A Little Background

I am truly blessed! I have a wonderful daughter and wonderful friends that continue to support me and care for me while I travel this seemingly never ending journey. I tire easily, and at times find the headaches unbearable, however my pain tolerance has improved greatly over the months. After seeing 5 neurologists I was finally diagnosed with a CSF leak in my brain. This is a rare condition that can be brought on by epidurals, spinal taps, head bumps, and oddly enough spontaneously. My leak has been caused by the latter of the four. The spinal fluid that is supposed to be inside the lobes of my brain are leaking out of the dura and into the space surrounding my brain. This is putting pressure on my brain, pushing it towards my skull and downwards into my neck, and causes great pain in the entire head and neck area. This is not the same condition where a shunt is used because this is when there is too much fluid in the brain. I am not able to produce enough CSF to keep the pressure in my brain at the right level, and then on top of that there is fluid outside my brain putting pressure on it. Somehow, they need to plug the hole. I was initially told that a Blood patch would do the trick. This procedure was completed on Friday, and unfortunately it did not work. It was a painful procedure that has left me in more pain and unfortunately did not plug the hole. I am now waiting for more testing and then a much more invasive procedure.
There is not much literature out there on Low CSF Headaches and the procedures that are out there, so I thought that this was an opportunity to journal, allow some insight to others that may be suffering from the same ailment, and a way to pass time while stuck in bed. Thank goodness I purchased a laptop last year. I love it...at the time of the purchase I thought it would be for my classroom, little did I know that God was preparing me for a year in bed. Now that you have a little information about my condition, I think that I will move on for a few posts and come back as new news is available. If anyone has questions ( all of my non readers:) ) please post them and I would be happy to answer them.
Laurie

and so we begin...

Today I find myself beginning something new. Opening a window into my life that I really never thought I would open. The last year has been tough for me, a journey that has brought me many challenges and opportunities to realize God's grace. A journey that I will tell you all about as my days here continue.
For a long time, I don't know how long to be honest, I have prayed for patience. God does hear our prayers, I have proof...I prayed for patience and God has taught me patience this year. On October 17, 2008, I found myself struggling with a migraine type headache that just wouldn't go away. No matter what medication I took, nor how much sleep I engaged in, the headache remained. I was teaching grade 7/8 at the time and the students were wonderful. They spent time working quietly and without the annoying fluorescent lights on... they were respectful. I don't know what more a teacher could ask for... they cared... I was honoured to have them as my students. I continued to work until November 7, 2008 when another staff member took me to the ER because the pain was unbearable. Even on IV meds, the doctor's were unable to eradicate my migraine and so still today, I lay here in pain. No longer able to work, resigned to laying prone in bed until the mystery of my brain is found. Patience...for my eleven year old daughter that has had to care for me throughout this journey. Patience...for the waiting lists that seem to go on forever for CT scans and MRIs. Patience...for the doctors that take time to make appointments, return phone calls, and diagnose the cause of my headaches. God has taught me patience.
So today I begin the a blog... my journey... the lessons...my life.

until the next time,
Laurie