Seizure Tracker: How to Use It and Why It Matters.

Why We Created the Seizure Tracker

Like many parents, we started by scribbling seizure notes in the margins of notebooks, on our phones, and anywhere we could find in the moment. When our daughter Penelope’s seizures began, we wanted to capture every detail — but keeping track of them manually quickly became overwhelming.

The Seizure Tracker was one of the first features we ever built into MyPenelope. It had to be intuitive, fast, and usable even during high-stress moments. Our goal was simple: help families capture accurate information during or after a seizure so that patterns can be recognised, triggers understood, and better conversations had with medical professionals.

How to Use the Seizure Tracker

Step 1: Start the Timer

When a seizure begins, you can quickly record it using the start/stop timer:

• Press once to start timing.

• Press again to stop.

  The app automatically logs:

• Duration

• Time of day

• Date

If you weren’t able to record in real time (and often you won’t be), you can still enter the seizure retrospectively. For speed, there are quick-select options for typical durations:

• 0–5 seconds

• 5–15 seconds

• 15–30 seconds

• Custom duration (for longer or unique events)

This means you can capture the event accurately — even after it’s over.

Step 2: Select the Seizure Type

You can choose from four main seizure types within the tracker:

• Tonic-Clonic

• Focal Aware

• Focal Impaired Awareness

• Absent Seizure

Selecting the seizure type helps you and your medical team understand what kind of event has occurred and whether it’s part of a pattern.

Step 3: Add Post-Episode Notes

After the seizure, use the Post Episode Notes field to record what you observed. This might include:

• Early warning signs or triggers (fatigue, flashing lights, excitement)

• Physical symptoms during the seizure (stiffness, shaking, eye movement)

• Behavioural changes before or after (confusion, tiredness, irritability)

These notes are invaluable to neurologists and epilepsy nurses, helping them understand not just what happened — but why it might have happened.

Step 4: Record Illness or Triggers

Sometimes seizures happen because the body is already under stress. Use the Illness Symptoms field to note if your child was:

• Fighting a cold or fever

• Overheated or dehydrated

• Overly tired or overstimulated

By logging these details, you can begin to connect the dots between health factors and seizure activity.

Step 5: Log Medication

The Medication Section allows you to record:

• What medication was taken

• The time and dosage

• Whether any rescue or recovery medication was used

• Any side effects you noticed afterward

This helps doctors evaluate how well current treatments are working and whether dosage or medication changes might be needed.

Step 6: Review Your Seizure History

In the free version of MyPenelope, you can access a simple seizure history table that displays:

• Event

• Duration

• Time

• Date

• All notes and logged details

This makes it easy to review and share information with your child’s care team during appointments — no more lost notes or forgotten details.

Step 7: Premium Analytics and AI Insights

In the premium version, the Seizure Tracker becomes even more powerful. You’ll gain access to:

• Charts and visual reports showing seizure frequency, duration trends, and time-of-day patterns.

• AI-assisted insights that help highlight potential links between sleep, illness, medication, and seizure activity.

This level of insight helps both parents and clinicians make evidence-based decisions, turning data into real understanding.

Why Recording Matters

Keeping consistent, accurate seizure records is more than admin — it’s empowerment. Each entry helps you build a clearer picture of your child’s health, giving doctors the data they need to refine treatment plans and giving you peace of mind in knowing you’re not missing anything important.

For us, this tracker is personal. It was born from long nights, anxious moments, and the desire to make sense of something that once felt uncontrollable. Now, it’s helping other families do the same — calmly, clearly, and with compassion.

💜 Together, We Track. We Understand. We Advocate.

The Seizure Tracker is just one part of MyPenelope — a tool built by parents, for parents.

Each feature exists because of Penelope’s journey, and our wish to help every family facing similar challenges feel informed, confident, and supported.

Start using the Seizure Tracker today and take the first step toward understanding your child’s unique patterns.📱 Visit www.mypenelope.co.uk to learn more or download the app.