flopper - you wore everyday wear? Wow.
I was REQUIRED to wear easy open-down-the-front PJs or hospital gowns.

And while they were putting the stuff on my head a RN inserted a IV into my arm and a fresh one was inserted and taped down every morning "just in case I needed it" for some reason.

I could not leave the bed for ANY reason at any time. When I needed to go to the bathroom I hit the button and waited for assistance. They were concerned that I might have a sz on the way to the bathroom.

Every hospital is very different.

When I had my vEEG - I was permitted to bring my own
clothing as long as you can unbutton from the front.

One of the hardest thing is trying to be FORCED to stay
awake if your Epileptologist / Neurologist orders it. It's
boring, boring, boring.

However - they will NOT permit you out of bed if you have
electrodes that have been inserted in your jaw or head.
PERIOD.

As for the cables - you will be free to roam about, but
there is a way to walk around and keeping you from being
twisted is to coil the cable first as if you were holding a
microphone and walk with you - releasing as you go and
vice versa.

If there's nothing good on tv - you can always watch your
Digital EEG - it can be pretty interesting watching the XLEvent.

Those folks failed to tell me anything to expect. You guys pointed me in the right direction. They didn't demand anything & I didn't complain, so we departed on good terms.

Now I wish I would have known about the cable trick though.

I now see how I mis-spoke....... when I needed to go to the bathroom I hit that button and someone came to "help" me get there and waited for me come back out so then could "help" me back to bed.

Same thing when I needed to brush my teeth or try to take a sponge bath (of course, a regular bath or shower is impossible with all the electrodes wired to your head) .... Someone helped me out of bed, walked me to the bathroom and left me alone (microphones listening to me but the cameras could no longer see me) but waited until they could escort me back to bed.

It is NOT as bad as it sounds ...... all hospital people know what you're going through and are ready to help you, soothe you, laugh with you and just plain - be kind.

I had one difficult partial complex and when I was waking up, having a hard time, TWO RNs were sitting with me on the bed hugging me (Hugging ME !!!) and being gentle. I still cry when I think of such kindness.

I'm one of those people that want their space. I had the seizure on the first night & when the RN left to get the ativan & drugs the "baby- sitter" asked if the flop was done & how I felt. Of course, I said I was great. She bolted & so did I. Stumbled off to the bathroom & that was a chore. ) She was right there when I got out & helped me to the bed. The only other time I couldn't go anywhere w/o assistance was when I finally got that thing off my head & went for a shower. Had the station not been right on the other side of my room, I would have bolted for the shower too. So I guess we all have our priorities. Had I been torchered to stay in bed it would have gotten ugly.