The Mystery Illness Diaries: Post-Spinal Tap and Other Happenings

First published on March 19, 2012 at 11:05 p.m.

Hey everyone! The spinal tap really freaked me out but turned out to be fairly fast and only occasionally painful. WHEW! They are in fact testing for Guillain–Barré, as several of you have guessed (I feel an extra layer of safety surrounding me with all of these medical professional friends ♥). Last I heard they were checking my blood to make sure I don't have an allergic reaction to the IV treatment. I haven't been told that it is for sure Guillain–Barré though, because even though I've been here since noon, the neurologist hasn't come in to talk to me. Thankfully my nurse was pissed off about that and sent a patient advocacy person in not long ago so I could file a "concern," which is apparently an anonymous way to let the nursing staff put pressure on a doctor who isn't visiting their patients in a timely manner. My deeply ingrained Minnesota Friendly syndrome made me feel a bit guilty for filing a concern, but whatever, the fact that I've been losing feeling in my legs concerns me more ;) So, no IV treatment for me today, but hopefully I will see someone right away tomorrow who can tell me what we're dealing with, and how we can deal with it quickly, with no nasty lingering effects. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for the amazing amount of phone calls, texts, visits, flowers & gifts, JOKES, and most of all LOVE and prayers! ♥ You are all so amazing, and I am a very lucky girl ♥. I also want to thank Sarah Weitkuhn, who came running to the hospital as soon as she heard the words "spinal" and "tap," Arna Rennan for bringing me in and staying with me all day, Cole Maki and Toby for coming to give me sibling love, Brian Dack for making me laugh even when I was crying, my amazing RENEGADE Family - Lori Rothstein, Laura Solmonson, Alicia Hummel, and Brad Christensen - for literally entertaining me for hours and making me forget I was even in a hospital room, and to the ever amazing Suzanna Rasp-Lambert, who had already ordered beautiful flowers and the cutest, fluffiest DUCKY ever from the gift shop before was I even fully checked into my room!!! Actually, the card said "Love, Zenna and the Cottey Hotties," but I deduced that Zenna probably meant Zanna :) This mystery illness has weakened my powerful legs, but not my power of deduction! ♥ Oh, and I have been moved to room 8247 on 8E, and my direct number is now 218.786.7327 - thanks for letting everyone know, Dayna Bissett ♥. So much love to you all! ♥