Well, we're back and in one piece. Whew!

After 48 hours on EEG, today's head CT and skull films...

The good news: No seizure activity. So I won't be giving Q daily steroid injections. And we won't have to even consider the alternative drug which has some problems with field of vision effect (narrowing and blindness). There is still a remote chance that Q is having infantile spasms and just hasn't developed the full-blown hypsarrhythmia seen on EEG in IS (if he were diagnosed at this age it could be considered early to have made such a diagnosis), but no indication of it for now. Woohoo! Also, the baby did not need sedation for the CT this afternoon--he fell sound asleep as we rolled into the scanner room. Thank God for all of that.

The bad news: the EEG is not normal. I don't know exactly what that means in technical terms, but I have a call in for neurodevelopmental therapy to begin ASAP at a local facility, per Rx. I should hear back from the scheduling folks on Tuesday of next week about how soon we can get in.

The neurologist stated that what can be seen on the EEG is that Q has an "immature" brain, which is causing what looks like shivers, as well as (probably) the other rhythmic tensing, relaxing. The chances for "mental retardation" are astronomically high. It is difficult to know at this point what that means in terms of real life. Q's genes provide for near genius on his daddy's side, and his sibs are brilliant, of course. So far, he's a little ahead of "normal" development, on many fronts. Today he was darned conversational--smiling, cooing and gurgling into my face, telling some spectacular story, if only I knew his language. So who knows?

Sigh.

I was reading in Ecclesiastes last night and again in the wee hours after feeding the babe. I once heard the book summed up as (paraphrasing) "Life is bad." I would have to agree. It was interesting though, to note that the emotion then and now, surrounding statements of just how bad life is, how there's wickedness even where there is righteousness, that emotion is pretty much the same. Exasperation. I'm tired of things looking downright awful...

So. (Deep breath--sucking it up.) The CT and skull xrays will be read this evening sometime. We go back to see the neuro guy in a month, then again in three months. The MRI will be scheduled for about 3 mos of age--sometime in the next few weeks. I'll be back to muse and fret, and write more of the story as it is revealed, and as parts float to the surface of my conciousness. (I'm occasionally having trouble tracking the details.) I've gotta try and catch a nap before the rest of the kidlets arrive back here.

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes while Q was inpatient. I'm so happy to be done with leads and glue and staying still for the camera, at least for now.

Have a blessed, peaceful weekend and hug your family extra tight for me.