EEG – round 3
I got to the hospital this morning a little after 9:30 for yet another EEG. This one is for 24 hours (at least, let’s hope the dr. doesn’t extend it), with a video camera rolling the whole time. The one upshot to this EEG is that the monitor has been sitting in front of me, so I’ve been able to watch my brain waves on screen all day. I’ve also been able to watch the video – it’s kind of screen in screen – so as I’m having seizures/episodes/whatever, I can see it on the monitor too. Allena is right – I do look like I smell something bad. :)
Watching little wavy lines on a monitor gets pretty tedious after a while though. I managed to put in about a half day’s worth of work from the hospital bed. BTW…anybody out there know about XSD schemas? I’m trying to get a schema generation tool working and I don’t even know all the rules for the schemas. Work came to a halt with what I call “the afternoon queasies”. This is basically when I start feeling nauseous and need to have a snack of some sort (thank you depakote). Mostly it’s been a pretty dull day.
I’d been a little apprehensive that I’d have this EEG and wouldn’t have any episodes. I shouldn’t have worried – there’s nothing like apprehension to trigger them. It’s been a fairly “hard” day in terms of number of episodes and strength.
I want to ask a question of my usual readers (all four of you!), but really it’s an open question to anybody that sees it. After this EEG is done, I think I am done too. With EEGs that is. Allena has been skeptical that this procedure will reveal anything useful. I wanted to have it as sort of a last try to see if any kind of more solid diagnosis could be made. So if the neurologist recommends more tests, should I have them or not?
My inclination is “not”. At least it is at the moment. I had thought about driving up to KC to got to the epilepsy center at St. Luke’s (a research facility), thinking they might get me the answers I want. But now, I just feel discouraged. I feel like I should just quit looking for answers, keep taking the medicine and praying this all goes away – when I’m rational. When I’m irrational I think “heck with it, I’ll just quit seeing doctors and taking meds altogether”. That irrational part really kicks in when I feel like I’m a burden on somebody. Even here in the hospital when the nurse comes in and asks if I need anything…which is stupid. It’s her job to ask after all, and I’m wired to a monitor, and even if I do need/want something it’s not like I know where they keep it, so I couldn’t get it for myself anyway.
I think I’m depressing myself. No more blogging tonight.
Donald Reece said,
November 20, 2009 @ 11:50 pm
After I was evaluated for sleep apnea they gave me a heart monitor to wear and I was told to transmit about every 3 hours. After two days, the doctor called me and said my heart was fine. I was so relieved, I went out and got a double Wendy’s cheeseburger and a large Pepsi.
After they scared me and then let me know everything was OK, I felt I deserved a junk food high.
MO'B said,
November 21, 2009 @ 10:13 pm
If you’re going to drive all the way to KC, I would recommend going to KU Med instead of St. Luke’s. St. Luke’s is ok – but KU has a lot more resources.
BUT – having said that, if you reach a point that you’re managing, and you’re not getting any worse – you have to decide what is a good balance for what your commitments and needs are right now, bud. You’re the only one that knows that.