2025 was supposed to start with a refreshed fitness plan for the new year, but it’s the middle of March and I’m only now on the threshold of starting that. I’m looking at this coming Monday as 2025 Fitness Day 1. There have been several good workouts this year, and that’s great – certainly better than nothing! – but sporadic workouts don’t a fitness routine make.

Today, I finally got my gum-graft stitches removed, along with approval to start working out again. Tomorrow, I’ll have the wires on my head removed, and that will be the last thing that has to happen before the fitness routine for the year can truly begin.

Yes, there are wires on my head! I’ve had them on since Tuesday. The reason? Agatha. I named my brain after Agatha Christie, the Queen of Mystery, because mysterious behavior deserves a name of mystery. Now Charlotte the Lung has a friend. This is what happens if you’re a vital organ of mine and you get up to shenanigans. You get a name.

My first electroencephalogram (EEG), the regular one I had done in the hospital, showed: “There was a single instance of left temporal slowing lasting about 1 second.” The analysis ended with “IMPRESSION: This was an abnormal video-EEG during wakefulness, drowsiness, and sleep, due to the presence of a single instance of brief left temporal slowing.
CLINICAL CORRELATION: The finding of brief left temporal slowing is suggestive
of underlying focal subcortical dysfunction.”

Because of this result, my neurologist needs more information from Agatha, hence the 72-hr EEG, aka “ambulatory EEG.” Walking around with the wires connected to my head for three days might produce answers.

The technician attached 23 EEG electrodes to my head, plus two EKG ones to my chest in order to monitor my heart. The wires coming out of the electrodes are gathered into a long, multi-colored wire ponytail and trail down to where they’re connected to a box. The box fits into the cross-body bag that I have to wear for three days. At the end of the study, I’ll hand over the box that holds the data (my brainwave activity over the 72-hr period), and the data will be analyzed.
After that, I’ll go straight into the MRI tube for fasting brain scans.

Now, I’ve got pics for anyone curious about the procedure! You also might find these to be helpful if you’re going to be getting a 72-hr EEG.

“Just don’t go into any federal buildings,” advised the technician. “Or airports,” I replied. We laughed. There’s nothing funny about suicide bombers, but I was amused at the idea of going around with a black bag strapped to my body with a bunch of wires sticking out.

My 72 hours will be up at 2pm tomorrow. I’ll go back to the hospital for the unwiring, and tomorrow night I’ll be able to shower for the first time in three days!! The week is ending on a good note, having both my gum-graft stitches and the brain wires removed. Tonight, I ate actual food for the first time in five weeks, and tomorrow, I get to take a shower.

I hope you’re all feeling fine out there, too. Until next time, friends.