And finally some relief.....

So I left you all hanging on Wednesday.  This was not by choice but rather by necessity but I am happy to say that I am well on the road to recovery and hopeful that this is the last blog for the year about my health woes/experiences.  One can only hope, right?

The good news is that after the lumbar tests (spinal tap times 2), the doctors in the ER were able to rule out spinal meningitis.  I have to admit, I was in a daze or rather in denial during my ER visit on Wednesday that I had anything serious.  I am glad they ruled it out and decided on a mild form of neuropathy stemming from the stomach virus I had.  I was not so happy about the aftermath, however....

Basically in 1 in 20 patients, a spinal tap causes a migraine headache that can last for days without subsiding.   The headache started 90 minutes after the test and 30 minutes after the results.  When the nurse said,  "Didn't the doctors say you should rest after the test and do nothing?"  I was like, "ah, no...I was feeling fine so I just got my computer up and started to blog."  When she gave me that "you are such a dipshit" look I realized that the headache may have been my fault....dammit.  But since I was ultimately feeling ok, slight tingling in my legs and a slight headache, I decided that I was ok to drive home.  Boy, was that a mistake!

Thirty minutes into my 75 minute drive home, the headache became a full-fledged migraine with no relief in sight.  I called, or rather yelled, into the phone to my parents to see if they could meet me but they were no way close, stopped at McDonalds for a milk shake - yes I believed that sugar of some kind will always make you feel better - NOT!  Eventually, driving 60 mph on 3N I made it to the meeting point with my parents and they drove me home. 

Not realizing that the migraine was due to anything but a lack of real food for hours, I tried to eat something with my parents at dinner, and then proceded to head to bed knowing that I would have to work from home the next day.  I woke up with the migraine but tried to work - yeah, I lasted until 10:30 a.m. and then had to sign off.  Tylenol PM - you were my initial savior - I slept until 4:30 p.m. and still had the migraine.  Sooo, yes, I called the doctor's office who told me - "You're not going to like this but you are probably going to have to go back to the ER."  Yup, they were right, I didn't like it one bit.  So, we compromised and said that I would try to make it through the night and if it's worse in the morning, I would go.  Tylenol PM was my BFF that night and while I was lying flat I was fine.  I woke up with a smile on my face on Friday morning only to sit up with....yes, you guessed it....a migraine!  Will it ever end, I thought?  And it was worse, I couldn't sit up, couldn't walk standing straight up and was so painful that I couldn't make it to the stairs by my room to tell my parents.  I finally got enough strength to get my parents attention and worked my way to the ER with my stepmom. 

Can I just tell you how thankful I am for the treatment at Southern Nashua ER.  They wheeled me in and treated me right away.  First they gave me medication for the pressure on my head.  Yeah, that didn't work and then was given my best friend for life....morphine!  I *heart* morphine!  Oh, relief.  Then I got the diagnosis from the doctor - I had a spinal tap induced migraine they was caused by spinal fluid leaking from the hole made by the spinal tap needle that usually closes up but in 1 in 20 cases, it doesn't and requires a blood patch.   That said, ehwther or not I was on the computer following the spinal tap would not have stopped the migraine for coming on.  Ok, Ok, not the smartest move on my part, I admit.

So what is a blood patch? A blood patch is taking blood from my veins and inserting it in the area of the whole in my spine and it acts like a spackle.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you guessed it, I had to be taken up to the OR to be given another epidural and a blood patch (which was complicated by the fact that they couldn't find a good vein.  Now that was fun, but hey, I didn't feel a thing - thank you my BFF, Mr. Morphine!

All I have to say, is that the relief after the blood patch was nothing short of miraculous, and more importantly immediate.  Within 5 minutes, I was able to sit up, SIT UP, and then I was able to actually feel more like myself.  Not quite exactly like myself but definitely 80% better.  I was also thankful that I wasn't alone, I had my stepmom there with me and myy mom by phone.  I was very supported and was forced and rightly so, to take the rest of the weekend off.  No activities, no exercise, no nothing!

Now, it is Sunday, I have been able to sleep, rest and feel more and more like myself with each day and while I am not 90%, I am getting there.  Very thankful for all my family, friends and co-workers for all the support and chastising throughout the process. 

So this is the end of my health scare/adventure and I am definitely taking it easy.  Returning to work tomorrow and hopefully back to a more normal, restful routine.  Yeah, we will see how long this will last! Ha!  Seriously, I am extremely grateful and feel very fortunate that it wasn't something more serious.