Testing

Today was my lucky day to see the neurologist. I got to him via the ENT and the ear specialist. Once we knew it wasn't an ear problem that makes me feel like I am sitting in a rowboat in a storm all the time, I was told to go posthaste to see the neurologist.

I was not looking forward to this appointment. There was nothing he could say that would make me feel better. True to form, he didn't. He said I have ADEM, or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. This makes me off center balance-wise, causes me to have a crappy, inconsistent memory, and all kinds of lovely other effects. It seems that after I had that pneumonia vaccine, something happened that triggered my immune system, which woke up long enough to attack my brain. How rude is that? What did my brain ever do to my immune system? Maybe since I never get sick my immune system decided it might as well find something to do. Luckily, it's usuall monophasic, meaning I should not ever go through that again. Unluckily, the changes in my brain are probably permanent.

At least there is an explanation for my personality changes, my sudden inability to maintain proper records and files, my loss of memory, my reaching for words I just knew an hour ago. I took notes while he explained things to me since I knew I would not remember.

My sleep issues of course excited him. I tried to dissuade him from delving there, but he wants me to have a sleep study (again). Again, I am being accused of having narcolepsy. I disagree, but I am not a neurologist. I need to find a dog sitter for an overnight - I will actually be gone about 24 hours. I have to do the nap-thing the following day. I think they expect me to nap for them. Right. That won't happen unless either a) they give me napping drugs or b) I am in the middle of some serious chronic fatigue. If I get upset worrying about the sleep study, I can probably satisfy them via option "b." At least this time the rules are I try to go to sleep when I am ready to. The other place made me try to sleep at 9 pm. That is just a joke - I normally lie down closer to 1 am. But, this one will also get me up at 6 am. Yuck.

He mentioned a few new medications. I balked, and he sent me home with some brochures on the drugs. I will read them. If there is some obscure little side effect that one person got and it's hideous, I will get a second hideous little side effect that no one else has had yet.

Off topic, on my way home I drove by a telephone pole or whatever they are called now and one of the little round gray things hanging on it was smoking. I don't know what the thing is called - the word "transformer" came to mind, but it's probably wrong. I see these things all the time, but never saw one exhale before. It's half a mile from my house, unlike the neurologist, who is a mile away. I decided to call someone regarding the smoke.

First, I thought, call the police. Then I decided no, fire station. Then I wished I had the phone number on me so I didn't have to remember to look it up, etc - eventually it hit me that the correct number is "911" and I called it in, sounding very ignorant since I didn't know what the thing is called. If they go look for it, they will find it. It's the only telephone pole in the area with smoke coming out of it and lots and lots of wires nearby. It's over 90 degrees and very humid outside, but I hope someone goes to look at it anyway.

I need to go read up on these potential medications. One is for improving memory and one is for sleep, but isn't a sleeping pill. I know nothing about either one, but I will in 15 minutes.

More to follow later regarding my trip out west. This was just an annoying medical bulletin so I can come back to it later and say Oh wow, I forgot all about that!