A Busy Day Tomorrow

Ella was hooked up to the EEG and had a few seizures that have been documented as we are under constant audio and video surveillance. She will be monitored until the MRI tomorrow. We saw the neurologist this morning. Ella had a seizure while he was here. He thinks the EEG further points toward a diagnosis of infantile spasms, but the other neurologist thinks it could be something else as she is not a classic case of infantile spasms, but has half the symptoms of infantile spasms and half of something else, which they haven't named. Ella is to have an MRI tomorrow and will be on the EEG until then. We're told that we'll be here at least this week if not the beginning of next. Ella's prognosis is better if the MRI shows nothing. That leaves the possibility, however slight, that Ella could eventually not have seizures. She is also scheduled for more bloodwork and a spinal tap tomorrow. She has been put on Keppra to see if that will stop the seizures since this is one of the main goals. A reduction is seizures doesn't really do much good. It's all or nothing. We'll know after 24 hrs. if Ella is responding to the Keppra. If so, this points to something other than infantile spasms. If Ella does have infantile spasms, she'll be put on a course of ACTH, which has a host of undesireable side effects, for up to 8 weeks depending on how well she responds. The quicker she responds, the better the prognosis. Please pray that the MRI comes back clear, that she responds well to Keppra and has no more seizures, and that the spinal tap goes well. We'll also meet with the financial aid dept. to determine whether Ella qualifies for ARKids or TEFRA insurance. ARKids is the better option. So, we hope she qualifies.
It's a slow, methodical process of elimination. We're just waiting to see what tomorrow brings.