Why are we afraid of neurologists?
What happens when an orchestra is left without a conductor, or when the conductor fails to understand each of the parts so that they sound in unison? Why do we need a conductor if each instrument sounds perfect and knows its job?
Well, we can probably all think of an orchestra and the perfect timing of each instrument to make it sound great. And surely no one would hesitate to “check” the conductor if the orchestra fails to sound in harmony.
Now let’s think of our brain as the great conductor of the most wonderful orchestra that exists: our body. Why is it so hard for us to check the conductor when something is not working as it should? What scares us so much?
On reflection, I could tell you that maybe we are scared to think that our conductor is going wrong and we don’t have a “spare”. But the great thing about knowing how it works (and this is the wonderful thing about research) is that we can help it develop its function.
When we say to families “you must go to the neurologist”, it is nothing more or less than knowing the conditions in which we are working, knowing how the orchestra conductor is, knowing the skills we have to, from there, create the best orchestra that has ever been seen. Each one with its own characteristics.
We also understand that the expectation is not pleasant. As the saying goes: he who waits despairs. Nor is it pleasant when we are given a diagnosis that, obviously, is never in our plans with our children. But I can assure you that having that information brings down frustration, generates new expectations and teaches us to see the orchestra with all the wonderful things it knows how to do without paying attention to those notes it does not know how to play.
I know this is just an article. And with a poetic touch (I woke up like this today), but it is really like that. You have to get through the downpour, which is not pleasant. You have to get strong and, in most cases, seek support to learn from this new reality. But I can assure you that it pays off immensely.
