Back to Dr. Doglover again today, and the Incredible Extroverted EEG Technician. The Hub went with me so she toned down the male bashing part of her routine, which was a relief to me.

The EEG didn't show anything. Well, it shows that I grind my teeth and don't realize I'm doing it. But that's not a neurological finding. And besides, I knew that already.

The reason why I knew it is because my ex used to wake me up from time to time yelling in my ear "For God's sake! It sounds like you're eating a bag of Fritos over there! Stop grinding your teeth!" And I'd think, Oh, no wonder I keep waking up with a headache.

But, I digress.....

I really feel that I should try to set the scene a little bit for this doctor's office. Personally, I think it's great. I feel really comfortable there. I trust every one I've ever met there BECAUSE they all have quirks. They're not stuck on somebody elses idea of what it measn to be "professional" - so they act like human beings (or dogs, in the case of the golden retrievers) But it does create a much different environment then in many physicians offices.

Take today, for example. I met the EEG tech, whom I'd met before, while she was standing outside the office taking a smoke break. She shook The Hub's hand and she took us back to the room where she does the EEG. The dogs were sleeping in their cages. Meanwhile, the fellow who does the electrostim test (the one that almost made The Hub throw up when he watched me have it) was in the next room working with a gentelman who was quite hard of hearing. E. walked past quickly, stuck her head in the door and told me to hang out in the waiting room after the test & she would ask the doctor to read my results very quickly so I can get back to work as soon as possible.

So, I'm laying there, mindlessly grinding my teeth while hooked up to a spaghetti like array of wires on my head, getting ready to start the test.

The Extrovert: "...and then we had this woman who swore she had a siezure when she drank beer. So we sent down to the pharmacy to get her a beer...."

The Hub: "The pharmacist had beer on hand?"

The Extrovert: "This was the 70's"

Me: "...???..."

The Extrovert: "...and, sure enough, she had a siezure."

From The Next Room
Stim Guy (Loudly): "Just press down with your big toe!"

Patient: "It's time to go?"

Stim Guy: "No, just your toe!"

Patient: "What? Go with my toe?"

E, walking by, closes the door to the next room.

Receptionist: "E! Are you runnin' that heater in your office?"

E is from someplace in West Africa and has an office the size of a broom closet which she keeps at about 90 degrees by means of one of those electric heaters under the desk. You get the strong feeling that January in Maryland might as well be the 9th Circle of Hell for her. Both times The Hub has been in there he's almost passed out.

E (barely audible): "Relax, will you? My door is closed"

The Extrovert: "...so we told her that she would just have to stick to hard liquor!"

The Hub (mildly worried) "Was that a diagnosis?"

The door to Dr. Doglover's office bursts open.
Woman's Voice (apparently speaking to the hallway in general, extremely loud) "Have you seen my daughter?"

Patient (from behind the closed door) "Look in the dog pen!"

The door to the next room bursts open.
Stim Guy: "How did she get in there?"

Dr. Doglover, wandering out into the hallway, speaking generally. "Hello." He looks down, "Oh, how cute!"

The Hub (craning his head around the door jamb.) "Oh, there's a little girl in with one of the dogs. What a cutie. She's just petting the dog and relaxing." He laughs.

General commotion in the hallway while the child is extricated from dog crate with much thumping of tails.

The Extrovert: "Can you think of any reason why this electrode won't stick to your ear?" (Copious amounts of glue and she re-sticks the electrode.)

Me: "...Er..."

Receptionist: "E! I swear to God, it's 100 degrees in here!"

Patient in the Next Room (very loudly) "What?!"

Dr. Doglover (calmly): "So, if anyone would like to continue this consultation? Or do you feel that we've covered everything?"

Golden Retriever: "Woof!"

Etc...

Anyway, all this and my EEG is normal.

More news later....