Our meeting with the neurologist assigned to our case, Dr. Duplesis, was devastating. He examined Ella, quickly reviewed the MRI films as we sat there and he looked at the EEG report. He confirmed the diagnosis, and very solemnly told us that these children face “many challenges” (an easier way of saying that before they even begin life it’s like they’ve been run over by a truck…). He said that Ella is at high risk for seizures and will have developmental delays. he suggested that we stay off the internet (in hindsight I think that was a warning to keep us from complete breakdown and depression). Just as scary was looking at the films on the light box.
The inside of Ella’s head looked so skewed. After that things became a blur for me. I’m not sure I was really all there.