A Strange Family Tradition

For some reason, K started a tradition one month after her 18th birthday that B felt he had to follow one month after his 18th birthday, and L has been forbidden to even try it one month after her 18th birthday! This unpopular tradition is having a problem of some kind occur with their brain!

When K was a senior in high school, she started to faint on a daily basis, then it started happening multiple times per day. She was hospitalized, right in the middle of AP testing, and it was discovered through a procedure called a tilt table test that she has a condition called Neurocardiogenic Syncope. Technically this is more of a problem with the heart than it is the brain, but it involves the brain not telling the heart to speed up to make the blood pressure raise, so I consider it to be a team effort problem between the brain and the heart. She was put on a medication, which made her feel horrible, so she was changed to another which worked marvelously. In time, she has gotten to the point that she hasn't been real faithful taking the medication, but hasn't had many episodes, maybe once a year. Recently she decided to start taking it again daily, even though it makes her feel gross. She also has to make sure she eats, stays hydrated, and gets enough sleep...along with avoiding stress (that's a funny one!).

So, here's where I'm going with all of this. Last night, just before midnight, we received a call on K's cell phone from Provo City Fire/Ambulance saying she'd fainted and was being taken by ambulance to the hospital. Here are the abnormalities of this happening...she has been taking the medication, she was hydrated, she had eaten, and had slept the night before. Here are the concerns...about 2 weeks ago she woke up with one pupil dilated and the other one not which lasted through the day, she has been extra tired, this is the second time in the past few months, and when she was out this time it was for a LONG time compared to the others. Normally it lasts less than 5 minutes, this time she didn't become conscious until she was in the ambulance having blood drawn. Here's the frustration...when she got to the hospital, they said because it was a reoccurring thing, that they wouldn't do any further tests, so they gave her an IV, crackers, and sent her home. The one major side-effect that happens after one of these episodes is that she is EXTREMELY tired, so most of today will be spent sleeping. I'm really frustrated that the hospital didn't do any more considering it wasn't a "normal" episode. I think it's time for a visit to her cardiologist next time she's here!
She is so blessed to be surrounded by good roommates and friends there that took care of her and went to be with her at the hospital, but it's just not the same for me as being able to be there in person. I hate being so far away at times like this!