Noah's REAL Noggin

Noah’s neurologist calls the brain a delightful symphony of neurons and electricity. Before Noah started having his seizures, I didn’t think much about the brain, and to many of you reading this I am sure that won’t come as a surprise. If a brain is a symphony, then Noah’s noggin is the most raucous rock concert in the history of man. We are talking Led Zeppelin turned to 11. In a typical brain, neurons are part of an intricate team that forms a vast communications network. In Noah’s brain, that communication network is disrupted when he has a seizure, which in his case, causes a loss of consciousness and makes his hands pulse and his lips, hands and feet turn blue. It is frightening to see, but reading in greater detail about how neurons should communicate has given me deeper insight into his condition.

Take one finger and touch a person's head (you may want to warn them of your experiment first), then take another finger and touch the person's hair, then take another finger and touch the person's hand. Each body part represents a neuron. Your arm is a neuron's axon, your fingers are the terminal buds, and the person you are touching is all the other neurons you connect with. That is how neurons connect. Thank the person you have been touching and please continue reading. If you failed to warn the person you have been touching, please come back when the dispute has been settled.

So, what’s a neuron? Neurons are electrically excitable cells that process and transmit information by electrochemical signaling, via connections with other cells called synapses. Neurons essentially are the building block or the foundation of the nervous system. Neurons have many short branches called dendrites, which are bushy branch like extensions of a neuron and their purpose is to receive messages and conduct impulses towards the cell body. Neurons also have a long extension called an axon, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles and glands. When two neurons form a connection with each other, the axon of one cell nearly touches a dendrite of another, leaving a tiny space called a synapse.

A person's every moment depends on the rhythmic participation of each neuron to properly sync to the electrochemical impulses that the neurons generate. Neurons should “fire” (as our neurologist says) around 80 times a second. In Noah’s case, his condition can cause the neurons to fire abnormally, which then causes a seizure. During a seizure, neurons may fire as many as 500 times a second. It is the misfire that damages the brain. Though the brain often recovers from that damage, Noah’s seizures were so significant the damage is permanent.

Noah’s new medication Limictal is effective in controlling the storm and managing the electrochemical impulses, but it is not 100% effective. Before Noah was placed on this medication, a bad day was 7 or 8 seizures lasting about 45 seconds on average; a bad day was at least twice a month and sometimes more. Now those bad days come once a month, occasionally twice a month, but that is rare. What is interesting is that his seizures are even more intense, albeit less frequent. They have gone from 45 seconds on average to almost two minutes on average. Is it worth the risk? Does he need new medication? Will the medication eventually catch up and further reduce the frequency? The lack of answers doesn’t provide a lot of comfort.

What does provide comfort though is the smile on that little boy’s face. He has a way of calming me; I find serenity in the way he fights back from a bad day. I can remember once after a very long and very bad day, he looked at me as he was coming out of a seizure and he gave me the brightest smile I have ever seen. The smile just said “I’m okay Dad, we’re okay, and we will fight this.” I was calm, he was calm, and together we sat as he fell asleep and recovered. He may only be 3, but he knows his neurons better than most people do. And he is none to happy with them!

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Best,

G