This is copied from my latest fb update, a couple friends where asking for updates so I posted this there and copied it to here verses re-writing a completely new, but virtually the same post.
So the news is.... drumroll please (lol!)...
Per Dr.Bragg, Her plan is to let me out on Monday and have me come back on Fri. Part of the reasoning for waiting till Mon to get released is we wait for the INR (blood thinner level) to come down to a therapeutic (surgery appropriate?) level.. then bridge w injection Lovenox till Fri. They also are watching the CSF culture, have to arrange the various things and want to make a temporary cover of sorts for the open shunt (catheter) area.
I'll as of right now probably get out Monday for Tues-Thurs w/IV Antibiotics and the Lovenox injections (to bridge) and Neurosurgery will cover the open area over the shunt valve. Dr.Bragg said this is a harder area to go in and cover in surgery as it is right over/next to the valve so she is formulating the best initial treatment plan for when I go home and especially for surgery on Fri.
I'll come back on Fri for surgery (general anesthesia) to cover the open catheter via graft or some other method and then in a few more wks of IV Antibiotics likely after which I will come back on our already scheduled OR (surgery) date Jan. 14th to completely move the VP shunt. We'll put off the Thoracic shunt move to a future, to be determined date. Ironic since that is the shunt that most bothers me! I know we need to prevent any infections from occurring in this open VP shunt site though. =/
So that folks is how 1 surgery in Jan. now becomes 3 surgeries but STILL I am going HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!! CSF cultures so far have been clear! INR level when they first tested my blood level yesterday was lower than it was when tested this morning (meaning the blood thinner level has further to fall before it is in the "lovenox/bridging safe range". This med typically takes 2 days for a result to show up so what was tested out this morning was a result of what I did or didn't do that affected the Coumadin from 2 days ago.
While waiting in the ER last night Joan and I where talking about the things that are hard to decipher. I was talking about how hard it is to me to pick up on people's jokes, especially when the headaches are happening and how sarcasm usually goes over my head. There are so many things that (especially) people say that are so hard to interpret when the headaches are a little bit worse or the other symptoms have picked up! Joan (Sunday School Co-Teacher, great friend) and I while waiting in the ER last night to go up to the Neurosurgery fl where talking about figuring out sarcasm and if people are being sarcastic funny or sarcastic-hurtful. I rarely get this sort of thing and have just come to the conclusion lately when symptoms are worse I have an even harder time deciphering people's meanings when not black and white! Not a big deal but does make for some aweful funny "in my head thoughts or even questions to other people sometimes trying to figure out what something means or what someone meant! =)
Anyways, that is I think about all I know,
Will keep everyone updated,
Erica
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