“There is so much rejection, pain and woundedness among us, but once you choose to claim the joy hidden in the midst of all suffering, life becomes celebration. Joy never denies sadness, but transforms it to fertile soil for more joy.”
– Henri Nouwen
January marked nine years since my accident (a ladder fall) which means I have now spent over nine years living with a spinal CSF leak & arachnoiditis.
Nine years – that’s a long time.
Nine years of pain. Nine years of endurance. Nine years of medical support. Nine years of a changed life. Nine years of restrictions. Nine years of daily struggle. Nine years of trying to understand what actually happened to me that day & what has happened to my body since.
It’s not been easy. In fact it’s never easy. It’s always been hard.
And yet…
Nine years does become something of a new normal.
To the extent I have almost forgotten what it’s like to have a body where pain is absent, when you don’t have to spend all day every day managing distressing symptoms. When I had more choice about what to do and how to do it.
The current ‘normal’ has at least become more manageable. As I have learnt more about what is wrong, how to manage it, how to work with my body, accept it and make the most of the life I have. Now that I have treatments that help me to keep the worst debilitation at bay and to treat the radical relapses that can seemingly ‘take me back to the start’.
So as I reached my nine years anniversary I decided to connect again with others suffering. Whether at the start of your journey or many years in – I write for you to know that someone understands. Our lives and stories are always unique, and yet similar experiences do bring an affinity, That can help us to feel more seen and heard ourselves.
I also continue to write and make videos to educate others. Whether it’s those suffering, those caring for them, friends and family that are trying to understand or even the medical professionals that treat them. I know that true life stories can be powerful. To welcome someone into your world. To speak up for yourself and for others suffering like you.
Because if we are not heard then nothing will change.
And in the world of CSF leaks (& arachnoiditis) things still need to change – a lot. Much has already changed in nine years regarding spinal CSF leak research … and yet there is still so much further to go. The stories still regularly exist of people struggling to be listened to and diagnosed. Those simply not believed and shut out from the medical care they need. And those despairing because they can’t seem to get well however much treatment they may have because unfortunately the quicker you are diagnosed and treated the better the potential outcome of treatment.
So I firstly made a new video about a month ago. It’s quite a comprehensive update so it’s 30 mins long. This blog article is to compliment that and also enable people who do not speak English well to translate it more easily.
My videos and this blog post were also written in reflection and response to having had MRI’s from October 2023 reported by a neuroradiologist and my specialist consultant neurologist saying that they can still see my leak in the cervical and upper thoracic spine (extradural fluid) and it remains unchanged since my last CSF leak protocol MRI’s in September 2019. So that has confirmed that I am still leaking. This is why I wanted to focus this article and my video on my leak rather than my arachnoiditis symptoms. Although as I say in the video – it’s often so hard to really know which is which because of all the overlaps and also because my symptoms and scans point to both injuries being caused by the original ladder fall. So they developed together.
Here is the content summary of the video which can be found below the video on YouTube and can be used to skip to different parts of interest.
VIDEO CONTENT SUMMARY
2:29 Arachnoiditis flares bring more classic postural CSF leak symptoms 2:48 I can be upright most of the day 3:06 Consistent and similar symptoms throughout the day 4:36 Arachnoiditis vs spinal CSF leak symptom confusion 5:40 Stopping invasive spinal procedures 11:11 Leak symptoms: Fuzzy/ dizzy/ dreamy equilibrium 11:38 Constant head pressure sensation 11:50 Neck stiffness 12:36 Phonophobia & Photophobia 13:06 Concentration and cognition limitations 13:42 Travel in cars and planes tough 14:50 Hyperreaction to ICP (intracranial pressure) changes 16:43 Can I still work? 19:16 There is still life and hope 20:40 I had 4-5 years of clear scans at start 21:40 Finding your own daily rhythm 23:53 Learning from others whilst understanding our uniqueness 25:50 ‘A marathon not a sprint.’ 27:18 Be careful with getting fixated on getting fixed 28:02 There is a life to live even if you don’t get fixed 31:08 What about the future?
I am not going to write about all the content because I talk so much about it in my video. But I would like to reflect on a few important aspects of it.
SPINAL CSF LEAK SYMPTOMS
Firstly I talk quite a bit about some of my most prominent spinal CSF leak symptoms. The main problem I have in talking about them is that there is so much overlap with my arachnoiditis symptoms that it’s hard to always tell which is which.
Also these days many of my main symptoms are no longer so ‘classic’ in the sense that my headache is not postural anymore (unless I am in an arachnoiditis flare). And it’s also not ‘second half of the day’ in the sense that it gets worse the longer I am upright due to slowly loosing spinal fluid. I can actually be upright most of the day – although never without many symptoms. I do tend to lie down about 4-5pm but not because the headache has increased in intensity. But due to the fact I am utterly worn out by spending my whole day mainly on my feet. Managing my symptoms by keeping on moving about and walking around 10,000 steps a day. I cannot sit comfortably so lying down is my only chance to really rest. I do then lie down a lot of the evening to rest – but can get up to make and have dinner and do other things if I need to. I often do need to get up a bit or my lying down headache gets increasingly bad.
So really, my symptoms are pretty consistent throughout the day. I actually wake up with a headache, have headaches and feel pretty ill overnight if I am awake at all and have headaches lying down for any length of time – as I just said. So sometimes being upright improves my headache somewhat. As does walking and moving around.
For some reason staying in one position for any length of time makes all my symptoms worse – my head, neck & spine pressure increases, my thinking becomes cloudy and the pain quickly escalates to unbearable levels. Whether that’s standing, sitting or lying down. Although sitting is one of the worst positions for me that is perhaps more linked to the arachnoiditis. As is the typical need to keep on moving about to manage the pain, pressure and leg weakness that actually builds if I stay still. (Unless in a relapse – then walking causes my legs to get weaker).
My symptoms could also be somewhat affected by increased spinal fluid pressure (or volume) at times due to the arachnoiditis and subsequent CSF flow issues. And perhaps due to my body overcompensating in spinal fluid production due to the leak.
But it’s very very complex. And many doctors could only really theorise like I do. As a leak goes on long term (& during recovery) it can be very hard to differentiate higher or lower pressure (or volume) symptoms.
It is also possible that the leak helps somewhat regulate my pressure now. Like a natural shunt. Hence I could be at risk of a massive rebound high pressure issue if the leak was ever actually fixed.
STOPPING INVASIVE SPINAL PROCEDURES
Which brings me on to my next major point. The decision to stop further invasive spinal scans and procedures such as CT Myelogram (CTM), Digital Subtraction Myelogram, (DSM), epidural blood patches and surgeries. For me it’s just FAR too risky to the arachnoiditis.
I haven’t got the time to tell the story here – but I do on the video in the section where I talk about stopping invasive procedure’s. My last invasive spinal procedures were in September 2017. At that time I had a CTM And, we then followed up with a 40 ml blind epidural blood patch a week later. And I was subsequently in extreme pain which acute symptoms following both procedures. I had in fact been in a relapse prior to them. Which meant my undiagnosed arachnoiditis was in a massive flare up. Following the CTM I had a tonic clonic seizure in the recovery ward and was extremely ill and sick for the next 24 hours or so. All my normal symptoms were also made acutely worse. So we decided to try a lumbar EBP because we feared the lumbar puncture had perhaps given me a new leak & also in the hope it might have treated the old leak. That also caused me immense pain in my spine and head. I had to stay in hospital a number of days but struggled for months with severe head and spine pain we thought could perhaps be attributed to rebound high pressure. But in hindsight I think it was more complex than that because of the undiagnosed arachnoiditis.
So in summary – for me further invasive scans (that require LPs and contrast) are too risky. As are EBP and surgeries. Anything that goes anywhere near the leptomeninges feels too much risk of accelerating the arachnoiditis.
I do have friends with arachnoiditis who have had surgery on leaks and there were often complications which could often lead to the surgery failing or new leaks appearing perhaps due to the subsequent pressure surges. So it’s just not simple.
MONITORING FOR SUPERFICIAL SIDEROSIS
What could change that decision though is if I do develop Superficial Siderosis – which leak experts across the world are beginning to note as anything between 10-50% (and sometimes even more) likely from long term (especially ventral leaks which mine may well be). Especially those of 10-20 years. It’s an iron deposits (deposition of haemosiderin) build up in the brain or spinal canal from long term leaks or bleeds in the nervous system etc. And the only way to stop its progression would be to seal the leak.
But we shall cross that bridge if it comes and in the meantime I am having special MRIs to monitor for it.
HOPE FOR THOSE SUFFERING
Finally I wanted the video to provide some hope for those recently diagnosed or suffering with a spinal CSF leak long term. Because it’s often an awful thing to experience and the thought of living with something like this long-term just seems impossible. Which can often lead to utter despair and even suicidal thoughts.
So I wanted to say that you CAN live with this condition long-term. It is so very difficult. It’s so life changing and every day is spent managing symptoms and pain. Your life does have to change and that takes a long hard process of grief and letting go of who we once were. But I do believe we can learn to thrive despite it that doesn’t mean that we will feel like with thriving, but it can be a possibility and a part of our life again.
I actually made a video in the summer called ‘Learning to Thrive Despite Having a Chronic Illness’ which was all about the journey of learning how to discover a new way of life despite our injury, restrictions and challenges.
I never want to minimise how hard it is to accept our conditions and learn how to discover the best life we can despite them. I am also very grateful to be fortunate to currently have so much time out of bed, and still have the ability to walk so much which helps in what I am able to do. However, I haven’t always been able to do what I can now and have experienced many months and many years of spending a lot of my day if not all of my day in bed.
And in the end, we have no choice. We have to find a way to live like this because the only other option isn’t an option, especially when you have a family and children who need you.
I will keep on telling my story, and letting you know the twists and terms and the ups and downs of how it develops. The future is full of unknowns. It’s full of challenges which I have to both face the reality of, but also try not to think too much about.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of it’s sorrow, it empties today of it’s strength.”
– Corrie ten Boom
So I will choose to keep on living life – for now WITH my spinal CSF leak and the arachnoiditis. And if I am to keep on living, I will try and find ways to keep on finding that:
Joy in living, despite the awful symptoms. Contentment, despite the loss. Peace, despite the constant noise of the pain. And always pressing deeper into that Love, both spiritually & relationally that sustains us and gives us the strength and purpose to keep on going.
Even when some days are just really really hard.
“There is so much rejection, pain and woundedness among us, but once you choose to claim the joy hidden in the midst of all suffering, life becomes celebration. Joy never denies sadness, but transforms it to fertile soil for more joy.”
– Henri Nouwen
Here is my new summary video of my whole medical journey as well as footage of my January/ February 2021 adhesive arachnoiditis relapse/ flare and treatment with IV Steroids.
“Perseverance is rooted in hope. We persevere when we believe that what awaits us is worth the fight.” – Sarah Walton
Sadly, following just over a year with much more ‘stable baseline’ arachnoiditis/ CSF leak symptoms…
I finally succumbed to a new flare.
Another relapse.
And it was again … BAD.
Bad enough that a 10 day course of 40mg prednisolone (oral steroid) hardly touched it….Took the edge off maybe… But certainly couldn’t stop it!
That is the power of my arachnoiditis flares. Once established – they seem untouchable to halt.
… Until we use the IV Methylprednisolone 1g a day x3.
Until we hit the inflammation HARD & FAST.
That’s the only thing that seems to stop it in its tracks and subsequently reverse the relapse process… back into recovery.
I have again documented this flare with a new YouTube video (see below) made post IV treatment. But it includes some footage from the flare itself.
I make these videos to raise awareness, to educate, to continue to tell my story, inform others of my progress and also to process my own trauma.
Because it’s always traumatic.
To feel that abhorrently unwell. To feel so vulnerable and out of control. To be brutally reminded of the nightmare of dozens of previous relapses … and especially the trauma of the memories of the ones from before…
… from before we knew about the central nervous system inflammation. About the Arachnoiditis that seems to have been there from the start.
Hiding in plain sight for many years.
Before we understood – about the arachnoiditis inflammation and the way these flares always seems to take me right back into my acute low pressure/ spinal CSF leak symptoms.
Before we understood ALL that … I just had to endure, hold on and attempt not to deeply despair at the horrendous symptoms in my whole brain, spine, nervous system and whole body. That take me over and force me back to bed. Pretty much all day every day. And back then we didn’t really know how best to treat it. So I would often be like that for months.
It is easier now.
You see I have a ‘plan’.
The support of two great neurologists at two NHS trusts who work together to ensure I get access to the best treatment as fast as we can.
Also the oral prednisolone 40mg DID help! They stopped terrible symptoms getting totally and utterly unbearable with ‘relapse lightening speed’. But it couldn’t stop it. And the day I did stop it to have the IV later on. My symptoms crashed in super quick time.
RELAPSE TRIGGERS
The relapse started after a mix of long car journeys to see family across the U.K. Then on top of that walking into a door frame, bashing my knee HARD and jolting my spine. Thankfully I happened to have a follow up telephone appointment with my CSF leak specialist neurologist the day things really took a turn for the worse – so that really was helpful and another undeniable moment of divine providence I am so grateful for. So he recommended we ask my local Neurologist to arrange the IV. As is the arrangement. As is my medical protocol already established over the past 3 years.
This is my 4th IV in 3 years since I was diagnosed with arachnoiditis. Although in reality it’s always been there since my fall from a ladder in January 2015. That’s what my MRI’s show from March 2015 and that’s the story my symptoms tell me.
It’s always been the same story. From day 1 until now. The same pattern of the initial illness to every relapse ever since. Although my lumbar/ sacral/ leg/ feet/ bladder symptoms have got worse over the years too.
I had the IVs Methylprednisolone 1g Thursday 24th – Saturday 26th August 2023 on GPAU (General Practice Assessment Unit) at my local hospital.
And I am thankful to report that I am now doing a lot better.
It normally takes a couple of weeks to truly get back to ‘my normal baseline’ symptoms. And today as I am writing this we are two weeks post start of the IV. Nearly 4 weeks since this all started. I have just finished the prednisolone taper from 30mg down to 5mg and have just returned to 5mg every other day. Today is my first steroid free day in about 3 1/2 weeks. Although I have taken 75mg diclofenac today to cover me as I try and phase out the steroids back to my normal 5mg every other day. I have also recently returned to my normal 4.5ml of LDN. (Low Dose Naltrexone). (Just to note I also have had to use Zopiclone (sleeping tablet) 7.5mg at night when on higher dose steroids. Although my sleep is now improving again too).
I am finally beginning to feel like ‘my normal’ is pretty much back – give or take a slightly more spacey head at times. But that is also improving each day.
I am back to walking over 10k steps a day and doing lots around the house to keep me moving about. I am also slowly introducing more going out a bit further and will start driving short distances again soon.
So it’s good news.
It came.
It took me down.
We fought back.
We conquered.
I am recovering.
“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory” – Philip Yancey
For all this I am extremely thankful. To have diagnosis’. (Arachnoiditis & a Spinal CSF leak). To have neurology support at two hospitals. To have a treatment plan that works. To have GP’s who understand.
It all helps so much. The major battles are already fought and won. I have my treatment plan and supportive doctors in my corner. But in reality there are always many small battles along the way. Making lots of calls, sending lots of emails, following up and explaining things again and again. Reminding medical staff I have to lie down as it can’t sit comfortably and can’t be upright at all early on in a flare. Lying down in the car to get to hospital as I cannot tolerate sitting up. Lying down in waiting rooms – hoping for enough chairs together that are free. Otherwise we carry a yoga mat for me to lie on the floor without getting completely dirty. Then there is the chaos at home of me not being able to do things … although even that is easier now my girls are 16 & 18 and can help so much more.
For all the easier things about my story I know I am blessed. I am one of the fortunate ones. Because this level of openminded medical support can be unheard of in the lives of people with suspected or actual arachnoiditis or AA (adhesive arachnoiditis). Still my doctors are all learning with me. But as we learn together the support gets more solid, more understanding. Which really does help counteract the trauma of many years of ‘doctors not understanding’ (as I wrote about so vividly here after counselling.)
So that is why I continue to share my story. I don’t take my privilege for granted: I try to raise awareness. To educate doctors, patients and family and friends. To connect with you in your immense struggle, confusion & despair. To show you ways and treatments that ‘might’ help you too – if you can find the right doctors to help you. To implore you to just keep ‘holding on’ … for years if that’s what it takes (like in my case)… because things can still get better in the end. There is always hope.
Everything I discuss in my videos is based on personal experience, years of symptom observations, plus my own research and listening to others stories. My experiences are unique and thus uniquely managed by my two neurology teams and two different Midlands UK NHS hospitals. So I cannot comment or offer any medical explanations, advice or diagnosis to others. I only share my own story in the hope it may help others on their unique journeys to more answers. I can only answer your questions according to my own limited experiences and the research I have done.
But from what some of you do tell me – sharing my story can help right? Just to know that somebody – somewhere – sometimes across vast oceans ‘gets it’. That they understand your deepest struggle, your most excruciating pain. The daily overwhelming choice to try and keep on finding ways to live despite the constant trauma, questions, confusion, misunderstandings and the deepest of pains.
So today I write to remind you that I really do understand. But these days – more than ever – 8 1/2 years on. I am learning to find a way through it – dare I say – to even THRIVE.
For these reasons my videos and articles are all fully public and can be shared with anyone, by anyone, on any platform. I also write to make translation easier because I know many non-English speakers are keen to follow my story too which is harder with the videos.
So here it is – here is my new video, I have included a content summary below so that people can more easily skip through and find the parts they are interested in.
WHY DO MY LOW PRESSURE / SPINAL CSF LEAK SYMPTOMS GET SO MUCH WORSE DURING MY ARACHNOIDITIS FLARES?
The video documents my recent arachnoiditis flare in August 2023. During this video I also consider the question as to why my low pressure headache/ spinal csf leak symptoms get equally acute during the flare. How does the increase in the inflammation and the physiological mechanisms at play cause me to revert to such distinct Spinal csf leak symptoms? As has always been the case in my medical history over the past 8 1/2 years since a ladder fall in January 2015.
In it I present some theories of my own as to why this happens so radically including:
I leak more due to higher pressure from inflammation
I seep more from the adhesive area or via my compromised Dura in that area.
The inflammation blocks my spinal fluid flow causing radical changes in ICP.
Or the one I discuss most in this video: that the inflammation pulls at my spinal cord – especially if the more adhesive area is trying to adhere further. Subsequently, bringing an increased ‘tethering sensation’ to my spine. Pulling my brain stem to create that ‘brain sag’ affect – the feeling of ‘my skull being pulled into my neck’. But then also ‘my sacrum being pulled into my lumbar spine’. Could it be that this process then blocks flow too? Causing very real sensation of my spine being tightened and clamped at my neck and sacrum which further supports this theory. Also interestingly I had some people who had previously had surgery for ‘tethered cord syndrome’ comment on one of my ‘bizzare symptoms’ videos telling me that my symptoms sounded like I had a tethered spinal cord. To which I replied – that would make sense if I have AA. Which everything points to me having – at least mildly.
But they are all just ‘theory’ because not enough research has been done. Not enough patients have been studied to really know. Although the more years that go on … the more I realise there is a lot of ‘medicine’ that is about hypotheses and theory. Although then there is the force of science that wants that evidence and proof to back it up.
But I guess that there is a sense in which – I am the evidence. My medical history, scans, test data and response to treatment are all part of ‘the science of my story’. Even if I may be a bit of an anomaly.
Please do comment, reply & let me know if you have any similar experiences – especially if you have both arachnoiditis / AA as well as a spinal CSF leak. Do you find your low pressure / spinal CSF leak symptoms get increasingly more acute when your arachnoiditis is flaring? Do steroids or anti-inflammatories help you too with all your symptoms?
The more we talk and discuss – the stronger our theories can become. So it helps me to hear your stories – as much as your hearing mind hopefully helps you.
Content Summary so video can be skimmed through.
0:12 Relapse Intro
1:06 Post flare recap
1:52 WHY DO MY SPINAL CSF LEAK/ LOW PRESSURE SYMPTOMS
GET SO MUCH WORSE DURING MY ARACHNOIDITIS RELAPSES?
2:00 Low pressure/ spinal CSF leak symptoms
3:48 Explaining my acute low pressure symptoms during relapse
5:50 Taking 40mg oral prednisolone (steroid)
6:03 My legs are not working properly
6:50 Relapse cause/ triggers: car travel then jolting spine
11:38 Follow up call with Neurologist
13:40 IV Methylprednisolone 1g IV x3 days on GPAU
14:40 Do high dose steroids increase ICP?
16:40 2 week prednisolone taper from 30mg to 5mg every other day normal dose
18:42 Can you relate? Do you get similar symptoms? Please do comment or reply.
Please remember that all videos and articles can be shared with anyone, by anyone, on any platform. As they are all in public realm.
So this is where I say ‘goodbye for now’. I am sorry I don’t update my blogs and videos as much as I used to. But to be honest I often just don’t have the time or energy. I like to do this. I like my story having a wider purpose. But it is also a challenge to achieve amidst even my mildest daily symptoms. So forgive me when I don’t write or make videos for a while. It’s normally because I am just ‘trying to find ways to embrace the life I have.’ And thrive as much as I can within all the restrictions, pain, limitations and debilitation.
But I do want to end by saying…
THANK YOU!
Thank you for listening. Thank you for taking the time to enter into my world for a moment. Thank you for your grace and kindness in bearing with my ponderings, wrestling’s and many questions.
You are appreciated. You are valued. And you are loved.
“When we know we are loved we find it easy to love other people” John Sentamu
Please do make comments or ask questions on YouTube, here, my social media pages or on Facebook group pages and I will try to reply when I can
For the full summary of my medical history including ladder fall in January 2015, spinal CSF leak diagnosis and footage of my January 2021 arachnoiditis flare see this 5 min video:
SPINAL CSF LEAK INFO: Here is a brilliant 2 min animation about Spinal CSF leaks.For more information about spinal CSF leaks please see the UK charity website at www.csfleak.info or the US charity website at www.spinalcsfleak.org.Please see this May 2018 medical paper about the 10 most common myths and misperceptions about spinal CSF leaks. It is by some of the top world experts in treating this condition.
So my body decided this last week – perhaps seeing as it’s ARACHNOIDITIS AWARENESS MONTH 2022 – to completely relapse in typically explosive fashion! The full flare burst in on Tuesday following a slow deterioration after travelling a couple of hours by car to see my specialist Spinal CSF Leak neurologist (who also leads on my Arachnoiditis care) and having a neuro examination last Friday.
The neurological examination included straight leg raises, leg strength tests, reflexes, sensation tests etc.
I wonder if my body was slightly more vulnerable because I had slightly lowered my steroids and LDN over recent weeks. I often take 10mg of prednisolone if I am going on a long car journey – but didn’t this time. I only took 5mg. Then the travelling, neurological examination then the car journey the next day (as we stayed over in a hotel to break up the journey) was the final trigger to the almighty flare.
By the Saturday morning I was already feeling worse and the car journey home harder. And then things slowly deteriorated until the full symptom explosion on Tuesday.
It was so tough to be back there again – in a massive relapse – after a much better and more stable 18 months.
I am extremely grateful for the swift response of my local neurologist who supports me with the help of my CSF leak neurologist. They are the ones who treat me locally with IV methylprednisolone. She responded the same day we reported the relapse and set in motion the previous-agreed treatment plan (3 day course methylprednisolone (steroid) 1g bag a day).
Unfortunately though, the day ward at my local hospital didn’t have any beds until the next Wednesday so we tried A&E Friday after being redirected by them if I needed more urgent care. Thankfully it was unusually quiet at 10:30am and after speedy assessment I was quickly moved to a quiet dark room on GPAU (GP ASSESSMENT UNIT) and after lots of waiting, seeing a medical doctor and neurologist and after various examinations/ blood tests I was finally given the steroids at about 7:45pm that evening. I then went back on the Saturday and Sunday for the full course – which were much quicker. Those IV’s only took about 1 hour.
I am very thankful to both my consultants, and the doctors and medical staff I saw that day, who enabled access to this level of rapid care. It is my quickest treatment and acute symptom reversal to date. What used to take many weeks or months to slowly improve (& often not fully) is now is happening in a week.
Which really is a miracle to me.
I am so pleased to report that the results of the steroid treatment were again were radical, in completely reversing and turning around the flare.
Rapid treatment of flares is the key to stop further damage (nerve clumping and adhesions) and allows me to recover more quickly as I lose less conditioning – so it’s been good to find a new possible treatment pathway IF the day ward is not able to help so quickly.
To raise awareness I have made video and photo diaries from the past week of relapse symptom progression and the impact of the IV steroids (1 gram bag of methylprednisolone x3 over 3 days). My hope is that in time more people can be diagnosed far quicker than the 5 1/2 years it took me and get access to similar treatment whilst the condition is still more able to respond.
There are of course many risks to high dose and long term steroid use especially osteoporosis, adrenal gland issues and many other things. This does mean steroid treatment is not something to be taken lightly. But in my eyes – the risks to my body of further nerve clumping and adhesions in my lumbar spine that could leave me at least partially – if not fully paralysed and in constant intractable pain and thus bed bound – is a MUCH greater risk. To my body, mental health and even an osteoporosis risk in itself if I can’t walk. So the use of steroids must be carefully managed by an experienced medical team – but if they both radically improve the AA symptoms, neuro inflammation damage, quality of life, general health and mental health long term – to me it is worth the risk.
My hope is that in time as Arachnoiditis / Adhesive Arachnoiditis is more recognised, diagnosed and researched that more medications may become available that have less risks long term. This is what has happened with other neuro inflammatory conditions like MS or other inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or crohn’s / colitis. But that is partly because many more people suffer from these conditions and there is much more research and clinical trials done.
The new video is a 25min video in total because it includes video and photo diaries of my whole journey from relapse explosion to post IV recovery. But the information below the video in YouTube has chapter summary’s which allows you to skip through to different parts for ease and speed. And also enables people to go back to particular parts of interest.
8:05 Twitching/ jolting/ electric shock sensation – take 2mg diazepam
9:36 Struggling to walk up stairs
10:06 Day 4 of flare – really struggling. Go to A&E and moved to GPAU.
11:52 First dose of 1 gram bag of IV methylprednisolone on GPAU unit at local hospital
12:23 Day 2 of IV steroid treatment including update on recovery morning after first lot
16:20 Photos of receiving second dose of IV steroids
16:39 Stairs walking much improved
16:48 Day 3 of IV steroid treatment including update on recovery morning after 2nd dose
18:58 Final 1 gram bag of methylprednisolone at GPAU unit
19:05 Final update on recovery
My hope in making and sharing these videos is that awareness is raised. That patients, their families & friends, doctors, medical staff and the general public are educated and that more people with arachnoiditis can get diagnosed and treated. Especially before the condition often becomes more untreatable as it progresses.
It took me 5 1/2 years to get diagnosed with Arachnoiditis after my initial ladder fall and spinal CSF leak onset. Because of that I already have permanent damage to my spine/ nervous system. I battle constant pain, spinal fluid flow issues, I cannot comfortably sit down any more. My neurologist still believes I probably also have the small CSF leak shown on my last full protocol spinal CSF leak MRI’s in September 2019. Which probably complicates things further. My whole Intracranial Pressure System is completely dysregulated.
And yet the Arachnoiditis is still mild enough AA that I can still respond radically to steroid treatment of the acute flares. And we can hopefully now stop more rapid progression into more debilitating AA happening soon.
So I also make videos and share my story here to give others hope. Things can improve.
Please don’t give up!
It is such a hard, deeply painful, grief full, life altering journey to go on…
But an arachnoiditis/ AA diagnosis is not the end!
We are all learning together. And in time – maybe if we all can do our bit to raise awareness. To educate. To keep on fighting even when we just want to give up. Then things just might get easier for us and those patients coming behind us in the future.
So that together we can change the outcome for at least one desperate, struggling and broken soul with – or yet to be diagnosed – with arachnoiditis/ AA.
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”
Viktor E. Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning”
“Perseverance is rooted in hope. We persevere when we believe that what awaits us is worth the fight.”
– Sarah Walton
Please do make comments or ask questions on YouTube, here, my social media pages or on Facebook group pages and I will try to reply when I can
For the full summary of my medical history including ladder fall in January 2015, spinal CSF leak diagnosis and footage of my January 2021 arachnoiditis flare see this 5 min video.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard
It’s now over seven years since I got ill.
Seven years… it’s such a long time right?
I never imagined seven years ago the way our lives would be so altered in one day.
In hindsight I don’t see the accident as the only culprit for these life altering diagnosis. Yes, the fall seemed to be the trigger. However, the more I have understood the conditions and my potential biological predispositions. The more I realise that it may well have been an injury waiting to happen. And if not THAT day and that fall…
It would perhaps have been another day, another trigger, that created a similar ‘explosion’ of symptoms, a leak, of an arachnoid inflammatory response.
I do have multiple thoracic micro bone spurs in my spine pressing into my dura (that holds my spinal fluid). As seen on a thoracic CT. So it was probably always going to be a risk that one day one might penetrate the dura. Or if not the bone spurs… maybe a spinal cyst (of which I have many) or some other dural weakness.
So as the quote above says … we DO often understand better backwards. Hindsight is often a great revealer – we often see things with more clarity the further on we go! And that can really help – so long as we don’t get stuck in that past, in the memories we can’t change, in the moments now passed. Instead we must choose to accept what has happened, attempt to reframe it and find the best way forward we can…
Despite it! Despite it all.
So that’s what I – what we – have chosen to do.
To reflect.
To accept.
To grieve.
Then…
Let go.
Move on.
And embrace the life we have!
I have been meaning to write this blog update for a while. Well at least since I made these last two videos for my YouTube channel. The firstone I published in January is with my husband Matt and was a reflection on seven years since my original accident (a ladder fall) and trigger for the spinal CSF leak & arachnoiditis. The second video was a slightly longer video documenting how I manage my daily arachnoiditis & CSF flow/ intracranial pressure issues.
To make the videos easier to navigate I have included a breakdown summary in the video info section on YouTube. I will add a record of the video summary’s here. To to be able to skip to different parts you will need to view the video on YouTube directly by clicking on the YouTube link and take a look at the info section below the videos.
SEVEN YEARS SINCE MY ACCIDENT – A Reflection With My Husband
A reflective discussion with my husband Matt Hill about the challenges and positives of the past seven years since my ladder fall and development of a spinal CSF leak and arachnoiditis.
Summary of my accident and diagnosis. 1:00 min
1. What’s been one of the hardest parts of the last seven years? 2:18
2. What has been one of the positives of such a difficult journey? 7:00
3. What advice would you give to other spouses/ partners/ family members in this kind of situation? 9:30
MANAGING MY ARACHNOIDITIS – How I Manage My Daily Symptoms
This video is an update on my arachnoiditis/ mild adhesive arachnoiditis (AA) and how I manage to ongoing daily symptoms. I have not had a major flare in over a year but I do have many ongoing daily symptoms I have to micro-manage throughout the day to get the most out of my time.
Here is a breakdown of content you can skip to in video info on YouTube. The numbers signify number of minutes into the video:
0:28 Seven years of arachnoiditis/ mild AA
1:16 Current medication
1:57 Vitamins/ supplements/ diet
2:08 Walking physio
2:32 When people ask: How are you doing?
4:09 What does it feel like to have arachnoiditis/AA/ Spinal CSF Leak (active or in recovery)?
5:18 How did my fall cause arachnoiditis?
6:49 What does the arachnoiditis pain feel like?
9:49 CSF/ Spinal fluid flow issues
11:24 Standing is normally a better position for me
12:46 Higher Intracranial pressure (ICP) issues/ symptoms – common to those with arachnoiditis/ tarlov cysts and post spinal CSF leak
15:02 Problems with focus & concentration
18:33 How about driving a car?
19:07 Do I ever feel normal?
21:09 Do I have fears for the future?
I hope that the videos are helpful to others out there with both spinal CSF leaks / arachnoiditis or any other physical or mental health condition. It really is not at all easy navigating such conditions which is one of the reasons I choose to share my story. As you will see and have read previously, I am very blessed and privileged to have a very supportive husband, family and wider support network in our church and other supportive friends – both around me and online.
I really do believe we need others to make it through the immense challenges of these conditions.
So if you do feel alone today I would really recommend trying to find others to connect to – both around you or online through support groups. There are many groups available via Facebook groups, Twitter and other forums. Please don’t stay isolated if you do need support.
…And please don’t stay silent either.
Talking or writing really can help. Whether you show others or not. I am in a privileged position to be able to share my story publicly – others are not. But I hope that even when you can’t ‘find the words’ that my words might connect with you. So that you know you really are not alone. There are others – some better off and others worse off than you. Across the world many others are trying to find their way through dealing with and managing these conditions and their devastation on our lives.
I am thankful that in 2022 we have the internet to help us find one another so that our collective experience and voice might become even more powerful and increasingly louder – until more people are reached, understood and helped – both medically and holistically. So please do share my story with anyone who might listen – if you think it will help you and the cause in general.
Compassion and advocacy starts with you, and I, telling our stories and hoping that through them others might well be saved some of the additional pain we have had to face. We will then realise more and more that we face these awful illnesses TOGETHERand together we are surely so much stronger than trying to fight alone.
“Sit with hurting people. Offer them your presence. Show them you’re connecting to their pain. Listen to what they need. Weep with them. It won’t make them feel worse; it will make them feel welcomed into communion with you.” – Katherine & Jay Wolf
“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” -Psalms 73:26 NLT
See this 5min video for a summary of my medical history from that ladder fall in January 2015.
For more previous posts about my story of living with a spinal CSF Leak (from before we understood the arachnoiditis element) please look at the subject heading on the menu bar above.
SPINAL CSF LEAK INFO: Here is a brilliant 2 min animation about Spinal CSF leaks.For more information about spinal CSF leaks please see the UK charity website at www.csfleak.info or the US charity website at www.spinalcsfleak.org.
A few weeks ago I decided to do a new video update on my case to mark my progress a year after I was first diagnosed with arachnoiditis, and six months since my last flare, IV steroid treatment and the start of my making videos about my case. It’s taken me a few weeks to then add to this video with this additional expanded update in writing.
Sometimes I feel like it takes ‘an essay’ to give a more substantial picture of how things are. Videos help that as I can add quite detailed explanations. However, writing can also provide a different avenue which allows further explanation and summary of how things really are.
So to start off with I wanted to share my seven minute video update, then I will expand on what I have said in that with a few more details and explanations. https://youtu.be/Qa2RwmwYTDo
As you will see – it’s very good news for me on so many levels.
Compared to how things were last year and especially around the time of the admission that prompted the diagnosis… things are substantially better in so many ways. My symptoms ‘across the board – in my head, spine & legs’ are substantially better and more controlled. I can do between 9-12 hours upright in one go and then more again after that if I lie down for 1-2 hours to rest. I walk around 7-12km a day over 2-3 long walks. My head is clearer, I do not suffer with as much fatigue or so many debilitating headaches. I have been able to travel for holiday and to visit family in the UK (although this in reality remains very hard). I can do and achieve more ‘normal life activities’ than I probably have been able to do since my accident.
However…
When you are chronically ill there are often no simple answers to explain your current experience of life. Yes I usually ‘look well’ at the moment to most outsiders. But ‘looking well’ masks a hidden reality of constantly managing what I do and can’t do. What position/ posture I can stay in, to try and get the ‘best outcome’ of symptom stability.
My daily living is dictated by constant micro & macro self-management decisions & deliberate plans to help my body utilise its abilities rather than constantly be restricted by its disabilities.
I gave up on ‘normal’ a long time ago.
Since my accident (a ladder fall) in January 2015 I have not had one day I have felt ‘normal’ … like I used to before that day I fell. A time without any neurological issues in my head & spine. I cannot even remember what ‘normal’ feels like to be honest. I watch people sitting down comfortably or relaxing on a recliner chair with their head up and think ‘how do you do that?’ It’s just so uncomfortable for me to sit or recline (unless fully flat on my side). So it’s just not relaxing! I have become used to standing, moving around, walking, being quiet, lying down. I have got somewhat used to the unnerving constant pressure and subsequent ‘dreamy/ foggy’ feeling in my head. The constant stiffness, pain, tension and pulling in my spine.
This is my ‘normal’ which is far from normal… And yet I live A LOT closer to ‘normal’ than I probably ever have done in the past six years. I have found ways and means to bring balance, symptom management & utilise my broken body to the best of its capacity.
…And that has been LIBERATING!!
I am doing well for me!
A New Way Of Living
I have found ways of living that generally work with and around my limitations, frustrations and restrictions. It’s often a quieter way of life … a long way from the busy, outgoing, energetic, packed full life I used to live… but full of many things I love and value all the same.
Through accepting my limitations – and not trying to constantly ‘push against them’ I can often find a ‘way to make it work’ … as long as I am realistic about what my body and brain can do.
Understanding Empowers
Understanding and treating the arachnoiditis more has been revolutionary to more physical and mental stability in my life. My body & its many issues are much less of an enigma to me … we have more answers and I have learnt to ‘flow with’ the illness more rather than do things that make things worse.
The Problem With Staying in One Position
For instance… today I am typing this in my iPhone notes… and because I am standing, mainly in one position, with my neck slightly bent & arms raised to hold my phone… the pressure is building in my head, upper neck & lower spine, the pain is increasing behind my eyes, neck & lumbar spine until I start to feel like my head wants to burst, my ears need to pop and sometimes a wave of nausea begins to come. The pins and needles & numbness are also increasing in my legs … so I am feeling that normal ‘arachnoiditis agitation & restlessness’ increasing.
But these days I know the answer to help alleviate these increasing symptoms … it is to walk, to move around. To allow my spinal fluid/ circulation or whatever is hindered to flow again more freely.
Then I can come back to this task later.
I have learnt to accept that my concentration can only remain consistent in one position for so long. But if I learn to do things in shorter bursts – 20mins here – 30 mins there… with breaks to move around and maybe do some simple housework in between…
…then I will get more done.
It works for me because I mix any church admin, preparation or other work or admin in with general housework, standing gardening, cooking, shopping or sorting things to help my body through moving about again at regular intervals.
To some people it might look like anxious or restless behaviour… and I think I could be ‘seen’ like that by others before. But in reality the constant moving about is mainly a biological manifestation to stop the aggravation of increased physical symptoms and pain from staying in one position too long.
Other Symptom Aggravators
I have to manage bending, straining, raising my voice, singing, what I carry, how fast I walk, how long I sit, using the loo, how far I drive or travel as a passenger, fast moving images (even scrolling on my phone or on the computer can make me feel nauseous), loud noise and bright lights etc… all things that exacerbate my symptoms. So need careful management.
Walking is really helpful for my lumbar spine, legs and general fitness but it can at times also flare my head pressure – especially if I walk too fast, try talk a lot when I walk or have to look down because of uneven ground. They can all cause a pressure surge in my head and neck & make the dreamy/ strange equilibrium feelings even more noticeable. However; the benefits of lots of walking greatly outweigh the drawbacks and it has been liberating to be able to do so much more that I could a year a go.
Managing Stress
I also have to carefully manage stressful situations or hurrying about. It takes extremely fine balancing to keep myself calm in difficult circumstances. This is because stress, anxiety, a lot of pressure on me or the need to rush are extremely detrimental to my symptom stability. I believe that this is probably a lot to do with the strain it puts on my intracranial pressure system. My normal biological reactions are very hypersensitive compared with your average person.
Things That Improve My Symptoms
Include: Moving around as much as possible, walking a lot – long distances every day – being quiet when needed, resting lying down in the evening, eating healthily at regular intervals, taking medication, planning my day to include all these things in good balance. Symptom management is all about good planning to provide correct breaks from sitting or staying in one position for too long. And good rest lying down later in the evening.
Often by the evening my lower lumbar/ upper sacral spine pain is pretty awful – especially if I have done a lot of standing, sitting or bending. It feels a bit like someone has ‘grated’ or deeply ‘grazed’ the inside of my spine. Like when your flesh is raw – but deep inside me. Although this does always improve after an hour or so lying down in bed or on the sofa.
Spinal CSF Leak Update
At the moment we do not know for sure whether my spinal CSF leak is there permanently, has fully sealed, comes and goes or possibly remains and acts as a stabiliser to my messed up intracranial pressure system. I say this because I do appear to struggle with higher intracranial pressure issues as well as low ones. Which is again typical of people with arachnoiditis & sacral Tarlov Cysts. So I have sometimes wondered whether – IF the leak is still there – whether it could possibly act like a ‘natural shunt’ that helps maintain my pressure surges. Equally, it could be that the leak isn’t permanent and it heals but can return. It really is hard to know. It was last seen on my September 2019 MRIs and I haven’t had a new full spinal MRIs at my CSF leak specialist hospital since then. However, it is clear that when my arachnoiditis symptoms do flare – when I relapse – that my ‘low pressure syndrome’ symptoms get a lot worse again.
We can only theorise as to why this is. I personally think that my CSF flow becomes impeded by the inflammation and nerve clumping because it improves so radically when I have the IV steroids… and, as my neurologist said, IV steroids will not seal a leak. So we know there has to be something else going on. It could also be that the inflammation causes an increase in intracranial pressure which causes me to leak more. But there are many unknowns. A spinal CSF leak has certainly been a big part of my story and probably the initial catalyst for my ongoing issues … but there is perhaps more to the way the whole CSF system is impeded by the arachnoiditis than we yet fully understand.
In my case, I have decided with my neurologist that it’s too risky to pursue any more investigations regarding the spinal CSF leak. Because these would include CT myelograms, epidural blood/ glue patches or surgeries which have the potential to make the arachnoiditis much worse and move it very quickly into much worse adhesive arachnoiditis. So in my case seeing that my typical low ICP symptoms have improved so radically through the use of IV steroids and my ongoing drugs protocol…. in my NHS neurologist’s words … it makes the issue as to whether I currently actually still have a CSF leak or not somewhat ‘academic’. In the end, when I had a CTM in September 2017 – I badly seizured & then after the subsequent high volume lumbar BEBP a week later I was seriously unwell for weeks to months after it. I wouldn’t want to risk that again without a critical reason.
So it is no longer a risk we are willing to take. In my own case it seems that the arachnoiditis is my bigger current problem. And thankfully when we treat the arachnoiditis EVERYTHING else improves.
Current Medication
My update video gives a summary of my current medication but here it is written down:
5mg prednisolone every other day (after 20mg Omeprazole to protect my stomach)
4.5ml LDN (Low dose Naltrexone via private prescription from Dickinson’s Chemist Glasgow) but with the awareness of my GPs and two NHS neurology teams
Iron tablets (Ferrous Sulfate) due to low ferritin levels found after blood tests following hair loss)
Medication sometimes used for symptom flares or for long car journeys/ travelling (as discussed in my video).
50mg pregablin
2/ 2.5mg diazepam
Supplements
Turmeric/ Curcumin, B-12 & B complex, Calcium, Magnesium & Vit D, Omega 3. (Disclaimer – I do not really know which help and which don’t. I simply chose them according to my own research and in relation to the meds I take). It’s my whole medication, supplement and walking protocol that helps. I also try and eat a low carb/ low sugar and high protein (inc some meat), dairy, vegetable & fruit diet.)
Halted medication & supplements due to possibly contribution to hair loss as discussed on my video.My hair loss has much improved since coming off these and taking iron tablets.
Diclofenac
Pregnenalone (non- prescription supplement)
Arachnoiditis: A relapsing / Remitting illness
As it is very clear if you have followed my story long-term, my illness has always followed a clear relapsing / remitting pattern. This means is that usually around every 4 to 12 months I have an acute relapse of symptoms. This is shown in my case summary video. However, I can then go through months of doing significantly better. This is a normal pattern for people with arachnoiditis and adhesive arachnoiditis.
Since we have learnt to treat these relapses with IV steroids I have found I have recovered from the relapses in comparatively super quick time. In previous years it would take many many very long weeks and months for me to ‘somewhat recover’ from them. My last one (before last summer) was in April 2019 and I never got back to pre-relapse levels until after the diagnosis and treatment in July 2020. Since then I have also been recovering to a much much better level of symptoms stability and a much higher peak in what I can do and achieve than I have probably at any time over the past six years since my accident.
However, this does not mean when the illness is in a season of more remission that I am not unwell.
I am always unwell in one way or another. As I said above … I never feel normal.
I have obvious permanent damage to my lumbar spine (nerve clumping) and to the way my nervous & intercranial pressure systems function. However, what I wanted to demonstrate through these videos is how much better I have been since my diagnosis last summer and new treatment plan.
So for that I remain extremely grateful for all the support I’ve had from both of my NHS neurology teams, other local consultants & my local GP practice. It’s not been easy for them to navigate my illnesses when there is not a lot of up-to-date information on them and they are very unusual (and under diagnosed).
It helps patients immensely when they find doctors who are willing to listen, learn, be open minded and consider new diagnoses regarding their case. Especially when there has been so many unknowns about their constant symptoms over the years.
It is very easy for doctors to start thinking that you have a mainly psychological problem rather than a predominantly physical one when your case is full of unknowns. So to be listened to and believed by doctors AND those around you is one the most healing things to a suffering persons holistic health. One of my greatest underlying fears throughout my journey was to ‘be abandoned by medical professionals’ whilst in my greatest time of distress, pain, symptom severity and need. Mainly due to a lack of knowledge and understanding about my conditions. So to know I am under two great NHS neurology teams is very helpful to me.
I know in some ways I am still at the start of such a very long journey. Despite being 6 1/2 years into it. But over the past year I have felt that new empowerment to face both the past, present and whatever the future may bring in a more holistically healthy & supported way.
None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. But it sure does help when you have an arsenal of ‘medical and holistic weapons’ at your disposal & and a great team of supporters around you – to help you face & navigate the battles the future will inevitably bring.
“… there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer. Only very few realised that.”
– Viktor Frankl
I pray that I … and you… may continue to have the courage to suffer well & suffer strong. Whatever that may look like long term. The past 6 years have at times been a nightmare to navigate and at my darkest times I was ready to just ‘give up’ on life itself. BUT… I do not feel like that now. So I have said it before and will say again… please never give up… because things can change and they really can get better again! And new answers to long term questions can come in very unexpected ways!!
Here is my summary video of my whole medical journey as well as footage of my January/ February 2021 (adhesive) arachnoiditis relapse/ flare and treatment with IV Steroids. To see my daily video diaries from this time please see my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZkCy9B_IpeaGrXd0CEgow
For more previous posts about my story of living with a spinal CSF Leak (from before we understood the arachnoiditis element) please look at the subject heading on the menu bar above.
SPINAL CSF LEAK INFO: Here is a brilliant 2 min animation about Spinal CSF leaks.For more information about spinal CSF leaks please see the UK charity website at www.csfleak.info or the US charity website at www.spinalcsfleak.org.
“The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?”
Proverbs 18:14
A few months ago I re-read this Proverb and it again spoke to my heart. Afterwards I felt a deep sense that I should make a series of videos about it. Because for me these simple words tell a profound story about sickness & suffering. They also give insight into some of my own story about the reality of enduring long term sickness.
The proverb explains that the human spirit can endure a lot of things. Throughout history, many many people have had to endure long seasons of deep suffering. In fact, things probably used to be much worse. There were less medicines, less diagnosis, less surgery, less wider help & support. So people have always – throughout history – had to endure suffering, pain, and sickness. Sometimes for their whole lives. So we know that the human spirit has shown, again and again, that it can endure a lot.
HOWEVER the proverb goes on to contrast that “a crushed spirit who can bear?”. Meaning that although humans can endure a lot – there is another state of suffering of the human spirit that can feel impossible to bear.
That is why I wanted to make these videos. To discuss what it feels like and how to endure and find a way through the seasons when our spirits feel crushed.
Another translation of this proverb says:
“A cheerful spirit gives strength even during sickness. But you can’t keep going if you have a broken spirit.””
Proverbs 18:14 NIRV
So here we have another meaning for crushed, which is the word broken. The same Hebrew word is also sometimes translated wounded. Basically, this tells us that a season of a ‘crushed spirit’ is characterised by feelings of:
BROKENNESS – WOUNDEDNESS – INNER PAIN – DESPAIR
If you have ever experienced a season like this, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. For some people it may be characterised as depression or extreme anxiety. For others it may well lead them into a time of suicidal ideation/ thoughts of wanting to leave – or escape – this world & all of its pain.
It is certainly a season that is very very difficult to bear and endure.
I have been there myself. I have tasted of the darkness of a season of a crushed & broken spirit. Some might call it ‘the dark night of the soul’. It’s a time when everything feels so dark and oppressive and it’s so difficult to see any light, any joy or to see a way forward. You feel stuck or lost in such a season. It can also be extremely dangerous, especially if someone is actually also feeling suicidal because there seems ‘no way out.’
This is why I made these videos and why I am writing this blog post to introduce the series. I hope that it reaches out to people who currently feel immensely lost, dark and crushed. My prayer is that it helps to bring some hope again – even if just a flicker of a flame. So that you can find a way through. I believe you can find a way through – because I did. Despite not being able to see it at the time.
In this article, I want to introduce you to a summary of each video and the main points in each one. You will discover, as I tried to explain many times, that this content has been inspired by what I have learnt on my own journey since I first started out on my journey of long-term illness (spinal CSF leak & arachnoiditis) in January 2015. Over those six years I have been through at least three intense seasons of ‘a crushed spirit’ as I write about in Breaking Through the Darkness and A Window into a Suicidal Mind.
So these are some of the ways that I have found a way through & discovered a new way of living despite the deep ongoing challenges of living with these conditions & managing them on a daily basis.
VIDEO 1 : ACKNOWLEDGMENT & VALIDATION.
In this video I talk about the importance of being honest, opening up & talking to someone about the truth of your struggles. In my experience it is vitally important to get what is locked in the darkness of your mind out into the open. When it stays stuck on the inside the chaos takes over and the mind quickly snowballs out of control. Getting our thoughts and words out of whirring around our heads can help us to bring more order to our thoughts, help us process and understand ourselves and others better.
It then helps if you can speak to someone who will validate your struggles and help support you through them.
VIDEO 2: ACCEPTANCE & LETTING GO
In this video I talk about my next step in finding more serenity: peace & calmness. That is leaning to ‘accept the things I cannot change’ but also courageously ‘changing what I can.’ This can often include going through painful season of grieving & letting go of who you once were or your dreams for the future. I also talk about learning to live more in the present. Which doesn’t mean we don’t face, process and find healing from yesterday’s trauma. But simply means that we choose not to get stuck there. I also talk about having hope for the future whilst not getting lost in its never ending what if’s.
VIDEO 3: CALMING THE MIND
I start off by honestly talking about my experiences of my mind feeling totally out of control. I remind us that we may sometimes need professional help from doctors etc before we can move out of such an intense season. I then go on to share about these main points:
Getting what you are thinking out in the open. A mind where thoughts get trapped can quickly turn very dark. It’s important to share how we are feeling honestly with others.
Protecting your mind – being careful with what you read/ watch/ listen to/ who to talk to. Guard what you feed your mind with.
Thought replacement (not denial) filling your mind with better thoughts. For me this includes bombarding/ renewing the mind: Listening to and reading things that encourage and inspire you. Love was also something I would try and focus on and was a real anchor for me.
“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.”
Martin Luther King, Jr
Transform suffering into a creative force for good. Our own experiences put us in the privileged position of being able to feel more empathy & connection. It also puts us in a more experienced place to provide advocacy & fight for justice for others (as well as ourselves). This can include educating others about these illnesses & raising awareness about these conditions.
I am not what I do: Establishing a new identity. This will include the grieving of letting go of who we once were so that we can learn to discover new purpose and achievement in the small things. I wrote a whole blog article about this a couple of years ago titled: What is my Purpose: Do Small Things with Great Love. In it I wrote about how I was inspired by God to find purpose by daily asking the question: “Who can I show love to today?”
Discovering a new way of living – Finding what we can do despite all of our restrictions. This can include doing small loving things. It could include spending time with others at home, calling them, writing or sending a message. We can often find more purpose in thinking about others rather than just being consumed by ourselves.
Bearing suffering as a source of achievement & setting an example to others. I read Viktor Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search for Meaning,’ a few years ago about how he and others endured the desperate suffering of the concentration camp by discovering a higher purpose.
“…the way they bore their suffering was a genuine inner achievement. It is this spiritual freedom— which cannot be taken away—that makes life meaningful and purposeful.”
Victor Frankl
This can also include a realisation that us finding a way through can be so significant for those coming behind us on these journeys. Some of those people could actually be your own children, your family or friends in the future.
My prayer for you is that these videos provide some inspiration to help you endure – and hopefully find a way through – your own season of ‘a crushed spirit’. Or perhaps instead they might help to educate you to learn how better to support loved ones who are going through immensely difficult seasons of suffering in many different ways.
We all at times need others to help us come through these darker & more desolate seasons. I truly believe that we are not meant to face these things alone.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
So most of all today I want you to know that you are not alone. I have been there myself and it was the hardest and most painful thing I have ever had to face and come through. But I can tell you:
THINGS CAN GET BETTER AGAIN!
So never give up hope – clutch onto it, even if only by your fingernails – and do what you have to to make sure you can stay holding on. Because I do believe one day you will look back and be glad that you did. And maybe – just maybe – your own story of overcoming can then be a guiding light to others. To help them find their own pathway out of that crushing, broken & wounded place. Into the calmer & greener pastures of more holistic wholeness & deeper rest for your soul. Despite your challenging circumstances.
“O Lord… You know me more deeply and fully than I know myself. You love me with a greater love than I can love myself. You even offer me more than I can desire… Take my tired body, my confused mind, and my restless soul into your arms and give me rest, simple quiet rest.”
Henri Nouwen
To understand more about my medical case & story please see my new summary video of my whole medical journey please see this video.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
– Mother Teresa
At the end of January I had another horrendous relapse / flare of my arachnoiditis/ mild adhesive arachnoiditis & spinal CSF leak symptoms. Although I had experienced some pre-warnings in the weeks before, on Thursday 28th January my symptoms again exploded so acutely that I knew I needed to access another 5 day IV methylprednisolone ASAP, as previously agreed with my more local neurologist if that happened. It unfortunately still took a week to arrange for me to receive it at the local day case unit, especially as I really wanted to avoid going via the ED due to Covid and hospital pressures. It was also the first time of these arrangements being actioned which meant it took a little bit more time.
So as I waited at home as we and my wonderful GP team chased the hospital and my consultant to make arrangements for me ASAP, my husband and I made the decision to film what happens to me when I flare / relapse, and how I responded to treatment – as an open education and awareness project for other patients and their family and friends, as well as any doctors who may be open to listen and learn more about arachnoiditis and spinal CSF leaks.
We mainly decided to do this because when doctors, patients and the general public do not understand these conditions it causes us sufferers so many many problems in being ‘heard’ and accessing treatment. Also – as anyone can see from the videos when I am in a flare – things deteriorate dramatically in a week. Arachnoiditis/ AA flares should be treated as a MEDICAL EMERGENCY if doctors want to stop more permeant adhesions from forming – which could ultimately lead to paralysis, partial paralysis, incontinence and irretractable pain syndrome.
So I cannot stay silent!!
Without my IV steroid treatment, steroid taper and ongoing every other day 5mg prednisolone (steroid) and 75mg diclofenac (anti-inflammatory) & 4.5ml LDN (low dose Naltrexone via private prescription), I have no doubt the adhesive arachnoiditis would have moved into more severe categories over the last two flares.
It thus felt time to branch out into videos to complement my writing in this blog.
So I have a YouTube channel now packed full of educational videos showing my flare, talking about symptoms and how I have done in recovery since. I will keep updating my channel to talk about my progress or new things I am learning about that are relevant to the condition.
Here are some of the relevant videos and links:
This is my case summary video that was reviewed by a NHS Consultant friend before I posted it. I wanted to create a short summary of my whole medical journey that would also be of interest to doctors to and could be used as a presentation in their educational meetings and lectures if relevant.
Here are a few other videos from each section and a link to each ‘playlist’. All the individual videos can be found on my YouTube channel.
I will now add one or two key videos from each list here:
ARACHNOIDITIS FLARE DAY 2 SYMPTOM EXPLOSION
ARACHNOIDITIS FLARE DAY 6 WHOLE BODY HORRIFIC PAIN EXPLOSION
IV STEROIDS DAY 1 AT HOSPITAL DAY CASE UNIT
IV STEROIDS DAY 4 AT HOSPITAL DAY CASE UNIT
FINAL DAY (5) OF IV STEROIDS. IN THIS VIDEO I ALSO DISCUSS MY ISSUES WITH SITTING DOWN AND HOW I DO SIT. I ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW GOING FOR A WEE MAKES MY HEAD WORSE.
STEROID TAPER DAY 1 & STORY OF 2017 FLARE & SEIZURE FROM CT MYELOGRAM & FLARE FROM 40ML EBP
DAY 10 OF STEROID & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TAPER PLUS INFO ABOUT RESIDUAL SYMPTOMS AND MILD SCOLIOSIS
DAY 12 OF STEROID & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY TAPER PLUS INFO ABOUT PAST RELEVANT RADIOLOGICAL FINDINGS OF TARLOV, SPINAL/ BRAIN CYSTS, BONE SPURS & OTHER GENETIC NEUROLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES INCLUDING POSSIBLE MARFAN SYNDROME.
DAY 3 OF NORMAL ALTERNATE DAY STEROID & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROTOCOL. (5mg Prednisolone & 75mg diclofenac). THIS VIDEO ALSO INCLUDES INFORMATION ABOUT MY APPROACH TO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND COLLEGEN BUILDING DIET & NUTRITION.
Year update added in July 2021
That should be enough videos to give someone more of an introduction to my new educational and awareness project. I have learnt a lot over the past six years about my two radiologically confirmed diagnoses, even though I only knew I had had arachnoiditis all along too since July 2020. (It can now be seen on my original 2015 MRI’s 3 months after my accident and before any of my spinal procedures. I also experienced symptoms of arachnoiditis as soon as my symptoms came on after my ladder fall in January 2015).
PLEASE NOTE: ALL MY VIDEOS & WRITING ARE FULLY IN THE PUBLIC REALM AND CAN BE SHARED IN ANY CONTEXT OR PLATFORM WITH MY FULL PERMISSION. MY ONLY DESIRE IS THAT PEOPLE LEARN FROM MY CASE SO THAT OTHERS DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER SO VERY MUCH FOR 6 YEARS TO GET RADIOLOGICALLY CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS. SO PLEASE DO SHARE THEM WIDELY!
Thank you to everyone for all your support in this new educational project. I had 1000 views of my main case summary video in one week and I know many doctor contacts saw and shared it. If any doctors do want to know more they should feel free to get in contact with me and I can share more about the hospitals, teams, GPs and consultants I am under – IF they want to find out more because this would help their patients to get treated more quickly.
I now have two written radiologically confirmed diagnosis of arachnoiditis from two senior NHS neurologists at two Midlands NHS hospitals. I continue my medical journey under both their care.
Email me at: beckyhillblog@outlook.com
If my journey changes the outcome for just ONE patient then it is worth it all. So if you are that patient today – I do this for you and pray that the information I share may make your journey a little easier than mine.
“Let me be filled with kindness, and compassion for the one For humanity. Increase my love”
For more previous posts about my story of living with a spinal CSF Leak (from before we understood the arachnoiditis element) please look at the subject heading on the menu bar above.
SPINAL CSF LEAK INFO: Here is a brilliant 2 min animation about Spinal CSF leaks.For more information about spinal CSF leaks please see the UK charity website at www.csfleak.info or the US charity website at www.spinalcsfleak.org.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
Desmond Tutu
Today I want to write about HOPE, because hope is one of the strongest forces that can guide us through immensely dark seasons. Love is always the power that truly drives all I do. But hope brings energy to keep on going even when its presence is only the flicker of a flame in the darkest of nights.
”It’s always something, to know you’ve done the most you could. But, don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last.”
Charles Dickens
Today I am writing to remind you & myself that hope always lives & always remains even when everything appears hopeless. At those times we can often only see unending disaster & pain. Which can feel completely overwhelming to endure. But when we find hope we discover little rays of light that begin to glimmer & shine in the midst of the darkness.
So today I hope you will join with me and choose to HOPE again. In whatever area of life feels hopeless to you at the moment – I pray that you will find the energy to...
Hope, hope to the last.
Six Years of struggle
It’s six years ago this week that I fell from a small step ladder whilst painting & my life took what seemed like a major detour into a long term neurological nightmare. In early 2015 I was diagnosed with a concussion, then post-concussion syndrome, then a spinal CSF leak/ low pressure headaches. However, it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 that I was also diagnosed with arachnoiditis during one of my worst flares/ relapses I have ever had – as I wrote about in ‘Butterflies in the Dirt & A New Diagnosis.‘
This is my ongoing story since that time. My real life story that reminds us that sometimes hope surprises us when we chose to stay the course. Sometimes it turns things around in ways we never imagined or expected. If we will just hold on hope can bring better days again.
Summary of My Ongoing Progress
In general, it’s been mainly good news regarding ongoing progress in my recovery since the new (but old) diagnosis of chronic arachnoiditis.There have been some great results over time from my new ongoing treatment protocol to reduce spinal canal nerve/ arachnoid inflammation & help to ease the pain of the damage already done. This includes various medications and a personal physio plan of continuing to walk a few miles a day over 2-4 separate walks and gently stretching my spine regularly.
Successful treatment has meant that I am now managing to be upright and do things for stretches of on average 10-12 hours at a time before I need to lie down to rest.I can then get up and do even more after 1-2 hours rest.
Which is massive progress because during the year following April 2019 (my last bad relapse/ flare) and my hospital admission after actuely relapsing in July 2020 – I could only manage a maximum of 4 hours upright in one go – normally only 2-3 hours max. I then needed at least 2 hours lying down flat before getting up for maybe 2 hours again, and that was how my whole day went! So all the very high levels pain and debilitating head pressure issues are much improved since I had the IV steroids (methlyprednisolone) in hospital and then continued under an arachnoiditis treatment protocol. My walking is also much stronger and generally good and my mental clarity much improved so I can do a lot more in the day at home & for our church as well as maintain a helpful walking routine.
Combination of Medications that Help
I continue to take 5mg prednisolone (steroid) every other day and 75mg diclofenac (anti-inflammatory that crosses the blood-brain barrier into the spinal canal) the day in between. I also take 4.5ml a day of LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone) as recommended by a US specialist & other arachnoiditis suffers. (This is not available on the NHS for arachnoiditis but prescribed & purchased privately from a registered LDN trust clinic. Although my GP & Neurologist have been informed I am taking it). I also take Omeprozole 20mg to protect my stomach and some other supplements including Pregnenalone to help nerve regeneration, Turmeric capsules for inflammation, Omega 3, calcium to protect my bones, vitamin B complex, magnesium & vitamin D.
Intracranial Pressure Headache Improvement
Interestingly, what we previously assumed were classic low pressure/ spinal CSF leak positional symptoms have greatly improved too with the treatment. Which suggests the arachnoiditis inflammation was probably more of a problem on that level than we all previously realised. Which is perhaps good news for other patients that might improve on medication and with more walking and gentle stretching too. IF they could have an arachnoiditis/ spinal canal inflammation element to their ongoing symptoms.
Much Less Debilitated
The main positive thing that has changed since the new diagnosis and treatment is that I am currently much less debilitated and do not need to lie down much at all. I can also manage a lot of the pain & symptoms better – by keeping moving, regular long walks, lying down when the pain and head pressure gets too much, being quiet for a bit… and in the meantime I can do & achieve a lot more as I said above, especially as my mental clarity is much better than it was.
Summary of Recent Improvements
So the never-ending battle continues but 2020 brought new gains that I never imagined could come without more invasive procedures. That experience this year has been something of a miracle in our lives. My husband feels that I am currently the best I have been in the whole nearly 6 years… and I would probably agree with him in many ways. Although there are elements of the lower spinal pain and stiffness that are perhaps worse than other times on my journey.
The Freedom Found in a New Perspective
I think understanding the new diagnosis helps a lot too with management and mentally/ psychologically dealing with it all.It really has been very liberating to understand some more of my strange symptoms & behaviour over the past six years better in hindsight. This is why seeking out more answers can be so helpful to patients like me. Especially those with rare conditions – because it helps you to understand yourself better & gives more explanations for why you sometimes act and respond in the ways that you do. Which is so helpful for your holistic health.
I really do believe in cases of rare illnesses that there needs to be more doctor & patient partnership in understanding new diagnosis. Doctors often do not have the time to fully research and understand more unusual conditions. But if patients and doctors can choose to more humbly learn together then that can help everyone. This is especially true in our newer age of the internet and online support groups. Patients often have the time to research, learn & explore things doctors just don’t have the time for when they meet very few patients with those conditions. This subsequently means that listening doctors can then help a patient understand it all better too, because patients often lack the wider knowledge of medical complexities that doctors are much better placed to help them understand.
In my own story I am still immensely grateful for every doctor who has had the humility to patiently listen carefully and to think outside of ‘normal boxes’ to help very unique patients like me hopefully discover more answers to unique questions about their medical conditions. Those doctors are very precious to us, especially when they help us over the long term so get to know you a bit more personally too.
Radiological Evidence of Arachnoiditis
We have at least made some progress on this level since my last blog article too.My scans have been looked at by a few different doctors now including neuroradiologists, neurologists, a neurosurgeon & an arachnoiditis specialist. The conclusions coming from all avenues is that there are various ‘suggestive features’ of arachnoiditis as well as some possible mildly Adhesive Arachnoiditis (AA) elements on my MRIs. This includes my lumbar spinal nerves being situated more towards the side and back of my spinal canal (first seen in retrospect on my first March 2015 MRIs which would support my theory that a biological predisposition as well as the fall and leak were the trigger – because those scans were done before I had had any spinal procedures). As well as some possible areas of mild clumping & nerve adhesions forming & some inflammation of the cauda equina nerve roots.
This is all actually all very in line with a diagnosis of chronic arachnoiditis. It is usually a clinical diagnosis based mainly on symptoms, but over time people will often display suggestive features of spinal nerve/ nerve root inflammation, swelling and positional shifting, which may also cause spinal cysts forming (incl. tarlov, arachnoid or similar cysts – as I have). Patients may also begin to show some suggestive, possible or probable mild nerve root clumping and adhesions evident on their MRIs etc.
Clinical Rather than Radiological Diagnosis
It has been reported to me that I have enough suggestive features of all of these elements to help support the clinical diagnosis of arachnoiditis.Although not enough to support a radiological diagnosis of adhesive arachnoiditis or cauda equina inflammatory disorder.
These findings are also in line with my own experiences of treatment. I had previously read that the steroid & anti-inflammatory meds will only really work on those in earlier stages of illness progression. So my radical response to both the IV steroids given in hospital in July/ August 2020 (500mg IV methlypredisolone a day over 5 days), the subsequent steroid taper and taking anti-inflammatories, in addition to lots of walking & some gentle stretching would support the theory that the arachnoiditis is present and potentially dangerous to me, but it has thankfully not yet advanced to a more severe permanent type of adhesive arachnoiditis.
This supports my theory that we may well have thankfully stopped a more ‘adhesive episode’ taking hold this summer. I really was extremely unwell and in unimaginable levels of pain in my lumbar & sacral spine and legs. Which without treatment could have well done more permanent damage to my spinal nerves – had we not halted its progression through aggressive treatment.
Arachnoiditis and especially AA can progress very quickly when it severely flares. This is why it’s of paramount importance that people are diagnosed & treated via a clinical diagnosis before it is so serious that it is more evident on MRIs.
Treatment will always work best BEFORE the damage has become permanent & radical enough to clearly show on scans. Specialists also tell us that scan evidence does not always correspond with symptom severity anyway. As with a lot of other conditions like spinal CSF leaks.
So the earlier it is treated the better. Ongoing treatment can also help to halt progression through flares.Which is of great value to me and other sufferers of this awful misunderstood condition. Knowing how to treat it can potentially stop devastating, irreversible damage to people’s spines and whole nervous systems.
ONGOING SYMPTOMS
Despite all the improvements – for which I am incredibly thankful – the reality is also that I believe I still have permanent damage to my spine from the arachnoiditis/ leak – because chronic pain is a normal significant daily part of my life. It is just much more contained than it used to be. This again would align with what is being seen on my MRIs.
CHRONIC NEURO PAIN IN MY SPINE & HEAD
It often feels like a ‘carpet burn’ sensation – like when the top layer of skin has been gashed off – but deep in my lumbar/ sacral spine and upper neck in particular. Or definite nerve pain and pressure flares in my spine & head. Sometimes that builds to more pin’s sticking into me/ stabbing pain. It also means my spine is very stiff which also leads to a lot of leg stiffness & leg pain too. Although lots of walking helps this. Also various movements such as bending, lifting, twisting, straining make all this worse.
PINS & NEEDLES
I also get regular intermittent pins and needles/ buzzing in & all over my legs and feet & sometimes in my hands and other places. I understand what people mean by saying it feels like ‘bugs crawling on you or under your skin’ (paraesthesia) but to me it’s distinctly pins & needles – but it’s like a buzzing that pulsates and moves about on the inside of my legs and all over the surface of my skin. Thankfully it has improved a lot on how it was during my last ‘flare’. These days it’s more annoying than debilitating and thankfully my feet no longer ‘burn’ like they did in the summer.
I HAVE TO KEEP MOVING: ‘RESTLESSNESS’
A key ongoing symptom feature for me (that I have heard is very typical of arachnoiditis) is that remaining sitting and standing in one position for too long exacerbates my all my symptoms, including spinal & head pain, leg stiffness, pins & needles and the feeling of pressure in the back of my head, whole head and upper neck which leads to more fogginess and sometimes even very bad nausea or hot flushes. I have often recently wondered if this is partly a CSF flow issue– as once I start moving around again or walking – it improves. The sensation is that my intracranial pressure builds in my upper neck & whole head – but it improves through gentle movement. Even lying down for a while can cause this to happen. The minute I get up my legs are all stiff and weak and my ears pop from the pressure changes.
What this means is that I can begin to feel very agitated and distracted if I have to stay in one position for a long time. This could be read by others to be an anxiety issue or simply a deep restlessness. But I now know it’s mainly simply a typical symptom of arachnoiditis, due to build up of pain and discomfort to high levels and the body’s natural reactions to that pain and discomfort in my spine, legs & head. As the video explains well.
CSF FLOW & PRESSURE ISSUES
This would tie in with various arachnoiditis specialist’s theories about CSF flow issues and high intracranial pressure problems related to arachnoiditis. On that level I have wondered if it’s possible that the small leak that has been identified in my ventral cervical (in my neck) spine by my NHS Intracranial Pressure MDT could possibly help regulate my pressure rather than distinctly making things worse and causing typical low pressure symptoms. Which I guess could tie into my cranial scans never actually showing low pressure/ SIH.
It may also explain some of my confusing symptoms that at times over the past 6 years have completely baffled neurologists as to whether it was low pressure, high pressure or another headache type or combination. I do often wake up with a headache or at least a ‘pressure filled head’- in the night or early in the morning and I especially struggle with very weak & stiff legs and a ‘full head’ if I have to get up in the night or early morning for the loo.
Although the CSF flow and pressure theories are mainly based on my own observations of my symptoms – I don’t really know the truth of it all of course. I have come to believe it’s all FAR more complex than my doctors & I perhaps previously realised regarding CSF / ICP / arachnoiditis links. Which again would make much more sense of my own medical journey over the past six years. Arachnoiditis is known to both sometimes increase intracranial pressure, but is also known to cause you to leak or seep spinal fluid too. So that again explains more about why my intracranial pressure dynamics are often all over the place & may well continue to be pretty messed up long term. Which would also tie into my general hypersensitivity to any pressure changes. Although again all these things have currently improved to less debilitating levels since treating the arachnoiditis which shows how interlinked it all is with the inflammationas well.
STRUGGLES WITH SITTING DOWN
Thankfully I can sit for much longer than I could – but only either with a very straight spine or leaning slightly forward. Although it is never a comfortable position for me and will make my head and spine pain & pins & needles worse especially after a 30mins to one hour or so. I can also feel very sleepy and nauseous after a while sitting which can makes me yawn obsessively (I again think it’s an ICP increase thing). So I again often have regular ‘getting up breaks’ when sitting alot. I will also be extremely stiff when I get up and have to get my legs moving quickly to get them working properly again.
Travelling sitting in a car is particularly bad for me too. If I travel in the car or drive I sit in a very strange position with the seat really far forward and very straight or slightly leaning forward. I have also invested in a ‘wedge cushion’ to use if a passenger – to help align my spine better in the ‘bucket’ type seats, which seems to help. Bucket seats are known to be very bad for arachnoiditis/ AA sufferers.
ONGOING PHONOPHOBIA & PHOTOPHOBIA
My head is still very sensitive bright and flashing lights, fast moving images & to the layering of sounds. I still struggle with lots of noise at the same time. Like music with a beat, or music in the background with talking, or a combination of other general noises. The music I listen to these days tends to be quiet & acoustic and I usually listen with headphones in my ears to block out some of the other sounds. But all this is much better than it has been for a long time and this Christmas I have been able to tolerate flashing lights much better than in previous years.
TALKING WHILST WALKING
Talking & walking is much better for me now which has been helpful when it’s one of the only ways to see people during the pandemic restrictions. But sometimes it’s still a bit of challenge especially if my head is already a bit flared. One of my worst movements whilst walking is attempting to turn my head to look at things or to talk to someone. That will immediately fill my head with pressure, make it cloudy and cause a lot of pain and pressure in my upper neck. The same thing happens moving my neck to look up or down. So my key is to walk with my head facing forward and my spine very straight.
SINGING
I love to sing, especially with my husband, but singing has often been a key test of how bad my symptoms are since my accident. At their worst I cannot sing (or hardly speak) at all. Even during the first half of 2020 (pre-arachnoiditis diagnosis) my husband and I would often sing for our online church since the pandemic closed church buildings. But I would have to practice lying down then would only get up to record or live stream. But since my new treatment plan I can also sing more. A good example being our recording of Oh Holy Night for our Online Carol Service. I have not been able to properly sing this carol for the past five years especially because of how high it goes at the end. Normally singing that high would cause my head to full with pressure, make me feel drunk & cause me to need to lie down. But to our joy this year I managed to record this at home & this was actually done after a number of practices & a couple of takes – so that has been some encouraging progress.
GOING TO THE LOO
Going to the loo still a problem for my head & bladder. It still feels like either my pressure is increasing or I am quickly losing spinal fluid as I wee – as my head almost immediately feels very strange, full of pressure & my ears will often pop more showing a quick clear pressure change (like happens on a flight). It is also still often uncomfortable on my urinary tract which will still feel a bit irritated for a while before and after I have been. But it’s all much better than it has been in a while & especially in the summer. Previously I could often only go for a wee directly before lying down. Emptying my bowels also makes my head worse especially if there is any straining at all – which I avoid at all costs. Straining is not at all good for leaks or arachnoiditis.
MOVING FORWARD INTO A DIFFERENT SEASON
So it’s a mixed picture of massive gains made in the second half of this year, combined with a reality of continuing to manage many ongoing symptoms.
However, for the first time in a long time I have made much more progress & found many ways to stay busy & occupied within all my limitations. This has included helping the shift to more online church through video creating, editing and social media & website development. These are all things I can do, as and when I can, standing, sitting or lying down, either on my smart phone or for shorter bursts on the laptop. I also continue to help provide pastoral support – alongside my husband – for people in our church & connected to us. Although even a lot of this has had to shift online or over the phone this past pandemic year.
“The real work, the hardest work, is to pick up the pieces and decide how to put them back together again. The new thing that emerges may not work the way it used to, but it can bend and stretch and change us in ways we come to treasure even more.”
Suffer Strong – Katherine & Jay Wolf
That quote is precious to me because it describes my journey well. The past six years have been a marathon journey of learning to accept, adapt, stretch, bend & change according to my current abilities & limitations. My life journey since my accident has in no way been linear. Sometimes it’s been as changeable as shifting sands. Just when you get used to being able to do even more – you again simply crash, burn & relapse.
In those times of disappointment, in those moments I wasn’t sure I had the energy to start another recovery journey again, I found that I had to find ways to acknowledge the grief & pain but then allow myself to bend, change & be moulded anew. In those places I had to let go of finite disappointments & focus on…
A bigger Picture. A bigger Person. A bigger Presence.
… to carry me through.
Until, yet again I have found myself in the more peaceful place of slightly calmer waters. Having let go of who I once was and embracing the life I have been given now. Whilst choosing to allow it to be used to be a blessing & make a difference in others lives.
So that is the infinite hope that I cling fast to. A hope that is not based on the life I imagined, but is based on something far more significant. The the life I was given to live. So I must embrace all that it is – and attempt to use it for good. To make the difference in our world that only I can make. Reaching the people that I was uniquely called to love. And trying to offer hope to others overwhelmed by hopelessness.
Part of that process is continuing the task of simply telling my complicated never ending story – in the hope that it may become a ray of hope in someone else’s darkness. So today I want to tell you again to never give up. Instead choose to…
“Hope, hope to the last.”
Remembering that good can come again in our lives… IF we will only keep holding on and enduring for another day, another difficult season. However impossible that sometimes may feel.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr
A long walk at Bradgate Park, Leicestershire over the Christmas holidays. It’s the first time in 5 years I have managed to travel over there and go for a long walk with my family. It marks another new achievement since being on the new treatment protocol.
Here is my new summary video of my whole medical journey as well as footage of my January/ February 2021 adhesive arachnoiditis relapse/ flare and treatment with IV Steroids. To see my daily video diaries from this time please see my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZkCy9B_IpeaGrXd0CEgow
For more previous posts about my story of living with a spinal CSF Leak (from before we understood the arachnoiditis element) please look at the subject heading on the menu bar above.
SPINAL CSF LEAK INFO: Here is a brilliant 2 min animation about Spinal CSF leaks.For more information about spinal CSF leaks please see the UK charity website at www.csfleak.info or the US charity website at www.spinalcsfleak.org.Please see this May 2018 medical paper about the 10 most common myths and misperceptions about spinal CSF leaks. It is by some of the top world experts in treating this condition.
“When you look another human in the eyes (or read their stories) and see how they’ve found strength in the face of their suffering, it makes you sit up with a little more hope.” – ‘Suffer Stronger’
Katherine & Jay Wolf (my addition in brackets)
Butterflies In The Dirt
I walk a lot at the moment. And if you know my recent story you will know the profound beauty in me just saying that. But walking still isn’t always easy for me because it can both help some symptoms and exacerbate other ones, especially my head pressure issues as well as my back and legs. But I am so grateful to say that it’s been getting easier again recently – since my recent new diagnosis and treatment plan. I can now walk much further and far more than I have been able to since before my last relapse in Spring 2019.
We are so blessed to have beautiful countryside five minutes from our house. And this seems to be butterfly season. Lots of white and colourful butterflies are flying around.
But often I see them like in this photo. Resting in the dirt. Being still for a moment on the dry, cracked and broken path. And through them God always reminds me….
You can always find great beauty in the broken dirt of life. If you choose to truly SEE it.
‘Could I have Chronic Arachnoiditis?’
Where do I start on the whirlwind of the past month or so? A couple of months ago I had only ever vaguely heard of something called arachnoiditis. And to be honest I was at a stage where I was far too weary for much new medical research. But that word ‘arachnoiditis’ kept coming back up, it kept being thrust back into my view – however much I tried to avoid and run away from it.
I believe now it was Divine providence – sweetly nudging me to pay attention. Because I would soon need that information in a critical way.
So I began to read and research yet again – another condition – another lead… and as I did my mindset went from a ‘no that can’t be me’ to it becoming quickly apparent how well the diagnosis fitted with my whole medical journey since my ladder fall in January 2015. It was actually a very timely speedy journey of revelation – that only by God’s mysterious grace – soon coincided with my most horrendous relapse/ flare ups in the whole 5 years I have been ill – that soon had me hospitalised for two weeks.
I am actually still in a state of both partial shock and partial wonder that following so many clear acts of Divine providence (key things and key people coming together at the right time) – I finally got the correct treatment I needed that perhaps reversed a more severe or even catastrophic injury to my spine.
A Unique Story
Here is my ongoing holistic medical story in its ongoing messy glory. It’s messy – because I am a typically messy human. I don’t fit well in others ‘boxes’ because I am unique. So although I share my story in the hope it might help others, assist their loved ones in understanding and to help any members of the medical profession to understand these conditions and their long term impact on their patients; I also want you to know that my story is my own unique story.
Of a unique body with a unique biological makeup, a unique accident and a unique resulting neurological injury.
That has caused me untold suffering for 5 1/2 years.
However, one reason I write is that perhaps my unique case can help shed more light on others unique cases too. Our stories are simply that – the truth of what is happening in our life as a WHOLE person. The truth of a complicated and rare medical journey in a complicated and unique human being.
I am not sure where to begin this next chapter in my story apart from to describe the events leading up to my hospital admission and the revelation that we may well be dealing with chronic spinal canal nerve inflammation as well as a spinal CSF leak.
Spinal CSF Leak
I do not have time in this blog article to explain my medical history since I fell off that ladder in January 2015. And how I fell onto my head, neck and spine very hard. How I was diagnosed with post concussion syndrome, then finally 2 months later a spinal CSF leak. (See this original article).I do not have much room here to explain that my current NHS ‘intracranial pressure MDT’ have seen evidence on my MRI of a small CSF leak in my neck (cervical ventral spine). To read more about that please see this blog article.
PLEASE NOTE: Many of my ‘arachnoiditis symptoms’ started after that fall alongside the ‘spinal csf leak symptoms’.
They have always been very interconnected. Apart from the severe lower back/ sacrum pain. (That got worse over the latter months to years after that original fall). However, many of these key symptoms were there from that first week after I fell – it’s just the more severe pain was more in my neck rather than lower spine the first few months (Query – maybe it could have started as ‘cervical arachnoiditis’ around the potential leak site following the trauma & spread as arachnoiditis can?). My neck certainly took much impact in a funny position with my head hitting a raised ledge. All the main bruising was all down my right arm and pain into my middle fingers. I have always had major nerve issues and acute stiffness in my neck (although that is also typical of SIH neck pain). Although I also developed the severe leg weakness & gait issues and whole body tingling/ spasms & jerking etc from that first week – so I am not sure how it all works together.
And just to state here: I have not had a medical procedure in or near my spine since September 2017.
This Relapse/ Flare Story
This relapse actually followed my typical pattern of relapse (last one Spring 2019). There was no clear trigger this time – although in hindsight Covid lockdown brought changes to my routine that might have added to things. For about 2 weeks before it fully hit me I began to feel more unwell than usual. My forever troublesome back/ sacrum area was getting worse again and that was causing me to often lay down more than my head. I felt like I had 100 tiny pins stuck in my sacrum and down my legs. My legs started getting markedly weaker especially towards the end of short walks. I had more pins & needles in my legs, feet, saddle area, arms and hands. My head and ‘normal leak symptoms’ were also clearly worse.
So we typically asked those questions – ‘Am I doing too much?’ – ‘Perhaps I need more rest?’ – ‘Perhaps I have a virus or even coronavirus ‘(I even ordered a test). But this time there was something else. I felt like a had a UTI – and my bladder didn’t feel right. I just felt like I constantly needed the loo and there was a constant burning around those nerves too. And that’s bad for me because for years going for a wee makes my head much worse. So it was all just so painful for me. So I did a urine sample for the GP nothing came back as abnormal. Everything was getting increasingly painful & exhausting.
Then my symptoms do what they always do when I relapse or flare – like my last one in Spring 2019…
Everything suddenly EXPLODED!
Symptom Explosion
A day came – a Friday – when I got up as normal. But it was tough. It was really very tough. And within half an hour my body was flooded with that overwhelmingly debilitating draining feeling from my head down. A feeling I have known so many times. The feeling that came when I first got ill around 48 hours after my ladder fall in January 2015.
A Sense of Being Unbelievably Unwell
At that point my worst symptoms all very quickly returned: the inability to speak, the slurring, the slowness to respond. Then came the weak legs giving up and the having to pull myself back to bed. Then as I lay down back came the twitching, the jerking and the spasms. And the feeling that I may just pass out any moment – but never really do.
I cannot explain how awful it is to experience that. But it is not uncommon for me. That has been my normal since the start from after my fall – when things are bad.
But this time some things were worse. Mainly my back. The nerve pain exploded, I could no longer lie on my back at all, it was all down my legs. It all burnt, stabbed and tingled. The pain was just getting worse. I could hardly stand or walk at all.
I just felt weird, my whole body was full of pins and needles, both inside the whole of me and all over my body. A bubbling, strange sensation in my whole body – feeling stuck in another world. Mind can’t think – I struggled to process & respond.
I then started struggling to be touched by anyone. Everything was hypersensitive. Everything hurt so bad and people touching me would often just make me twitch, jolt & spasm.
Two Wonderful Doctors
By this time our (including two key doctors) minds had been opened to consider a new diagnosis of chronic arachnoiditis. As I said before – as I began feeling more ill the past two weeks I again had read more. And as I read about its symptoms, triggers, biological predispositions, links to spinal fluid flow, leakage & seepage, multiple spinal procedures and the presence of spinal cysts. It rang too many bells to ignore. So I had sent information to the two main doctors (from two different hospitals) who know my case well. My current neurologist and a doctor who has generously followed my case and CSF leak updates for years even after me moving on from their hospital. They had both already agreed that it was something that needed considering. I ticked so many boxes already … as shown in this list I made into an image.
In the end after updating our more local hospital doctor contact about my worsening symptoms that Friday, he called on the Saturday & spoke to mainly my husband – as by then I was struggling to talk and respond at all. After listening carefully about what was happening and asking various questions – he advised us to call an ambulance and then kindly in advance explained my case to the consultant neurologist on call. I am so deeply grateful for this doctor who has had so much patience and humility over the years to listen and understand my whole medical journey, in a way that he became the advocate I needed. He was my voice when I had no voice.Especially as my husband could not be with me at all due to Covid lockdown and seeing as I often feel so intimidated, scared & anxious around new doctors due to my case being so complex – especially when my speech and thought processes are so impaired.
Admission via Ambulance
The ambulance crew came and by then I was in such a whole body nerve pain flare I was very hypersensitive to touch, examination and even having my blood pressure (BP) done. It was all excruciating and would just make me jolt and spasm. I could only slur and half speak with very delayed responses. They thought I had either a stroke or meningitis. Although the stroke team at the ED soon ruled that out and the medical doctor who saw me was baffled but knew I needed to be admitted. And although struggling to speak – I managed to direct them to my medical files to read my history (as I lacked the ability to explain it myself). And after a couple of days on a medical admissions ward – I finally made it to Neurology.
At this time I had ALL the red flag symptoms for arachnoiditis/ lower spinal canal nerve inflammation/ and things were only getting worse.
Brain and Lumbar Spine MRI
I had to be very deeply sedated for my brain & lumbar spine MRI as I could not lie on my back for more than seconds to minutes without spasming/ twitching or jolting. Which really would not work in an MRI machine.
However the MRI was read as clear for both low CSF pressure/ SIH (which is normal for me) and adhesive arachnoiditis/ cauda equina inflammation or compression/ epidural fibrosis and anything else considered etc. Although interestingly at first they also missed reporting a possibly key piece of the puzzle due to seeing it as an ‘incidental’ finding.
Tarlov Cysts
I have at least 1 or 2 Tarlov cysts in my sacrum. Which I now know can both potentially cause cauda equina inflammatory disorders (CEID) but can also be the result of that inflammation. They keep not being reported from my multiple scans (I had to view my own scans and ask in 2017 for the confirmation I had a Tarlov cyst/s – but were told they are ‘incidental’.) Which I already knew is not necessarily true because Tarlov cysts can actually also become symptomatic after a fall. You can actually leak or seep spinal fluid from Tarlov cysts and they can effect normal spinal fluid flow to cause intracranial hypertension (high pressure headaches). They can also cause issues with sitting down and effect your lower extremities & bladder & bowel function. This video from a German Neurosurgeon who is a ‘arachnoiditis and Tarlov cyst specialist’ even describes Tarlov cysts as a form of arachnoiditis as well as often an additional feature. He later discussed it further here and shared his experience in surgery is that everyone with Tarlov cysts has evidence of a form of arachnoiditis. So they are VERY relevant to my condition. (See here for Dr Tennant’s bulletin on this or other medical articles below).
Other Spinal Cysts & Potential Connective Tissue Disorder
I also have an arachnoid cyst in my brain. Multiple prominent meningeal diverticula cysts in my thoractic & cervical spine. And a small pituitary cyst (I am under Endocrinology for but has remained unchanged). Could any other of these also be more than just incidental findings to my wider case – could any of them be part of a bigger picture of spinal canal inflammation/ collagen weakness/ biological predisposition – which can all be connected with arachnoiditis and spinal CSF leaks and seepage? (My NHS CSF leak team were already very mindful that about 30% of ‘leakers’ leak from meningeal diverticula.)
My Dad also has some undiagnosed key features of Marfans syndrome (including pectus excavatum & more recent heart problems) and he is tall with long thin limbs like me – which could mean I am more pre-disposed to all these things genetically (50% chance if he does have some Marfans). There are also some hypermobility features in other close family members. Although I have never been hypermobile AT ALL and was very healthy until my fall. But perhaps any such genetic predispositions could be hiding in my spine. I do have a mild scoliosis of the spine. My Mum also died six years ago following complications after surgery to remove a massive benign brain tumour. So there is a family history of neurological abnormalities there too.
Lack of Knowledge or Expertise to View scans
The first issue with scans is that arachnoditis can be very hard to seeon scans until it becomes adhesiveand even then many neuroradiologists miss it due to lack of experience with the condition.
The other main problem I have is that I am most doctors’ and neuroradiologists’ first known or one of their first known recent cases of arachnoiditis. Many of them do not know much about spinal CSF leaks either. So they lack experience of the conditions. I have also been informed by more expert neuro-radiologists/ doctors that you really need head to toe axial MRI images with IV contrast and/ with both T1 & T2 weighting and VERY experienced eyes to diagnose features of arachnoiditis or spinal nerve inflammation or even actual AA. (Although I am hopefully due more scans soon more like this soon and have been seeking out more experienced eyes to view them). One of the articles below also suggests that the use of ‘stir cycle’ images on MRI might help to spot the neuro-inflammation.
Pls note: I went on to get radiological support for the diagnosis.
Medications
Whilst waiting for the MRI and deciding what to do, Neurology put me on pregabalin for the excruciating nerve pain, pins & needles & hypersensitive reactions etc. Diazepam for the spasms, jolting and jerking, paracetamol, laxatives. And I was already prescribed zopiclone by the GP that I tend to mainly only use during ‘flare ups’ because I always develop severe insomnia. (Another typical arachnoiditis symptom).
The combination of these medications did help me and eased some of the symptoms and allowed me to sleep more. I finally got my voice and mental clarity back so could begin to self advocate again and help the doctors to better understand my case and journey. But I was still stuck lying on my side with legs that hardly worked, bladder & bowel issues and pulling myself to the bathroom whilst walking on tip toes because my feet burnt & legs hurt too much to have my feet flat on the ground.
Dual Hospital Team
By then my more local hospital neurologist got in touch with my specialist low pressure/ spinal CSF leak neurologist (from another UK NHS hospital) who at that time happened to also be treating a friend of mine (from the online leak support groups) for early onset arachnoiditis following various spinal procedures at another separate hospital. So he was learning fast about the condition.
That friend has also been the absolute star who first provoked me to start looking into arachnoiditis due to her sharing her own very courageous, but deeply devastating recent journey of getting a spinal CSF leak following a lumbar puncture (multiple attempts) from another different hospital that went very wrong.
Then in embarking on the journey of getting that fixed she developed acute arachnoiditis. (If it is diagnosed and treated with (IV) steroids in the first 60-90 days you can completely reverse it and prevent it becoming adhesive)(Read this medical article for further details)
So she and my normal neurologist (whom she had approached for help) had already been learning so much – which was one of the timely things that helped me so much in my own time of desperation and need. For that special friend – I am forever grateful.
IV Steriods
It was finally agreed by my hospital Neuro team, my normal specialist neurologist (from the other hospital) and the hospital anaesthetist who had done two of my epidural blood patches in 2015/16 who was also involved – to trial me on the emergency treatment for arachnoiditis. Mainly as the risks and side effects of the treatment were lower than the risks of leaving me with a potentially severe arachnoiditis flare up which could be causing me more permanent damage & adhesions.
So they trialed me on 500mg of IV steroid methylprednisolone – the first dose carefully observed but I responded very well and straight away felt a boost of more clarity, energy, eased symptoms and stronger legs. So I then I had a total 5 days of 500ml IV steroids methylprednisolone.
Results of Steroid Treatment
The results of the 5 day treatment were actually quite dramatic in reversing this flare up.
The main change was probably to my legs. I could finally walk more normally and started walking up and down the ward, then out in the wider hospital, then I ventured for 30 mins to 1 hour walks around the grounds. This often included walking up 6 flights of stairs to the Neuro ward. This was a million miles away from willing & pulling my unimaginably painful, burning and tingly legs to the nearest bathroom.
My mental clarityreturned so that I went from hardly being able to speak, to speaking with more clarity on the other medications, to finally being able to have hour long conversations and speak to the staff and other patients more easily.
The back pain, pins & needles and burning reduced considerably. I could lie on my back more (although still very tender – but that has been normal for years). I had a lot less leg pain. My photophobia radically improved and I could remove my sunglasses and stop covering my head. The meds had dealt with a lot of the jolting and twitching – but that now completely disappeared. I still had positional head pressure that got worse the longer I was upright – but I could be up for so much longer than when first admitted. My bladder and bowel also began to function more normally (although going to the loo still makes my head worse).
I did so well that I was finally discharged 2 weeks after my admission. Having not been able to see my husband, kids or any other visitors due to Covid lockdown restrictions.
Diagnosis from my Normal Neurologist
The next day I travelled to see my wonderful normal spinal CSF leak specialist Consultant Neurologist who was given the task of continuing my follow up. He had been kept informed about what had been happening during my stay at the other hospital and had been consulted. But obviously again still took down all the history of recent weeks and did his own neuro examination which actually showed after two days off the IV steroids some things were getting worse again and I found the examination more distressing again especially in my back and legs.
So he made a clinical diagnosis of arachnoiditis (we cannot know if it’s become adhesive at all over the years without scan evidence – so that needs to be investigated) as well as a spinal CSF leak.
He put me on an oral prednisolone taper as well as diclofenac (for neuro-inflammation), pregablin, omeprazole (to protect stomach) and very occasional use diazepam if needed (only used so far for travelling as sitting in the car for long journeys can still be torture). Restoring the (oral) steroids helped to again reverse things getting a bit worse again after the IV treatment ended.
Improvements Continue
It’s still early days but I can report that my legs continue to get stronger and I am now walking at least three times a day from 20 mins to 1 hour at a time. (I have not been able to do that since before my last relapse in April 2019). I am keeping this routine because walking and gentle stretching is thought vital to help stop the disease progression and nerve adhesions developing. And walking and gentle stretching exercises can potentially help any scarring and adhesions that might already have been there. My 5 year journey has also shown my best times came from more walking (but within balance) when I was able to. So that gives me confidence that it is of key importance.
So I am thankfully doing much better than I was.
A key feature being I can be upright a lot more than I have been able to for over a year and my head is much clearer than it has been for a long time. I still have many issues – so fatigue or the sacrum nerve pain is often the main thing still causing me to lie down to rest currently – although my head issues are always present too.
But I am so happy that we have perhaps reversed me moving more permanently into a more severe category of disease progression at this time and for that I am so very very grateful and thank all my doctors who worked as a team to help me.
The Tennant Foundation
I have to also say here that I am immensely grateful for all the expertise, medical articles, research and even direct emails from the founder of ‘The Tennant Foundation Arachnoiditis Research & Education Project’. Although in his late 70s and retired from clinical practice Dr Forest Tennant continues to offer so much advice, support, research and help to patients with arachnoiditis, AA or chronic cauda equina inflammatory disorders (CEID). It is his hard work and ongoing research (amidst others) that has helped myself, my dear friend who helped me & my specialist Neuro and many other doctors learn so much through his work.
Useful Links from Arachnoiditis Experts including Dr Tennant….
So I am at the start of a new medical journey… As well as 5 1/2 years into it. I am still not well or normal by any means. But I have made massive improvements since this recent flare & in many ways on how I have been for about the past year since my last relapse. I still have intracranial pressure issues. I still have major sacrum nerve pain problems – but less than I did. It’s also very hard to know what could be directly related to the arachnoiditis/ possible AA/ chronic cauda equina inflammatory disorder because these can all effect spinal fluid flow and can cause leakage, seepage and can cause spinal cysts to form/ grow which can then add to inflammation issues. My head seems better than it has been in a long time – but still has many issues.
What is simply the spinal CSF leak? What is connected to the new things were are learning about now? It’s hard to know.
Multiple Spinal Procedures
I still believe this all started as a direct result of that fall and my biological predisposition. I had so many of these symptoms for the two months before my first ever spinal procedure (a lumbar puncture to check pressure which was a 7 at the time). However, my multiple spinal medical procedures (1 diagnostic LP (OP 7), 4 BEBP, 2 LP’s for Cisternogram (OP 10) & CT Myelogram (OP 11) and 1 LP accident instead of an EBP), may well have added to my spinal nerve inflammation issues in different ways. I often found EBP could clearly help some things but as time went on they could also could cause flare ups of intense pain in the following weeks/ months too. We often wondered if this was due to Rebound High Pressure issues, but perhaps it was also (or perhaps more of) an inflammation flare.
My CT Myelogram in September 2017 also caused a seizure within a couple of hours of the procedure (perhaps that was partly due to both the horrific pain, contrast irritation or me staying lying flat afterwards). My already acute symptoms then became even worse – including my weak legs, restricted gait and ‘drunk head’ sensation. So they admitted me – then requested an EBP (although the first attempt became another LP unfortunately). I then had a massive spinal and non-positional head pain flare for at least two months after that (although interestingly I could also be upright more than before the EBP). But the constant pain and often nausea around that time again- at times- left me feeling suicidal as it was so unrelenting. Until I instinctively started walking rather obsessively – which again may have been my saving grace back then as walking can help prevent adhesions forming.
I am NOT Angry with Doctors who Tried to Help me
I feel no resentment at all towards the doctors who requested those procedures or did them. They were trying to help me with ongoing debilitating low pressure headaches as best they could and didn’t always understand these other complications well. Many of those doctors also fought their own battles to try and help my case at the time – so how can I be angry with them doing their best for me according to what they knew then? Also some of those same doctors have been wonderful at listening – and absolutely instrumental – in helping me now which helps the sense of learning together. And learning together means learning through both the good and the bad – especially in rarer/ misunderstood conditions. So as long as they will now also learn lessons from my case in being much more aware of complications such as arachnoiditis and spinal nerve inflammation, then I remain grateful for all their help on my journey.
I DON’T expect doctors to know what they just don’t know. But I DO expect them to listen, learn and consider with humility when new possible complications and complexities emerge they may have little current understanding of.
Other Previous Flare Triggers
Also I have equally had flares/ relapses due to a second bad trip and fall in May 2017 or over-exercising perhaps without also reducing neuro-inflammation (esp a few weeks following my second EBP in November 2015 from which I had actually seen much low pressure symptom improvement). However, I tried some heavier exercise due to all the residual neck, spine stiffness, pain and ongoing head issues – but this ultimately lead to a serious pain and awful symptom flare including severe insomnia 6 weeks after the patch & my first serious mental health crisis.
I have had other flare ups perhaps triggered by long car journeys, or even plane or bus rides, like in April 2019 after a holiday to Italy which again also caused a very serious mental health crisis too due to severe insomnia and constant unrelenting awful pain. See my A Window into a Suicidal Mind blog post. (‘Bucket seats’ like in many planes & cars are reported as really bad for arachnoiditis/ AA patients). And perhaps this time the Covid lockdown added to the flare because I was doing a lot less walking and natural physio (shopping & driving locally) than before which I now understand is so important to stop disease progression. We must keep walking and moving to stop nerves sticking and clumping together.
The Next Step
The next step is hopefully to continue with a low dose anti-inflammatory/ steroid treatment and gentle exercise protocol. But that is all to be discussed further with my GP & Consultant Neurologist. I also need more appropriate scans and to get them read by someone with more expertise. (I am currently waiting for a further outpatient MRI at the hospital I was admitted to.)
I know from experience that having the ‘evidence’ many doctors like to see isn’t always possible. But not having it doesn’t mean you do not have these conditions. (It took 4 years and multiple scans for a neuroradiologist and neurologist to spot a suspected spinal CSF leak in my neck.) I know people whose scans have been read for years by top neuroradiologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons who have all missed CSF leaks, arachnoiditis or AA that has only been picked up by a specialist on those same scans some years later.
Sometimes we unique patients do not ‘tick all the boxes’ or give the desired evidence – especially with rare / misunderstood conditions – as I wrote about in my widely shared post ‘Dear Doctor, A Letter from Your Naked Patient.’But it doesn’t mean we are not exceedingly unwell.
Sometimes the truth is there – but it’s hiding – and can’t be seen by most doctors until someone more knowledgeable gets involved or those same doctors spend a lot of time researching these conditions to make the necessary connections. Also arachnoiditis will often not show on scans unless it becomes adhesive.
Which is why a clinical diagnosis and emergency treatment – without scan evidence – can be vital in preventing potentially catastrophic adhesions and nerve clumpingwhich may only show on scans once that patient is significantly permanently disabled by the condition.
Gratitude for Doctors
I will keep on pressing forward. Seeking more answers. Looking for the correct treatments and working with some of the wonderful doctors I have supporting me on this journey – both old & new.
Without an open minded and open hearted multi-disciplinary team of doctors across two hospitals coming together to help me in recent weeks. – including the two key doctors who have followed/ dealt with my case for years– my current prognosis could no doubt be even more bleak. I have never been THAT bad and so many red flags were being raised that I was perhaps moving into realms of more permanent spinal damage if left like that. Especially if things could have been becoming more adhesive.
Some people withsevere adhesive arachnoiditis can end up paralysed, partially paralysed andincontinent and possibly with intractable pain syndrome IF they do not receive the right treatment and ongoing treatment protocols at the right time. So if someone is in a seriously debilitating ‘red flags’ flare, like I was, then it should be considered a medical emergency.
The Joy of Gratitude
I am so deeply deeply thankful for all the support I have had from my ever faithful, constantly sacrificially loving and understanding husband and very resilient teenage daughters. As well as many wonderful doctors, other fantastic medical staff, our family, special friends (already battling these conditions), our church family who have cooked and prayed hard for my family and looked after us and many many more supportive professionals and friends. And that gratitude and wonder is something I will allow my mind to keep pondering, to keep meditating upon – even whilst I continue on my journey of enduring what is often the burden of unimaginable daily struggle & pain.
… Although at this moment in time that is a bit easier than it has been for a long time.
Because to remain grateful in suffering – to keep remembering all the abundant love, support, care, kindness and compassion you have been shown by God and others – is a big part of always seeing that beauty in the brokenness.
As I keep being reminded of every time I see, yet another, stunningly designed, beautiful butterfly resting in the broken and cracked dust & dirt.
There is always beauty to be found – even in the dirt. IF we will keep our eyes & heart open to SEEing it.
“When we are grateful, we are most fully alive. Gratitude allows us to absorb every possible pleasure from a moment…. When your heart is full of gratitude, life paints itself in far brighter and more vivid colours…Life becomes an endless celebration… There is always something that fills you with joy & unleashes hope and inspiration.”
From ‘Uprising’ by Erwin McManus
Here is my new summary video of my whole medical journey as well as footage of my January/ February 2021 adhesive arachnoiditis relapse/ flare and treatment with IV Steroids. To see my daily video diaries from this time please see my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZkCy9B_IpeaGrXd0CEgow
For more previous posts about my story of living with a spinal CSF Leak (from before we understood the arachnoiditis element) please look at the subject heading on the menu bar above.
SPINAL CSF LEAK INFO: Here is a brilliant 2 min animation about Spinal CSF leaks.For more information about spinal CSF leaks please see the UK charity website at www.csfleak.info or the US charity website at www.spinalcsfleak.org.Please see this May 2018 medical paper about the 10 most common myths and misperceptions about spinal CSF leaks. It is by some of the top world experts in treating this condition.
Writing to explore what life is about. Amidst its captivating beauty and deepest pain. In the hope that we can learn, grow and be inspired together.
Becky Hill's Blog 