Medical Drama 2007 (email from 4/24/07)

Though I have always known I was a bit of a “Drama Queen”…really, this is getting ridiculous. After I swore off medical drama last year, it has somehow managed to find me once again.

Last week I began having double vision (binocular diplopia) which until you have experienced it, is quite unbelievable. There really is TWO of everything. The double vision was quickly accompanied by horrible headaches. A visit to the Opthamologist led to the Neurologist which led to many lab tests and an MRI of my brain. Unfortunately, the MRI came back “abnormal, but inconclusive”. Essentially there are some spots on my brain and no one is exactly sure what they are.

So on Thursday, Chris and I headed to Kennestone Hospital for a spinal tap and a round of neurological tests. As for the spinal tap, we will just say I have officially found something worse than a root canal…and we’ll leave it at that. After the tap I was instructed to lie flat for 24-48 hours afterwards. After 2 days when I should have felt better I could not sit upright or stand without a raging “spinal headache” as they called it. A few phone calls later the verdict was that I was leaking spinal fluid from the lumbar puncture on Thursday. Leave it to me to get whatever possible complications are possible (Drama Queen!!!) So we went to the doctor yesterday where her performed a procedure called a Blood Patch, which is entirely disgusting and involved more needles in my spine. But so far, it seemed to have worked and patched the hole. I still can’t sit upright, but now its because my back is so sore and swollen from too many needles in my spine! Also have to be flat for another couple days so that the hole will stay closed.

We are still waiting on many test results, and as of now have only officially ruled out Glaucoma, Meningitis and Diabetes. It has been over a week and the double vision is still constant (and typing is a real challenge, so please forgive any typos!!) But hopefully the bloodwork and spinal fluid test results will come back soon and we will have more answers. We are trying to stay positive and hoping for good results this week. The waiting and not knowing has been really hard. So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and I promise to email again when we know more.

We love you all very much and appreciate your prayers, phone calls, visits, etc. more than you know.
Our love always,
Caroline & Chris