Life in Holland: I Think Dante Must Have Had An EEG

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

I Think Dante Must Have Had An EEG

This post will be short. I have volumes to say but cannot hold my eyes open any longer and I have to work tomorrow. I tried to take a nap today but my mind will not stop racing and trying to wrap itself around what has happened the past few days. I would be lying if I said I was not scared to death to leave Anna tomorrow, but I have to. I promised to update tonight so here I am. The sleep deprivation was a visit to the 8th circle of hell and the EEG itself was the 9th circle. I am certain this is what Dante must have been referring to in his book. Anyway, the test is over and we know nothing. We should hopefully hear back from the neurologist tomorrow and get a game plan. The EEG can show seizure activity or not- it does not either rule in or out the diagnosis of epilepsy. The diagnosis is more based on seizures- which she has had. I am expecting she will need medication. I will update tomorrow after work when I know more.

2 comments:

KatyJuly 14, 2010 at 10:46 PM
EEG's do suck. That is all.
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AnonymousJuly 15, 2010 at 2:14 PM
ugh, I hate EEGs and yet I want to do a 24 hour one?! Mostly because the one we had 2 years ago didn't show one but our doc saw one (they're jerks, or startles) so he's on Clonazepam. Not to control them, necessarily, because I guess it's hard, but to help him sleep, reduce spasticity, etc.

I'm praying for Anna and of course you and your family!
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I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this....When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.