Chapter 52: Epilepsy Treatment Process

"Huh?"
I looked at Director Yin in surprise, and didn't react for a moment.
"Well, don't feel pressured. Epilepsy is not as terrifying as everyone imagines. With the advancement of medical technology, there have been breakthroughs in the field of epilepsy. For patients with mild condition, the possibility of a complete cure is 90%."
Director Yin began to use the method of proximate cause effect in psychology and had a conversation with me.
This style of conversation is just right for me, who is sensitive in the heart.
"I'm not sure what I look like specifically when I have an attack. It's all my mother telling me, and she didn't film it because she was afraid it might be expressed inaccurately."
I am so relaxed that I can make jokes about my own epileptic seizures.
"How about I say it, during a seizure, I am always by his side."
Mom anxiously said to Director Yin.
Director Yin hesitated to refuse, so Mom could only remain silent.
"Mom, let me speak: Director Yin is indeed a chief physician, very capable. He is trying to assess whether I am facing my own illness and testing my attitude towards epilepsy."
I smile at my mother, making eye contact with her, hoping to reassure her uneasy mind.
"You're such a clever girl, aren't you? Not even 20 yet, and already understanding so much. Are you in college?"
The director Yin, who had his psychological tactics exposed by me, asked me with a smile.
"Hmm, I'm in my second year."
I casually replied.
"You're not majoring in psychology, are you?"
Director Yin continued to ask me with a smile.
"No, no, no, international trade. I only had a master-level psychology teacher in high school, so I only have a superficial understanding. Compared to you, Director, we are far behind."
I replied to Director Yin's question jokingly.
A visit that should have been serious and solemn turned into a lively conversation.
"Director, have we deviated from the topic? Let me tell you about my symptoms now."
The whole office, from a cheerful state, instantly turned serious and quiet.
"According to my mother, when I have a seizure, she calls me but I can't hear anything, I have no reaction. In less severe cases, I just raise my right hand; in severe cases, my right arm and leg twitch continuously and I keep biting my tongue."
I am solemnly explaining the process of my episode.
"Are there any other symptoms?"
Director Yin recorded the symptoms I stated in the medical record, but we couldn't understand it at all.
The doctor's handwriting is always so sloppy.
"These are the symptoms that I know, Mom, you can add more to the doctor,"
I smiled and turned to my mom.
"The onset usually lasts for about a minute, the longest is not more than three minutes. After the onset, I would start sleeping and wake up feeling weak all over."
I can feel my mom's emotions when she responded to Director Yin, and I almost cried. I am deeply saddened.
I understand. In that moment, my mom once again felt sorry for me.
在妈妈的认知里，认为我的癫痫是因为怀我期间的营养不良所致。
我努力了不知道多少年，希望可以改变妈妈这样的想法，但依旧无用。
All efforts seem so pale and powerless.
"What's wrong with you? As a mother, you should learn from your daughter's strength. I've never seen a mother and daughter like you before."
Director Yin and Mom were joking and got a check-up.
It's still a CT scan of the brain and an MRI of the brain.
Seeing such a check-up form, I feel like vomiting.
Similar checks, I don't know how many times I have done. Over and over again, the results are the same. What's the point?
"Hey, Mom. Let's not bother making a paid appointment for this kind of check-up. It's always the same routine every time, and I already know what the doctor is going to say when the results come out. I can practically recite the lines by heart."
With our medical cards in hand, my mom and I were ready to go downstairs. The hospital's top-up area is located in the lobby on the first floor.
"I think so too."
Finally, my mom agreed with my opinion this time.
As we walked into the lobby on the first floor, we noticed posters advertising epilepsy treatment experts on the walls.
介绍着擅长的手术，介绍着治愈的癫痫病人数量以及治愈率。
或许这是医院的宣传手段，但不得不承认，这样具有“商业化”的宣传，确实帮助了很多如同我一样的癫痫病患者。
"Mom, look."
I pointed to the poster on the wall.
"Why don't we make an appointment and try it out? Anyway, your train ticket is for tomorrow afternoon, and we have a whole morning tomorrow."
Mom resolutely voiced her thoughts.
The two of us, mother and daughter, always have such great understanding.
With our medical cards in hand, we came to make an appointment for registration.
Long-term illness has made me something of an expert, and especially as a professional patient, how could I not understand the process of visiting the hospital.
"Miss, I had a severe attack last night, and my mom is really worried. I have a train ticket to Shanghai tomorrow morning to go back to school. Could you please help me make an appointment?"
I deliberately used a pitiful expression and a pleading gaze to express my eagerness to the registration sister, hoping to rely on pity to successfully make an appointment.
"Look, it's almost time to get off work, and all the appointments for today have been fully booked."
"The lady in charge of appointment scheduling is reluctantly refusing me."
"Just as my mom was about to give up, I had a sudden idea."
"Miss, we came here relying on the reputation of expert Maimaitijiang. Please help us out a little."
Finally, the young lady was defeated by me.
Registration appointment successful.
I sat happily in the waiting room with my mother, waiting to be called.
"You're really clever, your mind works so fast, you can come up with reasons like this,"
my mother said, smiling and talking to me.
“That's right, isn't it? They say that children who are frequently ill are smarter than those who are physically healthy. I can't afford to waste talent!”
My mother and I were joking, trying to ease her nervousness.
My mom at this moment, how she wishes for my condition to improve, for a divine doctor to appear and cure my epilepsy directly.
During this visit, my mom is so hopeful for a miracle to happen.
The hospital near closing time appears particularly quiet, strangely deserted, and even somewhat eerie.
Two hours later, it's finally my turn.
My mother and I enter the examination room.
Mamatjiang, a authentic Uighur uncle from Xinjiang, has a kind face, speaks humorously, and will not bring any medical pressure to patients or their families.
"Little girl, it's so late and you're still registering. Don't you want me to get off work?"

Maimaiti mentioned that the doctor had a kind and joking face.
"I'm really sorry, because my daughter's train is going to school tomorrow, I thought about seeing a doctor today to see if there is any possibility of a cure."

Mom explained hastily.
"Have you had any previous tests done?"
Dr. Muhammatjiang asked solemnly.
"Yes, we brought the previous test results. It was done a couple of days ago, but our local doctor told us to continue taking medication. As she's a young girl, we don't want her to rely on medication. We wanted to see if there is any other method for her to recover."
Mother placed the previous head CT and head MRI scan results on Doctor Maimaitijiang's desk.
Doctor Maimaitijiang carefully examined the scan results.
"The MRI scan at your hospital wasn't clear, but based on my clinical experience, your daughter's condition is not serious and can be treated with surgery. After the surgery, she will recover completely."
Hearing Dr. Maimaitijiang's words, both my mom and I couldn't contain our excitement.
"Is it really that amazing? For all these years, doctors have been telling me to take medication, to stabilize my condition and suppress the symptoms."
I asked the doctor in surprise.
"That's because you hadn't come to my clinic before,"
answered Maimaitijiang Hospital with a relaxed attitude, giving me the feeling that the treatment would be a sure success.
"You can return the train ticket, and I will issue the check-up form for you. You can go directly for the examination."
Hearing the doctor's words, my mom agreed directly.
This shows how much trust my mom has in this doctor!
“这会儿和你妈妈去吃个饭，一会儿回来开始做检查。”
买买提江医生已经把检查单开好。
"Huh?"
我和妈妈简直异口同声的表达着诧异。
"Most patients with epilepsy have seizures due to abnormal electrical discharges in a certain area of the brain."
"There is little value in doing an 8-hour dynamic EEG as it may not capture the seizures. The probability of capturing seizures on a 24-hour EEG is much higher."
"Did you take your medication today?"
"Doctor Mamattijiang asked directly.
"I forgot to take it today,"
"I replied somewhat embarrassed.
"Not taking the medicine is just fine. Don't take any medicine tonight and tomorrow. It would be helpful for studying your condition if there is a seizure during the 24-hour EEG."
The first time I discovered the benefits of not taking medication on time.
I wanted to talk about my mother, but I kept silent.
"Is this the only examination?"
Faced with this visit, only one examination form was given, which feels quite strange.
"Well, just doing this one test is enough, do you want to do any other tests?"
"Dr. Maimaiti Jiang was joking with me."
"No, no, one is enough."
I answered with a smile.
I thought that it might already be after office hours and the payment window would be closed.
But to my surprise, there is actually a 24-hour work system with staff on duty at any time. The hospital truly is the most dedicated place during the night.
Across the street from the hospital, there are many places to eat.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the hospital drives economic development within a radius of 500 kilometers.
My mom and I went to KFC.
When I feel nervous, sad, or confused, I always like to soothe my mood with a glass of ice-cold Coca-Cola.
"Mom, do we really have to return the train tickets?"
I ask my mom seriously.
"Well, even if you quit college, we still need to have it checked and cure this illness. You are not young anymore, and I don't want this disease to affect your marriage, your job, and your future."
Mom also answered my questions very seriously.
"Mom, are you kidding? I am not in favor of marriage, have you forgotten?"
I smiled and faced my mom playfully.
"How could you not get married? Mom doesn't want the family to have a big impact on you."
The mother who spoke this sentence was serious, with a frown on her forehead.
"Hmm, just kidding, Mom, don't overthink it. So do I need to do the refund process on my phone now?"
I double-checked with my mother.
"Well, let's cancel the ticket and ask for a leave from your school. The exact date for returning to class is not certain yet, so just say it will be delayed for a few days."
I listened to my mom's words and completed the ticket cancellation, as well as called my advisor to ask for a leave.
According to the doctor's instructions, the hair must be washed clean before the examination.
The nearby hair salon has clean hair, it is already nine o'clock in the evening.
The 24-hour dynamic electroencephalogram starts counting at ten o'clock in the evening.
We arrived at the 24-hour dynamic electroencephalogram observation room in the neurology department as agreed.
In the observation room, there are two beds, and the one that will accompany me for the next 24 hours is a seven-year-old little girl.
I obediently sat on the hospital bed, allowing the doctor sister to do various treatments on my hair.
White patches, each with many threads.
Many threads connected to a machine about a meter away from me.
The next activities will take place within an area of one meter on land.