||6x Featured|| Mirna Conlins has a confession: She likes being a runaway. And now, given the chance, Mirna wants to disappear. She just needs some cash before she goes. Watch how her plan unravels as the new boys in town get tangled in her web of l...
Mirna sits in the chair by Kaden. I watch them as I roam the room to help people as I listen in on conversations. I notice right away when Mirna stands up. She pulls Kaden up and leads him away. Nessa follows right behind them. I can't help but watch as she takes him over to the corner of the room. Jim's seizure dog is following Kaden around, like she's found a new owner. It's enough to bring tears to my eyes, so I clear my throat, blink to keep the tears back, and keep roaming the room, focusing on helping everyone so I can push my own emotions down.
Kaden gets down on the floor in the corner. Mirna sits on her knees next to him and holds his hands against his stomach. So he can feel his stomach move up and down as he breathes. It's very smart, to get him to feel his breaths, but the way she grabbed his hand makes my blood boil. She pulls away and lies next to him.
She's putting herself out there alright. But it bothers me that she's obviously flirting with this kid. I mean, he needs support from someone like her. If she starts dating him, it could be good for him, but with Mirna's luck with boys, he may end up with a broken heart thanks to her, and that's not fair to him when his life is already hard. I should give her a stern wake up call. Make her realize she can't start a relationship with this kid without really thinking it through.
I sit next to Kaden's brother, whose name has slipped my mind. "I just remembered, Kaden has two kinds of seizures, right?" I say.
He nods. "Yeah, the other kind, um ..." He leans over to look at the notes they wrote. "Motor cortex seizures?"
"You mean the myoclonic jerks? Those are actually generalized seizures, not partial like motor cortex seizures. Is he still having those seizures a lot?"
"Not as much, but he has them still. They aren't as bad; usually his arms just jerk around for a minute, I guess? Does startle and shake work for that?"
"Mmm, not really," I say. "If it spread to a full tonic-clonic seizure after the jerking, it might be appropriate to try, but since it doesn't, it's best to just relax and wait."
He nods and gets lost in thought for a moment. "I was wondering?" he says.
I really look at him, right in his deep gray eyes and lean in.
"Um, before the seizures started, Kaden was in basketball with me, and I was just wondering if he should play?"
"Most doctors would tell you to stay away from competitive sports." I look away. Basketball, hmm? Maybe he should play... "Sometimes there's a fine line between being overprotective and taking the necessary precautions. You have to figure that out for yourself.
"I will tell you, being active is always good. In some cases, it can be the key to bringing someone's life back into balance so the seizures will stop. It's not football, so the risk of head injuries isn't high. Competitive sports can be really stressful, but if Kaden learns to manage his stress, then the only real danger is the possibility of a seizure in the middle of playing, which could result in some injuries."
"Yeah, well, that already happened once, and the bump on his forehead was the least of his problems."
I nod. He should go for it! "If he was my kid, I'd want him to play."
"Thanks. That helps," he says.
Good! I'm glad he asked, then. But mentioning the idea of being overprotective makes me think about Kaden's mother, who I met just yesterday. Considering she didn't even think of paging Kaden to come back to the admin desk, it's obvious to me. She is clearly failing to remember that Kaden isn't just his epilepsy. He's still a kid first and foremost, and he'll likely need help convincing her of that fact.
I make a mental note to talk about this when I see him on Wednesday for his appointment. I hope his mother comes instead of his father, who I sincerely hope is currently a part of Kaden's life. Having separated parents would make living with epilepsy all the more stressful. I hope for his sake that he has a good homelife.
And that his parents can learn to let go of their urge to control his life. I know they likely feel like the seizures have taken so much of their control away, and they'll be overcompensating from that lack of control. But the best parents strive to find a balance with this, to give their kids the confidence they need by giving them some freedom within limits.
I wonder why Kaden's mother didn't come to the meeting. It's really a shame. She should be here, but at least his brother came. He seems like a great kid.
I wonder if Mirna is caught between these two kids, unsure of who she likes more. To me, it seems like she's picked Kaden, but I wonder if she may change her mind. Yet another reason for me to have a conversation with her about how she can't make this choice lightly. Maybe she shouldn't date either one of them.
I make a mental note to talk to her about thistonight.
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