Lila's 7th EEG

Yesterday we spent what will hopefully be the last day in Neurology Clinic 5. When we got to the room the technician saw us and said "Oh hey guys! How have you been?" I told her if we have to go back there one more time I'm going to have to put her on my Christmas card list. Which means I would first have to make a Christmas card list. But, lucky for me, that won't be necessary since her EEG was completely normal. Her neurologist said that his medical conclusion is that the seizures were caused by the drug Reglan, given her for the reflux she didn't even test positive for. I felt both hugely relieved and a teensy bit frustrated. Relieved for obvious reasons, and irritated that she went through such an ordeal because some doctor was too busy to hang out at her bin for longer than 3 minutes to see what I was talking about all those weeks. Too busy or too arrogant or too apathetic, take your pick. I don't care which one, but I do want to take our paperwork from yesterday over to the other hospital, and show Dr. Fancy Pants that parents do know some stuff and that indeed reflux is not the bottom line of all pediatric medicine. Grrrrrr. But Yea! Lila is slightly behind in meeting a few milestones so I have been concerned that there were some repercussions from all the seizures. Dr. Valero said that is normal, especially considering how much time she spent in the NICU and even time thereafter not being healthy. When he walked in and looked at her he was beaming, and he said he hardly recognized her she looks so good. It's those Alabama thighs I think. Anabelle and I played for a while in the Children's Harbor and she won a stuffed pig to give to Lila. While I was waiting to talk to the Dr. about the results I told her that I needed to talk to the Dr. about very important things and that I needed her to be quiet and not to interrupt me. She agreed. And she did well. For a few minutes. But then she realized that she desperately needed square crackers. So she asked me for them 11 times in a row. I kept trying to quiet her. When the Dr. left, I told her that I didn't appreciate her interupting me after I had asked her to be quiet. She listened, thought about it for a minute, then said," Well- I didn't like it when you kept saying 'shhhhh,shhhhh,shhhhhh' to me!" I hope we can always talk this openly with each other. In short- it was a very happy ending to a very rough beginning.

I also felt so grateful for all the donations and volunteers that strive to make it a fun place to be and to try to ease the stress and anxiety. Having now had two babies in the NICU, I have both times felt gladdened by a hand made beanie or name tag or quilt and I cherish those items and keep them as rememberances of compassion and service. I decided that I am going to get in on that and give back. You probably shouldn't look for me to glue a heart to end of my nose and prance around with a kazoo, but I'm pretty sure I could take up knitting.