Home, sweet home.

We are home from the hospital at last!

Vivian's neurologist came in this morning to review her EEG results, and then he stopped by the room to talk to Robert and me and discharge Vivian. He garnered a lot of good information from the test, most of it coming after we extended her stay yesterday morning.

In addition to the two large seizures, the doctor noted six or seven smaller episodes that he called juvenile spasms. These all occurred while Vivian was asleep and seemed to culminate in the tonic-clonic (grand mal) events. He was able to identify exactly where the seizures developed, and he is adding a new medication to Vivian's regimen to address the particular type of episodes that he saw on the scans. Most interestingly, he confirmed that Vivian's behavior directly relates to the epileptic activity in her brain. During the first two days when Vivian was unbelievably sweet, calm and compliant, there was no abnormal brain activity occurring. Yesterday when things had cranked up a bit inside Vivian's little head, she threw Baby Dumbo at the nurse who approached her to check her vitals and spit at the tech who came in to re-glue the wires Vivian had yanked out of her head. Previously Vivian had been so cordial and polite, thanking the nurses for listening to her heart and acknowledging the techs for "fixing her hair."

Thank you for each and every prayer uttered on our behalf. I can testify that God honored these with a hospital visit that was as easy and productive as I could have ever hoped. I appreciated every kind comment, email, phone call and visit. Feeling the love and support of our friends and family really lifted my spirits and encouraged me.

Now that I'm home on my trusty Mac, I have uploaded some pictures that recount our stay. Thanks again for sharing this journey that is my life.

Day 1

Checking in to the hospital. I want someone (anyone!) to be impressed that I maneuvered from the parking garage to admission and then to our room with a suitcase, the stroller, Vivian and all those bags.


Sophia measured and marked Vivian's head before beginning to attach the 27 electrodes. So far, so good.


Until Vivian decided she didn't want any part of Sophia and her electrodes.


Nurse Rhonda came to the rescue with some magic medicine that made Vivian sleep for about an hour and enabled Sophia to attach all of the wires (which Vivian called her "ribbons").


Vivian with our hero Priscilla who bravely stayed and helped for four hours during the ordeal of attaching the electrodes. I'm sure Priscilla wished she'd never offered to bring us lunch, but I honestly think Sophia would have sent us home had Priscilla not been there.


Unwrapping some of the presents that Mama's bridge friends, Jo Ann, Shay and Ann, sent to the hospital. We used everything they gave us to keep Vivian entertained.


Thoughts of showing Daddyman her beautiful hair and her pictures kept Vivian going throughout the day.

Day 2

Mark and his mom, Karey, visited and brought lunch.


Mark gave Vivian his Batman watercolor book that provided several hours of entertainment.


Aunt Cheryl and Annie stopped by with a new round of DVDs. Just in time too - Mama was about ready to throw Dumbo and Big Rock Candy Mountain out the window.


Somehow, sleeping with headphones on, even when not attached to anything, is comforting.


When Mama could get the Internet working, pbskids.org was a wonderful distraction, especially when Sophia had to come in and adjust the dreaded 'ribbons' on Vivian's head.

Day 3

The lovely view from our room.

In the excitement over the long awaited seizure, I neglected to get a picture of Ginger but this should give you a general idea of how I view her:

Vivian woke up around 4 in the morning famished and tired of the 'ribbons.' Oscar the night tech reattached the wires Vivian had yanked out and made her a new "hat," while Vivian dug into a brownie Karey had brought.

Day 4

We were all glad to see Bo with his bottle of oil that removed the glue holding the ribbons in place!


Dr. Riela filled Mama and Daddyman in on the information he'd gleaned from the extended EEG. Vivian likes him a lot even though she tried to crumple up the papers he carried.


Going home.  Hooray!