Category 3 on the Annoying Scale
Oct. 15th, 2007 05:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annathepiperApparently, I wasn't allowed to have that MRI-guided biopsy today.
Things started out well enough. Got to the hospital on time, got settled in as before in the MRI room, and this time even with extra pillows and things to try to make me as comfortable as possible and not stress my lower back too much. Doing the initial scans to try to figure out where the needle would have to go in went okay.
But when they rolled me out of the machine to numb me up and poke the actual catheter into me, I started having problems. My left knee started getting cranky about the angle at which it was settled. And I don't think the doctor numbed me up enough, because I felt her do something that actively hurt for a second or two--that must have been when she made the poke to go in.
All of a sudden, I started feeling nauseous. I went from telling them "I feel sick" to "I REALLY need to sit up", and the next thing I knew, they'd gotten me sitting up and the MRI tech dude (Steve, the same guy who'd done my MRI before) had a pan under my mouth and I was going BLARGH three or four times. I wiped my mouth as best I could, and after that, they helped me onto a gurney and got my legs up onto some pillows to get them higher than my head. They gave me some O2. And then they rolled me into the nearby exam room to have me lie quietly for a bit, while they rearranged the game plan.
I heard Dr. Carlson tossing around the term "vasovagal response". I had no earthly idea what this meant, so I had the nurse spell that out for me so I could come home and look it up--though from what she was telling me and from what I'm seeing online, it essentially means "I was about to faint". Goody. I'm not sure what the hell happened, whether it was some weird reaction I was having to the numbing agent, whether they weren't using enough of the numbing agent, whether they had me at a bad angle on the table (what with my left knee starting to hurt and all), whether it was just my system stressing out and going I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NOW THANK YOU, or all of the above. Regardless, it's extremely irritating and I'm rather disgusted with myself.
As a result of all this, the procedure had to be completely aborted. Initially they decided to reschedule me for next week, but then bumped it up Fuckoff Early in the Morning this coming Wednesday, on the grounds that Dr. Towbin is waiting for the results of this before he makes the call on what he's going to do next, and well, cancer diagnosis so we really need to get this dealt with kthxbye. They will be consulting with Dr. Towbin to discuss whether it's advisable to give me a relaxant of some sort before they try this again. I'll be good with that, if that's what it takes.
Till then, I need to keep a teeny tiny ice pack on the dressing where they poked me; fortunately, the teeny tiny ice pack fits right into my bra. And I need to not do any heavy lifting, and generally take it easy, while I'm being cranky at this in general. This is not helping me get this whole situation done and dealt with. Grr.
Things started out well enough. Got to the hospital on time, got settled in as before in the MRI room, and this time even with extra pillows and things to try to make me as comfortable as possible and not stress my lower back too much. Doing the initial scans to try to figure out where the needle would have to go in went okay.
But when they rolled me out of the machine to numb me up and poke the actual catheter into me, I started having problems. My left knee started getting cranky about the angle at which it was settled. And I don't think the doctor numbed me up enough, because I felt her do something that actively hurt for a second or two--that must have been when she made the poke to go in.
All of a sudden, I started feeling nauseous. I went from telling them "I feel sick" to "I REALLY need to sit up", and the next thing I knew, they'd gotten me sitting up and the MRI tech dude (Steve, the same guy who'd done my MRI before) had a pan under my mouth and I was going BLARGH three or four times. I wiped my mouth as best I could, and after that, they helped me onto a gurney and got my legs up onto some pillows to get them higher than my head. They gave me some O2. And then they rolled me into the nearby exam room to have me lie quietly for a bit, while they rearranged the game plan.
I heard Dr. Carlson tossing around the term "vasovagal response". I had no earthly idea what this meant, so I had the nurse spell that out for me so I could come home and look it up--though from what she was telling me and from what I'm seeing online, it essentially means "I was about to faint". Goody. I'm not sure what the hell happened, whether it was some weird reaction I was having to the numbing agent, whether they weren't using enough of the numbing agent, whether they had me at a bad angle on the table (what with my left knee starting to hurt and all), whether it was just my system stressing out and going I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS NOW THANK YOU, or all of the above. Regardless, it's extremely irritating and I'm rather disgusted with myself.
As a result of all this, the procedure had to be completely aborted. Initially they decided to reschedule me for next week, but then bumped it up Fuckoff Early in the Morning this coming Wednesday, on the grounds that Dr. Towbin is waiting for the results of this before he makes the call on what he's going to do next, and well, cancer diagnosis so we really need to get this dealt with kthxbye. They will be consulting with Dr. Towbin to discuss whether it's advisable to give me a relaxant of some sort before they try this again. I'll be good with that, if that's what it takes.
Till then, I need to keep a teeny tiny ice pack on the dressing where they poked me; fortunately, the teeny tiny ice pack fits right into my bra. And I need to not do any heavy lifting, and generally take it easy, while I'm being cranky at this in general. This is not helping me get this whole situation done and dealt with. Grr.
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 12:40 am (UTC)I hope it goes better on Wed.
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 12:56 am (UTC)Hopefully, next go-round, you'll receive some Versed -- it didn't do anything for me, but for most people it results in lovely relaxation, followed by sedation and no memory of what happened after the needle prick. It's an extremely common pre-op drug. Also, they could IV you and feed you some anti-nausea meds beforehand.
I hope the next go-round proceeds without a hitch. *hug*
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Date: 2007-10-16 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 01:36 am (UTC)Personally, if I need pre-op 'relaxation' again, I'll be asking for a short of Dilaudid. When it's not chewing through serious pain, I'm oh so relaxed and mellow and everything's just fiiiiiiine in the world. (I discovered this when a helpful ER doc gave me a shot for my endo pain, which was at a 6/10, and I was made utterly limp & loopy. As opposed to me being ultra-lucid, perky, and steady on my feet when it was used for post-op pain control last summer)
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:37 am (UTC)Also, when you take the stumbling kid back out to the car, all the staff people smile at you and say "Versed?"
Mmm, Dilaudid.
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 01:08 am (UTC)Note:
Common triggers of vasovagal syncope include standing for long periods, dehydration, the sight of blood, coughing, urination, having a bowel movement and emotional distress.
HELLO EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, GO AWAY PLZ THX BAI
P.S.
Date: 2007-10-16 01:49 am (UTC)Re: P.S.
Date: 2007-10-17 03:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 01:17 am (UTC)My father-in-law has vasovagal incidents when he has to sit uncomfortably for long times. He'll feel sick with just enough warning to get a receptacle before throwing up, then pass out cold. When you're a an 80-odd year old man on an airplane, this flips people out -- they think "heart attack!" and spring into action, which makes it all worse since it's really an annoyance rather than a danger as long as he doesn't bash his head when he faints.
At least they took good care of you and got things rescheduled quickly, even if it is at a horrible time of day. Here's hoping it goes better Wednesday.
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:45 am (UTC)But thanks! Here's hoping, indeed. They've given me some Ativan to take tonight and tomorrow; we'll see how that treats me. I expect to have no brain to speak of for most of the day, though. ;P
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Date: 2007-10-16 01:31 am (UTC)At least you have an excuse to make others wait on you hand and foot a little more.
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 01:35 am (UTC)As always, my thoughts are with you and Dara.
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 01:40 am (UTC)At least Wednesday isn't too much longer to wait, and they can anticipate any issues this time and work around them.
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:50 am (UTC)And they've given me some Ativan to take tonight and tomorrow when I get up to go to Biopsy Take Two; we'll see how that treats me.
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Date: 2007-10-17 05:16 am (UTC)I can get that. Things I don't understand annoy me too, I need to know how the entire world works. Especially as it relates to me!
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Date: 2007-10-19 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 10:20 pm (UTC)If you have questions about medical terminology and such, feel free to poke me. It was my best subject in school.
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Date: 2007-10-16 01:49 am (UTC)I hope your next attempt goes smoothly.
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:46 am (UTC)And oof, the wrist thing sounds painful and irritating even on top of the vasovagal part.
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Date: 2007-10-16 11:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 03:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 02:24 am (UTC)'course, that was in Atlanta; they have *much* better vampires out here.
*hugs* let's hope this works better the next time!
(And cheers for just the right sized icepack, too! It's not often things fit well like that...)
/me pulls out my Snoopy "curse you, Red Baron" icon...
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Date: 2007-10-16 04:42 am (UTC)But we'll see how things go on Wednesday. If they have to knock me out to get the job done, I can deal with that. I just want this thing done and dealt with.
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Date: 2007-10-16 05:42 am (UTC)I'm with you on that one. This waiting sucks. (And not knowing why sucks, too.)
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:40 am (UTC)But yeah, we'll see how things go on Wednesday.
Re: numinstances ++1 on vasovagal stuff
Date: 2007-10-17 03:31 am (UTC)But thank you for the shaking of fists! Hopefully tomorrow will go better.
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Date: 2007-10-16 06:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 03:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 10:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 03:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 11:08 am (UTC)Cathy
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 12:00 pm (UTC){{ Hugs }}
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:19 pm (UTC)I had similar symptoms once, before having a nerve induction test. Got really dizzy, breathless and light-headed, with a trace of nausea. The technician canceled the test and told me I needed to see a psychiatrist. Which didn't make any sense to me; I'd had several of these tests before with no problems. Instead, I went to my regular doctor at that time. Only I didn't get to see her. The receptionist, when she heard my symptoms, told me I was the third person in that day with them, that it was an intestinal virus and there was nothing I could do about it but go home, lie down and rest.
Take that, technician.
Anyway, just check to make sure there wasn't some underlying cause for symptoms triggered or exacerbated by mild stress. Such as a gut upset from bacteria, yeast or some food sensitivity. And I recommend Bonine (meclizine hydrochloride) to head off nausea. Just keep in mind it takes about an hour to start working.
*Hugs*
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Date: 2007-10-17 03:57 am (UTC)They've prescribed Ativan for me, as I mentioned in passing on the MUSH; I'm supposed to take one of those tonight before I go to bed and another when I get up in the morning. We'll see what that does for me, as well as not eating anything much right before they go to work on me. Which ought to help.
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Date: 2007-10-16 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-17 03:58 am (UTC)