14 Month Old Having an EEG Done

I actually have fond memories of hanging out with my daughter - gave her a bath at bedtime and then watched a new movie til midnight - it was actually "Elf" I massaged her hands and just kept things stimulating til 12. My husband got up with her at 4 and she helped him make coffee and they played games.

They want the child to actually fall asleep after they wire them up and then they wake them up with flashing lights and measure the brain activity between them. No idea how to keep him awake int he car. Is it too late to try to get into a ronald mcdonald house tonite?

Hi C.-

This may not be practical...but maybe leave for the hospital AT 11pm...let him nap on the drive...and keep him awake AT the hospital? It is a 'new' environment...they are impossible to sleep in anyway...and if you make arrangements ahead...maybe a playroom would be available?

Healing thoughts...

Best Luck!
michele/cat

This is so familiar to me! I went through the same thing when my daughter was four yrs. old. Her preschool teachers were telling me she was "spacing out" at school. Once, she walked right off the end of a balance beam at gymnastics, and one time, she walked right into the garage door. There were times I would be talking to her and she appeared to be ignoring me, then she would "pop out of it.." During her EEG, she was diagnosed with Absent Seizures. It's a form of childhood epilepsy. I know it sounds scary, but most outgrow it during adolescents. My daughter came off the anti-seizure medication a month before she turned eight, and has been seizure free since.

The doctors want your child tired for the test, because he is most likely to have a seizure when tired. Is there someone who can ride to the hospital with you to keep your child awake?

Like you, I was scared wondering what could be wrong with my child. Before the EEG, I spent a lot of time at Epilepsy.com. It helped a lot! By the time my daughter was diagnosed, I actually felt relief because I knew what was going on, and that she would be okay.

Take a deep breath. If I can help with any questions, I'd be glad to!

We got a hotel room close to the hotel the three times we had to get an EEG at Children's in Chicago. We live an hour and a half from there and this was the best solution for us, you can get discounted rates too. Bring familiar blanks and snuggle toys for your little guy. It takes longer to get them wired for the test than the test takes!

I'm so sorry! That must be really scary. I would try playing, playing, playing. Play in the water / bathtub, play at the kitchen sink, maybe pick up a few new inexpensive toys for him to engage with, take walks around the house -- anything that engages as many senses as possible. Also try keeping the lights in your home as bright as possible. Good luck, and let us know how the EEG goes!

Sorry to hear this, poor little guy.
If you don't have nobody to drive you I would take a taxi so I could sit in the back with him and "try" to keep him occupied.
This day I think it could be a spoil day, and buy him a new toy, book, something that gets him exited, hopefully it would help.
Can he eat? Or he also have to be on empty stomash?
Good luck

I am sorry to hear you are going through this. I wish I had some suggestions for you on trying to keep him awake, that will be very tough. I pray you have a good outcome from the test. Hang in there, Mama!