Jenelle's Journey

Jenelle had her first EEG today at Children's Hospital. We will not have results for at least 7 days, but the technician said she got some good readings and overall it would be a good test and helpful to the doctor. It was a very easy test, and with Jenelle's bald head, it was easy for the technician to find the places to place the monitors.

They wanted Jenelle to be "sleep deprived" for the test, and instructed us to "wake" her at 6:00 a.m., and to keep her awake until the test at 11:00 a.m. Jenelle usually wakes up at 7:30 or so, so the early hour didn't upset her too much. She had no problems staying awake until it came time for us to drive to CHOC... ah, the magical car ride parents usually love to use to put their children to sleep! Brett drove while I sat in the back next to Jenelle and tried to keep her awake by bumping her seat and opening her eyes. It was a difficult 10 minute drive, to say the least. Once we were at the hospital, I took the very sleepy Jenelle over to the drinking fountain where I put her feet under the cold water... worked like a charm!

Just as we met the technician, and before Jenelle was hooked up to the EEG, Jenelle displayed the behavior that has concerned me, and that I feel may be possible seizures. Both the technician and Brett saw it, for Brett is was the first time to see this. The behavior is like a "startle" reflex, but Jenelle will open her eyes wide and make a funny face... sometimes her arms will jerk out as well. I was thankful the technician saw it, so at least they knew what I was trying to describe. Jenelle did more of these during the exam, and I am thankful that we may have an answer either way about the seizures. During the test they used a strobe light that made her cry, and then tried to get Jenelle to fall asleep. Of course, Jenelle didn't fall asleep, but after a while the technician said she got some good readings and they decided to end the test. They did not say more than that, but Brett noticed many times during the exam the two technicians were pointing to their computer screen and whispering. As soon as we were out of the elevator, Jenelle fell asleep and slept most of the afternoon.

Jenelle now has her two front teeth! The first one cut through on her Daddy's birthday last Monday, and the second just over the weekend. The great thing about this is that during these last few days, Jenelle learned to grab a washcloth placed in her hand, or grab her shirt and chew on it for relief. This is a major milestone in that other than her thumb, Jenelle does not put anything in her mouth, let alone grab foreign objects for any length of time. What a great improvement!