Wednesday

I had the spinal tap, also known as lumbar puncture, yesterday.  It did not go so well in a few ways.  First of all, the number is not number that decisively tells us what to do next.  I called both ns in SC and JH and had hoped they would call back yesterday but now suspect I may not hear until next Tuesday. 

The procedure was more painful than usual--it just didn't go so smoothly.  They hit a couple of nerves hard enough that I am still having pain down my leg, etc., because of it.  Finally, they had agreed to do the blood patch yesterday.  I warned them that I have lousy veins, but doctors and nurses just don't believe me until they try it themselves.  Well, the plan was to draw the blood once the needle was in my back and bring the blood directly from my vein to inject into the needle in my spinal cord.  The problem was that they had a limited time to do that because each minute the needle is in my back the higher the risk of infection.  They couldn't draw the blood.  It was actually an anesthesiologist drawing and he was a bit frustrated that he couldn't get the blood out of my arms.  They actually took my shoes off and were going to try to draw from my feet but I finally had had enough and they felt that they had taken to long, so they gave up.  No blood patch.  So we will see how recovery goes.

It was an emotional trip home.  I am not a doctor so I don't know what the answers will be but I know enough to know that there aren't going to be clear answers.  I have also decided that I am not going to do another spinal tap unless I have exhausted every other option.  My back aches all the time anyway from the previous repeated taps and this time my back is very sore.  I just don't think I can do it again.