5day EEG help

[Sheripark]

Hello All!

I'm scheduled for a 5day EEG in patient in June. I'm nervous. As many of you know this is a huge schedule planner (having four school aged children). I have never done this before. What can I expect besides the obvious bordome I assume? Can I bring an iPad, iPod, or other forms of entertainment? Is it so structured they control the environment? Also, they said I need another person there at night to sleep there in another bed next to mine???? What..?. Is this what you have experienced? My husband has never and would never wake up if I had a seizure. Just makes it all the more challenging to get care for our children. Any tips and advice would be so much appreciated. Also, do I get to shower?

Thx! Sheri

[Meetz1064]

know if I can be of much help, but....

In my past experience, my 5 day EEGs (which have not been in-patient), you have NOT been allowed to shower...but you can wash up, carefully, using a washrag, etc.

I have been allowed to use my laptop and cell phone amongst other electronic things while having my 5 day EEGs done.

On the other hand, when I have had the long-term EEGs done, I have had to go into the doctor's office for about 8 hours to do an in-house video EEG. But no one sat with me, slept with me, or anything.

I'd plan on bringing plenty of entertainment. Books are great, if you do things like cross-stitch, knitting, embroidery, etc......BRING THEM.

The scheduling thing is a PITA. Been there. Hopefully you have a great back-up system in place. Is there a way to let the kids stay with friends for the time that you're going to be in the hospital having the EEG?

Best of luck to you.....

Meetz

[Sheripark]

Thank you for the great tips!

[CQ:)]

Hi Sheri.

When you have your EEG be sure to take plenty of things to keep you occupied eg - books, games, crafts, laptop etc, also see if you have the option to hire a tv in the room where you will be. Make sure you wear comfy clothes (Pyjamas are good) & button down tops as you won't be able to pull anything over your head while you have the EEG.

The only inpatient EEG I have had was a 5 day Video EEG in November 2010, the hospital preferred someone to be with me in the room who knew my seizures & was able to press the button when I had a seizure. I had my Mum with me as she knows my seizures the best, she had a chair next to my chair which folded out to a single bed.
It's usually warm here in November but I took some warmer clothes (eg tracksuit pants, zip down jackets, flanelette PJs) to wear during the nights when it was cooler as I wasn't able to have anything cover me (sheet, blanket) at night.
I wasn't aloud to have a shower so the nurses provided me with some warm water, a face washer & towel each day so I could have a sponge bath. I took my own shower gels & soap with me.

Every day I was in for the Video EEG was busy for me because I had people coming to see me each day- epitiolgists, Drs, Neuropsychs, students so I didn't have time to get bored lol. But the nights really dragged because I sleep deprived myself & only got a couple hours sleep each night.

Good luck with your EEG.

[Sheripark]

Wow great information. Were you on meds? I have not received my info package yet. Did they do anything to mimic our stresses to try and induce or was it just hanging out? Thx

[CQ:)]

Wow great information. Were you on meds? I have not received my info package yet. Did they do anything to mimic our stresses to try and induce or was it just hanging out? Thx

When I went in for my Video EEG I was on 3 medications Tegretol 400mg (AM & PM), Keppra 1500mg (AM & PM) & Neurontin 400mg (AM, afternoon, PM). The 1st day I went in for the Video EEG I told the neurologist & epitiologist how I was unhappy on the Neurontin as it was giving me too many side effects so they took me of it straight away & kept me of it.
I wasn't completely taken of my meds but they were reduced by a large amount during the EEG to help to try bring on one of my complex partials. When I was finished the EEG the epitiologist had changed the doseage of my meds, he kept me of the Neurontin, lowered the Keppra to 1000mg (AM & PM) & kept me on the same dose of Tegretol.

We all have different triggers for our seizures, my 2 main triggers are stress & over tiredness. While I was in for the EEG I sleep deprived myself to hopefully bring on a seizure. My whole time in for the Video EEG I only had a couple of auras (which I think showed up on the EEG) & waited until the day after I was released from hospital before I had a complex partial .

[momof3boys]

I had a video eeg done in March 2011. We had two school ages kids and one was home with my husband. I was admited to the hospital on a monday morning, and released on a friday morning. I took Keppra XR and Carbatrol. That monday morning they didnt have me my medications and I didnt get any medication til Thursday of that week, the night before being released. I got to take my laptop, magazines, dvds, etc. The first day wasnt bad, but I cant recall all that much through out the rest of the stay. They did keep me in the hospital and my mom stayed with me during it. My husband was at home with the kids since it was during the school year time. He did come to see me during the day though. We had a tv in the room, dvd player. They had 24 hour room service. I pretty much rested and watched tv during my spare time. No bathing, if you have to get up to use the restroom, they made you ring for a nurse that had to take you into the bathroom. You cant get out of bed at all by yourself. You're pretty much stuck in the bed the entire time you are there.