Embed Notice

07:30 (Continuation)

I will inquire more about this compound and how it works soon, but this explanation sufficed for me. Additionally, I was questioned about some of the things I responded in the “wellbeing” section. I had a bad day at work the day prior, so when asked if I was erratic or angry in the past 24 hours (so two days ago), I truthfully responded accordingly. He simply told me that in the future it'd be helpful to give that explanation, otherwise they assume something is wrong with the study, or the doctors are at fault. This is completely fine, I was told. He also told me that this was quite an intense study, 19 days and sometimes 30 or more appointments a day with specific requirements. The reason they're checking so much on our wellbeing is to see whether we're up for that task. I said I am very much feeling up for it.

After the meeting we went right to the wellbeing for this morning, which ended in less than a minute as I was ecstatic and excited to begin the study today!

I came back, my bed was already moved to a different room. The Blohaj I had taken to the hospital was resting on a separate pillow on the stand in front of the bed where they always put documents of the patients. I was told to sit down as they explained the procedure of a lumbar puncture to me...

08:10 (written in hindsight)
The lumbar puncture to do the CSF sample started a bit later than planned, I don't have the exact time in my head. Everything went as planned, other than the fact they still needed to do a cannula as they've forgotten to do so prior. The rather new and inexperienced acting assistants made the intravenous catheter in my right arm, and then took three blood samples. Right afterwards the explanations about a lumbar puncture began. The biggest side effect / danger of this procedure was my own emotions and worry, I was told.

The doctor performing the CSF sampling entered the room. I've seen him before, he was the same do doing my screening about a month ago. He explained everything to me, the posture I needed to be in, why both my blood pressure and other things needs to be live monitored, etc. Apparently they want to know whether I'm about to faint. Probably important if there's a needle in my back. They told me the local anesthesia would be 10 centimeters behind the spine. The idea of a 10 centimeter long metal spike going into my body was scary, but when they showed me how thin it was, I felt a lot better. It was thinner than a hair. The doctor also said that I was the first (of thirty) patients he'd be performing a lumbar puncture on today, and to ease my fear he said that he'd always be the most awake and aware for the first one. He probably says to patients further down the list that he's already well trained and adjusted due to the former procedures. Anyway, it calmed my nerves a lot.

Another interesting piece of lumbar puncture trivia I overheard even during my screening was that if you talk during the procedure the spinal fluid comes out faster. A lumbar puncture isn't a needle extracting a fluid, it's punctuating a small hole in your spine and waiting for a droplet to come out. The vibrations of a patient speaking pushes this droplet out faster. They would collect 5 of these droplets from me, the human body can regenerate about 30 in a day, I was told.

At this point there were 8 people in the room all running around preparing everything.

[To Be Continued...]