Aug 19th. I think I've screwed up my count of days. Sorry. This will be a long entry as I would like to get through my stay at Riverside.
Rise and shine to another day of horrible headaches. Second round of IVig and thank the Lord that I had no adverse reactions to the first treatment. The plan was for me to stay at Riverside for all five treatments which would mean a release on Monday. Besides the debilitating headaches I really saw no reason to stay if I could finish the treatments in Athens. The doctors wanted to get me through this second round and be sure I was tolerating it.
Dr. Arce came to see me late Thursday afternoon and told me he would not release me with the severe headache. Did I want to do a blood patch? I told him that I would consider it...tomorrow. In the meantime, a case manager was working with O'Bleness to see if I could finish my treatments there Sunday/Monday (outpatient).
That evening I felt well enough for Tony to help me get a shower...a little slice of heaven. Short lived as it was though. At least I felt a bit better as I downed my pain meds for the night.
Aug. 20th. My headaches were just as bad as day one so I relented on the blood patch. They decided to do my IVig first and scheduled my patch for late in the day. The blood patch was done the same way as the spinal tap instead using a vial of my own blood and placing it into the leaking hole and hoping it coagulates and plugs it up. For some reason the department they did this in was not "the basement". It was high-tech and looked brand new to me. Once again the staff was awesome and even fun! The procedure took about 15 minutes and then I was to lay flat for five hours. Really? You are talking to a woman that has lower back issues, is tired of lying flat and is generally going insane. But, we will do so!
By the second hour (it was about 8 pm by now) I was in so much back pain that I was in tears. I begged my nurse to just roll me on my side for some relief. That worked for a bit. I ate some ice cream while flat (getting good at this) and waited for the clock to tick away. At some point my nurse (savior) gave me an injection of demerol or some other very lovely pain med and I slept for quite awhile.
As long as I felt okay on Saturday the docs would order another IVig and release me. O'Bleness was able to administer my last two treatments. Yahoo!!!
Aug. 21st. I cannot believe I was inpatient these days. Totally unexpected. With so many GBS patients ending up on a vent and temporarily paralyzed I believe Dr. Arce made the best decision for me. If you read about GBS many people have a difficult time being diagnosed. Dr. Arce called it correctly during my initial visit with him.
No, my headaches were not gone. But hell or high water I was going home. The blood patch should begin to have its affects but I wasn't feeling so. They got my IVig started early. The neurologists came to see me, talk about follow up and release me.
Tony and Anthony got me in a wheelchair, I said my "good-byes" and down the elevator we went. I could ride in the front with the seat all the way back. I think it odd to leave the hospital feeling worse than when I entered it. Home to the comfort of my own bed. At this point, headaches were, at times, unbearable (blood patch not quite successful in my eyes) and my feet and hands were still numb and tingly (kind of secondary concern for me). Sleep and plans to go to O'Bleness Sunday for my next treatment.
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