72 hour mobile EEG test. I have had two done, because lets be serious I make this look good! ; )
Joking aside, the first time I had a 72 hour mobile EEG test I was alone having sent my husband and young son up North together to collect my older son from his week long stay at his grandparents. I figured spending time alone would be good especially since I didn't want my boys to worry so after they left I went in to get hooked up. The young girl attached several electrodes to my head after carefully measuring out where to place them with a tape measure. She laughed at my wise cracks that a threw at her when I was overcome by nerves while she plugged me in and connected me to her laptop for monitoring. Carefully wrapping my hair up in the gauze and then taping everything up she sent me on my way with my extra set of batteries for the box that now rested on my hip. My father drove me home and then went grocery shopping for me, bringing home some extra treats that were not on my list but very welcome. Unfortunately, I wasn't alone when I returned home as my neighbors were having their driveway completely redone. I had to venture out fashionable head dressing and all to warn the crew that I had a sprinkler system so please be careful when they were cutting out the old driveway. Yep, I am that kind of kooky who can walk out looking like a extra in a horror film (no make-up wearing a big tank dress, head wrapped in white tape and trailing wires) and have a discussion with a group of shirtless muscled construction men without a hint of nerves. The guys were quite nice and with the exception of one didn't stare, much. The time went by quickly and then it was time to turn on the sprinklers before the crew left next door. Whoosh! I had a new fountain feature in my front yard and when I went to quickly turn around I swayed and one of the crew caught me while the other frantically asked for permission to access my house running inside to shut off the water. Meanwhile the guy holding me had set me onto the chair on my front porch and called his boss explaining that it seems my sprinkler system had sprouted a major leak during construction. After he hung up the other guy and he began to mumble to each other, finally I snapped at them both "Oh just ask me already!" So they did. I told them I was being tested to find out more about what type of epilepsy I had. One guy had never heard of epilepsy and the other had only thought their was the kind where you fell on the floor and shook. At this time I told them I didn't know much more than they did but that light, sound and sometimes even smells hurt my head. That I had not to my knowledge shook when I had fallen to the floor but I did fall a lot and that I tend to 'blank' out quite frequently. After our chat the guys left promising to return tomorrow with their boss I went inside and realized my tape was sitting like a muffin top on my head, as always I stay classy. I tried to pat the tape helmet down but that didn't work so I gently removed it and left the gauze on for the last evening. My head was so much cooler, had not realized how hot it was under all that tape or how much hot air my head produced (see I have a wicked humor I can unleash for defense). The next morning I woke and took the steps, unplug all electrodes from the box then go into shower and let head soak in warm water. Then supposedly I was to gather the colorful wires and pull they would all just come off my head. Umm.... not how that happened. It went more like (insert a lot colorful obsentities here) I aborted the pull and they will just come off rather quickly. (I'm no low pain tolerant girl either, they were not budging no matter how much I tugged) So, I scrubbed a bit around the edges and then a few started dropping into the tub at my feet. After a bit longer I was able to pull the last one free from my head and begin trying to remove the paste that held them in place which was a pain in the ass! Welcome any advice for that as I still cannot figure out how to do that effectively. Toweled off my head and realized I had red marks where the electrodes where placed and itched like crazy. Of course I would be allergic to the paste, sigh. A touch of creme on the red marks, a hit of benedryl and I was ready when the doorbell rang because I still had a broken sprinkler system.
The test results are in the earlier blog, it says I has activity that is almost constant and high spikes. According to my second EEG, I am lucky the meds are doing their job but the side affects are not making life that much more bearable. It's a learning curve. I still have the effects of 30 years untreated seizures, the migraines and the vertigo to contend with.
