I went to Johns Hopkins to get a repeat LP done (last one done in 2003) and it was absolutely the worst experience I have ever had getting one. The doc had me sit up and curl over, which was different, but ok. He spent an inordinately long time drawing on my back marking bony structures. Then he decided to numb me a bit.

Aaah.... we're ready to do the procedure. Stick. HOLY COW!!! That friggin hurt. Then he doesn't get it. So he sticks me again. OMG!! OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!!

I'm now tenser than a coiled up spring. He goes in a third time. WTFriggin heck?????!!!!!! I'm going to emasculate him with my bare hands. If he digs any more, the table's going to have marks in the railing from my hands.

I make him stop for a moment, sit up and stretch my back just so I can relax a bit. He decides to give me a bit more local. Before he goes in again, he says, "Gee, if this doesn't work, we're going to go in by fluroscopy." Um.. ya think?? Better because otherwise you're going to be a eunuch.

His excuse? I have a lot of scar tissue back there. Ok, I've had two LPs in the past--one in 1984 and one in 2003. I had an epidural in 1982. A lot of scar tissue? Where is this guy from?

He got in the fourth time, but I have never been so sore in my life. I spent from Thursday when I got the LP until Sunday in pain and had to take Epsom salt baths to help relieve the muscle tightness and pain.

I'm really thinking that I'm never going to have another one again. That was the worst time I've ever had.

Now I have to sit back for the results. The neuro at Hopkins wasn't happy with the one that I had in 2003 because it didn't list the # of O bands. He questioned the procedure. I'm questioning the one I had at Hopkins, but we'll see what the results show.

Neuro said that he's not convinced that even if it shows O bands that he's going to be swayed that I have MS rather than having had TM. Ok, I'll live with that. But he didn't change my dx from MS to TM officially, so I'm going to still say I have MS until something changes officially.