In the lucky five per cent

The short of it is I had a fucked up weekend - I'm in the lucky 5 per cent
of patients who, after having what seems like a knitting needle stuck in their spine with a
lumbar puncture, continue to leak cerebrospinal fluid. This means intense
headaches - not dull throb of a hangover, like seven knives getting stuck
into brain - whenever head is lifted above horizontal for 2-7 days. I found
this out after seven hours in the Monash emergency department Friday
afternoon/night, which I can't bitch about because the amazing people there
were making sure their theory matched the brains trust in the neurosurgery
unit (who were in theatre all afternoon/evening) before letting me go.

Sooo, I'm doped to the eyeballs on pain killers until such time the body
heals itself of that hole in the spine - good news is that this morning
they're working. Last two days have been shitful mornings, and no recovery
until 2pm, because apparently by "every 4 hours" they really mean it. Last
night I set alarms at 12.30am and at 4.30am to maintain the pain killer and
anti-inflammatory dosage through the night. Seems to have worked so far.

There's a team meeting Wednesday, at which time we should find out results
from 6 tests which required the 20 ml of fluid they took out of my back.
Also results from the CT scans from pelvis, abdomen and chest (which
hopefully do not say there are similar fuzzy fuckers lodging in there - that
would suggest lymphoma apparently).

Anyway, trying to get some work done this morning - if pain killers do their
thing.