Time Travel Tuedsay ~ Fraidy Cat Edition

Travel back to the last time you were really scared!
Were you afraid to look under the bed when you were little, or even now?
When is the last time you remember being very scared?
A couple of times, I have posted about some frightening things that I have experienced in my life. I blogged how my father used to scare me as a child and about my experience going through Hurricane Andrew. But Annie asked about the last time we were really scared.

I would have to say the last time I was really scared was around this time last year. Preston was born December 22nd of last year and just two days after his birth (Christmas Eve), I woke with a horrendous headache. Really it was only horrendous when I was upright. When I was lying down, it was bearable. With my nursing experience, I knew what it was, but I didn't want it to be true. My fears became more real when the aide came in to do my vital signs. As I sat my bed up, I grabbed my head in excruciating pain. When the aide seen me, she said exactly what I was trying to deny, "You look like your having a spinal headache."

You see, Preston was born via Cesarean section, and I had a spinal block for his birth. The anesthesiologist had some difficulty getting the spinal block done. He made multiple attempts to get the needle placed properly. I beared through it knowing that if they had to use general anesthesia, then Ryan wouldn't get to see our son being born. They had already told us that he wouldn't be allowed to come in if I was under general anesthesia and intubated. I was very close to asking them to do the general anesthesia when the anesthesiologist finally got the needle placed.

Now, two days later, I was having spinal headaches from a CSF (Cerebral Spinal Fluid) leak from my spinal block. The headaches were so intense that my nurse was treating me with IV narcotics to dull the pain, and the vomiting wasn't helping either. My OBGYN came in my room hoping to discharge me so we could spend Christmas at home. When she seen what was going on, she said, "Those are spinal headaches you are having, and I am going to have to call the anesthesiologist back in to do a blood patch." I was so afraid that I started to cry. Of course, it was incredibly painful to even cry. To have to go through the poking in my back again, just two days later, had me terrified.

A few hours later, the anesthesiologist came and did my blood patch, and no, he didn't get it on the first, second, or even the third try AGAIN! But finally, it was done! He told me to lie down to rest for an hour and he would be back to see if it was successful. With all of the IV narcotics and the emotional stress, I fell right asleep. He came back an hour later and asked me to get up and walk. I did and only had a dull headache at that point. A few hours later, I was discharged home to spend Christmas with my family and our new little arrival.