Your first neurologist appointment,

This morning we had your first neurologist appointment.  It really wasn't too bad.  Here is how the morning and the appointment went:

We left for the appointment at 8am, the same time Daddy left for work.  It was nice to have him help me get you in the car and ready to go because you stayed calm, and let's be honest, I was a little anxious for this appointment.  But you, you were actually pretty excited to go see the doctor!  You asked to have your Thomas push toy with you in the car and since it was going to be an hour ride, I didn't fight you on it.  (smile - you can also get pretty obstinate when you want something and this was a fight not worth having - smile)

The drive was going along really smoothly.  Then, we hit traffic.  And A LOT of it.  I had hoped since it was going to be about 8:30am when we hit the freeway it would be a little more cleared.  Now I know, that is not the case.  We got stuck on 696 Westbound from 11 mile all the way to the Northwestern Freeway and 696 split.  Let me just say, I am NOT a traffic person.  In fact, I do what I can to avoid it because it is the one instance where I really don't curb my tongue much.  Ha!  So I called Daddy to let him know we might be late to the appointment and to see if he could see if there were any issues or accidents.  He looked and said, no, this was just the normal flow of traffic.  Perfect.  It wasn't the ideal situation but the good news about being stuck in traffic, I could not think about your appointment.  I had to keep my eyes firmly placed on the cars around me. 

To my surprise, we arrived to the appointment 3 minutes early!  Hooray!  We weren't late!  We went inside and you took to the receptionists immediately.  You were showing them all your Thomas the Train, pointing out the letters on the walls and talking to them nonstop.  It was so cute!  One of the receptionists even gave you TWO stickers!  You were thrilled!  You had me put them on Thomas and then show them all Thomas again!  They were smitten with you and you were having so much fun with them.

We waited less than 5 minutes in the chairs when they called you.  "Evelyn" was called.  For each appointment we have for you, that is what is said.  But we so rarely call you that (to be honest, it's mostly when you are in loads of trouble), that it takes me just a split second to realize they are calling you.  (smile)  You happily followed the nurse.

You were great!  I mean truly.  They wanted you to step on the scale and you just went right up there, no issues at all.  The we followed her to the back room and you again, took to it like this was something you do everyday.  Now, when we got into the room, I was a little taken aback.  It was all brown, nothing to denote it being a children's doctor's office.  But that didn't seem to bother you one bit.  You sat down on the step stool (it is after all the perfect height for you to use as a chair) and started to read your books.  Really, you were more than fantastic.

The doctor then came just moments later.  And at first, I was not sure how the appointment would go.  We were already in a very dark brown room and then he walked in, in a suit with an old fashioned black doctor's bag.  My first thought, "Oh man.  How is this going to go?  This old man in this old room."  But man were my first impressions wrong!

He started off asking questions about the seizures, how long they lasted, was there any actual shaking, what did we do to help you.  Come to find out, they probably wouldn't classify the last one you had in July an actual seizure.  I don't remember what exactly he said but it was something to the fact that there was still something going on in your brain to halt the neurons from functioning properly, which is what you typically see after someone has a seizure' but the fact that there was a lack of actual shaking, they wouldn't call it a seizure.  Still scary none the less.

All the questions, information and conversation didn't seem to phase you in the least.  You just kept "reading" your books.  Then it came time to check you out.  And this is where my fist impression was proven wrong.  He opened up his bag, and started pulling out a bunch of TOYS!  Yes, toys!!!  It was so cute!  He did a checkup on you and used toys to get you to do what was needed for him to check you out.  And you, well, you had so much fun!  You kept asking him to take his Kermit and frog squeak toys out of his bag to play some more.  And one other thing that was neat, when he checked your reflexes, he put his thumb where he was going to hit and hit his thumb to get the reaction he needed!  I had no idea that could be done!  So cool!

He said you look perfectly healthy and that he's pretty confident what you have been experiencing is what's called Febrile Seizures (seizures that occur due to a sharp increase in temperature), but he ordered an EEG just to make sure there is nothing wrong in your brain.  Now the story of the next appointment, well, I'm not sure it will go nearly as smoothly as this appointment went (they only want you to have four-five hours of sleep the night before, maximum), but you surprise me everyday so we'll see!

I'm still not happy that you are going through this but finding there are many many children that go through this.  Most seem to stop having the seizures around age 4!  Here's hoping and praying we don't have to experience this for must longer and if we do, that's it's fewer and fewer incidents as time goes by!

I love you!

Mommy