Electroencephalogram (EEG)

The big day dawned brightly and the recent heavy snowfall began to melt, as the day turned into a rather balmy, sunny day for early January. We bundled Jessica up and headed down to our 8:30 am appointment. We had kept her up as late as possible the night before, as they had instructed us, so that she would sleep through her ‘EEG’. We would be testing her brain functions.

‘Electroencephalogram,’ or EEG, was another new term for us. It was something we had vaguely heard of but had never experienced. It basically measures ongoing electrical activity in the brain. The measurements are accomplished by placing a number of electrodes, actually pasting them, on a patients head, and the result is graphed on a slow moving sheet of continuous paper with a pen for each set of measurement points.

We watched silently with a lump in our throat, as the technician methodically pasted what looked like rubber suction cups with a wire attached, to Jessica’s tiny head.

She lay there looking as normal as apple pie, breathing slowly as she slept, in her tiny pink chiffon dress. The machine began to gently hum as paper cascaded slowly through the printer.

Holding my breath…

Later, Renée, Charlotte and I sat waiting in Doctor William’s office, trying not to fidget. I was hopeful, but I couldn’t shake the memories of that Friday afternoon when everything had changed. Somehow I knew, although it was difficult to speak it, that something was, or had gone terribly wrong with little Jessica.

The ‘blessed one’ I thought. How ironic. I was braced for the worst, although I hadn’t really expressed my fears to anyone else.

The Marathon Begins…

I had already committed in my mind that I would do everything I could to get to the ‘cure’ or whatever Jessica needed.

I could sense a marathon of doctors, medicine, tests and machines awaiting us and perhaps we should give her therapy so that… the door quickly opened, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up into the somber face of Doctor Williams.

He cleared his throat and began to speak the words I will never forget.

“Well, I will get right to the point. Your daughter is having brain seizures…” there was that word again, “…some observable, but in any case, up to five seizures per second.”

He paused,glanced at us both,and then continued,“…and I guess I don’t know why!”

So! There it was.

Next week: “Aching Hearts & Feeling Numb.”

I will continue to share the answers to the question “What happened to Jessica?” every Monday in the weeks ahead. When I have received sufficient feedback and questions, I will add a Thursday episode, as needed, to this blog, focused on answering your questions and comments.

Thanks for your interest.

Jim, Renee & Jessica