Posted in Archive, Novemeber 2020

Local Anaesthetic and Me

When I was 17 weeks pregnant with my daughter I underwent surgery to remove a mole on the underneath of my right breast that had early cell changes. Due to the fact I was pregnant and it was a relatively short surgery they didn’t want to give me a general anaesthetic, so decided a local would do. Unfortunately my Ehlers-Danlos means I have no response to local anaesthetic and felt every cut, and every stitch. The whole process was rather traumatic and I’ve worked hard at trying to forget it.

I was admitted to my local hospital a couple of days ago due to worsening symptoms in my eye and leg. Due to this it was decided last night to bring my lumbar puncture forward to that evening. I explained that local anaesthetic does not work in the slightest for me. They decided to give me a double dose in the hope it would work; it didn’t, which I expected, maxfax team has tried injecting several times this amount with no effect previously. Now lumbar punctures are known to be painful anyway, so to know I was having one without effective pain relief was nerve wracking to say the least.

It was one of the most agonising experiences I have ever had. It took multiple attempts to place the needle correctly as they found the spaces inbetween the spinal collum to be be extremely narrow. It’s been just over twenty four hours since and I’ve struggled to move. My whole back is in horrondous pain, taking a deep breath or swallowing liquids really seems to agreviate it. I’ve also lost sensation over my waterworks which is concerning. I’ve spoken to the consultant but everyone’s answer over this is that I need an MRI, which apparently is booked but no can tell me a day or time.

I’m missing my kids loads but I know that being here is where I need to be. If this helps put a piece of the medical jigsaw in place and leads to better management that can only be a good thing. Just got to take everything one moment at a time.

Posted in Archive, June 2016

When The Drs Terminology Gets Terrifying

This week I have had three GP appointments, and visited three different hospitals. It’s been busy to say the least. For the majority of it I have managed to stay relatively calm and think in clear cut clinical terms. Today that went out the window. My GP this morning, unhappy at the treatment I was receiving at another hospital sent me with an urgent referral to my nearest emergency eye unit.  It has been an extremely long day of explaining symptoms, examinations and watching the same concerned expression on the nurses and Drs faces, when they realize that yes I really cannot see out of my eye.

Optic Neuritis for the second time in just under six months had the Drs in charge of my care today fairly concerned. Today they presented the fact to me that they had to consider that Multiple Sclerosis was the reason behind my Optic Neuritis. So tomorrow I’m heading back to the hospital for blood tests as there are a few other conditions than cause vision problems that they want to rule out, and at some point in the next two weeks I’ll be having a contrast MRI of my head and spine to give them more of an idea of what is going on.  Now I’m doing my best to remain optimistic, my way of thinking so far is that I already have a fair few neurological issues, so surely it’s another part of the bodies turn to be the problem. Not the most logical attitude I know, but it’s working for me.

In the meantime, Disney soundtracks are my distraction.