We made it through an EEG
Could you watch your child go through this?
Someone get me a drink. Make it a double.
Ava had her EEG today. The nurse was very nice and extremely gentle. However, they had to restrain her in a papoose-like contraption. They stuck electrodes all over her head with paste and gauze. She had to watch crappy Sponge Bob because that is all that was on tv.
Thank goodness Mommy carried a binkie with her. I know, I know! Binkies are BAD. But you know what? It came in handy today! Binkie was our saving grace!
At first, Ava was confused. Then she cried — she hated the feeling of the goop on her head. She cried for maybe a minute. Then she was calm and content. Like a baby that was swaddled. I know her sensory issues came into play — she seeks hugs and tight spaces – and this was calming for her. She felt the input her body craves. She fell asleep for the length of the test and woke up when the nurse was washing her hair. She cried more at that than anything else. She even slept through the strobe light they put over her.
I, on the other hand, was a wreck. Seeing her like that make me cry. When she calmed down and fell asleep I felt better, realizing she was comfortable and calm. But it made me sad inside, I couldn’t explain to her what was happening. Before she fell asleep she kept looking at me like, “Mom, what are they doing to me? Why are you standing there like a lummox?”
When I got her out of the restraints, she was so happy. She hugged me tight and started singing.
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I so feel your pain. Have been where you are many times in our ten-plus years of living with autism in my life. I just endured abdominal x-rays with my 14 y.o. son with autism. He cried when they wanted him to change into the hospital pajamas. It broke my heart for him to not “get” what they were going to do. I ended up wearing an apron and hugging him and stroking his hair to calm him down until finally he calmed down enough to hold still and let them snap the shots they needed. When we were done I took him to the closest store for his favorite treat before school. A Hershey’s chocolate bar. I’m quite sure I had a glass of wine as I shared the event details with his dad.
Hang in there and keep on being the very special mother that you are!
I would be in tear also. It breaks my heart when we have to do things that make them scared but for their health. Hang in there mama sending you big cyber hugs mom to mom. We gotta do what we gotta do for are babies
My oldest granddaughter has to have head and upper body CT scans at least once a year and has had to have them since birth. When she was your daughter’s age, my daughter and I had to don lead aprons to help restrain her while the scans were done. As a mother you do what you have to do. Get used to it.