ThatPurpleMom.com

Dec 9: Overwhelmed. Again.

I keep trying to carve out time up write here, work on projects, deal with my health issues, finish writing books, help Weslee, etc, but I am struggling. (Oh, and my computer died. Arghh!)

Finally healed from my 3 hospital visits (3 in 6 weeks!) so now I need to turn my focus to my super-low platelets and uterine cancer.

Weslee has been having drop seizures (sometimes followed by gelastic) almost every night. When not in his safe space (bed), either I catch him as he falls (nearby by accident / fate/ luck) or he falls backward into walls, floors, doors, and one time, into the tub/shower. He hits his head every time, and often gets scratches or cuts on his back.

He crushed a little shelf (pic to left) set in the bathroom as he fell onto it. Luckily, it had held only his "night-timies" ... overnight disposable underwear, extra tp, etc. Sooo glad he doesn't close the bathroom door because his body would have blocked me from getting to him. (As a reminder, we hung a long blackout curtain over the doorway so <1> he can have privacy, and <2> I can get to him.)

And I have either the flu or a nasty cold. Cough, fever, migraine, nausea/vomiting. Either way, I am laid up. Mostly.

Will post more when I can.

Thanks. Vikki

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#ThatPurpleMomcom

#gelasticseizures

#uterinecancer

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Weslee needs more brain surgeries for his seizures. To help, please like, follow and share... PLUS .. please go to his Medical GoFundMe or to our Paypal ... AND please visit my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/VikkiLawrenceShop ..

For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Nov 23: Weslee's Seizure Cluster

This is Weslee, my 29 year old child. He has autism, ADHD, and intractable seizures.

This vid was taken early in the morning (~2 a.m.) on Friday Nov 21. He had had troubles getting to sleep, so I went in to see if he wanted a sleeping pull (prescribed).

I saw he had been having a cluster of seizures that continued to last over another hour. Mostly gelastic plus what I call the "wiggle worm".

Had to give him his rescue nose spray and yes, a sleeping pill. A lot of sleep is absolutely crucial for an epileptic like him.

He has had an increase of seizures since my health began to rapidly decline, and my cancer diagnosis. Stress, I assume.

#ThatPurpleMomcom

#gelasticseizures

#uterinecancer

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Nov 12: Back Home from Hospital

This slide show (sorry I can't slow it down) shows from early on Sunday, 11/9/25 through late afternoon on Tuesday, 11/11/25. Many challenges during this time... health and otherwise.

So glad Weslee and I are home. Hospital beds and the 'guest bed' (couch) are so uncomfortable. Once discharged, Weslee and I went to pharm, came home, ate, I started laundry and gave a seizure rescue med to Weslee, then we chilled until bedtime.

Today, I awoke in severe pain. They had sent me home with meds for infection, spasms and pain. The pain pills are very weak so staying in bed for today, unable to really function.

Despite hating their beds, the constant taking of vitals, and the ongoing evaluation of my eyesight (awoke with severe double vision on Monday), I believe we (I) would have benefitted from an extra day there.

Weslee's seizures are a mess. He has already taken an extra seizure med this morning because they (the little / simple partial seizures) were hindering his rational thinking skills. Glad I stopped by the pharmacy on the way home last night. Weslee now has enough rescue nose sprays for the month. I hope.

#ThatPurpleMomcom

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Nov 10: Waiting

The pics says it all.

Last night ...

Weslee is having a lot of tiny seizures this morning. Glad I brought his rescue meds.

This morning ...

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Nov 9: Checked in at Hospital

The last 10 days have been difficult, frustrating, painful and sped by much too fast. I will catch up on what happened when I can.

Meanwhile, I checked in at a hospital just a bit ago. Am in my room, but I don't have my IV etc yet. The plan is to take blood for CBC, get an infusion (or 2) of platelets today/tonight, then get the surgery tomorrow. Home probably on Wednesday, depending on bleeding.

Weslee is just chilling. Still gonna have to Doordash his food about once a day, but he has enough to keep him occupied.

He has had a lot of seizures lately. I am worried about him but at least he is safe here with me. No possibility of tumbling down the stairs or crashing into a bed.

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Oct 30: Beyond Frustrated

Not sure how much more I can take. Listen for 3:44 min to get the gist.

Thank you. Vikki and son, Weslee

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WESLEE'S birthday is almost here. He loves almost anything Spiderman. Size Men's Medium (USA).

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Oct 27: Surgery on Day 2 in Hosp

Yes, same
shirt. Very
little prep
and grab time.

Rough night in the hospital. Couldn't eat, drink or sleep. Surgery was expected in the morning. THIS morning. Monday.

While in E.R., they found a huge kidney stone that had been growing for a while. It had moved into a position where it began to kill me by pain. (Horrible joke). The urologist and hematologist were looped in as well as the hospital's night doctor, an endocrinologist and who knows who else.

The urologist, after consulting, getting more tests done, etc, did a quick procedure. Not sure it's formal name but they put a stent going from the stone to the 'exit'.

After about a week or two, I will get platelets and plasma, then the next day will get the last surgery... where he will use a laser to PEW PEW the stone then push it out? Last part is unclear. Was going under anesthesia at the time.

So meanwhile, I will continue to be in pain. Will meet with a specialist to temporarily take care of the uterine cancer. And will push fluids, take care of Weslee (and me!) and just take it easy.

Thank you...Vikki (and Weslee)

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WESLEE'S birthday is almost here. He loves almost anything Spiderman. Size Men's Medium (USA).

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Oct 26: Back in Hospital

Really brief ... I started out the day okay, but by mid-morning, my side started hurting. By evening, I couldn't function as the pain had risen to 9 out of 10.

I called my elder sister who drove over to pick up Weslee and me. Dropped us off at Emergency Dept. I had a feeling that I would be admitted, so we brought Weslee's weekly pill container, chargers and a few other things.

That was around 8 p.m. It is now almost midnight. Will go into more details in my next post.

Vikki

P.s. While dealing with a massive wave of pain tonight, Weslee had a nasty seizure, and fell backward. Hit his head. Arghhhh!!!!

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Oct 24: Worn Down and Out

In my last post, Weslee had just begun having more seizures. That was Wednesday night. For the next 36 hours or so, I dealt with waves of seizures from him, barely getting a chance for him to do anything more than listen to YouTube videos. Neither one of us got any writing done.

I was exhausted by last night. Run down and worn out.

It is now Friday, after noon, and I'm going back to bed. Weslee's seizures have calmed a little bit, but unfortunately, I seem to have picked up a bug. I'm achy all over with a runny nose and a slight fever. Sore throat.

I am bundled under three massive comforters, and am in my Winter flannel p.j.'s with fuzzy socks and fingerless gloves.

I just don't feel good at all.

Hope I didn't give it to Weslee.

You know when you get sick with the flu or really bad cold and you can't really sleep a solid sleep because ... you just can't? That was me last night. So here it is about 1:00 p.m., and I'm going back to bed.

I really really hope that Weslee will have a wonderful, calm and seizure-free Friday.

So far, so good.

Thank you.

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

Oct 22: Wine Glass Charms plus Seizure

While assembling my Halloween Wine Glass Charms (yes, I am late), my son had a seizure. A short singular gelastic seizure. I had barely set up the project space whrn the seizure happened, but it shows a typical "craft situation". Interruptions.

I noticed that I sigh a lot, or breathe deeply. When I recordered this vid, I was having troubles breathing, plus also had shaking hands and heart flutters. I'm falling apart over here!

#thatpurplemomcom #wineglasscharms
#wesleeseizures #gelasticseizure
#2025projects

Thank you.

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 15: Etsy - Mini Junk Journals

Finally listing some of my mini junk journals in my Etsy store. Six are for Halloween and 1 is for Breast Cancer Awareness. Be sure to also check out the dragons, et al.

Enjoy!

( https://vikkilawrenceshop.etsy.com/listing/1736492291/mini-junk-journal-halloween-breast )

Again, thank you.

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 12: Another Cancer Diagnosis

I don't usually give a lot of personal in-depth info about me, but I need to this time.

TECHNICAL / EMBARRASSING DEETS:

I bit the bullet. Finally told Weslee that recently I was diagnosed with another cancer. UTERINE Pre-Cancer. This is the third cancer that I have gotten since 2016.

...and delayed telling him because I was trying to wrap my head around it.

Reproductive Health Discussed ...

I had been bleeding a little bit over the last 3 years. Not often and not a lot. Spotting. NOT menopause because that was over and done with ages ago.

But over the next couple of years, the spotting increased in frequency and, um, saturation. I was basically peeing blood.

Bit the bullet. Went for lots of tests. Urology ... bladder? Nope. Kidney? No but I do have kidney stones (yeah, I'll get right on that) but that didn't cause this.

Couldn't get into my hepatologist (I have an unrelated liver disease).

My gynocologist did some office visit tests, then set up an exploratory surgery. Couldn't do it because my platelets were too low (the part of the blood that clumps). Got a platelet infusion. Didn't help so surgery postponed. Tried again about 3-4 weeks ago and even though my platelets were still too low, they felt the need outweighed the risk went ahead with the surgery, with platelets at the ready.

Disgnosis within a week. Pre-cancer, uterus. Didn't get it all. There are several types of cancer involving the uterus. My conversation is a blur but I think she said it was an endometrial cancer.

"Oh, and btw, you need to meet the gynocological oncologist immediately."

Met with him within a week. Wants to do a hysterectomy asap but my platelets are still too frigging low. (At least the surgery will be done locally; friends and family can help Weslee take care of me. One of my sisters will even try to fly in from Europe.)

My appt with the liver doc is in April. Meanwhile, will try home remedies to get my platelets from 24 to 80 or so.

...And what I do NOT like thinking about is it is finally time to get off my busy butt and make arrangements for Weslee for when I'm gone. Whether I'm here for another 6 months or another 6 years or another 16 years, I need to make these arrangements.

My sisters and friends can't take care of him. Who does that leave?

That also includes making sure that I get him his next brain surgeries, set up a guardianship for him, etc. He can never live alone.

That is where I am at.

One more thing: I recently found another lump in my breast.

Lucky me, right?

Enough, already!

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 11: Glioblastoma Tumor

I was going through some papers that I hadn't looked at fir a while, including , my first bare-bones seizure tracker.

It gave details about the very beginning of Weslee's seizure journey, and his first surgeries.

First recognizable seizure (will discuss SIMPLE PARTIAL - DE JA VU seizures another time) was a tonic clonic (grand mal) that happened March of 2010. After quite a few tonic clonics/drops/and absense, EMU stays, and experimenting with meds, we decided to do surgery.

This is when Make-a-Wish gifted him a giant tv. We weren't sure of his outcome.

2013: A 'WADA' test was performed to determine where his speech was... ... a highly invasive surgery. I began to prepare for the possibility of blindness, inability to talk or walk, and other side effects.

They did a Two-Step surgery in 2013. I did NOT expect a diagnosis of a brain tumor called a 'glioblastoma'. (Fatal and aggressive, but not. Confused.). He survived but not without lifelong consequences.

Walks with a limp.
Picked up a stutter.
Partially blind in both eyes.
Memory has more holes than a pasta strainer.
... ... Seizure-free (kinda) by Jan 2014 until my breast cancer diagnosis May 2016. Stress, we think. Now nothing at all helps the seizures to disappear. Everything we try seems to make it worse.

Most of this is in my book 'Epilepsy: One Mother's Perspective' plus a whole lot more.

Note: Weslee has had multiple seizures every night for the last 3 nites. We are both sooo over this!!

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 8: Forces of Progression

I swear ... One step forward, nine backward.

Glad to be home from the hospital but the 'complications' from the surgical procedure I had a few weeks ago that made me go to the E.R. and be admitted last week are back.
Weslee really didn't have many seizures while we were there (nearly 3 days) but is making up for it now. Nearly fell down the stairs last night. I hereby declare (picture me with a stern voice, minus this ridiculous Southern accent): our next place will have NO .. ZERO .. ZIP .. NADA stairs. Safer for him, and easier on my back (from catching him).
Can't believe my baby will turn **29** !!! in a few weeks. Yesterday I warned him that money is very tight and to not expect many presents this year. He put a few things in the Amazon cart: Season 1 of a show he really likes, and a new case for his Fire Tablet. I usually get him a new tablet and/or laptop for Christmas but he has dropped so many this year (yet another 'benefit' of epilepsy), I can't see spending the money.
I need a lifesaving surgery within the next six months or so but surgeons won't do it until my platelets increase to where I won't bleed out on the table. I get my numbers checked on Friday. No matter what they are, I need to take steps to increase them. My baby Weslee needs his mama.

I have more to say but am tired. Gonna read for a few while listening to music, then go to sleep.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your lives.

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 6: Projects That WERE On Back Burner

This vid was taken a couple of days after I was discharged from nearly 3 days at the hospital.

Still not at 100% but doing better. Good enough to at least THINK about my projects... like the Under The Sea world... need to very lightly cover the water portion with green/aqua-tinted resin, and the seashore needs another layer of Tampa sand mixed with gold glitter. Plus.. earrings like those bats need assembling.

So much to do. So tired.

#ThatPurpleMomcom #resinart #underthesea #mermaidart #tampasand #cosmos #HalloweenJewelry #batJewelry

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 3: Home at Last

The first pic is from early this morning when they had to replace my IV line that had slipped out. Glad we didn't need it!

The second pic taken later today shows where the previous attempts and IVs were. Note the bruises already forming.

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We are home from the hospital... finally!! Nearly 3 days seems like weeks when you are fighting a health situation.

Came home with a drug that I have to take for 5 days, and a check-in with my oncologist/ hematologist next Friday. I have big hopes.

Weslee is sooo happy to be home. Barely had any seizures while we were gone. Hmmm... gets me thinking... is there something here at home that could be causing his increased seizures? Or was it that he got out of his head and put me first more than usual. I couldn't be the ever vigilant mom/care-giver while there so...

Will watch closely.

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 2: Still at Hospital

I am still at the hospital, with my son Weslee, of course. They are still doing tests and put together a team to try to figure me out.

Weslee is doing a decent job of being good (remember: 28 going on 12), considering how bored he is. And has not had any seizures except absense. Thankful for that.

Hoping to go home tomorrow, Friday.

I want my own bed.

#unexpectedhospitalstay
#uterinecancer

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

OCT 1: At Hospital

Complications from my (Vikki) surgery a few weeks ago. Or could be something entirely different.

Went to E.R. where they admitted me. Oh what fun. Trying to figure it out.

Vikki

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For Weslee's regular and daily needs, please visit: Weslee Lawrence's Needs (WalMart) List. Thank you.

SEPT 30: Complications

Just a quick note.

I am having complications from the surgery a few weeks ago. Weslee tries to care for me, but his seizures can really divert his thoughts and intentions. Swiss cheese memory and all that.

Just, please, keep us in your thoughts.

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SEPT 24: An Evening of Seizures

Weslee had had many gelastic seizures (plus drop and absense seizures) before I started recording. Got his 9:30 p.m. pills in him around 9:45, and his rescue nasal spray (on vid) around 10.

It didn't help. Gave extra clon at ~10:45. Still didn't help so another nasal rescue at a little after 11 p.m.

Finally kicked in close to 11:30, and he fell asleep. Luckily, he doesn't have many seizures when asleep.

People wonder why I don't make him get a job. His seizures can happen at any time, without warning or recognizable triggers. Could be 1 seizure or 30 in 13 minutes. Might stay standing but is more likely to have an absense or drop seizure too, and fall down. Explain to me a valid solution for working.

#thatpurplemomcom
#gelasticseizures

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