Rhiannon had a Nerve Conduction Test last week. I assumed she would freak out, yell, cry, and punch someone (hopefully not the doctor).

Instead, Rhia sat quietly and allowed the doctor to connect the electrodes to her skin in strategic places. Then she held her step-dad’s hand while a small jolt of electricity was sent along the nerve paths. “That feels funny,” she said with a giggle. The electric surge increased in power, but all she did was stare at the doctor and say, “That feels very funny!”

Next came the acupuncture needles. This must be when she kicks someone, I thought. But the doctor was quick and the needles were very tiny. There was only one moment when Rhia glared at him because she figured out he was poking her with a needle. The entire test was done in less than 20 minutes.

And this time, the doctor actually found something wrong.

Do you know how many times Rhia has undergone tests? How often the doctor was certain he had found the answer to the cause of Rhia’s illness, only to have that test come back negative? Blood work and muscle biopsies have all come back good; no sign of illness or impairment. Even the genetic tests have returned inconclusive. What is causing Rhia’s ataxia and increasing fatigue? Why does her cerebellum keep shrinking? Why is her vision worse? Why did she lose her hearing?

I think the doctors are as frustrated as I.

But the Nerve Conduction Test found something! Her central nervous system appears intact, but the nerves that go out to her muscles are overactive. Even when she is sitting quietly, those nerves are firing like crazy. There’s too much “noise” in the muscles. Why? Not sure. But this test finally confirmed the cause of Rhia’s constant tremor.

When the doctor explained the “noisy” results of the test, I smiled., feeling a rush of relief. He found something! He actually found something! Look at the computer screen. You can hear the static of her muscles firing from too much nerve stimulation.

Rhia’s body is never calm; no wonder she’s exhausted.

Later, I bought myself a big box of Godiva chocolate to celebrate. Is it weird I’m happy the neurologist found something wrong? If you’ve been chasing answers like we have, you’d understand. After 20 years of negative tests, it was a relief someone found a clue at last.