Damned if I do, broke if I don't...

I will be working on the minecraft review later tonight and hopefully have it up for Saturday or Sunday by the latest. But I wanted to blog this to fill everyone in on what's going on and to document this for my work comp experience just in case I need a lawyer.

I went to the doctor at the Pain Clinic on the 27th. He wants to do facet joint injections. Said it would contain "pain medicine" and that it should help with the pain. If it does, then I am a good candidate to have my nerves burned. I don't want my nerves burned!

Anyway, so I called Pam at ESIS and left a message. I also called Cindy at work and told her their treatment plan.

The next day, Lisa from the pain clinic called to schedule my appointment. The thing is, she told me it is for a medial branch nerve block and that it contains steroids. I don't want steroids. The last experience with steroids was HORRIBLE. The nurse did put down that "patient requests no steroids". I also told her my concern about Cymbalta. In the literature that comes with the pills, it says (paraphrasing) "do not prescribe with patients with long term liver damage." So I told her my concern about that and she said she would ask the Dr. I told her I have liver disease and that is why I am concerned. She called back and said he wants me to take it anyway. He'll run liver function tests later. Shouldn't they run them before?

So I did get a hold of Pam at Esis and she said that I have to do what the doctor thinks is best for me or she will stop my work comp checks and close my claim for "non-compliance". So I HAVE to take cymbalta even though my PCP wouldn't even prescribe it to me, even though I have liver disease and even though it says IN THE LITERATURE FROM THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THE MEDICINE not to take it. I HAVE to get the injections even though I don't want them. Even though I want a different treatment and I don't think this is best for me. I am so doing this all under duress! I am signing the consent paper under duress and I am blogging it here. I do not want this injection!

I think taking cymbalta is a BAD idea! I would prefer the herbal route and want a more holistic approach to healing. Or to go to a chiropractor or accupunturist, or SOMETHING! I think this is a bad bad bad bad bad idea! and I am being forced/ coerced into it!

Epidural Steroid Injections and Burning Legs/ Leg Weakness

I spent my week on Benadryl so I mostly played video games, homeschooled my kids and tried to stay awake.

On Tuesday I had my follow up appointment with the Pain Doctor. I explained about that I think I am having a reaction to the epidural steroid injection and he actually agreed. He is also sending me to a urologist to make sure there isn't some anatomical reason why I am having trouble urinating if I stop taking Benadryl. He didn't seem too concerned about all the other symptoms I am having. But he was very interested in the urinary issues.

After the appointment, Nikky and I discussed how odd this was. We started asking around to see if anyone else has had an epidural steroid injection or knew someone who had. Then we asked about side effects and if it helped. We found quite a few people who have had them and more that knew someone who did. ALL of them, and I mean ALL, have said they had the same problems. All of them had teh  Burning sensation down the legs like acid being poured on you and most of them had leg weakness. The others reported other negative symptoms also like headaches, unable to stand up by themselves, extreme stiffness in the back and joint pain.

Mikky and I talked more about it and we think the reason the doctor isn't really concerned about my reaction to the epidural steroid injection is because it's a normal side effect they failed to warn me about... but the urinary issue isn't! That's why they are so interested in it.

I can tell you, I will NEVER get another epidural steroid injection again! But, if you had one and you are having side effects, I would love to hear your story too. Obviously my case is not that unique or they wouldn't be so "couldn't care less" about it.  And I am finding that reaction is not some weird or unusual reaction. It's common.

What do you think? Do you know someone who had an injection and had a reaction like this? I wanna hear it.

Epidural Steroid Injection... DONE!

My friend drove me to Kalispell through snow, ice and gusting winds in near whit out conditions to get me to my appointment for my epidural steroid injection (Aren't friends awesome!) on Monday.

I checked in at 10:15 a.m. and they took me to the back where they had comfy recliners for me and the other patients to chill in until it was time for poking and prodding. I sat there waiting and tried to doze off but my back was really hurting; which made that impossible.

When it was my turn to go back, I was expecting that it would be quick (15 minutes) and like the epidural I had with my kids, a little uncomfortable but okay. I was warned by a couple of people that it could hurt but that wasn't usual. So I was semi-prepared for whatever they were about to do to me.

I crawled up onto the table and laid on my stomach on a pillow (so my back would arch). I had my face down in a massage pillow looking thing. It was like a donut with a cover over it and I got to stare at the floor (and the nurses cool shoes!) for the rest of it. My arms were on these arm rests thingies and I was all ready to go. They hooked me up to a blood pressure cuff and an O2 monitor.

Next the nurse washed my back with iodine and then the doctor got all ready to go. They had an x-ray machine so they could exactly where they were placing the needle and tube and whatever else they wanted to check out with it.

Now, let me take a moment to remind you all, this is USUALLY painless. Uncomfortable, yes. Painful, not usually. Let me also remind you, I am not usual.

The doctor warned me that I would feel a sting. That was the numbing medicine going in. And the rest of it should have been just pressure... I wish. Instead, I was in such severe pain that I was sobbing and my blood pressure shot up to 160/113. It felt like the doctor was shoving a pick axe through my spine and pulling my leg muscles out the hole. It was the most horrendous pain I have ever felt. I would rather give birth to an elephant through my nostrils than do that again.

The part was quite interesting. While I was sobbing and dripping snot ropes on the floor, the doctor said he was injecting the meds (both the corticosteroid and the lidocaine). At that point... I have never been so aware of my left butt cheek and thigh. They felt like led appendages. I could sort of, kind of feel them but not really... and then the INTENSE burning! HOLY SHIT-BALLS! I thought I was in pain before... HA! This was horrible! I felt intense burning, sharp stabbing and I think I actually tasted my stomach that day. It subsided rather quickly once the tube was out.

The nurse then put pressure on my back to stop the bleeding (I had a tube shoved in there, it's gonna bleed!) and I finally begged her to quit touching my back. I couldn't take any more. I took a moment to calm down and then she helped me sit up and get into the wheel chair. they took me back to the recliner. I was so nauseous I thought I was going to redecorate the recovery room with a stomach acid rinse.

They gave me apple juice, applesauce and a cheese stick to eat and put a cool wet cloth on my forehead. The pain went back to about where it was when I first came in and my blood pressure went back to normal. My O2 was fine. My left butt cheek and leg were numb and I could barely move them. They said that was normal. Eventually they came back. My leg was heavy but I could feel it.

The doctors and nurses were so apologetic. They felt really bad because this reaction (the pain and all) is not normally how it goes. I was fine with it. I mean, if it helps, it'll be worth it. If not, then at least we tried... but dang! I am NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! At least not without sedation first.

I am home now. The first day was awful. The best part was having all my help here. I wouldn't have survived without them. My legs kept going numb, I could barely walk at times and the pain meds they gave me knocked me out a lot. I projectile vomited that night and I felt like I was going die by the time I went to bed.

Yesterday was a little better. My legs started a new thing... they burn intensely, like they are on fire, for about a minute, then they go all tingly and numb-ish. Then it clears up. My crotch is numb as hell still and I have random moments of waves of "coolness" that starts in my back and runs down my entire bottom half of my body. Not that I mind that one, it's a nice change from Satan's inferno on my legs and crotch.

Today, my back still hurts but not as intensely. I didn't have to take any pain pills until about 11:00 a.m. I managed to do a little housework (I cleaned the kitchen table WOOHOO!) and that was about it. Now I am crocheting and blogging.

I'll keep updating as the week goes on. I figure this is supposed to be the turning point where it gets progressively better so I am excited. I am looking up! It better get better now! I didn't go through THAT for nothing!

Update on the Doctor appointment.

I got up and ready to go yesterday morning and by the time I got to my friends house the Doctors office called. They cancelled my appointment because the doctor is sick. I am waiting for them to call and reschedule. They were supposed to call yesterday but I didn't hear from them. I called to see if they were rescheduling yet and they said they were trying to figure out what was going on since the next appointment openings are in the later part of the month.

My friend told me to call the nurse and tell them what is going on so I do plan to call later in the morning and talk to a nurse. I'll let you know how that goes.

YES! I will tell the doctor about my bowel issues... (Quit emailing me now)

Thank you all for your concerned emails, private comments, phone calls and text messages about my comment in my emu oil update about occasional bowel incontinence. Yes, I know this is supposed to be some big deal. Up until now I just get odd looks and "huh, that's weird." from the doctor. I finally became too embarrassed to say anything else and he didn't ask how that was going so I dropped it. I figured maybe it wasn't a huge deal after all and didn't say anything else.

As for the questions, no I don't need to do more kegals. When I am not in horrible pain, I do fine. No problems. But when I start hurting, everything gets numbish feeling. Depending on how bad I hurt depends on whether or not I can tell you if I have I have to go... drop the kids off at the pool.

The first time it happened, I was mortified! I ended up giving up trying to get anyone to listen after awhile and I started wearing Poise Pads around the house and Depends when I need to go out.

I have to say, out of the "protective underwear" and pads that I have tried, Depends and Poise are by far the best.

But I thought I would hop on here and tell you all, YES, I will talk to my doctor tomorrow and see what he says. I'll update tomorrow evening.