Spasms

A long week we've had.  Isla started having these tiny freezing spasms on Easter Sunday...one a day, lasting about 4 seconds.  She had a doctor's appointment on the Wednesday after Easter to check her hips from where she was in breech position pretty late in my pregnancy...just a precautionary measure, her hips are fine.  However, since we had to go to the hospital for this appointment, we decided to stop into accident and emergency to see about these spasms (we couldn't get an appointment with her doctor for a week and a half which is a long time to wait).  After being seen by the doc in accident and emergency, we were taken to the children's ward of the hospital where she'd be examined more closely.  Well, what turned into a quick appointment to check Isla's hips turned into a week long ordeal really because we never left the hospital...well we did eventually but it wasn't for another week.  Here she is all tucked into her hospital bed:

The doctor wanted to keep Isla to witness one of these episodes.  Wouldn't you know that she didn't have one while they were observing her.  The best cure for an illness is to make an appointment with a doctor because then your symptoms seem to just disappear like a fart in the wind. But, to be on the safe side, an EEG was arranged for her which they couldn't do until Wednesday (a week since she was admitted into the hospital) and, they were still hoping to witness one of these mystical spasms (they never did), so we were there a week.  After being in the hospital we were officially discharged yesterday as they didn't see anything on the EEG.

Here's Isla being a good girl for her little brain scan (I won't mention the screaming session she decided to partake in for about ten minutes before this photo was taken since she looks like a sweet angel here):

Anyway, turns out everything seems to be okay.  She just wanted to give us something to panic about.

The EEG lasted about 45 minutes (15 minutes of prep time and then test time).  The entire procedure is videotaped just in case something happens.  Once the tech prepped Isla and left the room, Barry and I were left alone with the baby as the first part of the test is being performed.

The tech re-enters the room to do another part of the test that involves flashing lights.  She asks us if we ourselves have problems with flashing lights.  We respond no.  Tech leaves the room.  We are once again alone with Isla.

Barry: Turns to me. "How do we know if we have problems with flashing lights?"
Me: "You're 38 years old, you would know by now if flashing lights sets you off into seizures."
Barry: " Should we close our eyes?"
Me:  "What? No!"  Laughing.
Barry:  "Well, what happens if it bothers us?"
Me:  "It won't bother us.  It's just like a strobe light.  Like you'd see at a night club." Light begins flashing.
Barry: Begins a new conversation. "So, if we get finished up here, I figure we'll be back in Derry for about 1 o'clock.  I wonder how long it will take to...."  Stops talking and begins to break out into a fake seizure.  Why?  Because he's a jokester.
Me:  Laughing.  "That'll look nice on the video camera."
Barry:  Panicked look on his face.  "Oh, aye.  I forgot we were being filmed."

Well, maybe we'll at least keep someone entertained with Barry's fake seizure if they have to watch the footage.