Katey, we have seen a ped neurologist for Sarah, and we also had an EEG for Hailey to rule out seizures. So I can tell you a bit about what to expect. I also wanted to assure you that while it typically does take a while to get into most pediatric specialists, due to the potential severity of the reason for referrals, most pediatric neuro’s keep a slot open each week for new referrals. That way a child who may have a severe issue doesn’t have to wait months and months. Sarah was having seizures, and our doc suggested the referral and I went nuts with worry, assuming that maybe she had epilepsy or worse a brain lesion as the cause of her seizures (when prior we were just assuming them to be febrile). We got in within 3 days, and I was also thinking the same thing like you… like wow, this must be serious to get in so fast. In the end, everything turned out fine, and going to the neuro was so great for us, because it put our mind at ease about things that we were worrying about anyhow. If you are concerned enough about Sebastian’s “sandifer’s” to worry about it or to mention it to your doc, then it’s really a good thing to see the neurologist. He might say it’s nothing, or he might say, it’s likely nothing, but best to check it out with an EEG or other testing. Either way, you’ll be better off knowing for sure.
As for what to expect, here’s what we’ve experienced with our neuro appointments: The doctor does a quick developmental check (mostly asking you questions but also getting him to do a few things) to make sure that his development has been on track. He asks you about your pregnancy and your delivery and any past pregnancies. He asks about the child’s behaviour and temperament and about any problems that the child has had during his life to date. He’ll ask you about the behaviour in question, how often it’s happened, when, how Sebastian acts when it happens etc. It would be helpful if you could catch it on video and bring in a video tape of an episode so that he can see exactly what your talking about. From there, the doctor will decide how to proceed (ie. monitor, follow-up appointment, or any follow-up testing).
I think when it comes to neurological issues, they tend to take things as a better safe than sorry approach. I know it’s hard not to get worried about that, but really I think it’s a good thing. For both my kids, thankfully, things turned out all right. I hope the same for Sebastian. Good luck.
s&h’s mum2006-8-21 16:0:13
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Hang in there!!
