When I went
in for my 3rd c section I felt like a veteran with regards to the
process and was not concerned in the least about anything going wrong.
However a
day or two post-surgery I was still sitting with what I would term a very bad
headache it wasn’t what I would classify as a migraine although I do have a
high pain threshold, I knocked it off to breastfeeding and tiredness as it
tended to go away when I lay down which is most of what you do in the hospital
anyway.
However when
I got home and in the month post my c section the headaches started to get
worse and became migraines to the point where I just wanted to scream after
being up and about for several hours each day, this pain would ease off after a
few hours of lying flat though so I tried to ignore it as best I could but
eventually I couldn’t take it anymore the migraines were making my life with my
baby miserable and difficult and I had two other monkeys to run after I couldn’t
be man down on the couch for even half a day most of the time I had to go on
with life as per normal which post c section was usually very easy for me to do
and I did manage but the headaches and migraines continued to persist as I got
more and more active.
So I called
up my gynea and she sent me strait on to a neurologist; which is stinkin scary
on its own although not the first time I had been to one.
I went
through my history with him and he trumped it up to stress or hormones as in
truth I had been suffering with hormonal headaches since the age of 15.
I told him
this was different and that it would ease when I lay down for a while but he
insisted that it was most likely the cause and sent me home with strict orders
to cut out caffeine and dairy, to rest etc which I did to no avail, then I was
prescribed caffeine tabs to see if that would help but nada, eventually I was
booked into the maternity unit to see if he could find the cause and whilst
there several of the nurses insisted that I was experiencing spinal migraines
which occur in up to 40 % of people who undergo a spinal tap or spinal anaesthesia.
During
spinal anaesthesia, medication is injected into your spinal canal to numb the
nerves in the lower half of your body. If spinal fluid leaks through the tiny
puncture site, you may develop a spinal headache.
Now most
spinal headaches or migraines do resolve on their own within a matter of hours
or days but sometimes they don’t and the puncture within your spinal canal
continues to leak fluid as you stand and walk about through your day however
when you lay down the fluid fills up again meaning the headaches will ease up
and go away for that period.
When I told
the neurologist what the nurses had said he insisted it was very unlikely etc
and after many hours of pysio and countless treatments which he only implemented after I left hospital even though the purpose of being booked in was due to me only having a hospital plan and only being covered in hospital, and by this time I was starting to get just a little bit irate to say
the least.
So I called
my gynea again and she called the neurologist quite upset who then in turn
contacted my anaesthetist who was more than happy to hear what I had to say
although sorry that I had gone on with it for so long without help.
It was
conformed that I most likely was experiencing spinal migraines and I was booked
for a procedure known as a blood patch within a week.
A blood
patch is a procedure whereby they draw blood from you and then inject it into
the spinal column, this is supposed to seal up the puncture and the results
should be almost instantaneous if the diagnosis was correct.
So a week
later I went into theatre for this procedure which is not pleasant I will tell
you that much but afterwards the relief was incredible, and my anaesthetist was
great very understanding and helpful.
Problem
solved.
A week later
I went for a follow up with the neuro and received a rather hefty bill for that
appointment which I out rightly refused to pay and I refuse to go to that
doctor every again, I was incredibly angry that my sons first few months were
marred by an experience that could have and should have been corrected rather
quickly.
I urge all women
who experience headaches post any spinal anaesthesia to please report it to
your doctor as soon as possible if it is this it is not something that should be left unattended if it is still an issue after a day or two.
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