Back up and Life.

This is another ordeal which changed my life forever. 

Feb 2022- I developed severe disc herniation and was put on Steroids for a week and strong pain killers to help with the never-ending pain.  I continued taking pain killers to be able to function. I couldn't drive or do physical activities and had to convert my teaching classes to remote. 

April 2022- My pain from disc herniation was intense and it was beyond any pain killers. I lost sensation in my left leg and rushed to the emergency room. After an MRI, I was informed that, my disc at L5-S1 has a large (golf ball size) herniation and it needs to be surgically removed! After 2 days in the hospital. the doctor performed the surgery. 

Post surgery- I woke from the anesthesia. The doctor came to me and told me that, they removed the bulge, but "I had Cerebro spinal fluid leak during the procedure. They put glue on the leak, and it should heal in 3-5 days", which meant that, I cannot sit for the next 3-5 days. 

I was completely flat on the bed and was tilted to only 15 degrees while eating and brushing. It was a nightmare for me to lie flat and not being able to move to any side. After 4 days, I was allowed to sit slowly at a 45-degree angle on my bed. The moment they put my bed high, I had a terrible headache. It was intense and I never felt anything like that before. The doctors assured me that it should go away, and I would be fine! 

After 7 days, I was finally able to sit and stand with the help of a walker. But each time, I sat, I would have intense/ explosive headaches and severe stiffness in the neck. I was informed that I could go home, and I should be fine! I was discharged and was asked to come for a follow up a week after. 

My visit to home was nothing short of a nightmare. I could not sit at all, and I had intense headaches. Each time I sat, I could feel my brain sagging down and coming till my ears. I could not move or even stand as I had severe stiffness in my neck and spine. We called the doctor multiple times and each time we were informed that it will go away. After 3 days, I started leaking through my sutures in the back. Each time, I sat, a fluid passed through my sutures in the back and came out. It started increasing and

reached a point where the wetness on my back was visible to anyone. 

Day 14, we informed the doctor, and they asked me to come back for another MRI. I immediately rushed to the hospital. This time, I knew something was terribly wrong! 

The MRI revealed that there was a big hole in my cerebrospinal fluid lamina and the doctors decided to take me in for a surgery immediately. 

Day 15- I was taken in for dural repair surgery. A Plastic surgeon and 2 spinal surgeons worked on my back and patched the hole (which was the size of a quarter). They put an external drain from my back that would allow all the Cerebro spinal fluid to come out and keep the patch dry. I was shifted to ICU as the drain requires special caring. 

                                             

Day 16- I started developing severe headaches and electric shocks in my back with mild fever. I was not allowed to even lift my head. It was traumatic for me, and I was slowly losing all my hopes by this point. I started developing fevers and headaches and I was informed that I have low grade meningitis. This could be due to the drain because anything connected to our internal organs can carry infections. 

The trauma for the next 4 days was unimaginable. The pain and suffering were intense, and I couldn't take it beyond a point. I was given plethora of pain killers which never worked. 

During this time- the head doctor from the spinal surgeons group visited my room and his first sentence was, "Are you the one doing the drama?". I was beyond petrified by his words. The head doctor was rude and blamed me that I was doing the drama. I never understood how I can cause all these--- while suffering from immense pain and trauma and fighting to be alive! Not to forget, it had been almost 3 weeks by now since I spent any time with my kids! The conversations did not go well and the head nurse during that time helped me ease my pain by settling the dust. it is during times like these, we lose hopes on good doctors. 

I spent nearly 2 weeks in hospital and was discharged with a PICC line again to continue taking IV antibiotics at home. It was a very slow recovery process. I came back home to my kids and family. It took me a really long time to be able to walk without support and I still suffer and take pain killers. 

Brownie points- Since I was bedridden and had absolutely nothing to do physically- I decided to work my thesis. I would lay on my back, bend my knees and put my laptop on my stomach, and I typed my entire PhD thesis!!!!! Yes, I completed my thesis and defended PhD in October of 2022!  

Just a small blessing in disguise. 

PS: I still suffer from the immense back pain and severe headaches and occasional neck stiffness. I cannot do many physical activities and I have to plan everything including my daily chores. I am yet to travel long distances and spend one whole day outside without having to take pain killers. I developed severe insomnia because I get dreadful nightmares of being in hospital and being scolded by the doctors for no fault of my own! I wake up gasping for air and search for my kids next to me. I am counting each day and learning to live through the pain. 

Recovery from sepsis.

So, I am back after a long time and really want to document my journey of second pregnancy. This story is nothing short of a drama and here it is for you all...

Feb 13, 2020. It was a scheduled C Section and I could feel the Epidural injection going in, as my left leg started becoming numb and I warned the anesthesiologist about it. I was assured it was common and my surgery went well. My son was born, and I forgot every pain (of course I had epidural too). As my insurance allows me to stay for an extra day, I chose to stay back in the hospital and go home on day 5!

By Day 4, I started experiencing electric waves in my back and I had developed headaches. I informed the nurses, but they said it was all normal. 

Day 5 was the discharge day. My Blood Pressure was very high, and it was very abnormal for me as I always record 100/70 or lower. But the nurse told me that breastfeeding makes the BP rise and discharged me. I went home with headache and hypertension and largely an uneasy feeling. Over the next few days, I had stiff neck and persisting headaches with blurred vision. 

I called the gynaec and went for UTI  exam just to be careful. The gynaec informed me that my BP was high but I did not have any UTI. So, as a precaution, I called the anesthesiologist, and he immediately asked me to come back to the hospital. 

This was Day 13 after the delivery. So, I rushed to hospital with my husband. The triage people said, I had abnormally high BP and I needed to be admitted as I might be developing postpartum preeclampsia. My heart sank at that moment. I left my 13 days old son and 2.5-year-old daughter at home and here I am with unknown condition- getting admitted. 

The nurse took me in and put a catheter as I was on Magnesium and cannot walk for next 24 hrs. After being on Magnesium for 2 days, the doctor informed me that it was not postpartum preeclampsia, but I might have a Cerebro spinal leak because of anesthesia. So, I was suggested, I should go for a blood patch where they with draw blood from my arm and inject it directly into the epidural spot. 

In the meantime, I had the pain medicine doctor treating me for headaches and gave me injections at five spots on my head. 

All this while, I was enduring severe pain in my body, head, back and not to forget the emotional pain of being away from my kids. By this time, I have started bleeding profusely. On the day of my discharge, I had mild fever with pain in my back and heavy bleeding. I was happy to go home and be with my kids, so when I was discharged, I was just ready to go! 

Day 17- The next morning, I couldn't move as my back was hurting really bad and I was bleeding profusely. My body was squeezing my life out of it and I never understood why this was so bad. I was not even in a position to sit, and breast feed my son. Slowly, I started developing fevers and chills and my pain in the back grew enormously. 

By day 20, I had a fever of 103 and my gynaec said, I needed to go to emergency. 

When I entered the emergency, my Blood Pressure of 150+ and my fever was 106. I was immediately admitted in the ward and was being checked for COVID. I informed the doctor that I am unable to breathe as it is hurting badly in the back and that my urine is very dirty with blood and wastes. 

They immediately checked it and came back with the news that; I had developed SEPSIS. My heart dropped and I lost all hopes on my life. I knew what it means to have Sepsis just 2 weeks postpartum especially after C section. I was shifted to ICU and was treated for Sepsis for next 1 week. 

By this time, COVID cases have increased in the USA, and nobody was allowed inside the hospital for visitations. It was just me on the bed dealing with emotional, physical and psychological pain. All this while, I was pumping and dumping just to keep the supply up. And the pain from pumping during sepsis is unexplainable. 

Day 29- After a week, my infections started decreasing and I was discharged with a PICC line to receive IV antibiotics at home. I came back to my son just 1 day before his 1st month birthday and continued my treatment for next 2.5 weeks from home. 

I was glad to have my parents by my side who took utmost care of me. I was down physically, emotionally and psychologically but my kids and family kept my spirits high. I survived postpartum sepsis. 

I am still suffering the consequences of Sepsis and I haven't fully recovered. 

Icing on the cake- I was sued by the anesthesia consultants in December of 2022 for not paying $800 (which I was not even aware)!