Apologies for the gap in my posts/going off topic for this one
Obviously my blog is supposed to be AD related however I thought it was worth sharing my experience over the last few weeks. I'm still feeling pretty ropey so I'm going to keep it brief:
It started with a very weird headache, not your usual banging but more like an intense pressure sensation. It was also significantly better laid down than sitting or standing up. I also had quite severe pain in my neck and back. After two days of the symptoms increasing rapidly we called 111 and it was recommended I go to A and E as they suspected I had Meningitis.
I then spent the next 24 hours in A and E while they tried to find me a bed. After getting to the ward I had a lumber puncture which involved me being in the fetal position while a doctor inserted a big old needle in my spine to take and then test some of my spinal fluid. This showed that it wasn't meningitis but my MRI results showed it was a CerebroSpinal Fluid leak which then caused intracranial hypotension. This is where there is a tear in the dura surrounding the fluid in your spine/brain which then causes the fluid to leak out. This drop of pressure caused my brain to drop in my head.
I then had an epdural blood patch which invovled once again laying in the fetal position while a nurse took blood from my hand which was then passed over to a doctor who injected it into my spine. This is supposed to help "patch" the tear in the dura.
I have to say this is the first time in my life I've felt that I might be in a bit of trouble (besides the mental health risks from AD). I have never felt so sick and in pain. There was a point that if I was upright at all I would be throwing up. One small mercy was that my skin held up for some bizare reason. But this did cause further complications as I needed to have my daily shower to maintain this but being on my feet felt impossible. I'd literally have to lay down multiple times to reset and go again over the course of a 5 minute shower.
Since getting home I do feel like I'm slowly on the mend, mornings are difficult but after an hour or so the pain in my head subsides and is around 75% better. However I do have quite significant double vision which is quite debilatating. Bed rest is supposed to be very important for the healing process but it's frustrating having to stay laid down all day even if I can be relatively productive with my laptop.
While we all know the NHS can be a mixed bag I have to say some of the things I saw/experienced were scary. I continue to be incredibly lucky in that I had my Mum and my wife there with me the whole way through. It's terrifying the thought of being in that situation and not having people to advocate for me.
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