Change of Course (in what I think is the right direction)

What a difference!  The heavy duty narcolepsy drug ("be careful with this stuff, it can make you stop breathing") failed (well, didn't "fail" we just found another thing that didn't work) so we are going to try something different.  We both feel good about the chosen course.

Because of all the problems Gretchen was having sleeping the doctor wanted to see Gretchen today.  When we got there she was shaky and would have a periodic involuntary spasm of the diaphragm that sounded almost like a cough.  He was ready to send her to the ER but she convinced him she didn't need that.  The discussion centered around the need to get things under control while getting to the root of the problem.

The neuro/sleep doctor decided we needed to see someone who can diagnose some of the hidden problems associated with the recovery from a traumatic brain injury and find the right treatment plan.  We mentioned a doctor that had been asked to consult previously and the neuro/sleep doctor seized on that (apparently they like one another and have worked together before) so as soon as that office opens on Monday they will arrange an appointment.  It should be noted that when we met with the consulting doctor before he didn't think he could do anything for Gretchen, of course she was on a bunch of sleep meds that also masked what we hope is the root cause.

The neuro/sleep doctor doesn't want Gretchen to continue on the narcolepsy drug (boy did that cause a panic, one hour is better than nothing) but he wants the new doctor to come up with the right meds and not have to do a bunch of withdrawal (we really don't want that either - in light of how it went before) so he put her on one of the old standby sleep meds that is compatible with a large number of medications.  Hopefully since she hasn't been on any regular sleep meds for a couple of weeks this will work fairly well (or at least be an improvement).

One big praise: Once I re-explained what the neuro/sleep doctor was thinking and reminded Gretchen that she was able to sleep when she first got home from the hospital she actually began to lose the shaking (internal and external) and spasms.  She knows that she is not going to magically start sleeping through the night but I think that she now sees the hope of a long term solution.

Please pray that Gretchen will be able to rest and maintain that peace that she is feeling right now and that she will be able to get some rest each night (we're not looking for a miracle - though that would be nice - just more than a couple hours so she can see progress).  Also, Monday is when we will hear back about the new doctor and Monday afternoon is when our new countertops get installed (remember the kitchen renovation?).  The last thing that we need is for the appointment and countertop installation to be at the same time (Gretchen only needs to be at the doctor, I need to be at both and I am not quite that good at multi-tasking).

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