Lesley

Hi Jen Message in your in-box. Lesley

Our son, who is now almost 10, was born while we were living in France. I was convinced that there was something seriously wrong with him from the beginning but could get neither doctors nor friends to see it. Oliver had several fits from an early age which were put down to febrile convulsions. When Oliver was around 10 months old we moved to the UK (mainly for reasons not connected with our son). Although then given a broad diagnosis of cerebral palsy the fits were never treated in any preventative form. It was not until a few years later when we were on holiday and Oliver had a very bad fit on route for the ferry that we encountered the excellent emergency services at Alenon. The doctor who treated Oliver at hospital there was incredulous that up to then Oliver was not on any routine medication and wrote a letter for us to give to our UK consultant explaining that he must be on Sodium Valproate. Oliver has been on it for years now, never entirely fit free, and we also have to occasionally use the Diazepam. Oliver has had many blood tests along the way to check his levels, usually whenever the fits have increased in frequency, and as he grows thereby effectively reducing the dose. Last year the fits increased in both frequency and severity to a level that even increasing the dose did not resolve and so we have been giving Oliver an additional medicine along with the SV, Lamictal, which if I understand it correctly, makes the SV more efficient. The new medicine was introduced very slowly, gradually increasing it over a period of about 3 months. I hope I am not tempting fate by saying that Oliver has not had a fit now since the beginning of the year. We did think it had some adverse effect on behaviour initially but this seems to be back to "normal" now! As to effects on learning difficulties, it is very hard for me to say. Oliver has always had severe learning difficulties but I don't think the medicine has contributed much if at all to this. Hope this rather long reply is of help to you and good luck!

Whilst over at Easter, and leaving our eldest child at home, we decided to install the phone at our cottage in France. We rang France Telecom on 10 14 (gratuit) from a call box, gave a few details, and were connected within two days. We bought a telephone from the supermarket rather than renting one. We receive bills every two months to our UK address. The cost of installaton was 252,95F and the monthly line rental is 68,81F. Hope this is of use to you, Lesley