Today is June 29, 2011. I am at the hospital with my husband getting ready to have the medical test done. It is obvious to everyone I am nervous. My husband leans over and quietly whispers to me Judy, are you ready? I begin to laugh and think oh my God, I haven’t thought of that in years, we laugh and I relax.
My name is Cookie and here is where this story begins.
In May of 2001, I woke up with my face drawn to the side, numb on the right side and not able to speak well. Terror filled my heart, I thought I was having a stroke. My father has a massive stroke in 1984, leaving him paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak. It was one of the most heartbreaking situations I have ever witnessed.
I went directly to the doctor, who sent me to the emergency room. The hospital spent hours running scans, doing blood work. Thankfully I wasn’t having a stroke, but they were unsure what was going on. I told them about the symptoms I had been suffering from, from which no one could figure out the cause. They ran a cat scan from my chest up, and that is when they found it.
The vertebrae in my cervical region of my spine were damaged, from what we had no idea. The C3, C4, C5 and C,6 were either disintegrated or herniated. The remedy was a cervical fusion. I was terrified but I was more terrified of dying. They brought in one of the best in our region, and my surgery was scheduled.
The cat scan showed that my cervical area of my spine was in a lot of trouble. They knew from my prior surgeries they had trouble with my intubation, unsure why. The surgeon decided we should use a pedi fiber optic method, but the anesthesiologist decided other wise.
They took me to a room, told me to put on a gown and they would get me ready. My husband Ronnie and daughter Christy were there by that time and we were sitting in the room waiting. There I was sitting in an ugly gown, on the side of a gurney, feet swinging scared to death. They both did their best to calm my nerves but I was terrified. I have a terrible fear of being put to sleep, but of an incident with my cousin. She had gone in as an out patient to get her tubes tied, being accidentally gassed to death. So it added to my anxieties.
My name is Cookie and here is where this story begins.
In May of 2001, I woke up with my face drawn to the side, numb on the right side and not able to speak well. Terror filled my heart, I thought I was having a stroke. My father has a massive stroke in 1984, leaving him paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak. It was one of the most heartbreaking situations I have ever witnessed.
I went directly to the doctor, who sent me to the emergency room. The hospital spent hours running scans, doing blood work. Thankfully I wasn’t having a stroke, but they were unsure what was going on. I told them about the symptoms I had been suffering from, from which no one could figure out the cause. They ran a cat scan from my chest up, and that is when they found it.
The vertebrae in my cervical region of my spine were damaged, from what we had no idea. The C3, C4, C5 and C,6 were either disintegrated or herniated. The remedy was a cervical fusion. I was terrified but I was more terrified of dying. They brought in one of the best in our region, and my surgery was scheduled.
The cat scan showed that my cervical area of my spine was in a lot of trouble. They knew from my prior surgeries they had trouble with my intubation, unsure why. The surgeon decided we should use a pedi fiber optic method, but the anesthesiologist decided other wise.
They took me to a room, told me to put on a gown and they would get me ready. My husband Ronnie and daughter Christy were there by that time and we were sitting in the room waiting. There I was sitting in an ugly gown, on the side of a gurney, feet swinging scared to death. They both did their best to calm my nerves but I was terrified. I have a terrible fear of being put to sleep, but of an incident with my cousin. She had gone in as an out patient to get her tubes tied, being accidentally gassed to death. So it added to my anxieties.
So after what seemed forever, the door opens and a kind looking nurse with a sympathetic smile comes walking in carrying a chart. She says we’ve come to get you. I couldn’t speak. She says Alright Judy, are you ready for your back surgery. Terror filled me and before you could say don’t you do it. I was up off that gurney, back of the gown open and hair flying moving as fast as I could down the halls to safety.
Needless to say, it took a lot, and I mean a lot of persuading to get me back in that room. The nice nurse was even kind enough to show me she had the right chart.
I was taken in the operating room, awake and alert. My surgeon comes in and smiles down at me, as they are securing me. I look at him accusingly and say, “Do you know who I am and what you are going to do to me?” He smiles and says yes Cookie, I am going to do a cervical fusion on your spine. Then I relaxed, okay as much as anyone can in that circumstances.
The surgery was a success and has given me many years of relief. I was diagnosed with DISH ( Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis) When I asked what could be done about it. I was told to go home and learn to live with it, nothing can be done. So many years wasted and a future altered that didn’t have to be. I am thankful for the success of the surgery, but the intubation was very traumatic to me. So much so that I have postponed a life threatening surgery for two years because I am too afraid to be intubated.
It would be a year later in December 2002 that I am diagnosed correctly with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
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