Sticking my neck waaaay out
May. 30th, 2009 01:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
outsdrFirst off, here are two images of my spine; my chin is pointing to the left.
You can see my spine on the left; the darker areas separating the bones are the cartilage disks, which you can see protruding out of the spine on the right. The long gray stem coming down from my cerebellum is my spinal cord; notice how towards the bottom it's getting bumpy along the left edge. That's apparently bad.
Just for fun, here's a side view of my brain:
I look oddly simian in this one; I think this is about 1/4 of the way into my skull, which is why the eyeball can be seen. And I have a lot of fat on the back of my head, it seems.
Back to the story... (Again, I've bolded the important parts for anyone that wants to skim)
Andy and I quickly walked across the campus and found the main entrance, followed the instructions for finding the correct desk, and we were checked in after just a few minutes. I was given my procedure orders back, as well as a large sheet of patient info stickers, and told to sit tight for a minute while they found someone to escort us to radiology. I was beginning to get hungry, and while glancing over the procedure orders I noticed at the bottom that I was not to eat for three hours beforehand. This was not going to be a problem; it was getting close to three and neither of us had eaten since 8 a.m.
A woman in her sixties arrived, wearing a pink vest and practically radiating grandmotherly goodness. She was to be our escort to the radiology department. She led us to the elevator, and while waiting for it to arrive, I asked her if her job was to do nothing more than lead patients around to where they needed to go in the hospital. She smiled kindly, and replied yes. I told her this was the most awesome idea ever, because I always get lost in hospitals.
The elevator arrived, and as we lowered to the proper floor, I could smell the cafeteria ... something smelled rich and beefy, and my stomach lurched in its direction. The doors to the elevator opened, and our granny tour guide lead us in the opposite direction, my stomach protesting.
We arrived at radiology, said good-bye to the lady in pink, and were asked to take a seat. After a few minutes, a young plump woman arrived and introduced herself as Corrine. She told me that the doctor doing the procedure had stepped out for a bit, but would be back by 3:45, if we didn't mind waiting. I said that was fine, but that we hadn't eaten since 8 a.m. She nodded and said, "Your blood sugar is probably dropping," and I simply nodded. "I know I'm not supposed to eat before the procedure ..." She stopped me and asked if some graham crackers would help. I said yes, and she dug in a closet and pulled out six packs of graham crackers, each pack holding three. We both got a cup of coffee from a tray in the corner, and Corrine led us to the radiology intake room.
I was seated in a large comfy recliner, and Corrine began asking me questions. I tore open a pack of crackers, and began to eat them. Unfortunately, I had to time my chewing carefully, since I couldn't hear her over the crunchy sounds the crackers made. Of course, I couldn't answer her either while chewing, so I was eating the crackers in small timed bursts, followed by gulps of coffee.
They were the most delicious graham crackers I have ever had.
I looked down at my shirt and laughed. It was covered in graham cracker crumbs. "I look like a little kid," I said while brushing off my shirt. Corrine laughed too, but said I had had enough crackers and I needed to stop so I wouldn't get sick. That made me feel even more like a small child.
I was having a SNRB, which Corrine pronounced 'snarb', which stands for a Selective Nerve Root Block. A steroid would be injected in the area where the bundle of nerves left the spine in my neck before continuing down my arms. This would be done on both sides, as well as injecting a dye to help highlight the nerves in the x-ray. On the left side only, an anesthesia would also be injected. The result would hopefully be to soothe the nerves and help them function better, alleviating the symptoms.
She put an IV in my arm and sealed it off, explaining that it was there just in case I had an allergic reaction to the x-ray dye the doctor would inject during the procedure. Very few people are allergic to it, she explained, but if I was one of them, the IV lead would enable them to treat me immediately.
A man arrived and was introduced to me as Dr. Cunningham. He appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s, and had an all-American, boy-next-door look to him. He was friendly, and I immediately liked him.
At about five minutes after four, I was led into the operating room. Andy was not allowed to come with me, due to the radiation being used. A thin operating table was in the middle, with four LCD monitors hanging above one end, and a large beige box suspended at the end of a vertically rotating, thick circular arm at the other end. This was the x-ray machine, which would rotate to the needed positions during the procedures. Really neat.
Another nurse was waiting, and asked if I minded if she took over, since Corrine was supposed to go home. I said of course I didn't mind, and I thanked Corrine while she said goodbye. Jen, the new nurse, asked me to remove my shirts and to lay down on the table. I did so, and a support was placed under my lower neck to arch it into position for the doctor. The room was cold, and Corrine returned briefly to drape a warmed blanket over me.
Jen began going over my chart. "Before the doctor begins the procedure, I will ask you to state your name and address to me, as well as the date. I will then read to you what the procedure is going to be, and you will confirm that this is correct." I looked up at her. "We don't want to take the chance of doing the wrong thing to the wrong patient," she said.
"Yeah," I replied. "I'd hate to end up leaving here with a hysterectomy." Jen laughed. "We'd all be famous if you have a uterus in there," she said.
This became a running gag. As anyone entered the room, they were reminded that I was not to have my uterus removed. We made other small talk; she asked if I'd ever worked as a bouncer because of the way I was built, and I told her that I had. She also said I didn't look as if I weighed 300 pounds, and that a lot of it must be muscle. Most likely, she was trying to put me at ease, but it was still nice.
Dr. Cunningham arrived, wearing a lead apron with a camoflauge print. Jen was also wearing a lead apron; I was not given one. I can only assume the radiation was directed in such a way that my exposure was limited on the table. Not that I ever plan on having children anyway. Jen reminded him to leave my uterus in place, and laughed at his confusion.
The left side of my neck was washed down with a bactine solution, and Dr. Cunningham placed a sterile drape across my neck. He warned me that the lights would dim whenever he used the x-ray machine, and that first he was going to inject my neck with novacaine. He was good about warning me before doing anything to me, probably so I wouldn't jump. "I'm going to touch your shoulder, and then your neck. You'll feel a small sting as I inject the novacaine." I hardly felt anything; the needle must have been small. A slight burning sensation deep under the skin. And then, he put the other needle in.
I felt nothing but a pressure, as if his finger was pressing on my neck, but the pressure slid into my skin. "You may feel a shock in your arm." Suddenly, my back twisted, and I gasped. "Charley horse across your shoulder blade?" Dr. Cunningham asked. I remembered just in time not to nod, but managed to gasp an affirmation. The injections continued, and the muscles in my back reacted outside of my control. There was no pain, just a feeling of helplessness. Jen came over and rested one hand on my forehead, and used her other hand to stroke the back of mine. "Remember to breathe," she said. I concentrated on taking slow, deep breathes. "Good," said Dr. Cunningham. The lights blinked on and off in a random pattern as Dr. Cunningham activated the x-ray machine to check the progress of the needle.
"I'm going to pull the needle out now," said Dr. Cunningham, and with a quick pull, he did. "Just like pulling a band-aid," he said. I nodded and tried to stretch the kinks out of my back muscles as they suddenly were released back into my control. When the needle had come out, it felt as if he had taken a stiff finger and jabbed me sharply in the neck. He had me turn my head to the left, and prepared the right side of my neck with bactine and a sterile drape.
Following the same procedure, he did the injections on the right side. Again, my muscles reacted sharply, however this time, there was more burning senstations, and it felt for all the world as if the needle was being driven through my shoulder, instead of my neck. Dr. Cunningham said this was normal, and that many people reported feeling the sensations in different parts of their bodies. Again, he quickly pulled the needle free, and again, it felt as if I were being poked sharply in the side of the neck, and I relaxed limply as my back muscles suddenly unclenched.
"That's it!" said Dr. Cunningham. He thanked me for being a good patient, and I thanked him for doing the procedure at such a short notice; we shook hands and he left.
Jen helped me to sit up as I was feeling a little worn. One x-ray image remained on the monitor screen; it showed my lower jaw and neck, with a thin needle inserted through the skin about 2 inches, where it then bent at a 30 degree angle, and then ended between two blades in my spinal column. Fascinating and creepy at the same time.
Jen proceeded to wash the bactine from my neck with some warm soapy water and then a solvent lotion to remove the rest. I sat for a few minutes, gathering my strength. The procedure really took a lot out of me, plus I was still hungry. Jen helped me with my shirts, and then led me back to the intake room. It was about 4:35 at this point. I sat in the big comfy chair for awhile. Corrine was still there; she'd never managed to leave. Before much longer, Andy and I gathered my things, Corrine led us back outside and pointed us towards where we had parked. I asked her how long it would be before I felt any results, and she told me that it could be anywhere from an hour to 24 hours as the steroids took hold.
We said our goodbyes and started walking to the car. It was getting close to five, we were both very hungry and heading for Applebees for dinner. As we walked, I flexed my hands and noticed something astonishing.
All pain was gone. There was no tingling. I could hold them steady. I flexed and twisted my hands, wiggling my fingers in fluid motions. I made a fist, and for the first time in years, I felt STRONG. I felt like I could drive my arm through a wall. It was amazing. For the first time, I truly realized just how much functionality I had lost in my hands. But now it was all back, and it felt FANTASTIC.
We found Applebees after a few wrong turns, and had a gigantic, amazing dinner, then hit the road for home.
Andy had a bad headache by now, so the trip back was quiet and uneventful. I wiggled my fingers and flexed my hands almost the entire way. We made it home shortly after 8 p.m., worn out from the long day. Andy headed for bed, I checked my email, drew a few lines with my crow quill- my hand was steady, and while the lines weren't perfect, they were better than what I've done in a long, long time. I headed off to bed.
You can see my spine on the left; the darker areas separating the bones are the cartilage disks, which you can see protruding out of the spine on the right. The long gray stem coming down from my cerebellum is my spinal cord; notice how towards the bottom it's getting bumpy along the left edge. That's apparently bad.
Just for fun, here's a side view of my brain:
I look oddly simian in this one; I think this is about 1/4 of the way into my skull, which is why the eyeball can be seen. And I have a lot of fat on the back of my head, it seems.
Back to the story... (Again, I've bolded the important parts for anyone that wants to skim)
Andy and I quickly walked across the campus and found the main entrance, followed the instructions for finding the correct desk, and we were checked in after just a few minutes. I was given my procedure orders back, as well as a large sheet of patient info stickers, and told to sit tight for a minute while they found someone to escort us to radiology. I was beginning to get hungry, and while glancing over the procedure orders I noticed at the bottom that I was not to eat for three hours beforehand. This was not going to be a problem; it was getting close to three and neither of us had eaten since 8 a.m.
A woman in her sixties arrived, wearing a pink vest and practically radiating grandmotherly goodness. She was to be our escort to the radiology department. She led us to the elevator, and while waiting for it to arrive, I asked her if her job was to do nothing more than lead patients around to where they needed to go in the hospital. She smiled kindly, and replied yes. I told her this was the most awesome idea ever, because I always get lost in hospitals.
The elevator arrived, and as we lowered to the proper floor, I could smell the cafeteria ... something smelled rich and beefy, and my stomach lurched in its direction. The doors to the elevator opened, and our granny tour guide lead us in the opposite direction, my stomach protesting.
We arrived at radiology, said good-bye to the lady in pink, and were asked to take a seat. After a few minutes, a young plump woman arrived and introduced herself as Corrine. She told me that the doctor doing the procedure had stepped out for a bit, but would be back by 3:45, if we didn't mind waiting. I said that was fine, but that we hadn't eaten since 8 a.m. She nodded and said, "Your blood sugar is probably dropping," and I simply nodded. "I know I'm not supposed to eat before the procedure ..." She stopped me and asked if some graham crackers would help. I said yes, and she dug in a closet and pulled out six packs of graham crackers, each pack holding three. We both got a cup of coffee from a tray in the corner, and Corrine led us to the radiology intake room.
I was seated in a large comfy recliner, and Corrine began asking me questions. I tore open a pack of crackers, and began to eat them. Unfortunately, I had to time my chewing carefully, since I couldn't hear her over the crunchy sounds the crackers made. Of course, I couldn't answer her either while chewing, so I was eating the crackers in small timed bursts, followed by gulps of coffee.
They were the most delicious graham crackers I have ever had.
I looked down at my shirt and laughed. It was covered in graham cracker crumbs. "I look like a little kid," I said while brushing off my shirt. Corrine laughed too, but said I had had enough crackers and I needed to stop so I wouldn't get sick. That made me feel even more like a small child.
I was having a SNRB, which Corrine pronounced 'snarb', which stands for a Selective Nerve Root Block. A steroid would be injected in the area where the bundle of nerves left the spine in my neck before continuing down my arms. This would be done on both sides, as well as injecting a dye to help highlight the nerves in the x-ray. On the left side only, an anesthesia would also be injected. The result would hopefully be to soothe the nerves and help them function better, alleviating the symptoms.
She put an IV in my arm and sealed it off, explaining that it was there just in case I had an allergic reaction to the x-ray dye the doctor would inject during the procedure. Very few people are allergic to it, she explained, but if I was one of them, the IV lead would enable them to treat me immediately.
A man arrived and was introduced to me as Dr. Cunningham. He appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s, and had an all-American, boy-next-door look to him. He was friendly, and I immediately liked him.
At about five minutes after four, I was led into the operating room. Andy was not allowed to come with me, due to the radiation being used. A thin operating table was in the middle, with four LCD monitors hanging above one end, and a large beige box suspended at the end of a vertically rotating, thick circular arm at the other end. This was the x-ray machine, which would rotate to the needed positions during the procedures. Really neat.
Another nurse was waiting, and asked if I minded if she took over, since Corrine was supposed to go home. I said of course I didn't mind, and I thanked Corrine while she said goodbye. Jen, the new nurse, asked me to remove my shirts and to lay down on the table. I did so, and a support was placed under my lower neck to arch it into position for the doctor. The room was cold, and Corrine returned briefly to drape a warmed blanket over me.
Jen began going over my chart. "Before the doctor begins the procedure, I will ask you to state your name and address to me, as well as the date. I will then read to you what the procedure is going to be, and you will confirm that this is correct." I looked up at her. "We don't want to take the chance of doing the wrong thing to the wrong patient," she said.
"Yeah," I replied. "I'd hate to end up leaving here with a hysterectomy." Jen laughed. "We'd all be famous if you have a uterus in there," she said.
This became a running gag. As anyone entered the room, they were reminded that I was not to have my uterus removed. We made other small talk; she asked if I'd ever worked as a bouncer because of the way I was built, and I told her that I had. She also said I didn't look as if I weighed 300 pounds, and that a lot of it must be muscle. Most likely, she was trying to put me at ease, but it was still nice.
Dr. Cunningham arrived, wearing a lead apron with a camoflauge print. Jen was also wearing a lead apron; I was not given one. I can only assume the radiation was directed in such a way that my exposure was limited on the table. Not that I ever plan on having children anyway. Jen reminded him to leave my uterus in place, and laughed at his confusion.
The left side of my neck was washed down with a bactine solution, and Dr. Cunningham placed a sterile drape across my neck. He warned me that the lights would dim whenever he used the x-ray machine, and that first he was going to inject my neck with novacaine. He was good about warning me before doing anything to me, probably so I wouldn't jump. "I'm going to touch your shoulder, and then your neck. You'll feel a small sting as I inject the novacaine." I hardly felt anything; the needle must have been small. A slight burning sensation deep under the skin. And then, he put the other needle in.
I felt nothing but a pressure, as if his finger was pressing on my neck, but the pressure slid into my skin. "You may feel a shock in your arm." Suddenly, my back twisted, and I gasped. "Charley horse across your shoulder blade?" Dr. Cunningham asked. I remembered just in time not to nod, but managed to gasp an affirmation. The injections continued, and the muscles in my back reacted outside of my control. There was no pain, just a feeling of helplessness. Jen came over and rested one hand on my forehead, and used her other hand to stroke the back of mine. "Remember to breathe," she said. I concentrated on taking slow, deep breathes. "Good," said Dr. Cunningham. The lights blinked on and off in a random pattern as Dr. Cunningham activated the x-ray machine to check the progress of the needle.
"I'm going to pull the needle out now," said Dr. Cunningham, and with a quick pull, he did. "Just like pulling a band-aid," he said. I nodded and tried to stretch the kinks out of my back muscles as they suddenly were released back into my control. When the needle had come out, it felt as if he had taken a stiff finger and jabbed me sharply in the neck. He had me turn my head to the left, and prepared the right side of my neck with bactine and a sterile drape.
Following the same procedure, he did the injections on the right side. Again, my muscles reacted sharply, however this time, there was more burning senstations, and it felt for all the world as if the needle was being driven through my shoulder, instead of my neck. Dr. Cunningham said this was normal, and that many people reported feeling the sensations in different parts of their bodies. Again, he quickly pulled the needle free, and again, it felt as if I were being poked sharply in the side of the neck, and I relaxed limply as my back muscles suddenly unclenched.
"That's it!" said Dr. Cunningham. He thanked me for being a good patient, and I thanked him for doing the procedure at such a short notice; we shook hands and he left.
Jen helped me to sit up as I was feeling a little worn. One x-ray image remained on the monitor screen; it showed my lower jaw and neck, with a thin needle inserted through the skin about 2 inches, where it then bent at a 30 degree angle, and then ended between two blades in my spinal column. Fascinating and creepy at the same time.
Jen proceeded to wash the bactine from my neck with some warm soapy water and then a solvent lotion to remove the rest. I sat for a few minutes, gathering my strength. The procedure really took a lot out of me, plus I was still hungry. Jen helped me with my shirts, and then led me back to the intake room. It was about 4:35 at this point. I sat in the big comfy chair for awhile. Corrine was still there; she'd never managed to leave. Before much longer, Andy and I gathered my things, Corrine led us back outside and pointed us towards where we had parked. I asked her how long it would be before I felt any results, and she told me that it could be anywhere from an hour to 24 hours as the steroids took hold.
We said our goodbyes and started walking to the car. It was getting close to five, we were both very hungry and heading for Applebees for dinner. As we walked, I flexed my hands and noticed something astonishing.
All pain was gone. There was no tingling. I could hold them steady. I flexed and twisted my hands, wiggling my fingers in fluid motions. I made a fist, and for the first time in years, I felt STRONG. I felt like I could drive my arm through a wall. It was amazing. For the first time, I truly realized just how much functionality I had lost in my hands. But now it was all back, and it felt FANTASTIC.
We found Applebees after a few wrong turns, and had a gigantic, amazing dinner, then hit the road for home.
Andy had a bad headache by now, so the trip back was quiet and uneventful. I wiggled my fingers and flexed my hands almost the entire way. We made it home shortly after 8 p.m., worn out from the long day. Andy headed for bed, I checked my email, drew a few lines with my crow quill- my hand was steady, and while the lines weren't perfect, they were better than what I've done in a long, long time. I headed off to bed.
