Alexander’s EEG was performed yesterday and today and it indicates slowing of the signals in the affected area but nothing that would be unexpected. The fluid that fills the area that was removed is electrically conductive (hence you see electrical signals) but it’s nowhere near as efficient as the neurons and synapses (hence the slowing of the signals).
Alexander’s appetite and fluid intake hasn’t been so hot after surgery. He seemed to have one good day right after surgery but since then, he’s been caught between the Scylla of lack of appetite and the Charybdis of throwing up whatever we do get into him. The doctors haven’t seemed overly concerned about this for the last couple of days (that was surprising considering that your ability to heal is definitely affected by nutrition). They’re not really sure why he’s not eating other than to say that the area of brain that was removed was in the area known for motivation and initiation (we would later hear from Dr Bruce that the person shouldn’t have bothered with that line of reasoning…what came out was dysplastic tissue and thus non-functional brain tissue).
Alexander continues to be irritable and comparisons have been made between him and a child that was two or three days after surgery. They aren’t sure why he’s not rebounding as quickly as he did last time but it’s been pointed out that some children have gone two weeks with a lousy appetite and that we could expect probably a month of irritability. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he was working on six or so teeth before surgery so you can just imagine how that’s playing into how much pain he is feeling.
We keep pushing the Tylenol and Motrin with the hope that will at least make him a little more comfortable.