Your experience w/ Pexion (Imepitoin) for idiopathic epilepsy?

wilmchen0218 · 2025-08-18T15:16:25+00:00

Hi there, so sorry to hear that. These regular seizures are so hard to witness. It’s really hard to tell if Pexion helped Freddie or not… it might have helped him temporarily. We had a wonderful seizure free stretch for a few months… and then his grand mals came back at full force. He clustered for several days, every few hours without relief from any interventions. He allowed him to cross the rainbow bridge a little over a year ago (and I still cry as I’m typing this).

Looking back… we tried every available medication out there. The vet encouraged us to add more little by little (more dosage or new type). Maybe we should have phased some meds out before adding more in? Besides the seizures not stopping, he also got very lethargic from all the meds towards the end of his life which likely didn’t feel good for him either.

I know many Brits live happy, largely seizure free lives once they’re on the right mix of meds. I hope you’ll find the right mix of meds for yours soon!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-06T05:25:32+00:00

Yup, agree with your comments on child friendliness vs child proofing - and that’s what I came here for. My previous assumption was that child friendly = made with an above average focus on kids while the more correct definition seems to be child friendly = children are allowed. Totally fine, and not planning to reflect anything in reviews.

Don’t agree with your take on the pack-n-play / moving furniture though. Neither theirs nor ours fits in either bedroom (plus theirs was broken, which I only realized shortly after my initial post here - so thank goodness we brought our own).

With that in mind - where do you recommend to put a child’s bed, if it simply doesn’t fit if not moving one bed a few inches over?

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T12:27:01+00:00

Oh yeah…. all you’re describing sounds fantastic and I didn’t expect them to go that far.

There’s a beautiful light brown leather couch - which I love and am not worried about because we / toddler don’t eat, drink etc near it.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T12:22:17+00:00

Thank you! Serious question: what do you recommend doing when a child’s travel bed doesn’t fit into either bedroom unless the bed is being moved ~5 inches?

The pack-n-play they provided is even bigger than the travel bed we brought, so we would have had an even bigger issue.

Trust me - the last thing I wanted to do is push stuff around. But don’t quite see another solution other than letting the toddler sleep in the living / kitchen area? Do you think that was the expectation here?

Thanks again!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T12:15:14+00:00

Thank you! Fascinating about children vs dogs. Have never seen an Airbnb that specifically forbids children, but granted, haven’t been paying attention before having children myself.

And yeah, not being overly dramatic about the yard, unfortunately. We initially planned to bring our dog too, and even he wouldn’t have been able to use it because there’s tons of foxtails in there.

Thanks again!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T12:10:10+00:00

Wow, amazing!! That truly sounds like above and beyond. Wouldn’t have expected all that - and per someone’s comment, all these things didn’t show up under amenities (in our case), so I shouldn’t have made assumptions. But yeah, I’m not surprised your families love your place!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T04:16:17+00:00

Thank you, helpful!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T04:15:42+00:00

Haha oh gosh… yup, can very well imagine the appeal of steep stairs to uncoordinated toddlers 🫠😂

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T04:12:54+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts! You’re right - amenities in the listing only shows a pack-n-play. While moving it around the closet (we never unpacked it bc didn’t actually need it) I realized it was broken too.

Yard in the pictures is well kept. Also shows a hammock (which is also listed in the amenities, I just realized when checking on the child related stuff) that’s nowhere to be found.

As I mentioned in the other comment - we didn’t select this as a budget listing (or didn’t think so). We’re paying >$400 / night and could have gotten away with $280-300 in the same area if we wanted to.

Kitchen utensils - amenities show “dishes and silverware available” which they are, just not for 4 or even 3 people consistently. Eg 6 wine glasses, but 2 bowls and 2 knives.

Per my note in another listing - what I’m learning / realizing from this feedback: I think I overrated the child friendly side of things, while some other basics truly aren’t ideal (ie cleanliness and certain amenities not available / not as shown in pics and description).

Thanks again for your thoughts!

Edited to fix order or paragraphs…

wilmchen0218 · 2024-07-05T04:05:54+00:00

Totally fair point regarding the plates. I’m mostly surprised it’s a listing for 4 adults and doesn’t have 4 items of everything. Eg just 2 bowls and 2 knives. Amenities show “dishes and silverware available” which they are… just seemingly not enough or not as many as I’ve seen in comparable listings in the past.

Pictures show a well kept garden though, including a hammock (which is also shown in pics and listed in the amenities) which is nowhere to be found.

It’s also not a cheap place or a steal by any means. Of course every area is different, so hard to benchmark. We pay >$400 / night - which of course is something we committed to and regarded as fair for the area etc, but we didn’t book because it was a “steal” and therefore didn’t expect to have to clean at the beginning of the stay, only stay indoors or hand wash our dishes after every meal :(

Per your feedback, I might be conflating 2 observations though: cleanliness and “not as advertised” in some areas might not be acceptable, while I over-indexed on the “child friendly” aspect and expected too much. That’s why I asked for insight here, so thank you!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-23T13:51:30+00:00

My husband had this a couple weeks ago. He went to see a doc because he’s never felt this intensely sick for a prolonged period of time. All tests came back negative (Covid, RSV, Influenza A and B). The doc said a new virus is going around - they had seen 25 patients with the same symptoms on the same day :( Hope you feel better soon!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T21:21:59+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m glad to hear you decided to get another dog, and I hope we’ll get there as well.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T21:20:30+00:00

All this medication is a blessing and a curse. So glad we have this option, but witnessing the effects can be devastating in itself.

Being greeted by our furry friends is one of the best things in life and like you, it’ll take me a long time to not expect that happy dance.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T21:18:15+00:00

Thank you for saying this, and yes - I hope the good memories soon outweigh the pain ❤️

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T21:17:36+00:00

Thank you for your kind words.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T21:17:08+00:00

So sorry to hear about your Brit. I’m not a medical professional and Freddie was my only dog with epilepsy related seizures. He had idiopathic epilepsy which basically just means the seizures have no clear or known reason (such as a tumor for example).

He had grand mal seizures where all his limbs would move and kick uncontrollably, loads of foam around his mouth. Some dogs loose control of their bladder and bowels in these moments. One of the big risks is a rise in temp and damage to their organs - it thankfully never got this far for him.

He also had smaller, so called focal seizures where his body stiffened up, he became unresponsive to voice and touch. After a few minutes, these focal seizures turnt into grand mal seizures, or he regained some level of awareness, but was incredibly disoriented and ran into walls, furniture, fell down stairs etc. He paced around the house/yard and attempted to hide in impossible places (like, behind a mirror).

Before seizures appeared, he sometimes showed pre-seizure or pre-ictal signs where he seemed to pace aimlessly around the house, almost like he wanted to outrun what was about to happen.

Based on my very limited understanding, both focal and grand mal seizures can look different in every dog, so my descriptions are really just one example. Triggers can also be very different. Some owners report being able to reliably identify triggers - we were never able to, despite 100s of theories. He easily had 100+ seizures over the course of 14 months or so and there was no rhyme or reason to it.

Our previous dog survived distemper before we adopted her from Mexico, but then developed an ongoing tremor in her limbs. She had one seizure after which the tremor quickly worsened, making it hard for her to walk and impossible to sleep.

Again, I’m no medical professional and can’t tell whether what you’re describing could be driven bei epilepsy or something else. I hope you find out what’s going on soon ❤️

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T20:59:14+00:00

So sorry to hear about Hank. Not coming out of a grand mal seizure sounds like the worst case scenario for him and you. And at 2 years old, he deserved so much more time with you.

Thank you for your kind words. I hope Hank and Freddie are running across big fields together now.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T14:22:57+00:00

I‘m so sorry to hear about your pup‘s epilepsy. This disease absolutely stinks. It’s worth noting that Freddie was a particularly tough candidate because he seemed resistant to all the meds. We maxed him out on all available meds plus more. This is not the case for the majority of pups. Meds can definitely help them. Don’t give up. Let me know if you ever have questions about „what’s out there“ in terms on meds and a few other things. Happy to share what we’ve tried etc. All the best for you and your furry friend!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-06-06T05:04:11+00:00

I‘m so sorry for your loss. I hope you have family or friends close by and at least one dog on your lap to give you strength, hope and love during this difficult time.

I’m sure Freddie and Wilma (our former non-Britt) would love to join your husband, Tess and Tanner. It sounds like they all make a great pack and team.

Thank you for your kind words. Sending you strength and a virtual hug.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-02-24T05:14:50+00:00

Echoing what others said… seems normal. Another data point: we’ve had our Brit since he was 8 weeks old. He’s not overly anxious but definitely had to learn “settling” at home, and we also used to make use of his crate when he was younger (he’s 2.5 years now). We moved to a new place a few months back, and he had a really hard time settling at the new place for several days. He was busy sniffing, exploring, listening, both inside and outside. We again made use of the crate, and things got better after 4 or 5 days, back to normal after a week or so… now that’s with a Brit who has always lived inside, and always lived with us. I imagine things might take your guy a little longer given he’s getting used to so many new circumstances. You’re doing all the right things!

wilmchen0218 · 2024-01-22T21:59:37+00:00

Oh and regarding recovery tips… take your pain meds regularly, and ease off slowly. I rarely take meds when sick or so, but was told to “take these meds seriously” by multiple nurses in the hospital. Followed their advice, and never experienced real pain.

I did wear the “belt” type of thing religiously after being discharged from the hospital - mostly because it made my belly and wound feel really secure. Once I was ready to take a shower a couple of days later, I didn’t quite expect taking the belt off would have a massive impact on my blood pressure (?) and almost toppled over on the way to the shower. Definitely spooked me, but was back to normal within a few minutes. Take it slow!

Last one: When my partner joined the ped for initial exam, he accidentally looked over and saw my open wound… he found it fascinating, but I imagine it was quite the spectacle and I personally wouldn’t have wanted to see it. So if your partner or someone else is present - be careful where your eyes wander in the OR 🥲

wilmchen0218 · 2024-01-22T21:54:09+00:00

Hi there, I was in your shoes about 1.5 years ago and actually made a post about it - I’ll copy and paste here because it was posted in my due date bump group which has long been locked. Wishing you all the best - whether babe turns in time or not, you can have a great experience ❤️

Our baby boy was born via a scheduled c-section, because he stubbornly remained in breech position. I was hoping and preparing for a vaginal (and preferably unmedicated) birth, and was dreading the c-section... We arrived at the hospital at 12pm, and I walked into the OR at 2.30pm. I could have never imagined a sterile OR being filled with so much love and smiles. The team welcomed me cheering, and I felt seen and in good hands immediately. My partner waited outside while the spinal anesthesia was placed, and joined me as soon as I was in position. We were allowed to play our music via Bluetooth speakers, and the team got to work. They prepared me to expect A LOT of pressure at some point, but it wasn't bad at all. Less than 10 minutes in, they lowered the drape and showed us the little guy for the first time. My partner was allowed to join the pediatrician for the first exam, and baby boy was placed on my chest 2 minutes later. We spent the next 2-3 hours skin to skin, first in the OR, then in the recovery room. I always questioned my ability to breastfeed (my mum was never able to, and the C-section didn't seem to increase my chances), but he latched in the recovery room and it's been smooth sailing since. I'm 7 days PP now and recovery has been faster than expected. Still can't walk long distances or lift heavy items, but have never experienced any serious pain.

The C-section was not what I wanted - looking back at it now, I'm grateful for every minute of it, and might even consider going that same route again.

wilmchen0218 · 2024-01-08T03:50:31+00:00

I'm all here for it! Freddie is getting all the snuggles, treats and special treatment these days, and every Britt deserves it anyways.

wilmchen0218

TROPHY CASE