Medical Journey - My thoughts - Post #4
As I continue remembering my time at UofM, I am reminded of how Jesus was present in everything. This next and final phase at the hospital is not a pleasant one, it is one where I saw Jesus working.
The decision was made that I was going to have a Lumbar Drain put in. A Lumbar drain is essentially an Epideral that many pregnant women have during child birth. With the Drain though they are pulling out spinal fluid instead of putting in pain killers. Needless to say, after my experience I have a LOT more respect for those pregnant women getting epiderals, IT IS NOT FUN! The difference being for those in childbirth this is the begining of relief for me it was the begining of a nightmare.
Thankfully they let me get a good nights sleep with a 40% incline in the bed before we got started. The next morning after breakfast and a couple of laps around the floor, it was time to have the Lumbar Drain installed (sounds like a car stereo). The Dr. prepped the room as I made one last try at escaping, I mean lap around the floor.
It was time to begin. I sat off the edge of the bed hunched over. The Dr. then inserted the needle/tube into my spine. This was very painful and the moraphine they gave me seemed to have no effect. With that being said this is also where I saw Jesus at work. The Dr. said she got the drain in the first try and it was all set up in 4-5 minutes. Normally it takes 20+ minutes to get it setup. While I was not happy that I had to have the drain, Jesus made sure my pain was minimized.
Now the real fun began, NOT. From this point on for the next 57 hours I was on complete bed rest. The bed had to be at no more than 5-10% of incline and I needed special permission for the Dr. to be able to use the restroom. Thankfully they allowed me the 3-4 trips to the rest room each day. I did not want another catheter.
At first it was not bad. What guy does not like laying in bed watching TV. Then after a few hours I found that I was really stiff and my right hip was hurting. The pain pills were barely taking the edge off. I could only move around a little, putting pillows under various portions of my body and I had to be real careful with the tube running out of my back. These 57 hours were the worst part of my stay in the hospital. No matter what I could not get comfortable. Every couple hours I had to shift, and Alexis did everything she could but nothing made it better. We tried pretty much everything, and I think at one point the only part of my body touching the bed instead of pillows was my upper back and my lower legs. I would not wish this experience on anyone. It was worse than my first day after surgery.
Thankfully after 57 hours (7pm Sunday night, Day 12) they turned off the drain and let me up. I was very stiff and sore, but could setup in bed and go on very short walks. As far as recovery was concerned it seemed like I had taken a couple of steps backward. I could not walk as far as I had 3 days earlier and to be honest was really scared that I would still have a CSF leak.
Roughly 12 hours later, 7 am Monday morning both Dr teams showed up to test me. They had me sit up and hang my head for what seemed like 5 minutes. Praise God no leak came. Jesus used this time and the Lumbar Drain to stop my leak, He healed me.
Now came the waiting game. The Neuro team had to remove it, but were tied up in surgery. Needless to say it was frustrating and nerve racking. We waited until about 2pm to have the drain removed, with me wondering if they were going to test me a second time and find a leak. After all that is what had been happening in previous days. When the removed the drain, my right leg started spasaming, it seems the drain tube was up against the nerve. This explained a lot about the pain I had experienced. It was sometime between 3 and 4 pm that I was wheeled out of the hospital. It felt surreal! With the emotional rollercoaster I had been on, I did not want to count on leaving the hospital until I was in my truck.
I was so happy that I cried when they removed the lumbar drain but was still worried, and I cried even more when I got in my truck. I was beaten down, but God was faithful. His road took longer than I wanted, but He took care of me everystep of the way. I knew He was going to heal me, and He did. I knew everything was going to be just fine, and IT IS! God is good all the time!
I am so thankful for the medical teams at University of Michigan, my Bride Alexis, my mother, my inlaws, our church family from New Life, our old church family from New Hope, and everyone else who has prayed and sent love our way. Thank you for all that you have done as we have gone through this journey. It is only through the grace of God and your support that I am sitting here today feeling as good as I am.
May God bless each and everyone of you!
In Christ's Name,
Robert
The decision was made that I was going to have a Lumbar Drain put in. A Lumbar drain is essentially an Epideral that many pregnant women have during child birth. With the Drain though they are pulling out spinal fluid instead of putting in pain killers. Needless to say, after my experience I have a LOT more respect for those pregnant women getting epiderals, IT IS NOT FUN! The difference being for those in childbirth this is the begining of relief for me it was the begining of a nightmare.
Thankfully they let me get a good nights sleep with a 40% incline in the bed before we got started. The next morning after breakfast and a couple of laps around the floor, it was time to have the Lumbar Drain installed (sounds like a car stereo). The Dr. prepped the room as I made one last try at escaping, I mean lap around the floor.
It was time to begin. I sat off the edge of the bed hunched over. The Dr. then inserted the needle/tube into my spine. This was very painful and the moraphine they gave me seemed to have no effect. With that being said this is also where I saw Jesus at work. The Dr. said she got the drain in the first try and it was all set up in 4-5 minutes. Normally it takes 20+ minutes to get it setup. While I was not happy that I had to have the drain, Jesus made sure my pain was minimized.
Now the real fun began, NOT. From this point on for the next 57 hours I was on complete bed rest. The bed had to be at no more than 5-10% of incline and I needed special permission for the Dr. to be able to use the restroom. Thankfully they allowed me the 3-4 trips to the rest room each day. I did not want another catheter.
At first it was not bad. What guy does not like laying in bed watching TV. Then after a few hours I found that I was really stiff and my right hip was hurting. The pain pills were barely taking the edge off. I could only move around a little, putting pillows under various portions of my body and I had to be real careful with the tube running out of my back. These 57 hours were the worst part of my stay in the hospital. No matter what I could not get comfortable. Every couple hours I had to shift, and Alexis did everything she could but nothing made it better. We tried pretty much everything, and I think at one point the only part of my body touching the bed instead of pillows was my upper back and my lower legs. I would not wish this experience on anyone. It was worse than my first day after surgery.
Thankfully after 57 hours (7pm Sunday night, Day 12) they turned off the drain and let me up. I was very stiff and sore, but could setup in bed and go on very short walks. As far as recovery was concerned it seemed like I had taken a couple of steps backward. I could not walk as far as I had 3 days earlier and to be honest was really scared that I would still have a CSF leak.
Roughly 12 hours later, 7 am Monday morning both Dr teams showed up to test me. They had me sit up and hang my head for what seemed like 5 minutes. Praise God no leak came. Jesus used this time and the Lumbar Drain to stop my leak, He healed me.
Now came the waiting game. The Neuro team had to remove it, but were tied up in surgery. Needless to say it was frustrating and nerve racking. We waited until about 2pm to have the drain removed, with me wondering if they were going to test me a second time and find a leak. After all that is what had been happening in previous days. When the removed the drain, my right leg started spasaming, it seems the drain tube was up against the nerve. This explained a lot about the pain I had experienced. It was sometime between 3 and 4 pm that I was wheeled out of the hospital. It felt surreal! With the emotional rollercoaster I had been on, I did not want to count on leaving the hospital until I was in my truck.
I was so happy that I cried when they removed the lumbar drain but was still worried, and I cried even more when I got in my truck. I was beaten down, but God was faithful. His road took longer than I wanted, but He took care of me everystep of the way. I knew He was going to heal me, and He did. I knew everything was going to be just fine, and IT IS! God is good all the time!
I am so thankful for the medical teams at University of Michigan, my Bride Alexis, my mother, my inlaws, our church family from New Life, our old church family from New Hope, and everyone else who has prayed and sent love our way. Thank you for all that you have done as we have gone through this journey. It is only through the grace of God and your support that I am sitting here today feeling as good as I am.
May God bless each and everyone of you!
In Christ's Name,
Robert
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