Finally, everyone is in bed, so I'll let you know how the good ole sleep study went. First, the tech was very pregnant and did not want to be there. I can sympathize, having been 9 months pg three times in my life, so I cut her some slack. But, I don't think she would have had much personality anyway. More on that later.
Before we start, she insists Goldie be strapped into a papoose board to attach the wires to her head. I was initially resistant, but I knew it would go soooo much quicker if I didn't have to restrain her and this way I could actually comfort her. It took 30 minutes to get that part done. She cried some, but was consolable and liked it when I sang to her. And why didn't someone tell me the use a mini air compressor to attach those things? I think that scared her the most. Another 15 minutes to put on the belts and hook up her legs. After that she was exhausted and only nursed a few minutes before falling asleep.
During the night she woke up at least every hour. I was able to get her back to sleep rather quickly and only had to nurse her one more time. We were done at 5:30 and on the road by 6. She was so excited to get in the van and didn't even fall asleep on the way home. I stopped at McD's and got her a hashbrown. She has her own sign for McDonald's. Sad, I know.
Back to the tech. I like to get along with people who are messing with my kid, so I tried to make small talk and stay very happy and cheerful. She explained, more than once, that if I couldn't handle Goldie being strapped down we could quit and go home. I told her that being a mother of 3 had seasoned me. I've held kids down, for dentists, bloodwork, stitches, x-rays, casts, etc... so this was really going to be ok. As long as Goldie was able to calm down and not crying till she puked we'd be fine. Then she asks "So do your other kids have Down syndrome, too?"
Go ahead, read that again if you need to. Hank and I have been asked a lot of things, but this one takes the cake. I laughed and told her no. Seriously, how can you work for a children's hospital and not know this isn't hereditary.(I know you can carry a translocation, but those are rare and not all translocations are hereditary.) She acted like they had seen a lot of kids with DS come in for sleep studies. I hope she's not a nurse. I'm wondering what kind of schooling she had to qualify her for this job. Did it include a biology class? When I got home Hank told me I should have said "I caught it from my husband and now the kids have it. We don't know how to get rid of it." LMAO.
I was also told repeatedly that "all kids with DS sit up in their sleep." Umm, don't they only see the kids that don't sleep well. If Goldie wasn't sitting up and waking frequently, I know we wouldn't have been there.
On a positive note, I didn't get any crap about breastfeeding or laying with Goldie to feed her when she woke up. They get a thumbs up for that!
We'll know the results in two weeks. I wasn't asking the tech what she thought.
9 comments:
I'm so glad the sleep study is over for Goldie, Adam had one also, and I all those wires were not fun! but I don't remember them using an air compressor!?!
I really can't believe the nurse?? said that to you!! I love Hank's response!!! That would have been too funny!! And I love how you look on the bright side!! That is awesome that they were positive with you breastfeeding!! Hope the sleep study gives you some answers!
Wow, Brandie. I'm kinda speechless. What's up with people anyway?
I don't even know what to say to that!?! Glad the sleep study is over for Goldie (and for you!).
That comment ranks right up there with the nurse that asked us if we'd gotten a second opinion on Micah's DS. Ummm, it's a blood test. They don't lie. Duh.
I'm glad the study was fairly painless. Hopefully the tech doesn't catch DS.
Well, that comment made me laugh as well. I never heard that one. Glad it is over for Goldie and you. I have never heard of them using compressed air to put the wires on and Noah has had 4 sleep studies so far. That would freak any child out. i think if you ever had to do it again, I would tell them not to use that.
Unbelievable. Luke has DS and sleeps lying down. He is obviously not 'normal'!!! What a ridiculous thing to say! Mind you, I know someone who had a medical professional express her surprise that all her patients with DS had their own personality! And when the mother said "Well, they are all individual people", the woman said "yes, I forget that they are all different, it's just that they have the same genes." Cue silence from speechless mother.
I liked Hank's response :)
This is Joyce. 2o years at this and I am still amazed what people come up with. I do love Hanks thought process. I think of that kind of stuff always too late. As for the sleep study I will be curious as to what they discovered.
That is outrageous! What a poor excuse for a medical practitioner! I think I'd have to write a letter to her boss...
And, with the three sleep studies we've had with Hannah, we've never had anything like an air compressor--that sounds bizarre to me.
I don't think it's "all kids with Ds sit up in their sleep." But I think it's *almost* all...our neurologist says it's about 90% of the Ds population.
If you get your results back in 2 weeks that will be a record! Oh wait--was this at CHOP? I bet they could do it.
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