Sunday Stroke Survival: A Week Later

I'm finding the week following my procedure is getting better. The one thing I didn't mention last week was cervical spinal block. As soon as he injected the medicine, I knew something was off. My whole arm went numb and I lost my grip. Keep in mind this is my only functioning arm. Fears that I might have suffered a stroke entered my mind. I kept asking if this was normal. I was reassured that it was possible that he may have nicked the brachial branch when he administered the drugs. Only partially relieved they continued on with the surgery. The anesthesiologist kept checking the reflexes in my left hand. Even though he responded good, I knew it wasn't. I could barely move my fingers.

The nerve block catheter was removed and I slowly got use of my fingers back. Whew!The blockages of 90 or greater were reduced to 20%. So surgically, it was deemed a success. After coming home, I had great difficulty lying flat on my bed. For only three internal stitches, they pulled unmercifully. I ended up sleeping in front of my computer.

The next day, I pulled the bandage away from my neck to discover a huge bruise where they gave me the nerve block at the base of the skull below the ear. The pain wasn't coming from the sutures at all. It helped to have the bandage off, but what helped even more was the cold soda can I placed on it directly. The super glued incision gave me no worries. I found without the bandage, I could lay flat on my bed with no pain.

Monday, I removed the pressure dressing from my thigh/groin. What surprised me was that my affected leg/groin area hurt worse than the venipuncture site. I've never looked so forward to a shower in my whole life. It was wonderful to have hot water course over my sore muscles. I sat on my shower chair and let it knead my neck and shoulder muscles. When all the water turned cold, I waited for the water heater to do its job and took a second shower. I may have looked like a drown rat, but I felt wonderful!

I'm still horribly bruised from all the attempted IV starts. My poor left hand, wrist, forearm, and bicep is one massive bruise from the six attempts. From my left ear to mid collar bone is bruised and from my belly button down my left leg to the knee is also bruised. It's not like I'm on blood thinners and was shot up with multiple heparin flushes or anything like that (yeah, right. All of the above). But it's a small price to pay considering the alternative.
Remember all those clots and plaque that the filter caught?

In another week or so, the bruises will be gone and this will be another incident when I side stepped death. I'm still here so my job's not finished yet. It ain't over til the fat lady sings. I gave up singing for Lent.

Nothing is impossible.