Update #2

He made it three whole hours. Half an evaluation, which usually runs five or six. The psychologist brought him out and said, "He's done for today. And he did just great."

We scheduled the second half for next Tuesday. I got no feedback from the psychologist -- I never had her to myself, so I couldn't ask. But she felt no need to call the neurologist, so that seemed reassuring. And she said Ben was the nicest boy she's worked with in a long time -- a real pleasure.

That comes as no surprise whatsoever. Even when he is not well, Benjy is a mensch.

I asked him on the way to his McDonald's lunch whether the testing was hard. It was.

The memory stuff is what threw him. Of course, as expected. Oh, and the numbers. Also predictable.

But here's why this child is so confounding. He could not successfully complete the memory testing today but he remembers still the three words the neurologist on call at MGH that night he was admitted asked him to hang onto. He recited them to me in the McDonald's parking lot. And they sounded darn familiar.

Only now I've forgotten them again.

I, at least, am consistently unable to remember things like strings of random words. Benjy either remembers like an elephant or forgets like *Mog the Forgetful Cat* (FAVORITE kids' book in our family! Mog is QUITE forgetful, but also an inadvertent hero.)

And that's what I don't get. Is his brain working or is it not? I don't think a simple answer is coming my way anytime soon, though.