My VEEG Experience
 

Here is a link to this post and my next post which includes pictures. http://myveegexperience.blogspot.com/


Sometimes you have something set up in your mind and it differs so much from what you had expected that you are thrown back by it. This is how I look at my VEEG.

I will try to cover as much as I possibly can, but keep in mind - I didn't plan on many events to take place that would end up in my having an experience not quite as pleasant as I had expected.

I arrived at the Hospital around 8:00am, I had to pre-register the night before and then complete registration when I arrived (it's coded as a surgery-type of thing). At around 8:30am I was guided to my room and soon had my first staff guest. I am sure this varies by hospital, however, this is how mine went.

Two Nurses: One is your primary nurse who gives you pills, flushes your IV, etc. The other is an aide who will escort you to the restroom, and pretty much do anything possible to annoy you.

One Case Manager: I don't know what she does short of dropping off a business card.

Two VEEG Readers: You will constantly have two people near your room who will be viewing you via video camera (typically 2-3 camera watching you from various angles). There is also an audio box they can hear everything you can and speak to you, as well.

One on-call Epileptologist (probably your doctor or another one on staff).

Once you meet the 'staff' your electrode application begins. This takes around 30-45 minutes. They measure each location for placement, mark it with a 'china pen' (red ink) and then being placement. This hurts, this isn't like an EEG since they want them to stick. They scrub, apply paste, electrode, more paste and then tape. Once they do this, they apply gauze to your entire head, and then tape it, then they apply "Grass" (a net) atop that and cut out ear holes.

This is so uncomfortable and painful. I want to add, if you have Trigeminal Neuralgia - they do not do anything for that unless you freak out. I lasted as long as I could. They cannot pick up waves from your frontal lobe without the electrode placed in the primary trigger point for TN. I have TN and this was the worst pain I have ever felt. I'd rather be in labor.

Below is the finished product after application, this is me and my whopper.

http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/22...icture+003.jpg

And another shot...(my mouth was full)

http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/22...icture+004.jpg

Back to the story...

Your two readers and your main nurse all will have pagers, should you push your "Seizure Button" they will all come running into your room and give you a 'test'.

They will ask you your full name, where you are, etc. They will test your motor skills, vitals and say three words. Once they finish, you will be asked to recall the three words mentioned (small words or numbers).

The impression I was under, they were the ones watching but you are expected to push this button upon any suspected symptom. When you have symptoms like mine, I am fully coherent most of the time. So one 'shock' I had to push the button and go through 15 minutes of questions. It grew annoying after the 3rd push.

I'd personally like to see some changes set forth regarding this type of a thing because people get button shy. They will tell you if something did or did not show up and if nothing showed up, you feel kinda stupid for going through all of that.

Each day they do standard testing to induce seizures (similar to the EEGs). You will have the photo stimulation, hyperventilation, and then what they call a baseline. The baseline is this: They make you relax and shut your eyes and remain still/relaxed for five minutes. They will also put you on an exercise bike for 15 minutes or longer.

If all else fails, they try various methods to trigger a seizure, like having you drink alcohol, coffee, etc. May be the first hospital I was in where my doctor wanted me to get drunk ( I declined, I don't drink).

No matter your seizure type, you will be marked as a high risk for falls and will not be allowed to get up without supervision. This can be an 'issue' when you have to use the restroom. I am sure out there happens to be better nurses than mine who felt the need to open my door as soon as I flushed thus ticking me off. I ended up with 'potty stage fright' and didn't "go" until I got home.

The wires from your head (electrodes) to the stand are about the length of an IV. You have to cart this with you when you use the restroom or want to move around your room. The only downside is you cannot leave your bed without ringing for a nurse for assistance. Every movement you make has to be with a nurse present, this is so annoying I have no words to explain how awful it was.

From my understanding, the first day you stay on your normal medicine. The first night you will be sleep deprived, normally staying up until 3:00am. The second day, they decrease your meds by half and you are not sleep deprived. The third day, your meds are all taken away and you are sleep deprived again. They seem to sleep deprive you every other night. Before allowing you to leave, you have to be put back on your meds.

I am on Keppra, which is now available via IV - so I was able to get my full dosage before going home (I was actually kind of high, which was semi-fun).

The hardest part is not being able to deliver what they want which is a grand mal seizure. I have one maybe once a year, but several smaller focal seizures or complex partials every day. I felt like I failed, and my reader also had Epilepsy so she did comfort me that while I may not have a drop seizure, they are getting great information when I sleep.

When you sleep, your EEG is easier to read. Keeping in mind, while you are awake your EEG picks up everything. All movements from muscles, even eye blinking, and so on. You cannot chew gum either.

Bathing is pretty much out of the question, you have a small portion of your face you can wash and my nurse rushed me so much that sponge bathing in the restroom wasn't very fun with someone talking to me the whole time.

I am home now, and my head hurts bad. I lost a LOT of my hair from the paste and the tape. I have large knots on my head and red spots from the tape that peeled off layers of my skin on my back, chest, arms and face (from the IV site, EKG monitors and EEG tape).

I really hope this helps people out, because this is probably what they don't tell you. I'd have been better prepared had I known this. I had all of my crafts ready to keep me entertained, my computer and movies - and found myself so depressed I didn't want to do anything but cry and sleep.

Some things you can do, is ask them to face the monitor towards you. If you lay very still, you can watch your brain waves which is pretty neat. I really enjoyed it, to see spikes when I felt 'weird'. You can also see how bad it must stink for them to filter movements, you can blink or chew to see what a drastic change in spikes it causes. It's rather fascinating.

I wouldn't suggest doing this without a friend or someone who can stay with you. I am one of those spur of the moment 'potty goers' and when I have to go, then ring a nurse and wait five minutes - I get annoyed. You can have a friend with you and go then and there. As long as you have a guest.

I can only assume most Epilepsy Centers are properly staffed, this one was kind of slow - but my floor had surgery patients too and several codes going off, so the staff was always busy.

I have to wait two weeks for my results since I did not have a GM seizure and they have to read through everything. It was an experience to open my eyes and I can only applaud parents who have done this with kids and all adults who have done this, too. It was very hard to go through, but I did a lot of this alone with my guests staying a maximum of 30 minutes.

If I ever have to do it again, I won't do it alone.

I hope this helps someone, I will edit this later and add anything I had forgotten.

Hi Ellie,
How are you doing? All of this brings back many memories of when they did a veeg on me but instead of placing the electrodes on the top of my head they drilled 7 holes in my head 4 on the RTL and 3 on the LTL and they placed the electrodes directly on my brain. Just like you I had to drink diet soda eat potato chips, and peperoni because these were the things that triggered sz. for me.
As far as using the restroom I was lucky I was able to get out of bed because I had a 25 ft. cable hooked up to me so I could walk to the restroom and get out of bed. Take my word my head was very sore for weeks from the surgeon drilling into my head.
Here's wishing you well and May God Bless You!

Sue

I think the main complaint I have is if they are keeping things on people for a long duration, no matter how time consuming it is - they need to clean the areas and reapply. Many people have seen my pictures to know a general idea of before and afters. I took these pictures about 30 minutes ago once I finished my bath.

These are from the electrodes that they say 'do not touch your skin'.

This image below is from the EKG monitor, when they removed it, it ripped the skin off of my back - literally.

http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/2293-1/100_1574.jpg


The next three images are from the left side of my face, one further back, one zoomed in more and one a close-up. The last picture was actually bleeding until I put ointment on it.

Image 1
http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/2297-2/100_1576.jpg

Image 2
http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/2300-2/100_1577.jpg

Image 3
http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/2303-2/100_1578.jpg

This is from behind my ear (both sides are the same)
http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/2306-2/100_1580.jpg

This is from on top of my head (I can't take pics well at this angle, hehe. It's hiding under my wet hair)
http://wow.fohguild.org/gallery/d/2309-2/100_1586.jpg


I wanted to show these because parents may take their kids to have this done, and may hear them cry and say it hurts and there may be a nurse saying "It's just not comfy" or "It probably itches". Chances are, it's hurting because the skin is being rubbed off by the electrode. Or even if one of you has this done, if you feel like it's raw - it probably is, make them take it off and put more gooey stuff on.

I have no clue what to do about my face, but I look like I have a serious skin disease now.

You all have me in the flesh, but here I am - looking funky, and reporting news. I sure love you guys and gals. The pink spots are actually red, but my flash keeps turning them pink and if I don't use a flash you can't see. Bleh.

PS: Never share these pictures!! :eek:

I have around 20 spots like this all over my head, and taking a bath wasn't as pleasant as I had hoped it was. I'm sure you have all taken a bath or shower when you had sunburn at one point in your life. That's how it felt.

wow Ellie........I can sure see why you would be unhappy about the whole experience, but especially what they did that has hurt you........:(

my hope is that by you being so vocal;) in there about it all, that they will hopefully be a bit more careful and diligent in future

sure hope too that the results they got will be beneficial in your treatment and so at least have made the ordeal worthwhile!

it must be sooooooooooooo good to be home eh!:p

awww...sweety...they look like they hurt. vit e helps and so does aloe vera. neosporine will help fight infection.

i'm so happy you are home.

Honey I feel for you! I know that they hurt like the dickens as I've had several. Once at Texas Children's the technician told Michael that it didn't hurt that bad and to stop acting like a baby. I stopped it right there and demanded another technician. When he had his EEG a few weeks ago, the one on the side of the face was the worst. The tech didn't see that she had put the tape in his sideburn and when she ripped it off, it took off half his sideburn. Poor thing. His skin is very sensitive and it looked just like yours, especially on his face and chest.

There just has to be a better way of doing this. The scraping and cleaning is so painful. I hate just like you said above when the techs say it's just a little uncomfy...balderdash! You and I are adults and know that it does hurt like a *****.

Biggest of gentle hugs!

Tip: Johnson & Johnson First Aid Cream (Wound Dressing)

I kid you not, my face looks 80% better from it. I applied it 5 times! It also helped out with a zit, too. Pick some up! It's greaseless, but still helps with the dryness. It's like a thick lotion and I've personally tested it for everyone. :D

5 Stars!!

Ellie,
Thanks for the honest view of what it is like. My Dr. has mentioned this, but said it is no big deal. This is all new to me. 47, and just started having seizures. Going to Mass General for 2nd opinion Nov. 20.

Thanks again,
Garney

No problem, I look at it like I'm taking one for the team! The entire experience wasn't a burden, but it's like getting a trigger point injection in your spine and they say "Just a little poke". I wish people were honest about those things, it's easier to prepare yourself. I think of parents who don't experience and have to go off of their kids words and some kids can't talk. I certainly don't want anyone to be afraid, but I don't want anyone to be misled into thinking this is a walk in the park.

I called The Epilepsy Center to tell them it would be nice for them to offer that cream I mentioned earlier and apply it after the removal of the electrodes. It really helped out tons with the pain. I'd say some areas mainly on the skin with no hair is equal to rug burn (if you have a sibling, you'll be familiar with this if yours was like mine!), the areas from the middle of my head to the front were equal to sunburn and the areas on the back of my head (they prefer you sleep flat on your back) had knots and raw spots, some were open - those hurt like blisters. Hopefully my pseudo-pain scale can help out. I bet Aloe would be good for this too (after care).

They should change the tagaderm and cloth tape every day on the IV sites, just leaving it covered so long (and they make you sweat a lot) is gross. I'll spare you the stories. :)

My face is looking better, kind of like I had a bad breakout - but it feels great. I apply the cream 3 times a day after I wash my face with clear soap. I bought some neutrogena fragrance free shampoo and conditioner, the stuff I had burnt my head.

Best of luck to you Garney, and keep us posted.

Thanks everyone for your support (and the night-time chats), it helps a lot!

Poo!

I forgot to make my follow-up appointment until today, so I have to wait until December 12th to get my results (they won't mail or give over the phone). I called and asked if I can sneak in or grab an appointment if anyone cancels so I don't have to wait so long.

It's my own fault for waiting a week to call them, I kept forgetting. :(

Veeg?
 

Ellie- I recall you recently had to deal w/ this. I go on the 29th for three days. Since my memory is not up to par could you tell me why the VEEG was/is done? Like I said my memory is poor & when the neuro suggested it I merely agreed. Can't remember what he said it would do. Long story!
It is set for 3 days, so aside from what you previously posted I would appreciate any info. I recall (vagually) the drill eeg thing prior to the 2nd surgery, but I assume this veeg will not go that far in. Your photos no longer appear here & I certainly hope I am not strapped to a bed. :o) Of course my important question is what type of clothing can be worn ? I hope I can wear my comfy sit around clothes.
Any help would be appreciated. At the hospital 2 wks ago the EEG, which was only about 20 min. sad "rt aral abnormality, rt (borderline) axis deviation"moderate amounts of theta activity is seen w/ delta activity over the left hemispheric rythms. RT heispheric activity consists of 8-9 cycles per sec. activity. Moderate amounts of theta activity & large amounts of delta activity is seen over the rt hemispheric electrodes."

"Impression: This eeg is abnormal. greater slowing seen over the rt hemisphere suggests an area of structural abnormality. No epileptiform activities were see. "
And I really need an opinion, on that "Impression" please.

Thanks Ellie!!

Flopper,

When I went in for a VEEG, I had to make sure that I brought clothes that buttoned down the front. That was so my EEG wires weren't messed up. Also, bring plenty of things to keep you occupied. Like puzzle books, reading material, stay in bed or chair things.

I was taken off my meds so that I would have a seizure. The meds were taken off gradually in 2 days time. I had the seizure on the 3rd or 4th day. It was actually 4 seizures in 4.5 mins time. Besides recording the seizures on the EEG, you are also being recorded on a video camera. The only time that they can't record you is when you are in the bathroom. This is so the doctor can see what happens when you have your seizures. This gives them a better idea of what goes on during that time.

Becky

Thank you Becky. Very good to know I can relieve thyself in silence. I was really considering cancelling it for that purpose.
I have selected some DVD's for my head set, but I wonder if that will interfere w/ the EEG? All that "electricity" you know.

I had a VEEG once and have a couple of tips.

Where I went they had a TV so I brought a DVD and a playstation. I don't really like videogames but my husband thought it would help with the night I had to stay up all night. It DEFINITELY did!

I would take a lot of pillows because it can be difficult to get comfy with all of the leads. I would definitely take your own jammies so that you are comfy too. They let me use linen spray as well so it seemed more homey.

I didn't receive any serious wounds from when they took the leads off, the guy was pretty patient, but I did lose quite a bit of hair. The glue is really thick.

I left the hospital crying and went straight to my kid's Godmother's salon. She is from the Ivory Coast and runs an ethnic hair salon. My suggestion is that when you get out or before you go drop by an ethnic salon in your area and buy some of the heavy duty conditioner there. She had me use an entire bottle. I would wet my hair, put a third of the conditioner in it, let it sit for 15 minutes, then start to brush through it, then rinse. I did this whole process 3 times and didn't lose too much more hair. My hair has always been thin, especially with the AEDs, and this seemed to help.

God Bless.

That's odd, the pictures should be working.

Anyway, as stated above you'll want to wear something that buttons up. I'd suggest wearing cotton, also. As sitting in the same spot can cause you to sweat which will bring even more discomfort. They had told me I could walk about my room, but they failed to mention any time I wanted to stand up to even use the restroom or move to a chair I had to call a nurse and have them 'escort' me.

I had mine done mainly because my medications weren't working so they wanted to see how I did with it compared to without it. They also wanted to better pinpoint a location since my EEG's tend to vary in regards to seizure activity location(s).

You should bring conditioner and johnsons first aid cream. I imagine you'll want to rush home, so once they take the electrodes off - put cream on your face and conditioner on your hair. Toss a hat on and rush home - then you can clean up better there.

I'd also suggest bringing a laptop computer, dvd's, books, video games, and/or anything that will keep you busy because it's totally boring. I'd also bring snacks, or set it up for someone to bring you dinner because hospital food stinks. :D

Ellie-
I picked up the Johnsons cream this A.M. I'm doing the VEEG because they are not showng via the simple EEG, or else they think I'm nuts. :o)
I managed to lose 5 lbs during 4 days @ the hospital, so I will indeed stock up.

Bams1414- I had intended to get a hair trim tomorrow. Very thick hair, so I imagine I will lose a good amount. Thanks for that conditioner tip! They haven't informed me yet what to expect, but they best have java on hand if they want me to be up all night. I can be very grumpy if I don't get my naps. I am a rather inpatiant person, so I imagine they will be glad to see me off.

requesting link for blog.
 

Ellie could you please post the link to your blog. I have read everything you wrote here and am very interested in seeing pics and reading your blog.

I can't bring computer in fact I can't bring anything that plugs in except for a hairdryer which is dumb because. I can't wash my hair until after it is all said and done. I got 2 big puzzles and I am going to get some SUDOKU books, crosswords and find a words plus LOTS of books. I love to read.

My Mom is going to help me sew a few simple button down shirts so I will be comfortable.

Thank you so much for the info about the shampoo and conditioner and the Johnson first aid ceam we live three hours away from UVA Charlotesville so I have to wash hair and such before we come home.

Thank you so much for all the info. I hate suprises and I feel so much better when I know what to expect. All they gave me was asheet of aper that said wash your hair, wear button down shirts, bring nothing to plug in but a hairdryer, and expect to stay from 1 to 14 days.

Cat

Sadly I don't have everything uploaded and my scanner/printer must have been injured during our move as it's unwilling to work now (unless making honking sounds at me counts).

Let me know if you guys can't see the pictures on my first and second post in this thread. If they aren't working I'll try and get them uploaded somewhere else.

I've been trying to work on my own website that just uploads stuff but gives me a printing option. I've usually used microsoft word as my seizure journal and medical blog then I scan my reports and stuff and keep it all in one folder. My friend is helping me to make a website so it's all uploaded (incase my pc crashes or I lose the papers). Once it's done I'd like to share but I don't think we could cause of HIPAA stuff, hehe. I could probably share the seizure journal and blog part though then password protect it (I open by date and click a print button if I need a copy to take to new doctor and have one to select all to print, kinda like e-mail).

Anyway, I'm babbling. My pain pills from surgery make me kind of loopy.

the pics have been gone awhile ellie. i thought maybe you have removed them.

Well shoot, no I didn't. I'll get that fixed right away. I'm pasting it all over to Blogspot right now. Gosh, I'm so sorry. :(

Ok, if you can test this out and let me know if the images show I'd greatly appreciate it.

http://myveegexperience.blogspot.com/

yep. they all work. :)

Great, thanks. I added that link to my original post.

Ellie,

That's absolutely AWESOME!

:D

Been there...done it (unfortunately)
 

My husband had the same thing done in May at Beth Israel here in Boston. They started weaning him off his meds (tegretol, lamictal and keppra) on the 7th and the 11th he had 6 horrific grand mal seizures.

He too had a sitter. Most days it was someone new. There was a young woman named Suzie that was terrific!

Honestly, it was the worst thing witnessing his seizures on the 11th. I'm still so shaken up by them. I am in therapy from it - call me dramatic, but it really scared me!

They were unable to pinpoint the start of his seizures. They said basically his brain exploded with the seizure instead of the seizure spreading over the brain.

On the 12th they introduced his meds back (slowly) and it was like night and day! They replaced his keppra with lyrica. So far, so good. He has gained weight on lyrica (side effect) but he's watching his carb intake (which is good anyways). My husband has never had a belly in his life and now he looks odd with a small belly.

Thank you pics are working and got blog link
 

Ellie thanks so much I am going to show this to my DH too and all the pics are working so it is very informative.

Catherine

My new neuro, whom I like alot but whose diagnosis of epilepsy I still don't believe, asked me if I'd consider having a VEEG. I said I wasn't sure. Then I saw Ellie's post, pics & blog. Now I'm sure: Hell will freeze over first before I do that.

Dear Ellie, i'm so sorry you had to go through that experiance. kind of made me feel sick thinking about it. by jingo's i pannicked about a silly MRI.
this info for anyone who has to go through this is fab! thanks for taking time to explaine it all so well , i agree whole heartedly this type of information can be of great value to patients, i just wish the med professionals could understand how important this syle of info is. but alas alot of them dont learn any bad side manner, ur description is Thorough, and people would never get so frieghtend of the next time they have to have something done.
i had an MRI last night and couldnt believe the changes they have made in 13 years. i could see through a little mirror , and they gave me music to listen to, 13 years ago was my first MRI and i was slightly allergic to the contrast. i didnt know it at the time and had a very bad time.with no meds at all, so last night i totaly freaked before going, and had stv during i realy cant believe you had a friend there for only 30 minutes , i most definatly would have some one with me the whole time.
your very brave. so hope they get all the info they need to help you as best they can. god bless darlen.
jen from Australia.
p.s maybe someone should right a book or Theses on careing for Patients in the real world.

Oh my goodness, no! I don't want my 'journal' to sway anyone from getting any diagnostic testing. :( However, I'd like to put out how it really goes so you can be better prepared. It's kind of like when the doctor is about to poke you with a needle and says, "You may feel pressure." No - it's not pressure, it's a needle stick.

Many in the medical care field feel the need to sugar coat things when it's really not necessary. It's worse when the experience is not what we were prepared for and we're left in discomfort and rather upset about the whole ordeal.

Even small things, like I should have been told to wear light cotton. I always wear fleece jammies because I'm normally anemic and just don't hold heat well. I didn't think I'd end up sweating badly or be on that exercise bike for 30 minutes. The fleece and sweat combo. caused me to break out in hives which then they gave me benadryl on the sleep deprivation night. That was un-fun!

Anyway, Heather, if you are unsure of your diagnosis this really is one of the better tests to get. But as mentioned, it is kind of a hit or miss. It seems like our brains know when they are being watched so they don't misbehave. Hehe.

Please don't let my Truth Tales sway you from getting your testing done, I'd honestly feel horrible. Just get the test done but think of my story and make sure you bring cotton pajamas, lots of entertainment providing gadgets, first aid cream, leave-in or spray conditioner (and a hat!), etc.

*hugs*

I agree with Ellie. I've also had a VEEG done. You don't have to bring just your pajamas. You can also bring daytime clothes to change into. The pictures that Ellie showed are just what happened to her. If you are having all kinds of seizures, it's good to have a VEEG done because this will show your neuro/epi a better idea at where your seizures are located at. If you are a candidate for brain surgery, this type of EEG will show more than the regular EEG at where the seizures are located at. This is just another beginning step for brain surgery if you go that way.

Becky

Ellie -- no guilt -- you really didn't "sway" me against a VEEG. I was listing in that direction, and at a strong tilt, anyway.

A brief history, if I can keep it brief. My first event was in the spring of 2003. I was on a plane to Ireland, 3:30 am Irish time, and then I was in Shannon airport at 11:30 am, with no memory of anything in between. I somehow got off the plane, through immigration, baggage carousel, etc. with no knowledge of it. When I came to I was trying to buy a ticket to NY. The agent asked me my name and I said I didn't know (nor did I know I already had a return ticket or that I could have looked up my name on my passport or driver's license). Nor did I know that my whole face was covered in blood; I apparently fell at some point but I don't remember that either.

Was I freaked out? Oh, just a tad! Back in NY, I got sent to a neurologist whom I thought was eccentric, to say the least. He hears the airport story and says, "CPS" for sure. I have an inconclusive MRI & EEG and get put on 300 mg of Neurontin, which made me sleep all day. Quit drug, go to new doc, Orrin Devinsky at NYU (a celeb in epitology, it seems); he hears the story and says "CPS" for sure. Writes a script for Dapakote (which I never fill).

Then in researching this new ailment I discover BrainTalk. What a fabulous site that was for me. CPS? Seizure lasts 2 - 4 minutes. Nothing even remotely close to 8 hours. Don't have a clue who you are or what your name is after the episode? Nope, that doesn't happen. From everything I read on Braintalk, and all the links, you don't remember the E event but you do know that your name is Peggy Sue and that you're in Graceland, for example, when you come out of the seizure.

So I gave up on the epilepsy route. Everything was fine until this past year. In Nov I wake up to find I have peed all over everything in my sleep one night. That was a first for me, and ugh! In Feb I wake up with excruciating pain; I have somehow managed to break a rib in my sleep. I am not a sleep walker and nothing in the apartment was overturned or out of place.

To humor this new neuro, whom as I said I like, I went for and MRI a few weeks ago. It showed some sort of tangled up jumble of blood vessels in the left temporal lobe, and am going for an MRA tomorrow. We'll see where that leads. Have filled my neuro's script for Keppra, but haven't started it yet.

Sorry, I seem not to have kept this short. But I must ask you one question, Ellie. How in god's name to you manage to look so gorgeous when wearing a beehive on your head?

Heather

Oh my, it sounds like you have gone through a rough time. Did they happen to suggest seizures and the memory loss being due to hitting your head during the seizure? I've had a few episodes where I lost track of time (forgetting how I got home, things like that) but nothing to that extreme as you have mentioned.

As you said above, what they found on the MRI could be what's triggering seizures and the other problems. I would highly recommend getting the VEEG mainly so they can monitor you while you sleep since you appear to be having some form of nocturnal seizure (or an event that's similar). Even if it's just a 24 hour study, it should be enough to get a good solid read while you're sleeping.

Make sure to keep us updated, I'm very curious to see what the formal diagnosis is. And even if it's not Epilepsy, this forum isn't just for Epilepsy - so make sure you stick around. :)

PS: Thanks for the compliment, all of that stuff on my head didn't make me feel very pretty. Hehe.

Okay, and you didn't mention that you're also psychic . . . I had just pushed the "submit reply" button, checked to see that it went through and you were already there.

No, fall in airport was never in question as to memory loss. I fell on the front and split my lip wide open. At about 9pm that night I called the local emergency number because my face had become so swollen -- you couldn't tell where my nose ended and my mouth began! The doctor at the clinic said get here whenever you can. A friend drove me down to Ros Muc, about 40 minutes from where I live, and sure enough he had the clinic open for me. This was a Saturday, around midnight, in the remote west coast of Ireland! Anyway, he said I must have fallen outside because my lip was packed with gravel. He cleaned that out, gave me a tetnus shot and took my blood pressure: 205/185. I somehow think that had something to do with with blackout. Or as my indifferent doctor in NY said, "I'm surprised you didn't stroke out." The MRI showed that was not the case, and I have a new, truly wonderful doctor now. And am on BP meds.

Will keep you posted, for sure. Was supposed to have a sleep-deprived EEG this Friday, but cancelled it when I got wind of a surprise party my students are throwing that same day. What a surprise: teacher shows up staggering with exhaustion and hair covered with revolting gunk. Bad planning.

I'll do it next fall when I get back from the summer vacation.

My 5 year old son is going in for a eeg in about 5 hours and I could not keep him awake. I just need to know what will happen?

Wow, compared to all of your EEGs, mine was flat-out boring. They told me to show up sleep deprived (which was lovely as I was driving myself), put a ton of gunk in my hair, asked me if my braid was real, and then ... I got nothing. Not a single blip. Last time I had a spell, one night of bad sleep wasn't anywhere near enough; I had to sit on two delayed flights over the winter holidays and connect through O'Hare, arriving home at something like 2AM to have my brain wig out. *shrug*

The gunk wasn't pleasant; I was really concerned about that since my hair is about mid-thigh length and I was not about to cut it. Turns out that as long as you shampoo the daylights out of the stuff before the gel dries, you're okay.

The MRI was boring -- loud, but boring. And stinky. :-P