Last month in February I went to see the Neurosurgeon who would be doing the procedure. She was very nice and straightforward, and had an example of the pump for me to look at and hold, to get an idea of what potentially could be going inside me!
So here it is:
It was a lot bigger than I thought it would be, about the size of a hockey disc, and weighing one to two pounds. That did not put me off though, I guess I will just have to make sure I don't get too skinny or it will stick out a mile!
The Neurosurgeon explained to me that because I was what they called a "walker" (even though that is only something like 5% of the time) I would probably feel the weight when I tottered around, but when in my wheelchair it wouldn't be an issue.
The main issue is getting the right dosage of Baclofen so that I still maintain some tone in my legs (the thing that helps me stand up), if at all possible, which is why I will need a week in hospital having the drug pumped into my spinal fluid via a tube, before getting the pump put in.
The thing that got me down a bit, and surprised me, was the potential waiting time between the testing stage and (if successful) actual implantation could be up to a year, as they have to apply for funding to do the procedure, as it an expensive one.
Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
Well, at least it is getting done and the ball is moving. She suggested going back onto oral baclofen in the meantime, and when I pointed out that I would drunk 99% of the time, she said after a couple of months that could wear off.
TWO MONTHS??
I can't be basically drunk and out of my skull for two months! Though I'm sure some people would love that, I have Uni work, three Guinea Gigs, and some semblance of a social life to hold on to.
So, that's all for now!
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