He Keeps Carrying Me Through

I know I am a bit behind on updating, but let me try to catch you up. This past Wednesday, I had a follow up appointment with the neurologist to get results from the MRI that was done the Friday prior. My scans were what he called 90% clear which he explained meant that they found two small spots on my brain that could be from migraines (I rarely have these, only once or twice a year at most) or it could be something else, like MS lesions. Based on my symptoms, my age, and that I am female, my doctor explained that MS is the first thing he wants to rule out (or diagnose). So basically, the MRI was inconclusive. The doc then explained that he wanted to do further testing to rule out (or diagnose) MS along with anything that might mimic MS symptoms. I quickly found out that this meant more blood work that I was instructed to go get done immediately after leaving the doctor's office, and a lumbar puncture that was quickly scheduled for the following morning.

Y'all, this was all happening too fast! I think the scheduling nurse at the doctor's office thought I was crazy. She's arranged this lumbar puncture (which is also know as a spinal tap) on the same day I'm supposed to be going on a field trip with my students to the George Ranch! Then she scheduled my follow up appointment to get results from all this on this Friday when it is Super Hero Day at school. I know, I know, #teacherprobs but I just love my job and hate letting my kids down. Because I work with such amazing people, they made sure my kids enjoyed the field trip and even sent me pics. And you know I will be showing up Friday morning all decked out in Super Hero gear for this appointment.

So while my students and teacher peeps where out at the ranch, I was getting poked with lots of needles. Seriously, they had to do all the blood work I had already done the afternoon before AGAIN. And then they need to take blood during the actual procedure for some other test. Can y'all tell yet that I am not a fan of needles? I will spare you all the details involved in getting this lumbar puncture because if you've already had one, you know how it works, and if you haven't, you don't want to know! Let's just say that it was definitely one of the more uncomfortable and painful things I have had done - it's up there with childbirth and sinus surgery (the 2 big, very painful medical events I have experienced twice). 

Now I have to share something important that happened at this point. While I was on that table in extreme discomfort, I began praying through lots of tears. The x-ray technician quietly stepped over to the edge of the table and grabbed my hand and just held it. Through my tears, I asked if the fluid was coming out quickly, and he replied that no, it was going pretty slow and that it was still on the first tube. I began praying again, this time that God would speed this up. Even though the pressure I could feel and the pain when a nerve was grazed was so intense, I felt this peace wash over me. And when I asked again, they were almost finished with the second tube, then the third and finally the last one. I know God heard me crying out to Him. I know that hand that held mine was intended as a reminder that Jesus was right there. He carried me through that moment just has he has done many, many times before.

After completing the required 2 hours of laying flat on my back in recovery, and all the paperwork was done and directions had been given, I got to come home and rest. The threat of a spinal headache (which I had not experienced, but heard was awful) was enough to make me stick to the doctor's orders of resting and no lifting, etc. The next afternoon, I started getting a headache, but thought at first it was just sinus related. After all, I was getting over a sinus infection and the lovely "crud" everyone passes around in the fall. Later on after my mom went home and it was time to go pick up my son, I began to realize, mainly by the sheer amount of pain I was feeling, that this was no ordinary sinus headache. After somehow managing to get the Colson picked up, and making it through the drive thru at McDonald's to feed both kids, I got back to my bed to lie flat again, and oh the relief! This, my friends, is when you KNOW you have the dreaded spinal headache!

I called the doctor right away and he informed me that I needed a blood patch (basically, they take some blood from somewhere else on your body, and inject it into that area of the spine to stop the leakage of spinal fluid). This was all great, except for the fact that an anesthesiologist has to perform this procedure, and at 6 pm on a Friday, those are hard to come by in Sugar Land hospitals. My doctor called the hospital and worked some kid of miracle, because at 8 pm he called me back and told me to go to the ER with the name of the anesthesiologist who had agreed to come in and get this taken care of for me.

I met yet another of God's angels at the check in counter when I got to the ER. As I glanced around the waiting room that was packed like sardines in can, all I my mind could do was flashbacks to a previous 9 hour wait in this same waiting room just less than 2 years ago. But no, God was watching over me. This sweet man found a bed in that over crowded ER and he walked me around a partition wall to another door that led to the ER rooms. I had a spot to lay flat on my back for about an hour, when the anesthesiologist got there and got things rolling.

Now the day before, at a different hospital, they would not give any sort of sedation to me for the lumbar puncture - a procedure that took about 30-40 minutes and as I have already described, was very uncomfortable and painful. But this sweet man, two minutes into his explanation of how a blood patch works, he offers "something to relax" if I would prefer.... um, YES! After getting pricked with more needles for an IV and for blood work again (heaven forbid different hospitals communicate this info), the guy got things rolling. And thanks to whatever that was they gave me to relax, I don't remember a thing! I woke up to the nurse asking of my husband was on his way. Thank you, Jesus!

So all of this for some answers.... As many close to me know, my gut instinct, along with lots of research, has been telling me all along that "this stuff" I've had going on is Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Now I could be wrong. And in many ways I hope that I am. But if that is the confirmed answer I get Friday morning, I am prepared to take that and whatever may come along with it, and let God use it however he sees fit. He is a God who keeps His promises. He has carried me through so far and made me brave when I couldn't be on my own. I know He won't let me down, no matter the diagnoses.

I will keep you all posted. And thank you to all who have been praying! I can definitely feel your prayers lifting me up!