Theirs goes to 11 ccs.

[mrissa]

timprov had some meds arranged and some therapy arranged, but there was no really big leap in his well-being over the course of his hospital stay. The doctors were not able to see something else he could do immediately while he was there, though, so his neurologist ordered one more diagnostic, a spinal tap, before he could go home today. Spinal taps are generally quite painful, and my own experience with neurologists indicates that they're reluctant to order them on a whim. But they wanted to make sure he didn't have any infections in his spine or anything like that. So he went in for his spinal tap around 11:30. They took 11 ccs of spinal fluid.

And...he feels like a million bucks. He felt immediately, substantially better, and the procedure that was described to him as painful, he described as "a little weird, but otherwise great." He is now supposed to lie down for the rest of the day aside from meals and bathroom breaks, but so far, no headache, no nausea, no nothing. Just...feeling better than he has in over a year. As we waited (and waited, and waited, and waited) for the actual intended effect of the procedure to be finished (the diagnostics in lab), his shoulders started to relax, the knots in his neck went down, and he started smelling like himself again.

We haven't talked to the doctors about this directly yet, but...excess of spinal fluid? Quite possibly. Causes pain etc. If it recurs, we will know what to try next. This doesn't mean that timprov is magically all better, but with this result and the meds and therapy, things are looking brighter than they have in a very, very long time.

And he's home, and markgritter gets home on a 10:00 plane, and I am such a happy girl.

Comments

[apis-mellifera.livejournal.com]

That's fantastic news. :)

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Great news! (But weird--I never heard of such a thing. Human bodies are sooooo strange.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

porphyrin says that it's actually not all that rare, though of course not something everybody has. She sees kids with an excess of spinal fluid often enough to know about it without having to look stuff up.

[zellandyne.livejournal.com]

woo! weird, but woo!

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

That's great! So glad to hear he's feeling better. What in the world causes excess spinal fluid?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We are not at all sure yet, if we ever will be, but Dr. porphyrin says that in addition to the spinal tap, there are medicines that work well to control it and have few side effects. So if it's a recurring problem, it can be dealt with.

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time, I worked with someone who was (after much missed work and many blinding headaches) eventually diagnosed with that condition. As far as I know, she lived happily ever after.

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Oops, forgot the most important comment: I'm glad he's feeling better and back in the bosom of his family.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

That's great news!

[redbird]

Cool! I hope the improvement lasts.

[zunger.livejournal.com]

That's great! And it's definitely something to let the physician know ASAP; if I recall correctly, there aren't that many things that lead to high CSF pressure, so this can narrow down the matter considerably.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The doctors have been notified, but they didn't come in for an exit consult, so T will talk about this with our real doctor at the followup next week.

[dendrophilous.livejournal.com]

Hooray!

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Oh hooray!

Here's hoping that the improvement lasts.

[windcedar.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful. I hope this is a sign that Good Things are starting to happen...*waves sparkly!health!wand*

[poeticalpanther.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad to hear this.

[songwind.livejournal.com]

Whoo! That's awesome. Congratulatory hugs all around.

If "too much fluid" is Tim's whole problem, what's the solution? Periodic spinal taps?

[stillsostrange.livejournal.com]

I'm imagining a spinal faucet, and kind of wishing I wasn't.

[rosefox]

Pros: general awesomeness.

Cons: uncomfortable to lie down or sit in many chairs.

I think the pros win.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Spinal taps can help, and porphyrin says there are also meds that control it very well and don't have many side effects.

[songwind.livejournal.com]

Double whoo! Here's hoping they've stumbled on it, looking for something else.

[angeyja.livejournal.com]

Good. *hug*

[stillsostrange.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's great news. I hadn't realized that he also had a hard-to-diagnose condition-- I had thought it was something diagnosed but chronic.

And how are you doing? Any improvement related to the sinus infection?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I wish he simply had one or the other, but in fact he had some diagnosed chronic conditions that are unpleasant but did not entirely explain all the symptoms.

My sinus infection is on the run, but it's still around, so I'm going to have to keep up with the antibiotics.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Both bizare and wonderful. Any possibility this could also affect his sleep disorder?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We have no idea yet. We will certainly find out, though.

[secritcrush.livejournal.com]

oh hooray - I really hope it lasts.

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

*hugs* and good vibes to all of you.

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I hope you've hit on it (no pun intended).

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

That's great news! Here's hoping things are getting on the right track and Timprov is on the road to recovery.

[callunav.livejournal.com]

Oh, how wonderful that he's just feeling /good/. Not perfect, I understand, but good. After so long. I know what it's like when I've felt bad for a week and then get better. A year... That's just wonderful - for all of you.

And I hope I hope I hope that this /is/ a key, and that this does lead directly to a treatment that will have him going ON feeling good indefinitely.

I'm so glad, in any case. Whatever the longterm solution that needs to be worked out is, you're home, and he's feeling good, and I'm glad.

[jenett]

Oh, wooo! Good is good. I hope it's lasting, but even if it isn't, gives you new options for looking at stuff. And hey, more time feeling good is not to be sneezed at.

[wshaffer.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's really cool. And very encouraging. Yay!

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

wow. that's totally weird. hurray, though!

[ladysea.livejournal.com]

I am still in YAY mode. =) *happy hugs*

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

[mkille.livejournal.com]

As I said over on his: phew and yay!

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear the good news!

>> more good thoughts

[blzblack.livejournal.com]

Hip hip... Hoorah!

[gwyneira.livejournal.com]

Good news!

[kirizal.livejournal.com]

I'm so very glad that Timprov is out of the hospital and out of debilitating pain.

[scottjames.livejournal.com]

That's so much better than any result I could have imagined for a spinal tap. Yay!