So the pain didn’t go away on its own…I could not stand up at all (but I could continue to lay down with no pain).  So took me in to Hayes Green Beach Hospital Emergency Room (I should have gone to Sparrow, because I don’t think these people had ever actually done a blood patch before, but the convenience won out and I paid the price).

So what is a blood patch: An epidural blood patch is a surgical procedure that uses autologous blood in order to close one or many holes in the dura mater of the spinal cord, usually as a result of a previous lumbar puncture. The procedure can be used to relieve post dural puncture headaches caused by lumbar puncture (spinal tap).

I ended up getting the blood patch. It was some of the most awful I have experienced to date.  They had me lean over simply holding onto a pillow while they not only shove a needle into my spinal column while also trying to draw blood out of my hand (which didn’t go so well).  The nurse and Dr. were so nervous it was weird.  The moment they started, the nausea hit and hit hard.  My coping mechanism for the nausea was yawning.  So now I have a needle sticking in my back, I’m extremely nauseous and every time I yawned the pain was excruciating.  As soon as they finished they did give me Zofran and that seemed to help a bit, but then the diarrhea hit and wouldn’t stop.  They finally brought in a potty chair.  During the time that I was supposed to be prostrate in bed I had to keep getting up to sit on the chair…yes to much information, but this blog is for that sort of thing…a place where I can speak freely about what really happens.  The nurses left Dan and I in the room alone with all of this happening and we had to keep calling for someone to come in and empty the chair.  The procedure, the service, and everything that occurred during this visit was horrible.  It was also one of the most embarrassing and painful visits to an ER I have ever had.

Ok enough drama for the day. I now have a Drs note that says I can’t do
anything for 48 hrs.  So off to bed I go!!!!

What a hell of a couple weeks. Not really sure how my head feels yet but it seems to be better.

Home now and feeling some better but comfy on the couch hangin out with the fam eatin pizza.  Life is much better now smile emoticon. Thank you for thoughts and prayers over the past 2 1/2 weeks when this all started. Hoping and praying that by Monday I will be feeling good and ready to go back to work.