Andi update

Andi went to the neurologist in Louisville this morning.  He wanted to see her after she had the second seizure over the weekend. She is not to drive for at least the next six months.  His latest plan of action is

1. Never take the migranol nose spray again. It is her last resort medicine to get rid of a headache, but it also causes horrific hallucinations.  One of those hallucinations resulted in her being in the hospital over the weekend. I am very glad about this recommendation except for the fact that now when she gets to that level of pain, there will not be an alternative except to let it pass or go to the hospital for medicine.

2. He wants to put her in the hospital at Louisville for 5 days. While she is there, he will have her hooked up to monitors for the entire time and off all of her medicine to see if she is having epileptic seizures. If none show up, he thinks she is having Psychogenic Seizures.  Common neurologic symptoms that are found to be psychogenic include paralysis, mutism, visual symptoms, sensory symptoms, movement disorders, gait or balance problems, and pain. I think she can pretty well cover that spectrum of possibilities.

3. He is leaning toward her having something called Conversion Disorder.  This was a possibility he first brought up when Andi initially got sick almost 5 years ago. Her brain is simply misfiring and sending out the wrong signals to her body.

Conversion disorder symptoms may appear suddenly after a stressful event or trauma, whether physical or psychological. Signs and symptoms that affect movement function may include:

• Weakness or paralysis
• Abnormal movement, such as tremors or difficulty walking
• Loss of balance
• Difficulty swallowing or "a lump in the throat"
• Seizures or convulsions
• Episode of unresponsiveness

Signs and symptoms that affect the senses may include:

• Numbness or loss of the touch sensation
• Speech problems, such as inability to speak or slurred speech
• Vision problems, such as double vision or blindness
• Hearing problems or deafness

To be diagnosed with conversion disorder:

• You must have one or more symptoms you can't control that affect body movement or your senses, which can't be explained by a neurological or other medical condition.
• Your symptoms may be related to a stressful event or trauma, either physical or psychological, even though that may not always be the case.
• You're not producing symptoms on purpose or getting some intended benefit from the symptoms.
• Your symptoms aren't fully explained by a general medical condition, drug use or a culturally accepted behavior, such as an experience at a religious ritual.
• Your symptoms must cause significant stress or difficulty in social, work or other settings.
• Your symptoms aren't better accounted for by another mental health problem.

The main thing that would keep him from diagnosing this particular disorder is that Andi's symptoms come and go, regardless of her stress level. She can be having a fantastic, fun, relaxing day and then suddenly, she isn't.

4. Lastly, he told her he totally agreed with her plan to file for disability - that it was time. He gave her the information to write down and will support her efforts to apply.  That will certainly be helpful.