Before Devic's - EEG and VEP

This was originally posted on October 21, 2009 on my other blog. This blog will have a new design before the month is up. Yay! Until then, I'm going to do "Before Devic's" posts just to catch everyone up on how I got here.

Getting ready to start my EEG.

Fake sleeping during EEG. I had to completely relax and keep my eyes closed for 20 minutes.

The aftermath.

So all my tests are done, now I just wait. I wasn't able to get my Radiologist Report today. You have to mail/fax/email a request, they then have 14 days to respond. I'll send the request tomorrow but I'm sure I'll see my Neuro before they get here.

My appointment to go over all tests results is next Thursday, the 29th. Between now and then, I'm just going to chill. These may be my last 8 days of being 'free' of an incurable disease.

Once I get the results, either way they go, I'll share with you after all family members have been told.

Thank you for your support. :)

Before Devic's - Spinal MRI

This was originally posted on October 17, 2009 on my other blog. This blog will have a new design before the month is up. Yay! Until then, I'm going to do "Before Devic's" posts just to catch everyone up on how I got here.


Yesterday was my MRI of the Cervical and Thoracic (sounds like a dinosaur) Spine. It was at a different place then my last MRI because of the Doc change of course. I didn't think it was possible for this MRI to be any louder then the first one but surprise, surprise, this one was.

I went in a 7:30pm with a slight headache. I finished at 9pm with the sound of fog horns ringing in both ears and a massive headache. She gave me ear phones that were playing classical music but really, what's the point? I heard maybe one song throughout the entire hour and a half.

I don't know if I've mentioned this before but I don't handle IV's or getting my blood drawn very well, or in this case the contrast.* For me, it's not the prick or even the feel of the stuff going in that bothers me, it's the thought. I think about a needle hanging out of my arm and blood and....yuck! Anyway, I'm known for passing out.

So the radiologist asks me before I even go in, "How are your veins?" And luckily, they're great! So I tell her that but I also inform her that I don't handle that kind of stuff well and so on. When the time came for the contrast, all was fine until I see what looks like water flying towards my face. I close my eyes and then she quickly asks if I'm alright. "Yes," I say. She then tells me to NOT move my arm no matter what and that she has to go and get some more contrast. Great!

So I'm sitting there, thinking about a needle hanging out of my arm, wondering if I'm bleeding or what's happeneing. Of course I can't see because I have all this padding crap around my head and a metal bridge-looking thing going over my neck. In my mind I'm thinking, "Come on Lady! Hurry it up!" I keep looking at the beautiful (artifical) scenary that's postered on the ceiling panels and trying to think of something else. Anything else.

Finally, what felt like 10 minutes but was probably only 2, she came back. She finished up the contrast, taped the "wound", and sent me back into the tomb of (noisy) death. I hate it when I'm in there. I've only done it twice but with both times, I've been ready to scream right at the moment before they pull me out.

I received a copy of my scans (obviously) and have shared a couple of the clearest pics with you. I'm no doctor but I have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking at. If I'm right, I'm screwed!

* Contrast - Contrast dye is a solution that is used to accentuate specific structures when looking at an image. Injected into your blood vessels. Fun! Fun!

Before Devic's - EEG: In Progress

This was originally posted on June 10, 2009 on my other blog. This blog will have a new design before the month is up. Yay! Until then, I'm going to do "Before Devic's" posts just to catch everyone up on how I got here.

I am officially "wired" for my 72 hour EEG test. It took about an hour and a half to get all 21 wires placed in the proper place on my head. No hair was removed and each wire is taped and glued to insure that it stay's in place. The other end of the wires are attached to a recorder which I have to carry around until they're removed.

Here's the educational portion of this post: An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of your brain. Special sensors electrodes are attached to your head and hooked by wires to a computer. The computer records your brain's electrical activity on the screen or on paper as wavy lines. Certain conditions, such as seizures, can be seen by the changes in the normal pattern of the brain's electrical activity.

Thank you WebMD for that excellent description. The purpose of this test for me, my Neurologist's wants to review my brain activity, particularly when experiencing headaches, migraines, dizziness and a few other symptoms. Luckily, the wires will come off one day before my daughter's 2nd birthday party. Whew!

So above is my before picture. Most of you know what I look like but that is for my newbie's. And also for myself. Just a little reminder that this is only temporary and my lovely locks will soon be flowing again. And below, well, it's obviously the after photo.

Not so hot. That fancy black strap you see is connected to a small fanny-pack-like bag that carries my recorder. I am the hippest chick on the block right now. Watch out California! Sarah's wired and she feels like freakin' people out. Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!! (That was my evil laugh).

It's kind of annoying having people look at you like you're crazy. Rather then crawling into a corner and crying, I'll just stare back at them and maybe make a crazy face and throw my arms in the air. LMAO! In all realness, I have to be pretty chill during this test. It's very sensitive and even a blink is seen on the screen.

Update: Still waiting on my MRI results but once I find something out, I will certainly share.

Before Devic's - Fast Forward

This was originally posted on June 9, 2009 on my other blog. This blog will have a new design before the month is up. Yay! Until then, I'm going to do "Before Devic's" posts just to catch everyone up on how I got here.

Say hello to my brain. "Hello Sarah's brain!" Or part of my brain I guess I should say. And check out that nose. Much smaller when you remove all that cartilage. ;)

Yesterday, I had my first (and hopefully last) Brain MRI. It wasn't that bad but what everyone told me was definitely true. If you're claustrophobic, it's your worst nightmare. Luckily, I am not. I had it with and without contrast and for those of you who don't know what that means, it's basically with an IV and without an IV. The "juice" in the IV is used to show pictures of structures more clearly.

I was able to prepare myself before the procedure by asking lots of questions and talking to people who have been through it before. One obvious bit of advice, No Metal! So I purchased an acrylic tongue ring so my beloved hole in my mouth wouldn't close up while in the machine. :) Mom would be proud. LOL! And I even remembered to bring a sports bra so I would be nice and comfy while my head was being photographed.

However, I didn't notice that the panties I was wearing sported a very tiny metal ring. So there I am, forced to wear the fashionable medical shorts supplied by the facility just in case a situation like mine should arise. The machine was loud and the knocking was extremely annoying but I managed to close my eyes and relax for the 40 or so minutes it took to complete my MRI.

I was able to get a copy of my scans but have yet to hear the results. Tomorrow I go in to get wired for a 72hr EEG. That should produce some interesting posts and pictures. Luckily, this device will be removed before Bean's birthday party this Sunday. Whew!

So here we are. From a "possible MS" comment to a visit with a Neurologist. From Neurologist to being scheduled for 3 or 4 tests. And from there, who know's. Maybe it's good news and maybe it's bad, but all we can do is wait.

Did I mention that the waiting is killer?