What is more important: quality or quantity? On first thought, I'd say quality. But what if that severely shortened the quantity? Would it still be worth it?
I suppose it really depends on what you're looking at. In my case, or Reese's case rather, I'm looking at medication. More specifically medication to control seizures.
The way many liss children are effected by seizure medication is to become drugged beyond much comprehension. I don't suppose this is the case with all of them, or with all medications. But these medications affect each child so differently, you usually don't know what you'll get until you try it.
Not to mention the side effects on the poor little body that these medications incur. Not to mention the fact that sometimes they won't work at all, or many different kinds have to be used simply to control the seizures and then once again you're generally back at drugged beyond comprehension.
And added to all of this - over time, there is the strong possibility that the poor little abused body will build a resistance to the medication anyway, rendering it useless.
On the opposite hand, what do you get for not medicating? Seizures that will become progressively worse - generally doing more and more damage to the brain - until it can no longer function properly, and the poor child cannot last any longer. But before that time, they are here! They aren't drugged out of their poor little minds, except that .... sometimes depending on the severity of the seizures it can produce the same effect as being "gone".
So which is the lesser of two evils here? Using medication that may or may not keep them out of it most of the time. Along with some of the horrible side effects their little bodies must deal with, and the possibility of the body building a resistance to the medication over time. And this is what you deal with when you're able to find one that works.
Or is it better to let the seizures go ..... hoping they don't ever become too bad. But knowing the chances are good that in time they'll get to the point that they'll damage the brain so badly it will no longer be able to make the rest of the bodily organs function how they should, and they'll just start to shut down.
Looking at it in writing - I'll tell you it looks better to just get on the medication. But from experience some of these side effects are BAD. Like life threatening bad.
Right now we're at the point where we've decided to let Reese have seizures. This after an especially harsh experience with the side effects of the last medication he was on. And guess what - his seizures have decreased since being off the medication. How's that for ironic? But I know we'll probably again get to the point where medication will be necessary, and I don't look forward to it. But I don't look forward to letting my son have seizures that will possibly end his life.
I don't like the choices I'm getting here. But these are the only two I have right now. And I'll always try to make the best one. In this case I just don't think there is a "right" one. And when it comes down to it, I really think I'll choose quality over quantity. I don't want to see my little guy suffer. I don't think I could watch that. I'll do everything I can to make him as comfortable and happy as possible - and I don't know what length of time I'll get out of it.
