Day five after LP

[Sunnytoday]

same. awful pain. headache. still. here.

spoke to doc three and he said that i will need to wait until seven to ten days after the LP before they would consider a patch. This is due to my reduced immune system with my condition. They are afraid of any type of infection that could possibly occur during the blood patch and transfer of blood.


I now wonder what on earth those latest panel of blood work showed. or if he's referring to the fact that i catch every flu bug that floats in my town. He said I wouldn't be able to ward off any type of infection. Hmmmm...... nervous here about this maybe??????

Again said that here they never take that much CSF fluid, and that it will take a long time, with the leak to heal and then to start "fillin gup again" he also expressed concern that I may not manufacture my own CSF properly... he was throwing a lot of stuff out there. And i was like what? Somebody.... i hurt this bad, and..... I'm left in the dark here?

So we keep waiting.... thursday or friday is the soonest they will risk something.

The Darvocet was freaky. It dimmed the pain slightly in my head and back but i always wack out on pain meds... my heart did funny things and my breathing went funny and I got shaky for a few hours (probably huperventilated my mom said)

My eyes are stil swollen.

And yes, i'm flat as a board, and I'm drinking as much as possible and my mom is feeding me now every few hours so i don't lose weight too.

Can some of you sweet wonderful folks do me a favor and prehaps find a few jokes or something to make me laugh. I'm getting rather out of laughs here, I've read all my library comic books, watched my animated Disney movies, and now I need some help. I'll look foward to coming on the forum tomorrow and at least smiling once.... PLEASE????

Just thought of something today, I'll be twenty-one on Oct. the fourth and two days later I just may find out my diagnosis. What a birthday present.

~Sunnytoday~

[Sunnytoday]

Thanks to all, the love. comfort and support from this group is amazing.

Zilla- I love the joke, and yes, it did seem to appear that they just didn't want to treat the spinal head-ache. The best reason given was that my immune system would not handle it, that with me, it was to great a risk to take. We decided to accept that answer for a few days, and if it would have dragged on we would have pushed for more, my parents were ready to shove for great intervention .... thank goodness I started to feel better. Thank goodness and thank you Jesus.

((((hugs))))
~Sunnytoday~

[Momzilla]

Hi!

Elaine told me about your awful ordeal!  OY!

Sounds like your docs just didn't want to treat you for some strange unknown reason!  Unbelievable!  Double OY!

Here's a joke ess told me to pass along to my littler boys  (hope she doesn't mind me sharing!):

Why did the cannibal stop eating clowns?
.............
.............
.............
.............
Because they tasted funny.

Feel well!

Zilla*

[jensequitur]

I had dizziness for about five months...  it's no fun!  Oddly enough, I felt better with a couple of beers.

[doni54]

Glad you are feeling better!! Missed our sweet sunny, Sunny!!

Hugs
doni

[Janette2836]

Welcome back!

Janette

[Lulu54]

That is absolutely the best news I have heard all day - welcome back to being a part of the world.  No more headaches, ok?  

Stay well,
Laura

[Sunnytoday]

Thanks to all, I'm feeling almost like my old self! Mostly sunny and very happy to be feelin better... the only problem is that sometimes the world starts to go round and round and roun and rounddddddd and well, you get the idea. It think it has to do with the funny feeling like my head is being squished, it's not painful just annoying. Leftovers, i suppose. Or with the problem with my eyes. But, I'm done complaining here, and I'm going to start spreading my sunshine and cheer, and... I've got a lot to do this week, so I won't be laying around much longer, I've got to get back into my busy routine again!

By ya'll!
~Sunnytoday~

[dazedmom]

What does up down but doesn't go down up?


An umbrella through a chimney.




Told you it was silly.





Hope your day is really bright today!

dazedmom

[Shellshack]

Hope you're feeling better today~ Sounds like you're getting your spirit back and feeling better each day!  Keep shining and smiling!  This too shall pass!  Wishing you lots of sunshine and happiness today!!

Hugs!
Shelley

[Quixotic1]

ooooh, a joke.....hard to think happy thoughts whilst sitting upon the loo.

Colonocity - You'll never groan alone!

Quizzle the Unstuck

[OperaMBA]

The one that I remembered that was worst that the migraines was those college "hang over" headaches where they shorten your neck muscles by about 5 inches and then reattach it to your head and then drive a railroad spike through the back of your skull....

Where does that rank on the new scale?  :-)

You may have to go to a logarithmic scale under your new scheme!  :-)

Anyway, all cheerful banter aside, I am triple-glad (as my boys would say) that you are doing better!

Richard
OperaMBA

[Sunnytoday]

Rena... haha.... no offense taken, I checked in that night as usual to check my e-mail, noted the "mothers" telling me GET OFF, and i closed the lap top in a HURRY, as i haven't quite figured out if you can tell if i'm on here or not.... Grin!!!

I really didn't check in but once or twice a day there for a while, i felt so rough. I'm quite thoroughly happy to be feeling better, although i'd be overjoyed if all the Other Stuff went away too, and if could actually carry a decent conversation with others... seems that head-ache left me rather dumb. I will just get somewhere and just blank out and mom will come along and have to tell me what to do. How annoying. Tomorrow SHALL be better... as we say here in our family.

Richard- this head-ache was a LOT worse than the migraines i've had the last three years. I've totally invented myself a new pain scale, with this at the very tippy top and nothing else coming close. WHEW, am glad it's over and that you didn't have to go through that!

(((hugs)))
~Sunnytoday~

[Rena705]

I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE COMING AROUND!!!  I didn't mean to get kinda rough with you the other night but I felt that you were getting too much stimulation by talking on here when you needed to rest and lie down.  I am so happy you are back even if you have become a dizzy blonde! he he  Perhaps it is from just lying down for so long...I know that I was dizzy after lying down for so long after my last surgery so hopefully this will pass too.  Just take your time getting up and if you feel faint, put your head between your knees and have someone put a cold cloth on the back of your neck...it works pretty well for me.

Lots of Hugs and so glad you are back!!!

Rena

[OperaMBA]

I too am glad to see that the headache seems to be getting better.

I cannot imaging how it feels, because I somehow have lucked out in my 3 punctures.

I did go the migraine route all through the teen years, but I don't know how those relate.

Anyway, my prayers are with you in your continual improvement.

Richard
OperaMBA

[Sunnytoday]

Thanks to you all!!!!

I'm hoping the vision problems and the back things will fade away VERY SOON... and as of today, i experience a new thing. I was dizzy. Yup... new one for me. Either from the lack of brain mass after it was squeezed to death or from laying flat for the longest time in my life since infancy. BUT, i was so dizzy tonight I'm sure i looked drunk as I reeled about. Bad blance+ dizzines= bad business. Yes, i've had bad balance this past year but I've never been dizzy. Ick. I'm hoping this will disapear too. Either that or I shall need to pick up a pair of football pads for my protection and perhaps some shin-gaurds, a helmet, and... well, you get the idea. Man, Quix and all those out there with this problem, how do you handle this dizzy thing? It's not fun at all!!!!

Good night all, and have a happy Wednesday!!!
~Sunnytoday~

[Deb61]

I'm happy to hear you're back to your sunny self and that the dreaded headache is on its way out the door!  Taking it easy for a day or so more is probably a good idea.  Maybe your back is hurting from laying on it so much (plus having the LP doesn't help things either).  My body doesn't like the warmth of being in that particular spot too long and I I'll usually get muscle spasms.  

I also remember my vision getting worse after my LP.  It didn't stay bad for two much longer, if I can remember correctly.  I also developed this underwater hearing thing that lasted for a few days, too, after my LP--weirdest thing.  Talk about feeling disconnected . . .

So glad this is going away before your birthday!!!!!  My baby girl (actually she's the oldest) will be turning 21 in December.  She's saying that she's going to be tasting her first sip of wine (yeah right) when her birthday rolls around.  Something tells me that this is the furthest thing from your mind!!!!

Hugs,
Deb


  

[Fluffysmom]

I'm glad you're starting to feel better!  Do stay cautious, make sure it keeps healing, much as you want to do a happy dance.  I'll do one for you!

When I had my spinal headache, I had posterior vitrious detachment, which just means some of the gel-like stuff behind my eyes became detached, hardened, and I now have "floaters" in my vision.  The vary from a dark spot, to a lighter dots, squiggles, and such that float through my vision, and can interfere if I don't ignore it.  It was caused by the drop in CSF pressure; things in my head, including my eyes, shifted position because of the lessened pressure.  My vision stayed blurry for a couple months, though my visual acuity tests were pretty good.  I just noticed it.

Of course, that is totally different from ON.  The pain may just be from the pressure changes, or you could be having a flare.  The best course would be to see your ophthamologist, to make sure what's what.

I really don't think your back should be hurting.  When you talked to the doc, did he have any explanation for it?  There would be a purple mark if you had a hematoma, and you said that your mom said it looked fine.  Is this where they did the puncture, or lower?  I think you should probably discuss it with a doctor.  Have you tried putting ice on it?  I suppose it could have some inflammation, and ice could help reduce that.

The ache in my back was gone before I went in on day three and got my blood patch, and the doc that did my LP was pushing that needle in from three different angles, jabbing bones and hitting nerves.  May he sit on a bee hive!  (sorry, still a little disgusted with the guy; wrote a complaint, no response).

Pressure on left side of back near ribs; kidney?  muscle strain? odd new parastesia?   I think this is a question for a doctor.

I posted some pictured from my trip to San Diego (finally) if you get bored and want to check them out.  

Well, thanks for the sunshine, sunny girl, it's bright and beautiful here, the lawn mowers and weed wackers are going full power.  We has some wild wind and rain a couple days ago, then threats of more yesterday.  Today is gorgeous; Sunny-shine all the way from Alabama!

Happy Hugs!

Kathy

[Janette2836]

What an awesome e-mail that we have all been waiting to see - you are getting better!  Here is to more sun in your day - keep on getting sunnier  :)
Janette

[jensequitur]

Extreme stress and pain can cause a flareup - just what you need, a flare!  So I'm not surprised that your ON has decided to come back, or that you're having back pain.  When I was on my back for four days with the flu, I had massive back pain, just from not being able to move all that much.  

With your spinal cord involvement, you're probably going to have back spasms.  These can be treated like any muscle problem - heat, ice, massage, and anti-inflammatories.

You can help your weight loss by drinking Ensure supplements instead of milk.  Unless you're lactose intolerant, that is!

I'm glad your headache is finally diminishing, and again flabbergasted by the incompetence of this hospital.  

[Salamander2]

I have no answers, but just wanted to tell you "whoo hoo"!!!!!  So happy you are feeling some better.  In a matter of days you will be able to eat pizza!
Sally

[Sunnytoday]

Hmmm... You've got me... can't figure out the riddle. :)

I'm QUITE HAPPY to say that I'm starting to feel BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My head pain is coming down.... it's still there when i sit up and it squeezes still but boy, i feel human again!!!! YAYYY!!!!!

I would do the happy dance, but my mom is having me lay flat for another day or two to make sure it will heal up correctly.

Three fast questions for those still managing to read my posts.....

One: My O.N. has flared up again. Why? The pain and blurriness had left from my April attack and all i had left was prob with reds and dbl vision. So now, when i move my eyes it is VERY painful, de ja vau again.... i hope it's not going to be this painful for very long.

Two: Does the back pain go away too? The head-ache is starting to leave, but that back pain is still there. Life a handful of rocks is pressing into the very bottom of my spinal colum.

Three: When i sit up, the last three days, my mind is tellin me tha on the left side of my back where my ribs are it is bulging out, like full of pressure in an area about the size of my small fist. But my mom can't feel anything pushing out except my ribs. Yes, i'm thin and this didn't help it any. Is this feeling another weird symptom or something to be concerned about?

Ok, I'm back.... sunnier than ever, and have more things to be thankful for.... fo example.... the fact that I don't have to eat things that start with "chicken" and end with "soup" for every meal, that i can actually sleep with pillows again soon, that i may soon be able to view my computer in an UPRIGHT position, and that i may be able to finish a sentence without saying AHHHHH and holding my head, and that..... well, you get the point... little things are making me quite thankful right now.

Have a blessed, happy, sun-shiney day, and I shall talk to you all later!
By for now!
~Sunnytoday~

[dazedmom]

Oh.  

I forgot my riddle!

It's kinda silly, but it does tend to stump people:

What goes up down, but can't go down up?



Answer to follow....

dazedmom

[dazedmom]

Hang in there, kiddo!  We're with you all the way.

(And don't you just love the restroom line scene in Cars???!)

dazedmom

[Fluffysmom]

I really enjoyed the movie Cars!  I may be 46 but I'm a big kid; besides, a lot of those animated movies have funny stuff for the adults, too, like in Happy Feet, for instance.  Friends can make you laugh and feel better, too.

I'm glad things are improving at least a little.  I hope they improve a lot, or you make a call to Dr. Kister and have him call your medical people down there and tell them how to take care of you properly.

You're still our sunny gal, even when you're hurting.  I'm glad you're able to post and keep in touch; you know you're loved!

Hugs,

Kathy