I posted late last night on this site and I really really wanted you to read what I had said. I feared that this would happen and I feared for you. Yeah, I posted late last night but The MS Society have this control freak thing that they have to monitor and approve everything that is said … consequently you never got to read what I had said until it after you had been the multiple stab victim of some ham-fisted student. I am really really sorry that happened to you: sorry.
Hey, I hope that you soon get over this. I hope that you are one of those that learn as you live. I don’t know you, but assume that you never intended to be a practice dummy and were never really asked for your informed consent to be one.
When I first got diagnosed I was very trusting and very nieve; those days are gone.
Reading what you’ve just written at this time of night Lisa , is not good for my blood pressure There is nothing on the consent form, that allows a student doctor to stick a needle in your back.
You can be verbally asked to consent? So your saying there’s a student and the doctor, behind you, preparing to do a lumbar puncture. Neither one feels the need to explain this too you?
This was, a real hospital you went to?
Sorry!! I’m a qualified nurse…I don’t practice anymore. I don’t know what’s happening in some of these NHS hospitals.
I never tell anyone before an LP as I don’t like to scare people but I had a similar experience.
I was an in-patient and was told I had MS out of the blue by an incompetent ward doctor (the neuro told me the next day he had jumped the gun and it was CIS). Anyway they then told me they needed LP to confirm diagnosis so I consented, then they asked if student could use me to learn as I’m thin and my spine can be easily felt. I was in shock still from dx and thought I was being helpful so agreed. Through all of this I was in floods of tears as the ward doctor had just announced it was MS but hadn’t even explained what MS was and I, like much of the general public, only knew of the worst case scenarios. (Luckily I did my own research before I was dx’d properly three months later.)
At one point the qualified doctor said ‘That’s bone, isn’t it?’ The student said yes and the doctor said ‘Well stop pushing then before you break the needle’ I was laying there thinking ‘That’s my spine you are faffing about with!’. Then the student hit my spinal cord and my legs gave an almighty jerk. At that point she sent the student out and did the LP herself without any trouble. I wasn’t in any pain at the time but I did have a headache from hell for 6 days afterwards despite laying flat for the rest of the evening (apart from propping myself up a tiny bit to eat my evening meal just half an hour later - they also had great timing!!!). Bless him, my 15 yo son even went out over Christmas and bought me some Red Bull trying to help as he wanted me back to normal asap. He hadn’t been allowed to visit me for the 6 days I had been in hospital as it was closed due to the winter vomiting bug.
This all happened to me right before Christmas. They discharged me the next day, Christmas Eve, at 1pm and I had the thumping headache right up until New Year’s Eve. It finally went when I got very drunk … I’m not recommending that as a cure btw, I’m just saying that’s what happened to me
lisa83 - I hope your headache doesn’t last as long as mine did. I would say get all the help you can with your children and lie flat as much as possible. My headache would ease off every time I went for a lie down but as soon as I sat up again it would be back with a vengeance and no painkillers would touch it. You have my sympathy, but I promise it will pass eventually. Drink lots of fluids, hopefully you like the taste of coffee and Red Bull much more than I ever did.
I’m so sorry I did not advise you before; here’s what I usually say; bit late now; sorry.
The actual procedure is not painful; in fact the only thing you feel is a scratch when the anaesthetic goes in. The actual removal of fluid is just a feeling of pressure if done properly. I must stress if done properly; do not let anyone practice on you insist on someone who is experienced.
It’s after you MAY get something called ‘the headache from hell.’ To cut down the chances of getting this you should lay flat for at least 3 hours do not even get up to go to the loo; use a pan. Drink at least 2 litres of classic Coke, not diet; it’s the caffeine that aids replenishment of your CNS fluid. Being your drinking a lot take one of those bendy straws otherwise the bed will get more Coke than you. If you want a change of drink very strong coffee.
These things will drastically reduce your chances of getting a headache that could last about 8 days. If you have a couple of days off work and rest if you do not get the headache, if you do 10 days off work.
If the headache last more than 10 days you could need a blood patch; especially if there’s a wet patch on the bed in the area of the spine after a nights sleep; this is rare.
My consultant has arranged a LP in the next few weeks, and I’m dreading it even more after reading some of the above comments.
A recent MRI scan showed a clear brain, which the consultant said was unusual as there are liesions in my spine and apparantly he would of expected to see some in my brain, hence the LP.
He did say it can be painfull, and said about laying down afterwards and drinking plenty of fluids.
So I’ve just gotta wait now for the appointment, but not looking forward to it one bit.
At no time did I feel any pain during my LP but if they hadn’t sprung it on me whilst I was in shock I don’t think I would’ve let a student near me.
Once the qualified doctor did my LP it was very straightforward and was over in a couple of minutes. The hospital didn’t stress enough that I needed to lie down afterwards - in fact they transported me to and from the ward on a wheelchair as they didn’t have a trolley and then served my evening meal up just half an hour after the procedure. How was I supposed to eat laying completely flat?
Hopefully, now that you’ve read some experiences you will know what to avoid so that your experience is the same as many others - stress free, pain free and straightforward. Please don’t let a few bad stories put you off. This is why I have never shared my story before as I am quite confident it doesn’t happen to everyone and I’d hate to scare someone witless. I am certain that what happened to the original poster is a very rare occurrence too.
I have posted a 2nd thread regarding Magnesium and D3, basically I dont understand the dosages and my D3 levels.
I wont go into detail on this thread as it was opened by someone else, but if anyone can offer advice there on my other posting I would be very gratefull.
