Week long video monitoring EEG

[jenagade]

Hi everyone,

I'm about to go in to hospital for video monitoring and I just want some tips on what I should take with me, or what you wish you had with you when you had one, because I just know I'm going to get there and realise theres something I forgot which would have come in handy!

 

[seizuregirl]

When I was having one of the video monitorings done, I had brought along a good book, one that I had already read a dozen times but it's one my favorites, and my laptop. But as strange or silly as this sounds, I would've liked have brought something simple, like a coloring book and crayons or colored pencils! It would've been great to have had them with me too!

 

[jenagade]

Thats a good point, I'm taking some crossstiches in but a colouring book could be fun.

I wish I could take my laptop, I'm studying computer science and I would LOVE to spend the week starting/continuing some side projects, but alas they wont let me have it.

I'm starting to load up my kindle to take in, but like you I will probably end up reading my old books, I find it too annoying to try and look through all the books on amazon and find a new book worth reading lol theres too many of them! *first world problems*

 

[seizuregirl]

I had wanted to bring some knitting along with me but the moment I said knitting when asking, it was a resounding "NO!" lol I had even told them I was going to bring my plastic needles, the large ones, sizes 13, 15, and 17's!

I had understood why they said no, they didn't want for me to hurt a nurse or a doctor! (I've hurt myself with a knitting needle, one was stopped by my dresser when I was cleaning up my room, I had sat on the floor to pick some clothes up, I scooted over towards the dresser to grab some more, heard a faint "pop!" and looked at my leg and saw the needle hanging out of my thigh!) ^o^

 

[jenagade]

Ouch! I've got a butterfly loom which they didn't care about me bringing to the hospital in my city but I don't know about the other one, then again I am in New Zealand and nothing has ever happened here to warrant any extra measures

 

[masterjen]

Take simple books to read - even books (Kindle or otherwise) with good stories intended for teens rather than adults. There can be so many distractions and it can be just hard to concentrate on things for some reason in the hospital environment.

 

[jenagade]

Yeah that's what I found last time I was in which is why I think I'll probably end up reading things I've read before.. apparently there is a DVD player but I will be sharing a room so I'm not counting on being able to use it

 

[BIGMAN131307]

It's a EEG test that you have in the hospital for 3-7 days. While there you are also
on video.

Prep & supplies:

If possible shave your head, or cut your hair as short as possible. Because the cement/glue they use to add the leads/electrodes is a real PITA to get out.

You will not be able to shower while there. But you can sponge bath. Make sure you
bring your toiletries (soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc).

Bring button down shirts (once the leads/electrodes are attached you can't pull anything over your head), lounge pants/shorts, pajamas, slippers, magazines, puzzle books, a deck of cards, old cd player, friends/family to visit with you, etc.

Only bring non-essential items. If they get damaged, it's no big issue

I wouldn't bring any high-priced expensive things with you. IE: laptops, taplets,
ipods, etc. One they might not allow it any way. Two you may end up breaking
them if you have a seizure. Three there is a chance they might "walk away".
Just remember why you are there in the first place. It's nice having all your tech goodies available, but whenlimbs go flapping about things can break.

Food wise they want to get your body revved up. So expect access to
sugar & caffeine.

 

[jenagade]

Well as vain as it is there is no way I'm cutting my hair, and I've found you can get the cement out really well with oil, sounds gross but it's way easier than just trying to wash it out.

I'm not allowed anything bigger than a phone because they said it interferes with the EEG apparently so tech stuff is not a problem.

Loving the idea of sugar and caffeine though

 

[jenagade]

Friends/family visits aren't an option unfortunately because I have to go to a different city for it

 

[SlimBlue]

Last time I went in, I refused to eat the terrible 'food' there and lived off bags of wine gums, cartons of cold soups and fruit I'd brought in. Even if it's good, some simple comfort foods help make it a bit more bearable- big bars of choccy or whatever lol

If you're sharing the room, some board games might help pass the time as well- and are a good 'ice-breaker' with a stranger. One of those 'travel' sets of draughts/checkers, backgammon etc don't take up much room.

If you've got projects you want to be getting on with, even without a laptop you can still do design mind-maps, use case/sequence diagrams, test cases etc and go over your old code. Coding on paper is a great way of focusing the mind on your code and improving/debugging it. Even if you need your IDE, you can still do pseudo-code at least..

 

[jenagade]

Last time I went in, I refused to eat the terrible 'food' there and lived off bags of wine gums, cartons of cold soups and fruit I'd brought in. Even if it's good, some simple comfort foods help make it a bit more bearable- big bars of choccy or whatever lol

Oh believe me chocolate is coming with me, and grapes, I got addicted to them last time I was in, dunno why it just seems to be what people bring when you're in hospital lol. Also I'm a vegetarian, so if I stick just to the hospital food I'd get pretty hungry.

If you're sharing the room, some board games might help pass the time as well- and are a good 'ice-breaker' with a stranger. One of those 'travel' sets of draughts/checkers, backgammon etc don't take up much room.

Oh I am so socially awkward I probably wouldn't speak a word to them lol. They will probably have a support person anyway so I'll just look like the creepy loner noone wants to visit lol.

If you've got projects you want to be getting on with, even without a laptop you can still do design mind-maps, use case/sequence diagrams, test cases etc and go over your old code. Coding on paper is a great way of focusing the mind on your code and improving/debugging it. Even if you need your IDE, you can still do pseudo-code at least..

Thats a good point, there are some UI prototypes I can work on. I've tried to cut my reliance on IDE's and just use a text editor so I can learn the libraries better but that's for more straightforward applications, I've been dabbling in game creation and I definitely need an IDE for that.

Thanks though, that has given me some good ideas.

 

[illuminatedsquid]

IPod ,fave blanket comfy zip and button clothes easier to put on and off.things to kill time alotof wall time ,tv and windows �� oh wipes the good stuff
I got so bored but I regretted bring alot of electronics ,needed comfy blanket and pillow and hygiene for sheer relief and a good book, tv sucked got super bored, umm I missed snacken munchies cookies ect.

 

[jenagade]

oh wipes the good stuff

Thats a good idea, I am the kind of person who can go maybe 2 days before I go crazy and have to have a shower so a week is going to do my head in.

I got so bored but I regretted bring alot of electronics ,needed comfy blanket and pillow and hygiene for sheer relief and a good book, tv sucked got super bored, umm I missed snacken munchies cookies ect.

Thats interesting about the blanket, I'm not allowed to have blankets or sheets, anything like that, even at night, which is also going to be hard because I have real trouble sleeping without at least a sheet over me. I did find out I can use a sleep mask which is good because having the lights on the whole time would have meant I would be awake all week! The pillow is a good idea too, I hate those awful plasticy pillows the hospitals have.