T-CAR, Just Say No to Nerve Block Anesthesia

 Now, I'm no stranger to needles. For the past a decade, haven't I been touting the benefits of dry needling for combatting spasticity? Twice a week for at least an hour, I allow my body to become a pin cushion seeking relief from the spasticity and gain mobility. So, when I had my left carotid artery done, TCAR procedure, in March of 2020, the anesthesiologist and I had a serious conversation before my procedure about my allergies, all19 of them to be exact. After all, if I died because he screwed up, nobody would be having a good day, right?

He suggested deadening the nerve with needles. The after effects included pain, bruising, and swelling. But it was a good work around to combat my issues. This time, I was well aware of the procedure. Same anesthesiologist as last time ditty bopped into my cubicle. "It worked so well last time. Let's do it again." Part of me screamed NO! but my sensible nature kicked in. Anything is better than
dying because of possible new allergies popping up, right? That's what happened at Emory, I had a reaction to one of the anesthesia drugs. Usually, when you have an allergy to one class of drugs that whole class of drugs become an allergic reaction warning. For example, Lidocaine. That's a huge class of drugs. Dentists use Novocain to fix your teeth, Lidocaine is used for when you get stitches and a host of many other treatments. Many topical solutions have a *caine derivative in them Chloraseptic throat spray, Hemorrhoid cream, Ora-jel just to name a few. Luckily I've had no ill effects to the *caine" family so it could be worse.

The decision of choice was taken away because the anesthesiologist chose the simpler option. But let me tell you dear readers never again. I personally do not know the gauge the needles were that was used nor how many times it was rammed into the target area. I lost count after thirty. But it was an awake nightmare I couldn't get out from. I wanted to scream to get him to stop, but I was unable to utter a sound. I think I finally passed out from the pain. When I was moved from the recovery room to my room for a 23-hour admit, I heard the report given that I was suffering from right sided facial droop aphasia so my speech was garbled again. For the next six hours, I was in an awake nightmare of being unable to speak again and making my needs known other than shaking my head.

I firmly believe that my anesthesiologist went to the Marquis de Sade school of needling because in over a decade of being needled, I have never felt so much pain while being needled!

Even now, three days later, I'm severely bruised from the ear to my collar bone (It's black no blue just black). I can barely open my mouth without pain and I feel like I've got an ear infection. Turning my head to the left make the ear pain worse and turning right  can only be accomplished 45° out of the 85° that I could turn prior to the needling. I guess in some ways I should be thankful. I mean the T-CAR was done. I had no reaction to any anesthesia. And ultimately, I didn't die.

In 90% of complaints about care in the hospital is about the food. I wouldn't know. I was NPO upon arriving and didn't get to my room until 9PM. The kitchen was long since closed. So I had nothing to break my pre surgery fast until morning. Breakfast arrived, a tech delivered my tray, but I was unable to hold or use the plastic utensils effectively to get the food to my mouth. I did mange to drink my 4 oz of cranberry juice without spilling it. I tried calling out but my call light gadget had slid beyond my reach. I found my voice did not carry very far through the closed door. The PA arrived and asked me if I was ready to go home, I answered YES! even though I had tons of questions about what had happened during my surgery to cause so much left sided weakness. I had no doubts that the surgery was completed by the huge dressing on my left and right groin. The PA told me about activity limitations and my next appointment in their office and then she was gone.

I was double teamed getting dressed because they needed the room for the next patient and I was whisked in a wheelchair down to Mel awaiting to be pick me up. The tech bodily picked me up and put me in the car. We drove home. Mel dropped me off at the back stairs and for the first time in over 24 hours, I was left to maneuver under my own power.

I made up the back steps slowly. Then came the two steps into the house. I managed one of them but my tight leg wouldn't hold my weight to make the second step. I fell into the house and was on the floor of the laundry room. Mel brought me a dining room chair that usually assists me in getting up, except this time it didn't. After two hours of struggling. I yelled at Mel to call 9-1-1. They eventually arrived and helped me get up. It was now 7PM! I hadn't eaten anything in two days. I was weak as a kitten and shaking from both the cold and the soaked clothes I was in. YES, there was a repeat urine accident while I was on the floor. I was sore, frustrated, and exhausted. I made my way to the bathroom and shed my wet things donned my nightgown and went to bed. I never got warmed up even under my quilt and a portable heater blasting heat 5' away from me.

The next morning, I got up to Big Red's crowing. I fixed myself a bowl of cereal. The first sustenance I'd had in three days. I started the wood stove, but was unable to pick up the splits of wood to keep it going. Exhausted again, I goy into bed and went to sleep again. By the time I awoke again Mel was up. She had made chicken noodle soup and the wood stove was cranking out heavenly heat. The place was warm! I thought about a hot shower and decided to watch some television with Mel instead. After that I crawled into bed, warm, and a full belly of chicken broth plus a few homemade egg noodles.

Apparently I had ripped the bandage from my neck during the night because after I donned my AFO and waddled to the bathroom the next morning, I was greeted by the red gash on my neck when I turned on the bathroom light. I examined the area to check for new bleeding, there was none. The incision is twice as long as the left one, but I know the scar will shrink with time. I'm no raging beauty anyhow, but still

it was a shock. Plus, the blackness from the bruising the nerve block caused. I know between the Plavix and the heparin they gave me during surgery, the bruising would be bad. Still the large area affected got to me. The bruising from the groin wasn't as bad as usual though. It was just the size of a dinner plate rather than stretching from my belly button down to my knee. By the third day some of my stamina has increased. I actually made myself scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and the same for dinner. I think tomorrow I'll start some beef broth. I'll throw in some mushrooms and onions for y going down a halfway French onion soup for dinner. Something hot and soothing always is good on cold winter nights. It's only going down to 36° or so, but it will be yummy.

Nothing is impossible.