I decided to try stem cell injections for my migraine and neck issues, and went through the process yesterday.
I had to be awake (albeit, loopy) for the procedure, so I was able to communicate to the doctor throughout. I feel like I got hit by a truck, today, and even the codeine isn't doing much for the pain.
if you're interested, here's a rundown of the procedure. if not, skip to the end for a pretty picture of my neck.
- take 1 pill 90 minutes before appointment - i cant remember the name of the drug, but it's in the same family as valium.
- start to get loopy, get mocked by DK
- post on the internet to get proof about my theory of getting cold if they take "7 bloods" away.
- DK threatens to take my phone away.
- go into exam room, have blood drawn (for the record, they took 50 bloods (50cc) , and hit the vein on the first try.) nurse preps the blood to get "PRP" (platelet rich plasma) and remove the RBC.
- become overly interested in the medical diagrams in the room, ask DK if he wants to know what his butt looks like on the inside
- due to altered mental state, have no idea why that's funny.
- wander across hall to restroom. fortunately do not get lost on return trip
- post picture on FB to ask if your pupil should be this dilated after 1 pill and 50 bloods. once again, no understand why people find this funny.
- DK takes phone away.
- sad because you don't have a phone anymore, and also they took 50 bloods.
- make DK feel bad enough to give the phone back
- post throughts about one of the ladies getting smacked by the blue man group. make sure that everyone knows i'm not talking about smurfs, but the music ones.
- Doctor finally comes in and preps for stem cell removal.
- stem cells harvested through liposuction, so doctor and nurse scrub down abdomen including belly button. i find this hilarious.
- get lipo - i'm super bruised, but this really wasn't bad at all.
- asked why the fat was orange - was it because it really is yellow and there's blood.
- doctor said yes and started telling me how it looks like a papaya smoothie. i told him that i didn't like papayas.
- doctor preps the fat to break out the stem cells. explains difference between what he does and what a cosmetic surgeon does. (they can use enzymes, his process is manual.)
- nurse uses PRP and fat to prep syringes for the doctor.
- doctor has me lay on my stomach with my face in a hole. i have a big chest, so this is not easy. eventually we come to a happy medium.
- doctor gives me local anesthetic and gives me the worst massage ever to find all of the points that he wants to treat. he marks them.
- doctor shoots stem cell mix syringes to treat the areas he marked. a lot of the tissue he was treating was deep, and some of the 50ish spots took several tries to hit and were really painful.
- ligaments are crunchy when you stab them with a needle. you can hear it.
- doctor and nurse told me that i have a really high pain tolerance - a lot of people don't handle the injections very well.
- i'm really stiff and bruised right now, but if this works as planned, it's going to make a significant difference within a month or 2.
Keep in mind, this extends around the sides, below the shirt, and well into my hair/back of my head: