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Day 3, 4, and 5 Post Op and the Spinal Headache

I was doing pretty well with recovery. Ok so the CPM machine takes up most of my time but not too horrible.

Then around noon Thursday I started to have this terrible headache. After about an hour of it getting worse my mom called the OS's office and the PA said it was a spinal headache and prescribed some medication for it.

A spinal headache happens after a spinal procedure, in my case it was the block that was used as anesthesia during surgery. It happens because sometimes some spinal fluid leaks from the area punctured by the needle, this messes with the pressure and produces a wicked headache.

By Thursday night it was pretty much under control with medication and lots of water. On Friday I however had the brilliant idea of not taking any more percocet because my hip was feeling so good. The hip continued to feel good, my head on the other hand did not.

About an hour after I only took the headache medication but decided not to take another dose of percocet I pretty much thought I was going to die. The world was spinning, even when I closed my eyes, I don't think I can even start to convey how I felt at that second. I actually started crying for over a half an hour, although it felt like way longer. I finally manged to fall asleep. By the time I woke up I had been lying down long enough that the headache had retreated enough for me to almost think strait, I connected the dots and realized right before the headache got really bad again I had stop taking the percocet. So I took another one and about a half hour later I was actually almost functional.

I later realized that it was the Tylenol part of the percocet that was making the difference so we called the pharmacist to see if it was safe to switch the two, so I wouldn't be on any narcotics, and they said yes as long as it was only one pill of regular strength Tylenol. (quick fun fact- one of the things in the headache medication is the Tylenol thing) Of course we only had extra strength at my house and this was at the height on the snow storm Nemo, but my dd went out to CVS to get the Tylenol.

At this point I am off all the Tylenol and prescription headache medication and feeling Ok. Before the spinal headache I was hoping to go to school for at least half of the day, and it had been a very realistic goal. Now I am just hoping to go in for one period and that may be some what of a challenge.

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