The procedure itself wasn’t that bad, I wasn’t aware that I’d be lying there, for a good 15 minutes. curled in a ball and wondering if that needle could possibly advance even further it already had, it seemed to be piercing my spine already. The contents of my back dripping, dripping, dripping into this little tube just like on “ER”. Brushed up against something and got 2 electric shocks down my right leg. The doctor withdrew the needle, put a band aid on it(I was hoping for something a little more dramatic, but it just looked like a pinprick). Consoled me to stay around for a couple of hours, to lie down to prevent a spinal headache. Told him I could stay one, I had to leave at 3:30pm. Which he took in stride, and said ok, just drink lots of CAFFEINATED fluids, etc, etc…(in direct opposition to every other doctor who has chided me for my little caffeine addiction)The nurses looked askance and he said it was ok, lying down for 6 hours hadn’t really been shown to reduce the chances of getting a headache + it was ok for me to leave early. Got wheeled to recovery/monitoring where I enjoyed lots of diet coke and got in trouble for trying to use the can. (“NO MOVING! YOU’LL GET A HEADACHE!”) I never got the headache, it was just a backache. Went and watched Narnia/went out to dinner that evening.
And then I started getting aches and pains. Honestly, every joint in my body seemed/seems to have simultaneously sprained. Maybe just bad luck, and maybe from the induction of a needle into my spine. Then I shaved, and my lymph nodes swelled up. (which is one reason I don’t do it that often, but I was starting to look like Neanderthal) You have to shave at least 4x a year, even if you don’t grow it all that fast. (which I fortunately don’t)
Today, the results. Increased protein, increased white blood cells. Normal on everything else. Blood levels of ESR slightly high. Wants another head MRI and if that’s normal, wants to do another spinal tap. Over. my. dead. body., I’m still sore from last week. Not sure where this is leading, but maybe a chronic sinus issue(according to him) which could account for the dizzyness, vertigo, headaches, etc…reassuring that its NOT MS or Lyme disease but still no answers.