Hello all, I haven’t been on the site for sometime due to all the things I have been through. I had my first surgery July 12th and for the first 2.5 weeks I was doing great but then it quickly went down hill. I developed a pseudomeningocele which begin a 3.5 week nightmare because no one could figure out what was wrong until I had my post op appt. I suffered 3.5 weeks of excruciating pain, could not sit up, could not walk, could not take myself to the bathroom, my body had become so still in the neck area I could not turn my head to even say yes or no. I had to turn my entire body to look from left to right. I had electric like shock pain in my head and it felt as though an electric storm was going on in my head all day everyday. The pressure inside my head was terrible, it was like my head would pop like a balloon at any second. It got so bad until all I could do was scream all day everyday from the pain. Had to be rushed back to the ER twice the 2nd time by ambulance because I was having a seizure. Finally, after finding out what was wrong I was scheduled to have a 2nd surgery on 9/6 to repair the pseudo. Surgery went well but on the day I was supposed to go home I started vomiting and my incision site was like a misty type wet brought this to the attention of the nurse and was told to bring it to the attention on the dr’s staff when they came to make rounds I did meanwhile I was kept an extra day for the vomiting. The next day dr’s staff came in made them aware that my incision site was still feeling slightly wet, wound was checked again and again I was told it was nothing wound looked great it was just superficial wound healing and I was discharged. This was Monday September 9th, Tuesday September 10th I was readmitted due to a VERY bad CSF leak. It was leaking from my incision so bad I went through 2 wash clothes a beach towel and 2 shirts not to mention my bed was soaked. It was still running like a faucet when I got back to the hospital and this time I was admitted to a different hospital than I had the surgery. I had to have a lumbar drain inserted in my lower back, terrible feeling even though they so call numb you. I was in the hospital 7 more days on strict bed rest. I could not get up I had to lay flat for the first 5 days then on day 6 my drain was clamped off and I was raised 90 degrees to see if I would develop another electric shock headache and to see if the ICP pressure would rise again in my head, or if it would leak. Did that for 24 hours and I did awesome because if I didn’t then I was scheduled to have a shunt placed inside my head which I was not looking forward to. I am happy to say it worked and I was released on day 7 with no shunt, no headache, no more pressure in my head, no leak and no more pain. I have been home since the September 17th and I feel better than I have felt since my first surgery in July. I am able to do a lot of the things I have not been able to do for 3 months and it feel awesome. I had begin to think I was never going to make it to this point because it had really gotten that bad but I never gave up hope or faith. I now kinda worry about reaching the 2.5 week mark because that’s when things started going down hill and my nightmare begin but I keep telling myself it’s going to be fine and I will continue to do well. I’m just so happy to finally have some type of quality of life and able to do for and care for myself. No looking back only looking forward to bigger and better days.
What an ordeal! I'm so glad you are seeing improvement now! I will pray for your continued recovery! Thanks for the update! :)
Stillhappy,
I’m so glad you have turned a corner! What tough month you’ve been through. I’m happy for you that your feeling better. I pray you continue to improve everyday!
Jenn
Hi..
My goodness, you have been through so much!! Thank you for sharing things with us...we are all here for you!
Sounds like things are moving in the right direction finally...please keep us updated!
Lori
Thank you everyone for your responses and support it is greatly appreciated
Thanks for the update and I am glad you are doing better. you have such a great attitude.
Still praying for you my friend !!!
I am very happy things are finally looking good for you !!! You are a remarkable lady & deserve the best in life.
Please let us know how things are going next week. I want to make sure you are doing great this time !!!!
Tracy
That is wonderful. We will keep praying for
You.
Thank you so much to everyone. Although I have had quite an ordeal over the past 2.5 months the out pouring of support and encouraging words have more than out weighed the problems I have been through. I never imagined going into this that things would turn out the way that they did. Going into this I didn’t know anything at all about my illness because it was literally a very short amount of time from being diagnosed to surgery to things getting bad quick. I have during this time learned so much about my illness, thank you so much Mrs. TracyZ, from the moment I joined the site she has been more than helpful and providing me with so much useful information along with checking in on me and my progress. When I was at what I felt like the lowest point of my illness, not being able to walk and do for myself because the pain inside my head and neck had literally frozen my body, so so many people stepped up to help me through the entire ordeal. My daughter moved back home to basically become my in home nurse. My family, friends, and co-workers from day one chipped in from donating time at work so I wouldn’t have any issues financially, cooking, camping out in my hospital room to keep me company and making sure that I was properly being taken care of, my pastor was there and calling daily, bringing by healthy food and fruits, my landlord even stepped in by cutting my grass and keeping my yard up. Even though I have been through so much I would not change one choice I made in regards to having the very 1st surgery. I feel as though it all has been a blessing to me and has made me a lot stronger as a person. There has been so much that I haven’t mention because it will take up to much time. If anyone were to ask me would I do it all over again my answer would be yes because the love from everyone that I have received has been better to me than any of the pain and suffering that I had to endure to get to where I am today. The illness can get you down I admit but it’s all in how you accept, approach, handle and control the illness meaning take control of the illness and your life by building your strength, faith and belief that you can and will beat the illness it won’t beat you. I am doing so remarkably well that my NS and all the nursing staff from both hospitals can’t believe my status as it is today. I went from not walking and doing for myself with 5 different meds to walking, and no meds in a weeks time. I owe it all to god whom I’m strongly believe is my true healer. From here it will continue to look up for me no looking back. Thanks again to everyone, I am a survivor ;-)!!!