Another EEG test

One night last week, my girl gave me another scare. I was woken up by her moans but she didn't respond when I called out to her. I thought I saw her moving/jerking in bed. When I switched on the lights and tried to wake her I saw that her eyes were open but her left eye was twitching. She looked blank and did not respond.


I called the paed neuro the next day and she advised us to bring her in for another EEG test. My heart was so heavy and filled with fear. It still is. I am very sad, scared and worried.


When I told my girl that she would be missing school because she had to go for another EEG her response was "Why do I have to go and see the brain doctor? I don't have a headache." I explained to her that its just a routine check and the doctor will give her a MC for not attending school. She went "Hurray!" and started prancing around. Such innocence. I smiled at her but my heart was very very heavy. I reminded her that they will attach many wires from her head to the computer and she will be asked to blow into a bag (to simulate hyperventilation) and they were going to ask her to look at flashing lights. She asked whether it was going to be the same girl who will ask her to blow into a bag because she liked the girl.


She is only 7. She is a bright and intelligent child, a good girl. My husband and I were worried that if she had to take medication, it would stiffle her individuality.


We had to keep her sleep deprived for the EEG so we let her go to sleep later and woke her up earlier in the morning. During one part of the EEG she had to go to sleep. This time the EEG was more professional than the one we did 2 months ago. During that EEG test there was no one else allowed in the room with her. Fortunately the technician was a lady, otherwise I would have insisted on being there too. This time there were two technicians, a lady and a man and I was allowed to be in the room.


Just when I was wondering how on earth she was going to fall asleep with 2 technicians and her mom staring at her, and just when they had sent hubby to go and buy sedatives and a syringe, she fell asleep. Later on when I asked her how she did it, she said she counted numbers.


The EEG turned out normal. Another EEG done 2 months ago was normal too but the doctor says that normal does not mean that she is not epileptic. She says that she does not want to label her yet but she thinks there is a 60% chance that she is. She says that if there is another episode than she may consider other tests and even if another EEG turns out normal, she may consider medication.


It feels hard to even write this down but writing is a form of therapy for me to get it out of my chest and think things through more subjectively instead of emotionally. However, I must say that writing does not help this time. I still feel disturbed. I do not feel at peace. I am worried about her especially when we go to bed and when she is away from me at school.


I hope that it was just a nightmare that she was experiencing but the doctor does not seem to think so. I guess a normal EEG is the better outcome for now since there is still some hope. However I am worried because in my case after one seizure in my sleep, the doctor said one seizure does not make you an epileptic. After a second seizure in my sleep, the doctor said its ok not to take medication at this point. And then I had 3 seizures in a day while I was awake and had to be hospitalised. I am worried that the same thing will happen to her. So is a normal EEG and non-medication really the better outcome? I don't know. I really don't know.


When it happened to me, I was scared for a while, but I think I can come to terms with it more easily than if it were to happen to any of my kids. That is very very much harder to handle. Afterall, I have done all the things that I wanted to do when I was young without this burden. I am a housewife now so to me its not so crucial but to a young kid who has a whole life to live and look forward to, a kid will face many more pressures, pressures as well as misunderstanding from the people around them.


If there is anyone whose child has to undergo an EEG, please take not that it is a harmless, non invasive test.

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How to talk to your child about swine flu

Yesterday my girl came home from school and said.....

"Mummy, teacher said if we get sick we will die. She told us about a virus. She asked whether anyone had gone anywhere for the school holidays. She said if we are sick we cannot go anywhere. We must stay at home. We must stay at home for 7 days. Some of my friends went to Australia and America during the school holidays. They played at the playground with other children there. Will they get the germs? Teacher said we must not go to crowded places like supermarket so that we won't get the virus. How come we still went to the supermarket?"

I guess the teacher had been talking to the children about swine flu. I wonder how much my girl understood. I just let her ask her questions and answered her the best that I knew.

I told her that staying at home for 7 days is called home quarantine and it is only a safety precaution to make sure that you don't pass any germs to anyone if you are not feeling well. It does not mean that you will die.

I searched the internet for resources on how to talk to young children about swine flu and found these:

Advice for Parents on Talking to Children About Novel H1N1 Flu (Formerly Swine Flu) Concerns from Centers for Decease Control and Prevention (The article mentions that we should Focus on what your child can do to avoid getting novel H1N1 flu. For example, they should wash their hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds (long enough for them to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). I find this suggestion very useful for my 5 year old who usually just brushes his hands briefly over the soap, flush with water and yells "Finished Mummy!")

Talking to Children About Swine Flu (H1N1): A Parent Resource from National Association of School Psychologists

Scary swine flu? Kids can be fearful of 'invisible' illness from USAToday.com (Here, it is mentioned that with young children, we should keep it simple and say something like "Some people have gotten sick with a flu you get from contact with someone who has it. Mom and Dad are going to make sure you're safe. We'll take care of you. " )

Meanwhile here are some other useful resources and links on the H1N1 Flu Pandemic:

PandemicFlu.gov - the one stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information.

Questions and Answers on H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Don't be compacent. Educate yourself and your family about swine flu. The World Health Organization has declared a global H1N1 flu pandemic on 11 June, 2009.

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Ladies, do you want "a chubbiness bust?"

Recently I received an advertorial publication. It says Bust Englarging service that gives you a firm and chubbiness bust. ROTFL.

I've heard of big and beautiful bust but not "chubby" breasts before!

In the same publication, my horroscope read as follows:

"On Full Moon, your ruler, Mercury is in Waterman, commit madder at the Fish cusp. You will wonder thinks comes whta you of this day as tomorrow! Get end remarks in meanwhile you can! With new moon, your ruler is retrograade in Fish and square to Jupiter in arc shooter. Above everything, holds your feeling for humor or you will lose your temper. It will the typical "two steps ahead, three steps back", scenario in this cycle. Splendor many and embrace the parabel."

????????????????????????

I can't believe anyone could publish such rubbish. Errrrr.... so ladies.... do you want chubbiness in your bust?

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I forgot Mother's Day

I forgot it was Mother's Day on Mother's Day because I was feeling too sick.

I was still having fever but had to go out to do some grocery shopping. We stopped by the bookstore. The kids and hubby who were all sick too selected some books. Then daddy told them to pick a Magazine for mummy because it was Mummy's Day and I replied in a blur "Is that right? I thought it was next week? Are you sure?"

Anyway, I was feeling too sick to care. I just told them to pick anything. They picked a Vogue magazine for me. Now if I hadn't been sick, I would have picked something else like "Good Housekeeping" or the Woman's Weekly or something.

Somehow, I feel that Fashion Magazines like Vogue are a waste of money. They cost quite a lot because of the exchange rate and there's nothing to read. Furthermore, many of the pages are just glossy ads. Theres not much substance or value in the magazine.

However, since hubby was thoughtful enough to remember to ask the kids to pick up something for me, I shall still treasure it. Later on, the boy brought back some craft flowers and heart shape thingy that he had moulded and baked at his kindy. "Its for you mummy. I didn't make it. Teacher did." he said. Hahaha. Its the thought that counts and the honesty and simplicity in which it was given that touches me. The fact that he didn't make it himself did not matter. lol. "I didn't get to make you a card mummy", the girl said sadly. She loves to make cards for people. I must remember to help her make a card for daddy's day next month.

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Mother's Day

Mother's Day is next month. I think that Mother's Day should really be for those mothers who have a really tough time being a mother. Single Mothers as well as mothers who are also looking after a sick parent, spouse or child. Those are the mothers who really deserve a break and recognition on what a good job they are doing as mothers.

Most mothers, including myself, often complain about how hard it is to be a mother (although we really love to be one), we wished we had more "me time" etc. However compared to those other mothers who have it really tough, our "complaints" seem really petty.

I had a taste of it the other day. On that day, my child suddenly vomitted in her sleep. She had no cough, no stomach pains. The vomitting was sudden, projectile and in her sleep. Vomit was everywhere, on the floor, pillows, blankets, her hair... When I went to wake her up, she looked in a daze. I am not sure whether it was due to sleepiness. She said that she could not see me even though I had switched on all the lights. I quickly cleaned her up and passed her over to my husband for comfort but she complained of a very severe headache. After resting a while she vomitted again.

Now, in normal circumstances, this would not be of that much of a concern. However, the paeditrician advised us to see a child neurologist because of my own condition. I have epilepsy which is under control. Besides, any sudden vomitting and headache plus temporary loss of vision with no other symptoms is a cause for concern and could be the sign of a more serious underlying condition. My child had also mentioned that she "feels like she is dreaming" on a certain number of occassions. We were worried that these may be signs of an aura or seizure.

So we brought her to a child neuro who advised us to do an EEG. The EEG is a procedure which takes about 45 minutes. Preparation time is about 15 minutes that is putting gel and sticking wires all over the head. These wires are attached to a computer to monitor the electrical brain waves. Thats my very layman way of describing it. If you or someone you know ever need to do an EEG, you should consult your doctor if you wish to know more about it. It is a painless procedure but you are required to be in a sleep deprived state and fall asleep during the procedure if you can so that readings can be taken during sleep as well as wakefullness. So the poor girl had to lie all alone in a dark room with little wires stuck all over her head but she took it in her stride. She thought that it was rather amusing when the techinician asked her to blow into an equipment to create hyperventilation or when flashes of light were flashed on and off at her during the procedure.

I was very worried. I cried. I worried. I thought about all the negative things. What if? What if she had a serious condition? What if she had to take medication for it? She is so younng. What if it caused her to be drowsy half the time and not like the active child she is now? What if it broke up our family because husband and I could not take the stress? What if it caused us to become overprotective of her and neglect her brother? What if? Why? I am a little crazy like this, to think so far ahead but illnesses within the family can alter the family dynamics somewhat and you must really be very strong as a family unit to go through it together.

Fortunately the test came out negative and the doctor sent us home. However she mentioned that the tests are not conclusive, they are indicative but not conclusive and we still do not know what happened that night. Still, it is a relief that for now, she is alright.

On that day, we also had to get our maid to do her medical tests. So we went to 5 clinics in all. It was a crazy day. But it reminded me to be thankful. Be thankful for what we have now. Our family's health and wellbeing is so important. Everything else pales in comparison.

It also reminded me that how my complaints about how difficult it is being a mom to two young kids who quarrel all day long and drive me up the wall all day with their pestering and whining and how I wished I had more time for myself etc is nothing, NOTHING at all compared to other bigger things like when a child or a spouse, parent or grandparent has a serious illness or compared to those single mothers who have to handle all the hard moments of parenting without someone by their side or relief. Those mothers are the ones who truly deserve a Mother's Day.

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