A Family Podcast (english)

Chapter 23

Taylor

"Epilepsy?" I glanced briefly at the play mat where Susan was playing before turning back to the doctor.

"A rather rare form" the doctor confirmed, laying out a stack of papers in front of me that meant nothing to me. "The recent tests we conducted unfortunately confirm this suspicion."

"What does that mean?" I finally asked. While the term 'epilepsy' rang a bell, I had no idea what it would mean for Susan.

"Well, the cause lies in the nerve cells of the brain. She has a rather rare form of epilepsy, which is a good thing because it is less severe. We might even proceed without medication" the doctor explained.

I nodded, feeling puzzled. Medication? I didn't like the idea of filling my sister with pills.

"But it's not curable?" I asked eventually.

The doctor shook his head. "Not directly, but it's possible that she may outgrow it to some extent. I have a patient who had her last seizure at the age of nineteen, and that was six years ago. However, it's impossible to predict. For now, what's important for Susan is a balanced diet. She eats too little, and low blood sugar and a weak circulation are not favorable conditions."

I nodded. We would manage that.

"Her father mentioned that she passed out before" he searched through the file in front of him, "when she was four" he read aloud and looked at me.

I nodded again, slowly. Right, I hadn't thought about that. It had happened when Mom was in the hospital, and we thought it was just too much for her at the time. But in hindsight, we should have been more attentive even then.

"That's two seizures in six years, so considering the circumstances, it's a good prognosis."

I nodded again, feeling a bit foolish now. "What can I do? I mean, what should I watch out for to prevent these seizures?"

"The likelihood of a seizure increases with stress, lack of sleep, and hunger. Don't worry," he added when he saw the pained expression on my face, "I'm talking about rather extreme situations. Nonetheless, you should keep an eye on your sister. She shouldn't go swimming alone, and I hope I don't need to mention things like alcohol, drugs, and the like."

"She's eight" I clarified, and the doctor grimaced.

"We unfortunately see that quite often here." He collected the papers again and pulled out a few small booklets from a drawer. "For the time being, your sister is doing well, and considering the rarity of the episodes, I don't think you need to worry too much. I'll give you some informational brochures, and I suggest you let everything sink in for now."

I took the papers and put them in my backpack.

"Thank you." I shook the doctor's hand as we said goodbye and signaled to Susan that we were leaving.

___________

Jackson

"Your dad left again?" Lennon looked surprised. We were sitting on the bleachers at the sports field, and I had just told him that Dad had left again last night.

"Yeah, he... He acted really out of line, and Taylor more or less kicked him out" I summarized, and Lennon stopped eating his sandwich, looking at me with surprise.

"Seriously?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, Dad probably had a really rough week, and you know how it can be at home sometimes."