For the next three years Harvey continued to have absence seizures. Some days were better than others. He kept thriving in almost every other way — learning, playing, growing — but the absence seizures remained a regular presence and were at times heartbreaking and we felt helpless as parents.
Over time certain patterns became hard to ignore:
- Seizures often increased just before a cold or when he was unwell
- They were more frequent when he was tired or stressed
- Winter brought more of them (possibly linked to the higher rate of colds)
- Heavy sugar or processed food often made them worse
- Mornings and evenings were the most common times
- Fine motor tasks such as handwriting seemed to bring them on more readily
- Reading, by contrast, seemed protective (but not always)
- He could have them during some physical activity, yet never while riding his bike, however dancing was occasionally different.
We watched, noted, and kept going.