What Good News!

[PainInTheNeck]

So many of you have sent me well wishes over the last couple of days leading up to the blood patch I was scheduled to have today. This was to be the 2nd one for me and I had cancelled it 3 weeks ago and then symptoms had come back.

Well over the weekend I continued to improve and improve to the point that this morning I was really wondering if I needed the blood patch. I was having these little talks with myself and one thing I kept saying to me was, "If you really need a blood patch you will have no doubt that you need it!". So anyway I went on in to the outpatient center and told them I felt I needed to discuss this with my Doctor before going ahead with it.

He was very encouraging. He believes that I am continuing to heal from the first patch and my symptoms are not bothersome enough to take the risk of having another blood patch. I agree!

We talked about that I must have a predisposition for low pressure leaks and he is available to me whenever I would like to talk with him.

I hope all of you are better and better too. Please email me or post to me as you have all been so helpful and I wish to keep track of how you are all doing.

Shelly:cool: :D ;)

[repeat leaker]

Congratulations and best of luck on your recovery. Any tips?

[PainInTheNeck]

I feel like you all are way more expert at this than I. The things that I think may have helped me are: ALWAYS have a drink and keep drinking it. I make sure and have bottled water by my bedside at night.

My family helped me to move things around so that as much as possible is at waist level for me so I don't have to reach or bend. For instance my clothes are in neat stacks on top of the dresser so I am not bending and pulling or pushing drawers. The things I use in the bathroom are on the shelf at waist level. Over the last 5 weeks or so, since my blood patch....if I drop something I ask someone else to pick it up. Sometimes it seems like I am being a baby about it but maybe these things really made a difference. I also really listened to my body.....if I felt the tightening or the pain coming on...I stopped what I was doing and lay down and then as I got better..just sitting down would make the symptoms go away.

For me..there are specific chairs that are very uncomfortable for me..like the computer chair...I didn't listen to my body 2 weeks ago and sat at that chair and did bills. Within a couple hours I had a return of awful pressure and pain. Yesterday I sat at that chair and within a couple minutes I started feeling uncomfortable....so this time I did not stay in it.

My Doctor told me the worse thing I could do is ignore or medicate to hide the symptoms.

I don't know if any of this is helpful to anyone. If you have any questions I will try and answer. If anyone needs a skilled Doc at blood patches in the Indianpolis area.....his name is Dr. Tewari and I would be happy to pass his information on to you.

[Baffled]

Congratulations!! I am so happy for you. It must feel great to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Concerned Gal]

Shelly,

I'm really happy to hear that you are feeling well. It sounds like you made an informed decision regarding proceeding with the blood patch, which is all you can do really.

I don't want to be the "rain on your parade" but if you think you need further treatment down the track, please seek it. It's easy to get swept along with the "i'll manage" and not afford your body the chance to be at 100%. But it sounds like you are doing really well and all you can do is rest up and give your body a chance to heal.

Take care! My thoughts are with you.