Sunday, August 21, 20051 – Day Before MVD:
I’m really excited about the surgery . Sleeping tonight will be a challenge I know.Monday, August 22, 200510, 2005 – "MVD-Day":
Well it’s finally here. Mom and Heather went to the hospital with me. They were very anxious and it showed. As for me, I can’t wait. They took me in right on time which surprised me. Dr. Sethi came in and marked my face on the left side. Then they started an IV and out I went. Everything happened really fast so there was no time to think about anything. I woke up in recovery and noticed a difference immediately. The spasms were not as strong and very few. My blood pressure was high so I had to stay there quite awhile until it came down. Then I was moved to NICU. Once there I was given a Nitro patch and I promptly started to throw up. Maybe wrong but I ripped that sucker off and told them not to put another one on. My night there was sleepless to say the least, every 15 minutes the blood pressure cuff went off. There was no sleeping through that thing, then there was the ever constant changing of bags for the IV‘s, I had 5 lines going.Tuesday, August 23, 2005 – 1 Day Post-Op:
Today I had to stay in bed and had a soft food meal. It sure tasted good, pudding, Jell-O, coffee and yogurt. Rather uneventful day, I slept most of the time.Wednesday, August 24, 2005 – 2 Day’s Post-Op:
I was moved to the Neurological ward. I got a roommate who had one leg amputated and was in to get the other off due to diabetes. And I thought I had problems! Anyway I felt a lot stronger today and I had to get out of bed. Now that was a challenge. I was very unsteady on my feet and very dizzy and have a tremendous pressure of fullness in my head. I still have a headache but the pain medicine works really well.
Sunday, August 28, 2005 – 6 Day’s Post-Op:
I went home today. I stayed an extra day since I am still dizzy. It was sure good to get home. Now I can get some sleep, which is just about all I did. This week went pretty well. I get pressure in my head every time I stand up. I think it is from the sciatic nerve as whenever it grabs me I get pressure in my head. As the week progressed the Sciatic nerve is getting worse. Friday I feel really miserable and stay in bed most of the day. Saturday I took my temperature and it’s almost 100. Tylenol here I come! I’m beginning to ache all over. Sunday temp is 100. Monday it’s the same, so I go to the emergency room. I figure they will give me some antibiotics and send me home. Well they didn’t. I have a cat scan, and they take a ton of blood. Yes a ton! Then the nurse announces I have to have a Lumbar Puncture. I’d rather have a root canal but that isn’t an option and I’m admitted. The Lumbar Puncture I panicked over more than the surgery. They took me to Radiology and gave two Novocain shots in my back. Really it wasn’t bad. Having one at the dentist is worse. Then the puncture. I braced myself for the pain but it never came, it was a snap, never felt a thing. For the next 2 days I was in NICU again this time for observation. I had several bags of antibiotics and steroids. As soon as all the tests came back with no infection in my spine and head I was let go again.Sunday, September 01, 2005 – 10 Day’s Post-Op:
Discharge again from the hospital and back home.Monday, September 02, 2005 – 11 Day’s Post-Op:
I’m home and have more pills to take, steroids, antibiotics, and blood pressure medicine. are added to my now growing list. I am still getting tremendous pressure in my head and dizzy when I walk. My appointment for my first checkup is now September 15 so I decide to wait until then to discuss the pain in my head. They took my staples out before I went home so maybe it will get better.Thursday September 15, 2005 – 24 Day’s Post-Op:
Today I had an appointment with one of Dr. Sethi’s assistants Joseph Andusko. I saw him in the hospital and I like him. He told me the pressure is from the swelling inside and outside my head. Also my surgery ear feels full. He isn’t concerned about it so I guess all is well so far. I met Dr. Sethi in the reception area and he checked out the incision and agreed with Joe's opinion of the head pressure. They gave me an antidepressant for the sciatic nerve. Apparently some of them help with pain, so I’ll give it a shot. I’m off work another 4 weeks. Since my appointment, the pressure is getting worse and there is now a lot of pain with it also. But it only happens when I get up and walk at a normal gate, so I have to slow down and it’s better. Tonight I was up most of the night, I had nerve pain whenever I lay down. As soon as I got up it would go away. So here I am, I don’t know what will stop the nerve pain but I’m trying different things. I have Darvocette and am trying different combinations of that and Tylenol. I still get the pressure in my head most of the day and it is starting to be painful all the time. That will be the one thing that will keep me from driving. I still get really dizzy whenever it hits, but all in all I consider the surgery a success. The spasms are about 80% gone. The ones that are left are weak and happen only toward the end of the day when I get tired. I hope they get better with time but if they don’t I’ll be happy with the way they are now. So the only thing I have left to solve is the pressure in my head and the nerve pain. I’m sure that will come with time.Thursday October 09, 2005 – 7 Weeks’s Post-Op:
I got up today to find that most of the pressure in my head is gone. I still feel some and get dizzy but not nearly as bad as it was before. I went to Kmart and lasted about ½ an hour and I was ready for home. I had a hard time walking without bumping into things. . But I think the turning point has come. I feel better now. My headaches are gone and the spasms are still 80% gone and less intense.Permission granted the HFSA to post MVD Diary on website.
Diana Fell, October 17, 2005