Tuesday, July 17, 2007

My Old School Part 1 / Myelogram Update




These are a couple of pictures of my old high school. I took them when we went back to Louisiana the week after Christmas in December 2006.

This is Neville High School in Monroe, Louisiana. It was opened in 1931, and this past school year was it's 75th Anniversary of being a working high school.

The top two are to give you a good overall view of the front of the school, it's very elegant looking and is aging with lots of grace.

The bottom photo was taken on one side of the school, and is the entrance to the auditorium/theater. As a teen, the carved faces above the doors fascinated me. You just don't see schools built with this kind of detail and class any more.

I was blessed to have been able to attend school here. The education I got there prepared me well for college.


Myelogram Update

Had I known exactly what I was in for yesterday, I might not have gone.

Due to four past surgeries, the radiologist had a tough time finding an opening through scar tissue to my spinal cord.

What normally would have been one set of shots to deaden the area, and one really tough one as he pressed the needle through the muscles to the spine for the tap, turned into 4 sets of shots and spinal taps. He couldn't get the dye to "flow" as he wanted it to until the fourth try.

The half hour procedure took one and a half hours because he had to do four complete procedures until he had the dye in my spinal column, with the dye flowing far enough up and down the column to see what they wanted to see.

After that was a CAT scan and then 4 hours of observation, which amounted to me laying there and the nursed coming in every 15 minutes for blood pressure and to ask if I was getting a headache.

He said I have a big bone spur pressing the nerve that gives feeling and strength in the outside half of my left leg, which is exactly where I hurt. Now it's up to the surgeon to decide what, if anything, he can do. I see the surgeon again in a couple of weeks.

It turns out that they want me (and anyone having this procedure) to be at rest for a minimum of 48 hours.

I'm doing ok, once the procedure was over and they left me alone, I've done pretty good. Just lots of muscle pain from the four places he put that honkin' big needle through my back muscles.

I should be back to work on Thursday, barring the headache they are hoping for me to avoid. The Dr. removes a bit of spinal fluid and then puts the dye in there, trying to avoid a drastic change in the pressure. If the dyes reaches and passes through the blood/brain barrier, one may get the grandaddy of all migraines, if he misjudged a bit, and the spinal column/fluid pressure changes the headache could come then as well. I'm hoping to avoid that more than they do.

Anyway, that's my sad story.

10 comments:

calusarus said...

Nice colors for this building.

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

I missed yesterday's post and hence missed Myelogram note. I am glad that u are doing well, John. I sure u'll soon be up and about....48 hrs of rest shall do you good....please take care

and what a lovely school building......such buildings evoke nostalgia. I loved the second shot the most and the bricked buildings always make me sigh with pleasure :)

Once again, get lotsa rest and take good care

Bobkat said...

I hope you are much recovered now. That whole procedure sounds very unpleasant.

I like the pics of your school BTW. Especially the one of the three doors. Nice symmetry :)

CG said...

OUCH I was wincing reading this. I think you've been very brave. I hope the surgeon can help.
Lovely to see your old school

Gudl said...

I wish you the best!

photowannabe said...

You will continue to be in my prayers. Rest and I hope something can be done for that pain in the leg.
Your ordeal at the Drs. made me squirm a bit. I really don't mind the gore but needles in the spine and eye start to make the toes curl.
Take care.
Oops, forget to say how wonderful the High School looks. The brick give it such a solid feel.

Anna said...

Sorry I missed yesterday John...I do hope that you are doing better. Please rest and take care of yourself.

And you know I love these pics...I am fond of architecture! Very nice. Sounds like a good school as well.

John Roberts said...

One of my good friends from Tech went to Neville, and played on the basketball team. He brags that he once held Calvin Natt to 42 points - in the first half. Neville was a real powerhouse in football when I was in high school in the 70's.

I'll be praying for you and your medical situation.

Anonymous said...

John, I will be praying for good results and that they can figure out the best solution for your pain. You gave a really good description of the process, enough that I went for my bottle of Aleve.

Love the pictures of Neville and looking forward to the next part.

Hope you can rest well. Take care.

JAM said...

Thanks everybody. I'm doing all right now. Sore, but making it.

Thank you for your prayers and concern.

John, I hadn't thought of Calvin Natt in many years. Wonder what ever happened to him? Went to Marion High School and averaged about 90 points a game and everywhere he went to play was standing room only.

Neville used to be the big dogs in northeast LA football, but that mantle has been won by West Monroe for 10 or 12 years now.