As I type this I am watching a Wife Swap episode, in which one of the wives is in a wheelchair - this should be interesting, so apologies if this post is intercepted with commentary on the episode!
One of the daughters just commented that she wanted someone that she could get angry at, but would feel guilty about getting angry at the swapped wife as she was in a wheelchair. Hmmmm. People's thoughts on this?
Anyways, in my last post I explained what the Baclofen pump is. I am currently waiting for an appointment to be admitted for a trial, so they can figure out the right dose for me before implanting it, and I finally got my letter yesterday from my consultant saying the Neurosurgeon had been contacted to arrange a date, woo!
It is a long process getting it, only after it was fairly obvious that oral medication disagreed with me that I finally decided to be referred to get it, as it is kind of a last resort, and a sort of extreme one.
The decision go ahead with the process had to take into account that whilst the sleepy/grouchy/drunky side effects wouldn't happen, because it relaxes the muscles, the stiffness that I rely on to stand up/stagger about would be taken away completely, so most likely this means I will go from part-time wheelchair use to pretty much full time.
The Dr told me to think hard about it, but I was totally cool with this, so said ja, go ahead and refer me. I feel way more elegant and less clumsy in a wheelchair than when I am hobbling and staggering about! Plus putting trousers and shoes on will be waaaay easier, as it is a mission in the morning to get them on when your legs clamp together!
So now is the waiting game for the trial appointment - in the mean time this blog will mostly serve as an every day blog till then.
Wednesday 27 October 2010
The Baclofen Pump
Basically, Baclofen is a drug that helps reduce spasticity which occurs in neurological illnesses, and spinal cord injuries. To explain it really simply, the drug helps relax the muscles and stops them from twitching crazily as much! I'm not too up on the science behind it, apart from that it helps the electrical signals to the brain, go from hyperactive to normal.
Baclofen comes in tablet and and liquid medication form, but the problem with that is, it can have some REALLY interesting side effects. That is, acting like a drunken incoherent form in my case, so probably going to work in that state was probaaablyyy not the best idea!
Work colleague: Sanchia, are you ok?
Me: I'm Medicated! *Giggles*
The Baclofen pump gets around this problem by going to the source, by pumping the medication directly into the spinal fluid, so therefore doesn't have to go through the bloodstream and you don't act like a crazy drunk person:
The pump is refilled via am injection through the skin at the site of the pump, usually every 1-3 months, with the battery lasting 5-7 years.
So that's an simplified explanation of what the Baclofen pump is!
Image taken from:
Baclofen comes in tablet and and liquid medication form, but the problem with that is, it can have some REALLY interesting side effects. That is, acting like a drunken incoherent form in my case, so probably going to work in that state was probaaablyyy not the best idea!
Work colleague: Sanchia, are you ok?
Me: I'm Medicated! *Giggles*
The Baclofen pump gets around this problem by going to the source, by pumping the medication directly into the spinal fluid, so therefore doesn't have to go through the bloodstream and you don't act like a crazy drunk person:
The pump is refilled via am injection through the skin at the site of the pump, usually every 1-3 months, with the battery lasting 5-7 years.
So that's an simplified explanation of what the Baclofen pump is!
Image taken from:
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