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Spinal Tap Time: Preparations and Predictions
Yesterday I had a lumbar puncture procedure to test what’s been going on with my spine, and it means I have to do moderate bed rest for the first 24 – 48 hours or so.
The last time I had this type of test, I ended up getting a spinal fluid leak really quickly. It didn’t go away until I was hospitalized and patched up with a “blood patch.” This is my third lumbar related puncture in 2020, and I’m starting to feel like an actor from This Is Spinal Tap.
I am often lax about not wanting to “over think” procedures. I follow rules, but don’t want to make something feel larger than it is. If a doctor warns about the “down sides”, I always think positively (“That won’t happen to me”), and go on with my day
But sometimes the lassez-faire approach can backfire, and you end up with complications despite your best intentions!
QUESTION:
What is one time when the “worst case” medical scenario actually happened to you?
How did you handle it, and did it make you more scared or cautious the next time? -
1 Reply
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As we recently discussed, the “worst case scenario” is generally how I can expect things to go. I had a spinal leak from my epidural that required not one, but two blood patches to resolve. Managing the first couple weeks as a first time mom with a spinal leak was, well, interesting to say the least!
I can immediately think of a couple other scenarios that didn’t turn out well, despite the best of intentions. In 2012, I went on birth control for the first time in my life. I was trying to be responsible and knew my body couldn’t tolerate pregnancy. Turns out, I’m one of the special ladies who develops blood clots on hormonal BC. Some combination of the pill and my port ended up throwing several blood clots into my lungs and nearly killing me.
In 2018, I had a massive sinus surgery. I knew it was going to be rough, my surgeon had prepared me for that. What was expected to be a 2-3 hour procedure ended up taking 7 hours. About 3 weeks in, I developed an infection that made my entire face swell up (seriously the pictures are hilarious!) and was more painful than the surgery itself.
I could go on and on, but I’ll refrain.
The thing is, these experiences don’t really influence the way I approach the next procedure. I mean, I have more anxiety overall these days, and certain procedures will always freak me (picc lines are my worst nightmare, followed closely by a flu swab – something that is incredibly simple and I’ve had done a million times, but always stress over – haha!). But I realize there’s really no getting around medical procedures in this body. So I always go into it with the mindset, “plan for the worst, hope for the best, take what I can get as long as I make it out alive.”
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