Also you may wish to check out infantile Henoch Schonlein Purpura. Seizures can be a symptom - but are a very rare one. The pinprick rash could be the purpura. Usually it starts on legs and arms - but again can be on the face. Also stomach  and joint pain as well as fever - but not everyone has all symptoms. The good news is that it goes away (sometimes there are relapses but less severe). I had this and survived as do the vast majority of people - though it had doctors scrathing their heads. I was also tested for Lymes and Lupus and thyroid at the time.

We have a few people in our extended family that have seizure problems and I have no particular insight; but one question and a suggestion for info. You aren't Finnish ancestry by any chance? There is a seizure malady that is genetic to some Finns.

Second, I recommend reading and checking sciencedaily.com everyday and search seizures. That site has the very latest research and info coming out in any field having to do with science. I am amazed, and it is updated every 3 hours I think. Lot's of health info. Can't recommend it enough to everyone. It's science info delivered in a news format for the average person.

Hi everyone,
Jon has had two seizures in the last two weeks.  The first one was four minutes long, and I was beginning to panic, but he came out of it.  He bit his tongue and he was bleeding.  I held him close and called his name out.  The second one was last Friday morning, 3 minutes long, and it wasn't as bad as the first.  The docs upped his meds and the nurse said that they have seen kids on up to 100 mg (which I didn't like to hear).  

1.  when the docs saw the tiny pinpricks, they did a lumbar puncture right away and it was negative.
2.  I will ask the doctor to do a blood panel on lyme disease and rocky mountain spotted fevel and ask for a latex agglutination test.

his sleep schedule is out of whack so we are sooo tired that we overslept and missed his 7/22 doctor's appt.  On the Saturday after his seizure, he seemed okay, but he tripped and fell.  Jon now has a hairline fracture in his right foot but the x-rays couldn't tell where it was. The seizures have left him a little bit uncoordinated and now he won't be allowed to run so freely.  The little guy is an athlete -- he taught himself to rollerskate, ice skate (I couldn't keep up with him), and swim.  From now on, he will NOT be left alone, he will always be watched.  We are looking into applying for a service dog, as he LOVES dogs.  He is a little too rough for our 2 small dogs that we rescued from the pound, but we will try for a gentle golden retreiver.  Jon is autistic, but he fully understands that his foot is broken.  He is careful about setting his foot down and walks with a limp; however much we try to keep him still, we can't.  We have him float in the pool and try to give him exercise that way.  I am taking the next week off half days ... the babysitter will watch him in the mornings and I will keep the two boys in the afternoon.  

This morning, in his best babble, Jon told the babysitter how much his "owie" hurts and that his foot is broken.  He tried to tell her that and she understood.  

I am trying all sorts of approaches, both eastern and western.  If I can get the seizures down, we can work on the autism.  Actually, his babbling sounds have gotten more complex with the medication.  The doctor said that the medication is actually allowing his brain to quiet down and to allow other parts of his brain to recover.

My boys' genetic background is:
Father's side:  English (via Canada from England, Moses is paternal surname), Irish (Kennedys-maternal), Scottish (Davidsons-maternal); French (La Rose is maternal surname), Portuguese (da Silva - from maternal side).  This family is the most diverse immigration family that I've seen.
Mother's side (mine):  Filipino, Chinese, Spanish.  I am actually descended from a well-known Spanish priest in the 1880's.  Our lineage is published on-line.  We are essentially the middle class in the Phillippines.  My grandfather, a civil engineer, survived the Bata'an death march and my other grandfather, a musician, died on the USS Houston.  His name is inscribed on the USS Houston mounument.   My dad and uncle fought in Vietnam; my uncle received a bronze star.  My family has served this country, and I LOVE the USA and would die for it.

We do not have autism in the family.  I think that we had predispositions in our genetic make up, but which were triggered by environmental factors.  I love to garden, which exposed me to a lot of insecticides.  I quit using the stuff after the oldest was diagnosed with autism.  

As a side note, I would love to show up at a Davidsons' clan meeting and introduce my sons to them!

I wish I could quit my job to take care of my kids, but I need to work in order to get our health insurance, which is the best plan that my workplace offers.  Our boys are covered on both of our health insurance plans and that is the best yet.  The first ER visit was almost $15,000.  That would absolutely bankrupt us if we didn't have this top notch health insurance...and we've had five visits since then, all due to seizures.  The kicker is that my workplace now wants to "audit" my dependent coverage...to provide birth certificates for my two boys.  I must be costing them a mint.

I want you all to know, even though I'm basically a lurker because of these family commitments, I have been reading this site since 2006. I feel that y'all are family.  This is a wonderful forum, and there have been many dark passages in my life, and this is the one place I turn to for advice.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My hugs and love to all,
mopan