On second thought, maybe you can handle a headache every day after all.

About two months ago, we switched Lily's seizure medication.  The first medication we'd tried was effective at controlling the seizures but she had headaches every single day she was on it so we figured we'd explore other options.  This new medication appears to control the seizures as well, which is remarkable, considering that she is only on half of the so-called "therapeutic dose", otherwise known as the minimum dose at which seizures can typically be controlled.

I've done a lot of reading since Lily's epilepsy diagnosis, a practice which sometimes gets a huge eye-roll from doctors, because heaven knows, everything we lay people find on the internet is 100% true.  With a huge grain of salt and a healthy dose of common sense, I try to arm myself with ample information on what has/has not worked for other epilepsy patients.  I consider myself an open-minded skeptic.  The only things I completely rule out are therapies that border on dangerous, are way out of our price-range, or are just plain inconvenient.

So, based on my research, I've added the following supplements to Lily's regimen:

B Vitamins, Omega 3(fish oil), and turmeric.  In addition, I'm experimenting with the following essential oils, purported to support healthy brain function: frankincense, clary sage, ylang ylang, and lavender.  While I can't attribute the cessation of seizures to any particular thing, I'm confident that our supplementation has at least a small influence because most people with epilepsy require much higher doses of medication in order to keep seizures at bay.  For that, I am extremely grateful.

Now here's the rub.  When Lily was on her first medication, the one that caused chronic headaches, her emotional way of handling life was largely subdued.  Out went the constant power struggles, the perpetual "I can't's", the completely irrational arguments.  It was refreshing, really.  Now the craziness is back in full swing.  And I do mean crazy.  So crazy that I find myself having to lock myself in my room so I don't strangle her.  It's that impossible to convince her that she's looking at everything with a skewed perspective.  

I won't go into it, since I expect she will read this one day and be a bit miffed that her mother was inclined to check herself into a mental hospital over her behavior.  Still, I can't help but wish we could bring back those headaches because they sure made her humble...and my life a whole lot easier.