Cheryl’s SCI Stem Cell Treatment Blog

Day 4

November 10th, 2006

I woke after a restful 8 hours sleep. I feel I should document the fact that the first real change I have noticed so far is that I don’t seem to need my usual 12 hours sleep I have been logging since the accident. I don’t know if this is just a coincidence or if it is a permanent change but I will monitor this. What a blessing it would be to return to the usual 7-8 hours sleep most require as opposed to having to devote half my life to sleeping now.

I was collected early this morning for a euro-dynamics appointment. That basically translates into how much urine can my bladder hold before it lets go with a flood. The appointment went well with the exception of the usual issues of language barriers. I had a difficult time getting them to understand that I do not feel “the urge” to go nor can I control the flow either starting or stopping. The concept of catheterization as required (also known as “in and outs”) seems to be foreign to them.

Today, I will get my first round of stem cells. I was told that was to be at 3 pm so by 4:30, when I was still sitting in my room, I was getting a little anxious. It was not that I was nervous about the whole thing, more so I was a little on edge thinking something had perhaps gone wrong and it would not end up happening after all. They finally collected me at 5 pm, whew. I learned that the “time for treatment” means more that it will occur sometime after that. The patients are sort of lined up and treated one after the other as opposed to having a specific appointment. One more learning curve I have gone down. The trip down the hall to the surgery was an adventure in it’s self. Could they bump and bang into any more walls and doors if they tried? The workers here are all very kind and considerate but I don’t think they have any idea how the jostling to and fro sends waves of pain shooting down my back. I was then left to sit out in the hall with the instructions “Please wait here”. OK, let’s see. I’m paralized from the waist down, laying on a gurney with no wheelchair in sight. Where did they thing I was going to go?

The nurse in surgery inserted an IV of a valium type substance. I was told to expect a “prick” like sensation. It was more like a searing hot poker being driven up my arm. After that, I was out cold until 3 am. I woke up feeling great, no sign of the headache some patients have spoken of. My hand, where the IV was inserted, is horribly swollen and bruised. I do plan on mentioning this to someone as I feel that this could easily have been managed by just injecting slower. Just my humble opinion though.

Entry Filed under: sci