***** WARNING: this post contains information that pertains
to the surgey and may seen as gross, gory or 'yucky' *****
I was admitted to RNSH for a cerebral angiogram and possible stenting earlier that morning.
I was kitted up and taken down to Radiology where my neurosurgeon Dr. M, along with Dr.M's fellow, the anaesthetist, and another surgeon. They talked to me about the risk of the surgery- the sent being pushed through the vein and I bleed out into my body/ brain (depending on where the stent is travelling at the time), clotting of blood around the stent causing me to stroke, not waking up from the anaesthetic, blah, blah, blah you get the picture.
So I gave my consent, as any risk would be worth the possible relief I may/ would get from the stenting procedure. I did not want to wake up and hear them tell me that there was no stent in my head as there was no back up plan so to speak for my treatment.
We could not continue the current course of treatment as it was not working!!!
My vision, hearing, coordination and depth perception were failing. My head felt like it was in a vice and with any increase of my pulse it throbbed. I was experiencing tinnitus in the forms of the whooshing sounds of my pulse and the electrical humm you hear when turning off an old tv- at times this was deafening.
My only option was to continue to see my Craniosacral Physio, she manipulates different areas of the skull and neck joints to increase blood flow and decrease some of the pressure. Don't get me wrong she is great at what she does and I do feel the effects but continuing treatment would not be a big enough of a fix, as it only lasts a few days.
ANYWAY back to the procedure....
I was put on a local anaesthetic, so that I was awake for the procedure but could not completely feel the whole thing. During the angiogram they explored the different vein passages inside by brain, measuring the width of the vein- each time a new area was explored they asked me to take a big breath and hold it, that I would feel a warm feeling in the new area as they pushed the measuring instrument into a new area. This felt really odd!!!
I started to get anxious toward the end of the test and with the mounting anxiety came more pain, I voiced my concerns, the anaesthetist held my hand and told me they were nearly done.
They then discussed between themselves what the findings were and what the course of action would be, I could hear them talking and was able to pick up on a few words but couldn't hear enough to make any sense of it.
Dr. M came over and stated that both transverse sinus veins were markedly narrow, as indicated in my MRI and the CSF flow. He said they would put the stent in the right side first and just watch the flow of blood then decided if the left side needed to be stented as well.
I was put under general anaesthetic and woke up in the ICU ward.
Everything was extremely bright and I vomited within minutes of waking (this hurt my head, but not as much as it had done so in the past). This action of vomiting was made hard as it was difficult to move my arms- I had a cannula in each arm at the inner elbow, one for Heparin (an anticoagulant) and the other for Fentanyl and Saline.
The nurses had to give me a clean, which was nice cause I was clean, but not so nice as I felt sorry they had to do it... but they really did need to as my gown and sheets were covered in blood (it was soo soaked through that even the bottom layer of sheets in the hospital bed {they are 4 layers} was soaked). This was because of the main arterial veins (they went both right and left) in my groin that they had gone though for the procedure.
I was able to see mum and my partner, M., soon after- they had spent the majority of the day worrying as they hadn't heard a thing till after 4.30pm and when they did it was that I was still on the table.
It was nice to see them and they seemed relieved to see me awake and alert (albeit quite groggy), they gave me an eye mask so that my photo sensitivite eyes didn't hurt so much.
My lower back hurt from laying down for such a long time and I was eager to sit up, but didn't want to as I thought it may make me hurl again, that and they wouldn't let me sit up till after 9pm- they needed to wait 4 hours after the procedure to make sure things had settled in my brain and I was not in immediate risk of clotting.
I was able to sit up at 9pm, such a relief for my lower back (as it has chronic inflammation), I didn't have any dinner as I wasn't hungry and I just dozed on and off all night. I attempted a bed pan once but I am no good with them... I just can't do it!! Around midnight I asked if I was allowed to maybe use a bed pan on a commode chair, they said yes, much to my relief.
The following morning I didn't need the eye mask anymore as the photo sensitivity was bearable and I was up and slowly but steadily, with assistance, walking myself to the toilet.
I was given breaky, they stuck to my assistance of no dairy and wheat, and mum and M. came back in to see me. The ICU doctor came round and told me that they had only stented the right transverse sinus ventricle and that I was doing pretty well by all standards.
Later I was happily whisked off to another ward where I stayed another night.
I met with a Neurologist and his team, who is now going to be my new Neuro, and they said that things went well, that with hopes I wouldn't need a revision of the stent or a stent placed in my left transverse sinus ventricle later down the track. I was told that things should slowly improve, I will still have symptoms for at least a few days, but it should improve.
I was given a card and a phone number to call and arrange an appt with him and told that I should have field vision tests done in a few weeks.
I am now HOME!!! And I am feeling pretty good overall. The left artery in my groin, where they went in, is bloody sore and there is a blossoming bruise- I have to move slowly when I walk, even more so when I am going up or downstairs, but I don't really care too much about it as it will go away.
Last night a had a pretty bad headache, though not as bad as the ones I was getting less than a week ago. The photo sensitivity has reduced quite a lot and my depth perception is a little better... all signs that things are improving!!
I am going to take is easy and slowly increase my activity over the week before going head on into everything I was doing and need it do.
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