LP tomorrow

[GrannyKay]

Well, I got my LP scheduled for tomorrow at 10 am. I'm still very nervous. They said I should expect to be there for up to 4 hours for recovery. I read somewhere on here that there should be bloodwork ordered at the same time as the LP. They did send a bloodwork request over to a local clinic but I haven't had that done yet. I've got a call into the doctor's office asking if bloodwork has been ordered to be done at the same time as the LP, but I don't know what kind of bloodwork it is lol.

Anyway..... for those of you who have had LP, is it realistic to expect to be able to go to work the following day? I don't go in to work until  noon on Friday, so I'm thinking I should be okay by then. I work as a coach at a women's fitness facility.

Sorry for the rambling post. Thanks.

[Lulu54]

you might call your doctor's office and be sure they put in the right test order for the serum .  If you don't catch them today, they might still have your samples on Monday to run for the o-bands comparison.  And smart  call on the vacuuming and shoveling -

[kwarendorf]

You are correct. Vacuuming and shoveling snow are on the post LP Don't List :-)

[GrannyKay]

Thank you all again. I'm following your advice and resting today. Even if I had been able to take it easy at work, we have snow today and part of my job when it snows is to shovel the sidewalk around the entrance - which I'm sure would NOT be a good idea! That and vacuuming after my shift.

I'm happy too that they finally did the blood work - although I hope that they did the right one lol. I really didn't know what I was talking about and neither did hubby - just that they were supposed to take blood at the same time!

Got some online results this morning, and apparently all the testing for meningitis, wbc and rbc, protein and glucose levels in the CSF all came back normal. Still waiting on the rest of the results....

.....and RESTING!!! :-D

[sllowe]

Way to go hubby!

It's absurd for them to say it's not required. If they are looking for o-banding, they have no comparison to serum.

Unreal - thankfully it worked out.

REST! Even though you feel well :)
-Shell
p.s. REST

[Lulu54]

Take it easy and pamper yourself a bit for a day or so  - the puncture wound has to seal using CSF and not the usual blood clotting our body reacts to.  

As for your hubby - kuddos to him and you for insisting on the serum draw.  Without the comparison to your CSF, the test would have been useless for MS testing purposes.  Well done for standing up and not leaving without it being done.

Now keep resting,
Laura

[Maracamama]

I agree with the others.  Don't go to work even if you feel ok.  Take it easy and relax.  I learned the hard way.  I felt fine after my LP and fine the next morning, so I went to work and lived to regret it.  My job is not even a little bit physically strenous but I ended up laying on the floor at work from the headache by noon.  Maybe I would have gotten it anyway but if you can avoid working, I highly recommend it.

Hope you keep feeling good.

Laura

[LilMinnie]

Do relax the next couple days if you possibly can. And don't forget to check out This is Spinal Tap ;)

[loubird]

I hope you do not go to work tomorrow! I felt fine the day of mine, but went to classes the next day (carrying a backpack) and next thing I know I'm in the ER with a spinal leak. Because of the messy way the clinic works I couldn't get my bloodpatch until 3 days later.

I certainly am not telling you this to scare you! I am confident that my issues were because I overdid it the day after. Even if you feel fine, just be lazy and enjoy the excuse for a day off! :)

[LilMinnie]

Good for you and hubby! I'm so glad y'all stuck to your guns and got that blood work done :D  

[GrannyKay]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

I had the LP done this morning, and it went just fine. The only thing I experienced was some discomfort a couple of times during the injections - which was really very very minor. I also felt a bit lightheaded when they raised the table up, apparently to help the fluid drain, but when I told them I was feeling woozy they laid the table back down and I was feeling better within a few minutes. I drank lots of water and coke and I have the slightest twinge of a headache - certainly no worse than usual.

Also, although I had called yesterday to make sure they were going to do blood work at the time of the procedure, when I got there they said there was no such order. Thankfully, my dear hubby was with me and went to bat for me and got them to take the blood. At first they were saying that it wasn't required for this particular procedure .... but they changed it, thanks to the information you all shared with me and to my hubby.

Will let you know how the results turn out. I did ask how the pressures were since I knew they were measuring them and they said they were 13 which is good.

Thank you again.

[sllowe]

Granny-K,

Please don't go to work. Please just lay around.The leak can happen days later.
Wishing you well :)
-Shell

[LilMinnie]

The procedure itself was no biggie. I had mine done on a Friday so I could rest over the weekend. There was no "resting period" at the hospital which I found odd. They had me walk across this HUGE hospital to a separate lab right after. I was numb at the time and I didn't think it would be that far. No headache but I do think I was up walking around too soon and was sore back there for two weeks.

You'll be fine! Haha, make a day of it by getting your favorite snacks and watching This is Spinal Tap :D The movie is a hilarious parody of an aging heavy metal band.

Glad to hear they are doing same day blood work with the LP and the other will be done before.

All the best, Hugs, Minnie :)

[twopack]

If being "a coach at a women's fitness facility" involves lots of movement or bending I'd plan on skipping it.  It seems like a bigger risk than it's worth.  You could feel fine going in but once trouble starts there is no undoing it.  Strenuous activity is going to raise your blood pressure, your heart rate, your respirations and your CSF pressure.  That last one just might contribute to leakage of spinal fluid and/or a spinal headache.  

As far as I know there isn't a lot known about the exact reason for these headaches.  It's impossible to know who will get one.  Why do anything that might keep you from having the best outcome.

I had a milligram years and years ago.  I was hospitalized for a week afterwards - unable to even rest my head on a skinny pillow.  I was flat on in horrific pain.  We are sent home these days but are in the same sad shape - unless we submit to a second LP for a corrective blood patch procedure.

Since the milligram I've had spinal anesthesia (twice) with no headache afterwards.  I had a diagnostic LP (for MS) with no headache afterwards.  I had six separate lumbar epidural injections with no headaches.  But I still remember that milligram headache and am willing to take any precautions I can to prevent a repeat experience.

Chances are this will end up being a non-event for you - like it is for the majority of people who have the procedure.  I'm glad so many people have good outcomes to share.  I DON'T want to increase your anxiety because the procedure itself actually isn't bad at all..... But the fact is - nobody else's experience predicts YOUR personal chance of having a no-complication tap on any particular day.

I suggest you reconsider the idea of granting yourself a preemptive three day weekend and Just Do It!

[GrannyKay]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm really hopeful that it will all be okay - I'm more afraid of the headache than anything because I'm susceptible to migraines and when I get a bad one I start vomiting and its just not fun!

My hubby moved our bed into the living room so I could lay down and watch TV tomorrow and bought me a bunch of caffeinated soda! I'm as prepared as I can be I guess!

Thank you all again. I will let you know how things go.

[GrannyKay]

Good to know. Thank you!

[GrannyKay]

Thank you for your input. I did clarify the blood work issue - they will be taking blood after or during the procedure, but they also want me to have blood work done before the procedure, so I will have to do that first thing in the morning. I also asked a coworker if she could cover for me if I can't be there and she was happy to do so. :) Now just to get it over with!

[TLC_31]

My LP was smooth, no pain other than the prick of the numbing agent, then some obviously weird but not necessarily uncomfortable sensations. Lying in the fetal position on my side also was weird, of course. I think I was in and out of the clinic within a couple of hours, then home to lie flat, drink plenty of caffeinated soda, and watch TV. I did work the next day, but my work is much more sedentary than that of a fitness instructor.

I didn’t go into the LP particularly scared, although the liability release form I had to sign just beforehand was a bit unnerving. If I had been consulting internet message boards (I’m not aware of any that go back to 2004), I might have been more nervous, because the LPs that don’t go as well are certainly much more well documented than those that go OK. It’s like how the big car wreck makes the news, but no word on the thousands of people that arrived at their destination safely. I have faith that not only will you arrive at the clinic for the LP, you will make it through the procedure with flying colors. (But yes, have someone else drive you home to help keep you out of the news!)

[kwarendorf]

I had an LP a few weeks ago. The entire process was a non-event. I had to lay flat for about an hour afterwards and was told to take the next day off. I did, but really felt fine. It was nice to have a goof off day though :-)

Kyle

[SarahL2491]

it will depend on how YOU feel.  It is different for each of us.  I drove home (an 8 hr drive) after 3 hrs at the clinic of laying/sitting down (I had my infusion an hour afterwards) and was fine the next day.  Others have had various reactions.  Play it by ear!
Don't worry you will do fine.  I'd definitely clarify the bloodwork issue.  perhaps they want additional blood for something else.  But your comparison blood needs to be drawn either before/after the LP while you are there.