Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Small mystery resolved


Remember the glass beads I heard falling, falling and clicking on each other, after the craniotomy, before I was conscious? I found them.

Today I had an EEG, which records brain wave patterns, and looks for, among other things, indications of seizures. My EEG ten or twelve years ago gave no indication of seizure activity and neither will today’s in my opinion. I see today’s test in a continuing pattern of the waste of taxpayer money. And mine, too, considering the cost of my supplemental Medicare insurance. But, …

I was in a recliner in a darkened room, and the technician recorded brain wave patterns on a computer behind me. For whatever reason I was asked to become drowsy over the hour long test. About three quarters through, I became aware of the glass bead clicking noise, back there by the computer. 

Occasionally I heard the sound of the keyboard strokes, but the majority of the sounds were of glass beads. In my mind’s eye there were no beads dropping, but no matter.

When the test was over, I quizzed the technician about the noise, and we got to the bottom of it quickly. It was the rapid clicking of her mouse, recording brain wave patterns. I tried it with my mouse here and had a more muted click, but I understood what was happening. The tech certainly had a task specific mouse that clicked easily and freely, unlike my very old mouse.

How interesting my brain used my curtain of beads to display images I’d seen of the National Mall during that day in March. I wonder how that translated in EEG brain waves.

Now I’m curious about the March readings. “Normal EEG, except connected by little glass beads.”

23 comments:

  1. Aren't our brains a wonder, the connections they make.

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  2. Brains are beyond comprehension. God is amazing.

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  3. Fascinating - and good to find out what was making the noise that drove the visual. I wonder if the painkillers had anything to do with the whole thing, too. My dad consistently had hallucinations whenever he was on morphine. They were real to him . . . in some cases, completely benign; in others, horrific.

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  4. LOL.I like your version of the March readings ;-)

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  5. You have a variety of health care professionals looking after you, Joanne. I hope you eventually get a good result!

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  6. They want you to be drowsy/asleep during the EEG if possible to record brain waves while in that condition compared to awake. The reason why now I can't remember but I type a lot of reports that mention patients being drowsy/asleep and the difference in the readings compared to when they are awake.

    betty

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  7. How WONDERFUL to resolve that mystery. It would have been nagging at me, and I suspect it was you too.

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  8. That's very interesting and I'm glad you solved that mystery. Your hearing must be very acute.

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  9. Phew. I thought you had snapped a necklace for a while.

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  10. Hari OM
    It is always good to solve a puzzle - but also a joy to be able to play with that info and still keep it mystical! YAM xx

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  11. I imagine you were glad to have solved that litle mystery. Ìt`s the sort of thing that can nag at you forever.

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  12. This is fascinating. Glad you were able to solve the mystery.

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  13. There is usually an answer to everything. It must be satisfying to solve this mystery.

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  14. the mind is a curious and fascinating instrument.

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  15. I would think that the brain reacts to all the different noises and would show up on the test. What do they have to say about that? I'll ask my husband tonight.

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  16. Really interesting. I'm glad you discovered the source.

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  17. I'm sure your EEG will show no seizure activity. You do not seem to have any other indications either. The bad news is that I have epilepsy and my EEG shows no activity either. These tests are often a waste of time and money.

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  18. Can't wait for the results of the EEG!

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  19. It's always so nice to solve a mystery.

    Love,
    Janie

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  20. Joanne would you mind very kindly emailing me at ournest@live.ca and giving me your mailing address. I would appreciate it very much. Thanks.

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  21. Catching up with your past few posts here. So sorry to hear of these troubles, but certainly enjoyed your good humor in relaying it. As to the glass beads, that is an interesting mystery. Funny how when we engage in different ways what we hear, see, smell. So hope you get a good report.

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  22. EC sent you a thought out, so I decided to stop by and say hello and give you wishes of healing and support. I enjoy the way you tell a story and hope all goes well. Hugs...RO

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