I'm super-pleased to report that I'm back at work for the second day after CK last week. I slept through the night last night for the first time since Friday. I felt 90% of normal yesterday. I'm a government mid-level manager type, and all I had to do was dress nicely and sit in front of the TV for a national teleconference all day. I didn't even have to speak! Great first day back! I'm a weekend warrior triathlete, and ran one mile around the block in my neighborhood last night after work.
For the most part, 5 days after my last CK treatment, the only significant symptoms I have left are at night - I think when I slow down/lay down/take off my hearing aid I notice stuff like increased tinnitus and pressure in my head/minor headache more. I know that, with CK, symptoms can crop up for months due to swelling. As near as I can tell, my hearing remains at pre-treatment levels, although I haven't had a new test since late September 2009.
I felt bad enough that I called the neurosurgeon's office on Monday morning, to ask for clarification of the post-treatment recommendations. I talked with the nurse again on Tuesday morning. She said they could have definitely tapered the decadron a teeny bit (they didn't) and that could have made me a little more comfortable (maybe yes, maybe no IMO). But by Tuesday morning, I gave them the good news that I was pretty much on the upswing.
I could have done this without ativan (or other tranquilizer), but would recommend taking a little bit of something to help with the stress if you're at all nervous, and it was nice to basically "nap" through the process. To me, the actual treatment was far less stressful than going to the dentist. NOTE: I strongly recommend NOT driving, etc. after taking ativan/tranquilizers until you know how they affect you. My treatment center absolutely required me to have a driver to take me home. One thing I would change is that I would definitely have someone stay with me for several hours afterward, rather than just having someone drive me home and drop me off. I don't drink alcohol at all, and haven't for many years, and felt my judgement and decisionmaking abilities were somewhat impaired afterwards. That is obviously just a personal preference, based on my own individual circumstances.
Everyone asks me, "So when will we know if it worked?" My goal was to stop this bugger/knock it back a few steps for at least a decade, so I'm practically 100% certain my goal has been met, and that's not an issue for me. Just waiting to see if/when any side effects develop. I'll update every so often over the next few weeks/months. I'm not scheduled to see the doctors again for about 3 weeks.
