An Update as of 2/8/16

Bob had yet another day of ups and downs. He called and woke me very early this morning urging me to come to the hospital immediately. I checked in with the nursing staff who informed me he was doing well and wasn't going to be having surgery today. I did a little yoga, had breakfast and arrived at the hospital at 9:08. I know the specific time, because Bob reminded me of this throughout the day. I found Bob in a very agitated and anxious state. He was very rude and obstinate with one of his physicians, which as we all know, is not his normal demeanor or behavior. The doctor was incredibly kind with Bob and took everything in stride. I believe that Bob's anxiety and confused behavior are related to the murky life of living day to day in a hospital setting where the hours and minutes all get blurred for even the best of us. It also doesn't help that his brain is in a weird state due to the testing and that his medication levels are different from normal.

I was able to calm him down, and within an hour or so, he was remorseful for his early behavior towards his physician. He was embarrassed by the way he had acted and was desperate for her to return so he could apologize. Luckily she came around again for rounds and he was able to do exactly that.

Our friends stayed with Bob for a large chunk of the afternoon, which gave me the chance to head to Trader Joe's, pick up a new book at the bookstore and take a quick nap. They were so gracious to stay for so long and to provide me with some much needed down time. I am so grateful to them. They plan on being around through Wednesday, but have offered to stay until Friday, should I need them.

While speaking with Bob's team of physicians today, I learned a few things about his testing: The original 5 seizures he had early-on are most likely a result of the implementation of the testing equipment that was placed in his brain originally. Thus, these don't really count towards the data we need to determine when and where his typical seizures are happening. I was also informed that he did have a seizure yesterday, which is good to hear! Bob had me write him a note on the white board in his room to remind him that, Yes!, the doctors and nurses really do want him to have a seizure. In typical Bob fashion, he jokingly reminded everyone who entered his room today that, "Can you believe it!? These people actually want me to have a seizure! And more than one!" His doctors also informed me that they would once again be lowering the dosage of one or more of his anti-seizure medications tomorrow to hopefully trigger those pesky seizures.

Please continue to pray that Bob has seizures and they get recorded clearly. Please also pray for calm and peace for Bob, especially at night and in the early mornings when he is most anxious and restless. As always, prayers of gratitude towards the staff at UVA are always wonderful as we are so blessed with such gracious, caring people who are truly invested in Bob's care.

-Megan