Video EEG - Day #2

Today has been a little rough as far as my video EEG. I have had NO seizures at all. At least none that I know of and none that have made any major influence on my EEG. Therefore, starting today, I will be getting taken off of not only my Klonopin, but also my Felbatol and my Trileptal as well. They're not even doing it slowly, either! They're taking me off of it altogether!

My mother enjoying 'A Great Place for a Seizure' by my good friend, Terry Tracy.
 

I will also be getting strobe lights flashed in my eyes twice a day for 5 minutes, and I will do my hyperventilation exercises twice a day for 3 minutes as well. Hell, they're even bringing in a bicycle for me to ride three times a day! We're going to make these seizures happen whether they feel like it or not! My doctors and I are all determined! \

Getting my head re-wrapped. Thanks to my reckless sleeping, the head wrap came undone... The man wrapping my head is absolutely hilarious. He was my tech when I was back in high school and middle school too!

One thing I'm not exactly looking forward to is the sleep deprivation, which will be happening starting in four hours at 2:00am until 8:00am. During that time is when the strobe light and hyperventilation activities will be performed. I am a person who has insomnia as it is, but for some reason I'm extremely exhausted here in the hospital. It may be due to not having my medication all day, but who knows!

The only real pain I'm in right now is from the IV. The nurse, for whatever reason, felt it was necessary to put it on my hand when I have beautiful chunky veins on my arms that were perfectly fine to use. Technically, she did try to put one in my arm but she chose the smallest vein. After years of having IV's I can easily point out the vein one would usually use. I even have it named as my "IV Vein"!

The nurse's first attempt left me a nice bruise... Looks way darker right now than it did at the time of this picture.

Tomorrow I will also be injected with a dye to help the doctors better locate the area of my brain that is specifically causing my tonic clonic seizures. Since blood rushes to the brain during a seizure, the dye will rush to my brain as well, highlighting these areas for the doctors. The only problem is that it lasts 2 hours in my bloodstream, so I need to have a seizure in order for it to be a successful test.

Anyhow, the camera above is being blocked by my laptop so I am going to have to cut this blog post short. The techs need to be able to see me when I have a seizure, which is hopefully soon. I am starting to get a headache and I am feeling that "pre-seizure" feeling that I usually get. Complete with tastes in my mouth and everything! So let's hope for a tonic clonic, everyone! As weird as that sounds...

Amanda M. Krzywonski Founder and Administrator

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.