Friday was Everett's neurology consult. The doctor was just as concerned as I was about his seizure a couple of weeks ago. Good, in a sense, because it means I wasn't totally overreacting and being sensitive. Bad, well-you know, who wants their child to have something weird enough to warrant a doctor's concern. The result, a quick scheduling of an EEG and MRI. yuck.
(He was amazed at the size of Everett's head. We've already established that big heads run on my side of the family, but it is still a bit comical to see the looks on their faces when they measure him.)
Finding his doctor was a huge hurdle. I miss the options that the DC area has for medical care. I now understand better why people travel hours to find a doctor that is right for them. We were initially scheduled with a 5 doctor staffed pediatric neurology practice not far from our house. But, I never really talked to a person. They emailed me my appointment which was 6 weeks away from the time I called for an appointment. There were TEN attachments to the email . . . and not one mentioned their concern for quality care for my son. They were adamant about an EEG BEFORE meeting the doctor. I was able to ask the doctor if we could delay the EEG until after she, uh, had seen my son. In the end, I felt like Everett's care was second to their punitive policies and crazy scheduling staff that lied to us several times.
So, I went with a doctor that has a home base in Sherman (30 minutes away). He is in my town twice a week. He is the only pediatric neurologist in their practice. But, he LISTENS and he was great with Everett and he was very thorough in answering my questions.
I learned that the "ticks" that Everett had in the past were more serious than his previous pediatric neurologist had considered them. I learned about the potential harm that successive seizures have on the brain even febrile seizures. I learned about how early medication now can prevent a longterm dependency on antiseizure medication. Yes, I've read quite a bit on seizures, but nothing is like a 20 minute conversation with a very thorough medical practitioner who is answering questions related directly to your child.
Today I've been showing Everett images of the children getting an EEG through google images. He thinks that it is silly that he will take a nap at the doctor's office. We've picked out his kitty and his blanket that will help him.
We've been through both an MRI and EEG before . . . but Everett was much younger. The MRI was much easier than the EEG. This time there won't be any medication involved. Alle-freaking-luia!
