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back from hospital hell

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:56 pm
by Moonbase2
I just spent four days in the hospital. One of my longer stays I've ever had, where I don't leave with a baby. Basically, I went to the neurologist, told him my problems, and he admitted me to the hospital immediately. After a battery of tests, the good news is, NO MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS! No lupus or lyme disease! So that was great to hear.
Unfortunately, I had a spinal tap that I haven't recovered from after three days. Have any of you ever had this? The actual procedure of drawing spinal fluid isn't as bad as it sounds, but it's absolute hell afterwards. I left the hosptial this morning in horrid pain and had to make a...pit stop on the side of the road. Oxycodone has barely made a dent in it. But at least I found out I don't have a debilitating disease. We are looking at neuopathy, a nerve disease, as the next culprit.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:20 pm
by Decepticon Spike
At least you got some good news.
I had a spinal tap back in December. Even with the local, it still hurt like a bitch, even to the point I grabbed the nurse's hand so hard, I thought for a second I had broken it. The trouble I had afterward was if I sat up, I would get very dizzy, so I ended up having to lay on my side for a few hours, and was very sore for the next few days.
I hope the next batch of tests come back good. Keep us posted.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:28 pm
by Cowboy Bebop
Congrats...I think...on now having a disease anyway, not so much on the pain...
As far as Spinal Tap goes...there's one one I know of:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rGc4NwIfn1U...hopefully that took away some of the pain, Patch Adams style

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:28 pm
by Moonbase2
I dreaded the procedure, but knew it couldn't be worse than an epidural. The numbing shot stinged for about 10 seconds, and there was no more pain after that. They took a LOT of fluid. But for the last two days I haven't been able to sit or raise my head very much. If this is what a migraine feels like, sufferers have my sympathy!!
Add to that my baby was upset with me and cried when he saw me this morning. It broke my heart. But yeah, at least I got good news from the experience.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:59 pm
by AUTOBOT STITH
Damn that has to hurt.I hope you feel better soon.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:01 pm
by Decepticon Spike
Cowboy Bebop wrote:Congrats...I think...on now having a disease anyway, not so much on the pain...
As far as Spinal Tap goes...there's one one I know of:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rGc4NwIfn1U...hopefully that took away some of the pain, Patch Adams style
Between the 2 types, I'd rather have this one!


Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:24 pm
by Autobot032
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbar_puncture (AKA Spinal Tap)
CRAP IN A HAT! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT NEEDLE! O_O
*faints*
You have more courage than I do, Moonbase. *salutes*
Hope the pain subsides soon.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:54 pm
by Me, Grimlock!
At least the bad news is temporary. The good news is permanent.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:22 pm
by Moonbase2
Me, Grimlock! wrote:At least the bad news is temporary. The good news is permanent.
That's right. I just took another two hour nap (that makes five hours today) the headache seems to be better (guess the two Oxys finally did something!) I'm just a bit dizzy and also have a UTI. Yay. I tell you, the spinal tap is a real bad psychological problem. I mean, the very thought of a huge ass needle puncturing your spinal sac or whatever is awful. Although I didn't feel the huge needle itself, I could feel the "pop" of it going through the membrane. Yuck. I turned around when it was all over, and there were three different vials of fluid, one of them completely filled. No wonder my headache has lasted so long!

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:27 pm
by Moonbase2
Autobot032 wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbar_puncture (AKA Spinal Tap)
CRAP IN A HAT! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT NEEDLE! O_O
*faints*
You have more courage than I do, Moonbase. *salutes*
Hope the pain subsides soon.
Thank you. I must say, to my credit, I was fairly brave. I didn't cry or freak out when the doctor pretty much said it was MS (which was later found, to our surprise, to not be the case) or when I had this spinal tap. After all, I've had two children, one of them with no pain medication and a complication from which I nearly died. So I dealt with it. It's either that or cry.
My baby just came upstairs and pounded on my door. When I tried to love on him, he smacked my face! Someone is kind of mad at me.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:39 pm
by Tweezy
WOW... you have my sympathy and my support! good luck to you!

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:27 pm
by AUTOBOT STITH
Again I hope you get to feel better.I know I would run screaming out of the Hospital.*Dragon solute*

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:50 pm
by Moonbase2
Thank you, guys. The pain pill is finally living up to its reputation, as the headache has now been replaced with a general haze. Unfortunately, now I'm sick and can't eat.

Oh well. At least that infernal headache is gone!

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:59 pm
by AUTOBOT STITH
That is good that the headache is gone.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:12 pm
by Isabelle
It's too bad that they haven't found what's wrong with you. Good to hear that it's not ticks or anything else you mentioned.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:16 pm
by AUTOBOT STITH
Ya realy.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:07 pm
by MagnusPrimal
Autobot032 wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbar_puncture (AKA Spinal Tap)
CRAP IN A HAT! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT NEEDLE! O_O
*faints*
You have more courage than I do, Moonbase. *salutes*
Hope the pain subsides soon.
Wow. That's just... big. Owwwww.
Congrats on the 'no MS' Moonstone, and I'm glad the pain pills are kicking in finally. Hope you're up and about soon, and that someone will be able to tell you soon just what exactly is going on.

Posted:
Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:15 pm
by Burn
Good to see you back on board MB2. And yes, I had noticed your absence. And that's as much sympathy you'll get from me.
No seriously, it's good that they're finally helping you and not just writing you off as a crazy lady. You know you've got our support.

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:31 am
by Susinko
I'm so glad that it wasn't MS or any of those other horrible diseases. I really hope that you feel better soon. Good luck.

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:38 am
by TK-225
Get well and roll out Moonbase2!!

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:48 am
by Moonbase2
Well, I just "rolled out" of bed, after 12 hours of sleep.

I go to the doc again tomorrow to check for neuropathy. I'm glad he didn't write me off as crazy. In fact, he is very eager to find out the cause of all this, whether because it's like a little puzzle or because he genuinely cares, or because it equals more $$$, I don't care. As long as he takes it seriously.
Time for another happy pill.

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:15 pm
by Rodentus Prime
Hope they find out what the problem is - I had neuropathy in my legs for a few years as a side effect of medication. If it turns out to be that look at getting hold of some acetyl-l carnatine (probably in health food shops) as it is supposed to help.

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:07 pm
by Isabelle
See if they'll keep checking for other autoimmune disorders. I deal with autoimmunity brough on by psoriasis, so there's some strange things out there not falling under the big names.
Get well soon.

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:12 pm
by AUTOBOT STITH
If a docters say your crazt say Ass hole.

Posted:
Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:30 pm
by Moonbase2
Just got back from the ER. I was really sick (I'll spare the details) but I had to go back in. I couldn't eat for two days. Thanks to everyone for your well wishes and advice.