I originally was going to get out today and the discharge orders where written but last night was aweful - not as bad as right when I went home and then came back after a day-ish but still pretty bad. My neurosurgeon came in this morning and decided I should stay and we would do a double dose of the lidocaine but spread out over several hours. We are in the middle of the 1st Lidocaine infusion now and the idea was to do several with a regular dose of oral pain med right after this 1st Lidocaine infusion to see if we could break up the pain cycle. Labs will be done after this infusion to make sure everything looks fine and then if it does we will do the 2nd dose tonight over another 2 hours with vitals continuing to be every 15 mins (which yes means not alot of sleep during that time). I am hoping it works and helps break the pain cycle. I definitely want to go home tomorrow!!!
I was looking up and trying to find information on my thoracic spine and catheter issues and came across a interesting article and feel like I understand the issue (albeit Dr.Bragg has I should add said these very same things to me but sometimes reading something in person is more helpful as I can read and re-read it multiple times) a little better. Here is one statement I copy and pasted from the article: "The decrease of the patient’s thoracic pain as the pump flow was decreased suggests that a pressure/volume effect may have induced his pain symptoms. When pain is unresponsive to increases in medication, this effect should be considered." In essence just as Dr.Bragg has said the less flow gonig through the shunt catheter in the thoracic area due to the irritation the less pain and so the higher we program the shunt the less pain I will have as we have established. With her partners reccomencatiom we do have the shunt valve set at the 2nd lowest setting as he believes we should get on top of the headaches (as we have pretty well) and in time the nerve irritation will get bettter as they have time to heal.
I think the thing that scares me the most is I know I wonr be able to lie flat and here in the hosptial I have the bed that is very psoitional so for the entire 4 weeks ive been here and the entire 3 weeks ive been back ive been able to sleep upright (with my neurosurgeon coming in, in the morning commenting several times how uncomcomfortable I looked and she could tell) and so could take the pressure off of my hips and upper spine a little more. I am afraid when I get home the same thing will happen with laying in bed and pressure on my hips and on my upper spine where the catheter lays next to the thoracic spine. I hope it will go better and I hope even laying in my recliner will go ok, please say a prayer. .... I did talk to my Mom this afternoon and since I am going to stay by my parents for a week or so depending on how I heal my Dad is going to move my recliner to their basement/my old room-now nephews room and also going to go out and buy some of the really big pillows that have giant arms on each side to sleep againt to kind of simulate the hospital bed regardless where I sleep. My bed at home is a double stuffed mattressess and so difficult actually to get in when sore/not feeling well so this should work somewhat better - ironically my bed is otherwise awesome to sleep in when not sore/feeling crappy.
Otherwise my Mom and Sister are planning a 'coming home' get together and my mom is making one of my favorites so that should be fun and I am lookig fwd to it. :)
If you want automatic updatec sign up as a follow or email alerts.
Erica
No comments:
Post a Comment