Jessica's Neurologist Appointment

Today is a BIG day - we have an 8:00 am appointment with Dr. Rebecca Woods DO.  She is a neurologist with Norton Healthcare.

We are so very hopeful that she can shed some light on the test results from the Baypointe and St. Luke's hospitals - especially the EEG results.  We really need her to order the MRI and CT for further evaluation.

We arrived early 7:45 to fill out paperwork... then wait... (typical)

At 8:25 Doctor Woods came to see us.  We visited with her for a very long time sharing both instances where Jessica passed out in the Philippines.  She was very attentive and interested in our story.

We went over the whole history:
one year ago - Jessica passed out first thing in the morning with a rash on her body - erythema multiforme; heart rate drops to 20 bpm for 5 days, released to a regular room on the 6th day, released from hospital on the 10th day.  

After hearing this story she was convinced Jessica had contracted a virus that caused her heart rate to drop so low.

Continuing with the most recent event:
on 7/27 Jessica woke up feeling fine, but after standing to wash the dishes felt nauseous, clammy and then passed out.  She was taken to ER where her heart rate was only 40, blood pressure was 80/60 and she had an irregular heart rate.  They were considering a pace maker.  They did gobs of tests ... results showing a bacteria infection (treated with Cipro changed to Augmentin), Doppler turned up a slightly enlarged thyroid gland, but the most significant was that the EEG came back stating an abnormal rhythm of her brain, with electrical spikes every 3-4 seconds.  Very strange!  Jessica was sent to Manila to be retested one week later at St. Luke's Hospital (12th best in the world) - this test came back showing the same results but with electrical activity in all four lobes of the brain.  They are suspecting EPILEPSY!

However, after Dr. Woods read the EEG from Baypointe (first hospital) she doesn't believe Jessica has any abnormal brain waves, but rather the EEG was picking the impulse from her electric pump IV.  She said it was way too predicable and regular plus it had such a sharp up and down movement.

She is convinced Jessica doesn't have any issues, but rather it was syncope that has caused everything.  She ordered the MRI.  She also ordered another EEG (Jessica's 3rd) to get a good read from something she ordered (there was data missing from the two previous EEG readings), she also ordered blood work and an ultra sound for the slightly enlarged thyroid. 

We left her office and got Jessica's blood work done immediately.  The other tests have to be ordered and scheduled by the doctor.