Posted by: darkeyedredhead in Untagged on
Apr 13, 2009
My Experience and What I Believe
I would like to start this off by saying I do not know Ryan or Sarah, or his family. I have believed, and will ALWAYS believe no MATTER WHAT, Ryan is INNOCENT. I have many reasons to back this up. When I was 13 years old I started having seizures. These seizures are called ‘Catamenial' (you can Google it and find a wealth of info) and I firmly believe and will stand by the fact this is what Sarah suffered from. My doctors STILL to this day are confused by the mysterious nature of these seizures; they come and go. They come without warning which can indeed be fatal as I have learned. They also ‘go away' for years without explanation. I too once had a seizure while bathing, sometimes these seizures can be brought on during ‘relaxation' times. I was only 15 years old and had been having seizures for 2 years. I knew what to expect. I got out of the tub in time (felt it coming on, knew the ‘warning signs' --- headaches, neck pain, nausea, EXTREME tiredness) and I was VERY LUCKY to have been in a situation where my dad and sister were on the top floor with me. If I'd been unable to exit the tub (i.e., not knowing I had this seizure disorder or IF it would have continued to be brushed off as merely ‘migraines and tiredness'), I would have drowned. Plain and simple. I have relived this moment in my head many times since that incident and even more so now. I firmly believe Sarah was experiencing the ‘small seizures' where she did not lose consciousness but she was so very tired, horrible head pain and nausea, and yes it does settle in the back-neck region. My story would have ended the same way hers did - if I would have stayed in that tub, I would have drowned. Not ALL seizures are what they show in the movies - they are not all ‘violent and thrashing'. Typically seizures are just a severe tensing of the muscles, frothing of the mouth and the brain is being overloaded. I liken it to when a lightbulb burns out; there is a giant surge of power before the bulb burns out but afterward, darkness. Of course there is no evidence of seizure activity in the brain once the seizure is done; all of my EEG's came back ‘normal' after each and every seizure I've ever had. I am appalled that this information wasn't brought forward during Ryan's trial or that a Neurologist was not brought in to testify about the nature of seizure in women. Mine come and go; I can go for years without having a seizure, but when they start up again... behold. I have to be sure not to drive, to be alone in the house without someone to monitor me, and above all... never, ever bathe when you fear you may have a seizure. Sarah was not aware this was going on with her (neither was I, until my first ‘big one' hit when I was 13 years old and ALONE) and Ryan was merely trying to help her. I pray for him to keep his head up high and to keep the faith. He has not had the chance to properly grieve over the loss of his wife and this is SO very evident from watching the trial. The truth will set him free.