HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

My Neuropsych Evaluation

Support Forums
>
Epilepsy
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/26/2007 4:14 AM (GMT 0)

Well, my neurologist sent me to a psychiatrist at Vanderbilt who deals mostly with neuro patients for a neuropsych evaluation.  My neuro is concerned that maybe I am anxious about having a seizure out in public and I trust him and readily went for the appointment.

A lady psychologist tested me for 5 1/2 hours and that was with me taking the MMPI home to do and mail it back to them.  I did meet with the doctor and felt comfortable with him.  I have an appointment with him in a couple of weeks when they will have the results of all the tests.  After all that time spent there yesterday, I thought I would find out if I was crazy or not right then.

Oh, the questions they asked.  There were math questions, history questions.  I am unable to go to sleep until at least 4:00 or 5:00 a.m., so I only had about three hours of sleep.  She asked me who Cleopatra was and I told her she was Elizabeth Taylor.  I did make her laugh a lot.  I don't think that gives me any points on my test though.  I had to make designs out of blocks, some were fun and then they got extremely complicated.

She told me two different stories which I had to repeat back to her and then in twenty minutes I had to repeat them back to her, then again in an hour.  I had to get specific names, details correct.  She gave me a list of twenty words once to repeat back to her and about every twenty minutes I had to repeat them back to her.  I seemed to lose a few along the way the more fatigued I got, remember I was sleep deprived. 

Of course in 5 1/2 hours, there was a lot more to it.  One question was why I thought it was important for criminals to follow-up with their parole officers.  I told her it was important for me to stay in touch with mine because I didn't have any friends.  She didn't write that down.  She waited for another answer.

Sorry for rambling!

Carla

I'll be sure and let you all know if I end up in a psychiatric institution.  Do they have computers there?

I do go back to Vanderbilt for the sleep study this Sunday night.  Something has to give with my sleep.

Posted 10/26/2007 3:33 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Carla,

Sounds like you had a fun day! lol. I particularly liked the Cleopatra joke. Do you know who she is really? I hope you get the answer your looking for... especially after 5 and a half hours of testing! lol

Darren

P.S Dont worry about your memory... its normal to lose things as time goes on. Id be worried if you didnt! lol

Posted 10/27/2007 4:41 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Carla,

I think that what you're experiencing is absolutely normal - I think almost anybody who's had a seizure in public would be anxious that they might have another. I know I am. (Heck, I'd probably be anxious if I'd only had them in my living room 'cuz it might happen elsewhere). Guess it's a matter of how much the anxiety is affecting your ability to live your life like you want to. I hope the 5 1/2 hour investment gives you what you're looking for (keep us posted). I guess, at the least, you had an interesting experience with a few laughs...

What does your neurologist say about the lack of sleep? Mine wants me to sleep well at all costs, 'cuz sleep deprivation triggers my seizures. Ambien is the answer for me.

Take care,

Sugar

Posted 10/28/2007 1:38 AM (GMT 0)

Sugar1110,

I actually get my sleep, usually I sleep until the middle of the day. I had to get up to early to go down to Vanderbilt for the appointment the other day. My schedule just doesn't work with anyone else's.  I can't go to lunch with friends or go to church, etc.  By the time I get up, piddle around and get cleaned up, it's almost dinner time. I am going back to the hospital tomorrow night for a sleep study.  I'll let you all know when I get the results of that.  Yes, I have to get my sleep also or I am setting myself up for a seizure.

Take care!

Carla

Posted 10/28/2007 1:43 AM (GMT 0)

Darren,

I think Cleopatra was the Queen of Denial.  By the way, I borrowed your contribution line for HW.  I liked what you said.  Are you going to get me for plagiarism?  If so, let me know before you sue me so I can have time to delete it.

Take care!

Carla

Posted 10/28/2007 12:11 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Carla,

I wouldnt dream of sueing you... if nothing else, I cant afford to! lol You can use it if you want. It doesnt bother me... I probably got it off someone else anyway! tongue

Darren

P.S Cleopatra was indeed a queen... The Queen of Egypt!

Posted 10/28/2007 5:43 PM (GMT 0)

Darren,

She was always played by Elizabeth Taylor in the movies, that was all I could remember the other day and she was the Queen of the Nile, that's in Egypt right?  Queen of Denial?

There's no telling what they will determine about me from that test, I was so sleep deprived.  I get goofy when I don't get enough sleep.

Take care!

Carla

Posted 10/28/2007 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Carla,
Oddly enough I give tests for a living and then I started to have seizures so now I am the testee. Sort of weird for me to be on the other end of the table now.
The amount of time it took you to complete the testing is normal as well as your anxious feelings. The MMPI measures all types of mental health issues and looks for patterns of behavioral difficulties. It helps diagnose and pinpoint what the person is struggling with the most so it can be treated appropriatley. I too, am now worried about having another seizure so I understand how you feel. All of your thoughts and concerns are legitimate and normal.
MissM
Posted 10/30/2007 2:51 AM (GMT 0)

MissM,

That helps to hear it from someone who has been on both sides of the table.  Last night I was back down at Vanderbilt for a sleep study.  I really don't expect that they will find anything.  I am not able to go to sleep until at least 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. every single night and this has been going on for about 6- 8 months.  My schedule doesn't really work well with anyone else's.  And, there's not a lot to do in the middle of the night.

When were you diagnosed with epilepsy?  I have found the past 15 months that it certainly changes your lifestyle a bit.

Take care!

Carla

Posted 10/30/2007 7:50 PM (GMT 0)

Blimey, Carla. I thought some of my tests were weird - especially the ones which involved about 30 sensors superglued to my head - but you've got me beat. What's the point in asking people about queens of ancient Egypt? Seems to me that those who are fatigued, badly educated or just plain dim would get a more serious diagnosis.

The insomnia sounds unspeakably grim. Even the TV's rubbish at that time of night. Do they think it's linked to your epilepsy? At least you're getting enough sleep later, even if it's tearing great chunks out of your day. Otherwise you might get stuck in a vicious circle - lack of sleep worstening your seizures, epilepsy making you miss even more sleep.

Good line about the parole officer, by the way. It's good to play with these doctors a little.

Andrew

Posted 11/10/2007 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
I had the neuro physc. test right before my brain surgery. I had a right temporal lobe lobectomy in 2002. The psychiatrist said by my results I was dealing with depression?? how can a test show that? I didn't think I was depressed at the time. But boy did I deal with depression after the brain surgery for almost 2 years.

Praise the Lord I'm doing well now and have been seizure FREE for 5 years. God is good!

God Bless,

Mercyme :)
Posted 11/10/2007 11:16 PM (GMT 0)

Mercyme,

I am glad to hear that the surgery has worked well for you.  I do not have the results of my evaluation yet.  They do ask a lot of questions on those tests, don't they?

Take care!

Carla

Posted 11/11/2007 8:00 PM (GMT 0)

Carla,

I had the same test, same questions asked, same memory tests, same little puzzles to do, etc.

My former employer of 30 years sent me for a neuro/phyc evaluation to find out if I was faking my epilepsy to the degree of trying to get out of doing certain tasks.

Well ~ I won that battle and the neurologist documented what I could/couldn'd do.

Due to downsizing and the fact that I was close to retirement, it was determined that I couldn't learn new tasks (due to long term use of meds) the Doctor recommended that I go on "Medical Retirement" with full pension, I was only 47 years old at the time.

Randy

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply