In the Beginning...Day Two

As that first afternoon passed we became quite impressed with Riverside's staff.  Wow!!!  Each person took the time to introduce themselves and ask about my story.  I must have given my medical history and my current story at least five times in that first three hours.  One would think....can you all just type this in that computer for all to see instead of writing it on that half piece of paper (really!!!).  Did I mention how young and cute all the docs and staff were?  The first young intern did not know much about Guillian Barre (and we certainly did not) but he whipped out his IPhone to do some research.  Even at that point we were unaware of the potential dangers of this diagnosis.

Tony got me dinner, settled in and I sent him home for the night.  My apprehension grew a bit over night but I still held strong to "no big deal" that my feet/fingers were numb and tingly.

Riverside Spa Basket

The next morning I was up early, used my great spa basket and got ready for the tests that were scheduled.  A head MRI, spinal tap and an EMG.  Keep in mind it was still unclear as to exactly what all this meant. 

The MRI was up first.  Rolling down to what I saw as the basement anxiety crept up on me. The two very nice and patient gals got me on the MRI table, asked me a few questions and explained what to expect for the hour-long MRI.  The first thing was ear plugs at which point I closed my eyes.  Well, I should have kept them shut.  I heard a bar snap around my head (so much for the ear plugs) and my eyes flew open just in time to see the bar/grid snap in about an inch from my face.  I jumped out of my skin, hands flew under that bar ripping out the ear plugs and my panic pegged.  The gals unstrapped me, calmed me down and we decided we would do this later in the day under a sedative.  Whew!!!

So, off to the spinal tap and by definition fairly scary.  Again, kind of a dim basement with Frankenstein-type equipment...or at least to me it would be so.  Again, great staff explained the procedure and, hey, if I want I can watch it on the screen.  Sure thing!!!  The doctor does the tap under a fluoroscope so really navigating around the spine and in to the sac is easy!  They numbed my lower back but told me I would still feel some pressure (which I did).  Once the doctor got the probably very long needle in he told me they would now take 9ccs of fluid.  To get it to drain out they tipped the table while telling me not to worry my feet would touch the steel plate at the bottom (did they not get the numb memo?)  All in all a rather unnerving, 15 minute process.  And...let's not forget the 30% or so that get the spinal headache.  

Back in my room (still asking for a private room) now I tried to lay still but was then interrupted by two doctors to conduct the EMG.  Most of us, fortunately, have never had an EMG.  They basically send electric impulses through your body to determine nerve conduction.  This along with the spinal tap (to determine protein levels) are two definitive tests for GBS.  The EMG was probably about an hour or so and I could feel the headache starting.  The EMG was not particularly painful...just uncomfortable and strange.

Mid-afternoon three neurologists came in my room (Tony was not there yet) and delivered the GBS diagnosis.  They told me we caught it early and that we would begin a treatment plan as soon as they conferred with Dr. Arce.  In the meantime, I looked up GBS on my phone and promptly fell apart.