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So my wife's sister came down to take her to the doctor's office this morning. My wife was unable to stand through the diagnostic portion (blood pressure, weight, etc) and was shaking uncontrollably, so they decided to admit her then. There were concerns about an infection, and perhaps a spinal injury.
I got the call around noon. By that time, my wife's mother had come down and she took care of Matthew while I went to the hospital. I spent most of my day there, but by the end, they had a solid diagnosis and a plan for treatment. Unfortunately this plan involves staying over night.
The first issue is an infection, known as endometritis, which is easily managed by antibiotics. The other matter, while less serious cannot be solved until the infection is dealt with. It's known as a spinal headache.
Typically after an epidural, when the needle is withdrawn, the hole in the sheathe that covers the spinal cord seals quickly. When it doesn't, a spinal headache can occur. It results from the hole remaining open and spinal fluid slowly leaking out. The pressure within the column, and within the braincase drops and the brain, for lack of a better term, sinks and puts pressure on the spinal cord. This causes a sharp pain in the neck and back of the head, especially while sitting up. That matches my wife's symptoms exactly.
It can be cured pretty easily. It involves drawing blood and injecting it into the spinal column. It's a simple process that can be done on an outpatient basis. This creates a patch, which seals the leak and can have the person feeling better in an hour. The problem is that they can't do that until they're sure there's no bacteria or viruses in the blood. So they have to wait for the blood tests to come back and the antibiotics to run their course, before drawing it.
So my wife has to wait in the hospital. Since I can't stay overnight, my wife has a roommate, I've come home while her Mom has gone to stay with her. I have to thank Sarah again for giving me about five hours to sleep before she goes home too.
I got the call around noon. By that time, my wife's mother had come down and she took care of Matthew while I went to the hospital. I spent most of my day there, but by the end, they had a solid diagnosis and a plan for treatment. Unfortunately this plan involves staying over night.
The first issue is an infection, known as endometritis, which is easily managed by antibiotics. The other matter, while less serious cannot be solved until the infection is dealt with. It's known as a spinal headache.
Typically after an epidural, when the needle is withdrawn, the hole in the sheathe that covers the spinal cord seals quickly. When it doesn't, a spinal headache can occur. It results from the hole remaining open and spinal fluid slowly leaking out. The pressure within the column, and within the braincase drops and the brain, for lack of a better term, sinks and puts pressure on the spinal cord. This causes a sharp pain in the neck and back of the head, especially while sitting up. That matches my wife's symptoms exactly.
It can be cured pretty easily. It involves drawing blood and injecting it into the spinal column. It's a simple process that can be done on an outpatient basis. This creates a patch, which seals the leak and can have the person feeling better in an hour. The problem is that they can't do that until they're sure there's no bacteria or viruses in the blood. So they have to wait for the blood tests to come back and the antibiotics to run their course, before drawing it.
So my wife has to wait in the hospital. Since I can't stay overnight, my wife has a roommate, I've come home while her Mom has gone to stay with her. I have to thank Sarah again for giving me about five hours to sleep before she goes home too.
