Always have to do things the hard way

Quick post-lp update… I survived my lumbar puncture today.  It was somewhat less than ideal though.  The doctor had a lot of trouble getting fluid out of my spine and he was only able to collect 1/3 of the amount necessary to do the tests my neurologist wanted.  Also the spinal needle grazed some of my peripheral nerves and every time my doctor adjusted it my lower back and left leg went into involuntary spasms.  We spent a trying and painful hour inserting the needle and then moving it around to try to get a normal CSF flow to no avail.

They’re going to use what they were able to collect to run as many tests as possible and then my neurologist will look at the results and decide whether I need to go back for another lumbar puncture.  If the tests for autoimmune diseases come up negative then I’m probably clear.  If anything looks abnormal or if not enough tests can be run, I’ll have to try again – this time probably in a hospital under an epidural while they try various maneuvers to get my shy spine to open up the floodgates.

Also there could be some concern about why my CSF pressure is so low.  The doctor told me that he’d never seen anybody with such low pressure before (I’ve always been an overachiever.)  It could be an issue with the needle placement, but the doc used fluoroscopy to verify that it was in the right place and he also moved it around several times to make sure it wasn’t blocked.  Some of the other possible causes are pretty serious so there may be more tests in my future.  On the plus side, I’ve had such recent spine and brain MRIs that an undiagnosed spinal blockage is unlikely.  I could have a CSF leak somewhere in my head or spine though.  Or maybe I’m just lazy about producing CSF.

Incidentally, it was pretty cool to see the picture of my spine with the needle in it on TV.  It sounds like it might be freaky but it was actually comforting because I could see that the needle was going to the right place and was not poking anything essential.

Recovery is going smoothly.  I’m allowed to prop my head up a little bit so I am not as bereft of entertainment as I’d feared.  The cats are all passed out in bed with me, amazed to see me stay in one place for this long but not looking a gift horse in the mouth.  If I’m still feeling OK tomorrow I get to move around a bit and should be back to full activity by next week.

Many people sent me wonderful love and support today before and after the lp.  You guys rock   It definitely helped me feel better especially when things started to get hairy.

Off to eat a bit of dinner and think about following my cats into dreamland.