When I was booked for my lumbar puncture the neurologist’s receptionist said “Drink a lot of Coca-Cola during the day before your lumbar puncture, as well as on the day you have your lumbar puncture, and on the morning before you actually have your spinal tap”.  She continued, “The more coke you drink the better it will be afterwards.”  She also told me not sit up for several days afterwards and to have someone drive me home after the lumbar puncture was performed.  I was to stay as flat as possible, for as long as necessary. 

I kept thinking that ‘Lumbar Puncture’ sounded so ominous.  I knew that lumbar meant the spinal cord and that puncture meant hole.  I wondered who would knowingly want to have someone create a hole in any area of their spinal cord.  Then I suddenly realized that I was one of those crazy people, I wanted that hole, I wanted that diagnosis.

From here on in I will refer to the procedure as a spinal tap.

My husband stayed home from work to be on hand to drive me to the hospital for the spinal tap and home again.  We placed blankets and pillows in the back seat of the car the evening before, so that I could lay down all the way home, which was about an hour away.  We also stocked up on plenty of coke to see me through this very scary procedure. 

I had heard horror stories from people had had spinal taps and from people who knew people who had had spinal taps.  Not one of these accounts was pleasant.  I was quite frankly very shaky going into this situation.

I will continue this spinal tap story tomorrow.

Bye, for now,

Bonnie