My husband called me Professor Gumby.

[spiegelmama@infosec.exchange]

@jeridansky Thank you, Jeri! I admit, I'm not handling it very well. I'm trying to look at the funny side while also warning people to prepare for potential unpleasantness if they have to get an EEG.

The bonnet's not too bad, but the purse for the battery pack is a little much.

[jeridansky@sfba.social]

@spiegelmama "An EEG has been used for many years. It's considered a safe procedure. The test causes no discomfort."

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

(www.hopkinsmedicine.org)

Sure doesn't mesh with your experience.

[nilajones@zeroes.ca]

@spiegelmama @jeridansky

If you feel up for writing about it, I would really like to know the bad part, before I have to face it

[spiegelmama@infosec.exchange]

@jeridansky Absolutely wild that they don't mention how awful the experience can be.

I can't even explain what the pain was like. It wasn't akin to anything. I guess it was only about a 7 out of 10, and only for that one light pattern, but that's plenty when you're expecting 0. And the rest of the flashing lights test was so unpleasant that I sobbed like a toddler. Ugh.

[eniatitova@sfba.social]

@spiegelmama this sounds awful. I’m so so sorry.

@jeridansky

[catawu@mastodon.social]

@spiegelmama This is the prequel to The Borg. Resistance is adorable.

[spiegelmama@infosec.exchange]

@NilaJones OK. I will try. And keep in mind this is only my experience. I wonder how much registered on the exam, if any.

Everything about the prep and setup went smoothly. All I had to do was wash my hair and dry it, avoiding moisturizing hair stuff. Getting up in the morning is hard for me, but that's my problem.

When the tech wrapped my head in gauze, I was OK, although I started to worry because rain was possible. The chin strap made me uncomfortable for sure - it wasn't too tight, but it could be in the way. I've been wearing it on my chin like a zesty marching band hat strap to keep it off my throat.

Apparently some people do a hyperventilation test that freaks them out afterwards - all I had was a flashing lights sequence that was bright enough to see through my eyelids. Most of them were annoying, with waves of color around them like little migraine pools, but one set me off. It felt like something about the lights became physical and dug through the skin of my face to rub the raw flesh and bones underneath. I started sobbing and hyperventilating and feel like I barely survived the exam. The rest of the lights didn't hit me like that one, but they felt intense and wrong in a way I really could not describe. I was sobbing for who knows how long afterwards, with the nurse trying to get me to say where I was and what day it was and stuff. I could barely talk. I kept sobbing and hyperventilating.

Eventually I recovered enough to go home, and I'm still a little traumatized. I've been tired and crabby and wobbly all day. Really, I think if you want a realistic day of brain readings, a three-day home EEG would be more accurate. It's not super comfy, but I'd be happier to go to bed if I knew I might have a normal day with my personal radio playing in my right ear. I wonder whether the effect of the in-office part of the test will skew the results of the take-home of you only have a few hours to recover.

If you need the answers, it's worth it to do the test. Just be aware that sometimes it is pretty intense for people. Not for everyone, I guess, but for me. Don't make plans for afterwards, lol. And the very best of good wishes to you, Nila.

[spiegelmama@infosec.exchange]

@Catawu Aww, thank you! The hat is funny.