Long day at the University of Iowa – it went well though

Thursday my wife took me down University of Iowa for preliminary things scheduled for my procedure next Thursday the 18^th. Started with an MRI on my head at 9 o’clock at the University of Iowa sports medicine clinic. After that it was over to the University of Iowa Hospital. Add x-rays on my head around 10 AM. Then at 11 we met with the neurosurgeon was going to do the procedure. He reviewed my MRI showed me the trigeminal nerve opening that he would be trying to hit with the needle. There are no guarantees of course but he said he would do the best he could. The example he showed me showed this spot he needs ahead as a very faint outline on the MRI. He was an older man and is done many of these procedures so I’m hoping for the best.

Around 1 PM we finally made it to the cafeteria. We were both starving, neither of us sitting breakfast. I needed coffee really bad to. Food was awesome. If I worked at the University of Iowa Hospital I would weigh 300 pounds.

Last we met with the doctor who reviewed my capability for procedure due to my shortness of breath. I had only brought it up the earlier questionnaires because of a problem I had 10 years ago on ankle surgery. When I laid back completely I was very short of breath and told them I needed to sit up. They kind of freaked out and were talking like I was having a heart attack. After a couple minutes my breath caught up with me and I was fine. Their reaction made me worry again about that and so we had another doctor take a look at me and she gave me a clean bill of health. I didn’t want to and up in cardiac ICU by mistake.

Then home by 4 PM. Pretty long day but it went pretty well. I’m really hoping the procedure takes care of my pain. If I can get it 90% decrease in pain I will consider it a success.