an overstimulated brain

On the recommendation of Freya's neurologists, we have had a very quiet weekend.  After a week of her sleeping very badly at night, the doctors have declared that her left hemisphere is "over-stimulated" and struggling to cope with all the extra connections it is needing to make to take over the tasks of her non-functioning right hemisphere.  Her left hemisphere is firing and not letting her calm and settle enough to get a good night's sleep, despite medication.  Even activities such as watching TV, listening to music or books were not recommended this weekend, as her brain needs the necessary down time to allow the rewiring to occur.  Unfortunately, this means we will be putting off visitors for a little while longer too. In itself, the  stimulation of the OT and physio is enormous at this early post surgery stage.

On another note, one of the right brain functions that we were told does not always transfer well from the right to the left hemisphere is facial recognition.  Some children who have had a right hemipherectomy will always struggle to recognise unfamiliar faces and have to develop compensating strategies to remember people they do not see regularly.  It is already clear that Freya's left hemisphere has no such problems - despite a rotating roster of about 20 or more nurses, Freya remembers the names of all of them.  When Anthony asked her whether she recognised them by their voices or their faces, she replied "their faces of course".