, 13 years old and she got a...well, I dunno if it should be called a debit card or a pre-paid Visa card. As of the first of last month, Katie will never have to worry about a thing, if she's smart and careful. There is a dollar limit on that card per month. It is to be used for anything she needs and can be loaded with more if she needs it - clothes, education, school supplies, medical co-pays, or whatever other incidentals it takes to raise her. Unused funds for that month do not roll over, but are added back into her account. In addition to that major expenses (like her upcoming trip to Europe with the band during her junior year of high school) are paid for. Her orthodontics are paid for. Her college education is paid for. Katie's future is almost secure.

We've known since she was 2 years old that Katie has Valproate Acid Syndrome. It's the reason she has no little cleft between her lip and her nose, why the bridge of her nose is so flat, why her hips are asymmetrical and one rib is missing, and why she is Autistic. When Katie was about 4, her physical therapist (remember our Cindi, who also took care of Kendra?) mentioned to Jenny that there was a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of Depakote. They knew that major birth defects were likely with Depakote, but didn't make that fact public until forced to do it. I don't recall the year. Anyway, as I said Bug was only 2 when she was officially diagnosed with VAS due to the Depakote that Jenny took for her epilepsy. At that time Depakote was only "suspected" of causing birth defects. But since it was the only medication that controlled Jenny's seizures, her doctors believed that based on the literature from the drug company, the risks to the unborn baby were far less than the risks of Jenny's violent Grand Mal seizures. After the facts were confirmed and made public, there was that class action lawsuit, and Katie's case was submitted for revue. A few months ago the plaintiffs - that includes Katie - prevailed and the courts appointed facilitators and administrators to determine that amount that each plaintiff would be awarded based on their level of disability and how many they would be awarding. Katie's case was finalized, the kids finished up the paperwork, and the money is now put into her fund. It can't be touched by anyone other than Katie, via Kenny and Jenny, and it can't be used for anything except Katie directly - no home repairs, no disabled-accessible vehicle, no groceries....but other than that if Katie needs it, it's covered, and it isn't limited to medical needs.

The irony is that Spina Bifida is the most studied, verified birth defect caused by Valproate (or Valproic, depending on the literature) Acid and Kendra has both the autism and the SB. But she didn't qualify for the lawsuit because by the time she was conceived, the generic for Depakote was available and that's what Jenny was on at the time. The lawsuit specifies the name brand, not the generic. So, frankly, the one who really needs the funds for expensive needs couldn't even be named in the lawsuit. The other limit was that by the time Kendra came along, the risks of Depakote were well published and it was contraindicated for women who might become pregnant. Well, it took the kids 11 years to have Katie, so they really didn't think another baby was in the cards, especially as more years went by without another one. Surprise! The issue with SB is that the neural tube defect happens before a woman even knows she's pregnant, within the first two weeks or so, so even if they'd taken Jenny off the drug once her pregnancy was verified, the damage had already been done.

So while I can't disclose the actual amount of the settlement, the administrators, or any of the deeper details of the suit, what I have told you is what Jenny has been cleared to disclose, and I checked with her to be sure before posting this. This has been in the works for so many years that none of us want to do anything to jeopardize it in any way, so I had never even mentioned the possibility before. I am so relieved that at least one of the girls will be able to have some financial stability and security as she grows and becomes an adult!
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I don't know really how to express the happiness and the sadness, I feel. I mean happy that Katie will be financially secure for the rest of her life but it's sad that she has had to go through everything and you and Jen and the rest of family as well.
I'm even more sad that Kendra isn't being compensated for BIG Pharma's greed and lack of moral ethics...even with it being a generic drug, it still contains the active ingredient, which they developed but chose not to continue their patent, so they wouldn't be held liable....truely a travesty!

I'm just glad that both Kendra and Katie have the family they have, especially you Blooie, I don't think their lives would be the same without you being there for them.
The wheels of justice turn so slow, maybe there will be justice for Kendra too, some day!...that is my prayer anyway!
 
007Sean said:
I don't know really how to express the happiness and the sadness, I feel. I mean happy that Katie will be financially secure for the rest of her life but it's sad that she has had to go through everything and you and Jen and the rest of family as well.
I'm even more sad that Kendra isn't being compensated for BIG Pharma's greed and lack of moral ethics...even with it being a generic drug, it still contains the active ingredient, which they developed but chose not to continue their patent, so they wouldn't be held liable....truely a travesty!

I'm just glad that both Kendra and Katie have the family they have, especially you Blooie, I don't think their lives would be the same without you being there for them.
The wheels of justice turn so slow, maybe there will be justice for Kendra too, some day!...that is my prayer anyway!
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Well said Sean!
 
007Sean said:
I don't know really how to express the happiness and the sadness, I feel. I mean happy that Katie will be financially secure for the rest of her life but it's sad that she has had to go through everything and you and Jen and the rest of family as well.
I'm even more sad that Kendra isn't being compensated for BIG Pharma's greed and lack of moral ethics...even with it being a generic drug, it still contains the active ingredient, which they developed but chose not to continue their patent, so they wouldn't be held liable....truely a travesty!

I'm just glad that both Kendra and Katie have the family they have, especially you Blooie, I don't think their lives would be the same without you being there for them.
The wheels of justice turn so slow, maybe there will be justice for Kendra too, some day!...that is my prayer anyway!
Click to expand...
X2:hugs:hugs
 

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