I'm breaking this up into 2 different posts to give you a break in reading everything. Besides I think this is the best place to break it up. Everything leading up to the visit and the visit and aftermath.
So I had some glimmer of hope before seeing the Pain Mgmt doctor. I have A LOT of self-hatred. I have a lot of embarrassment & guilt over my weight. I also feel like no one believes me. Fibromyalgia has taken a lot from me. I have lost A LOT of mobility, energy, strength, & normalcy. I lost a lot of my feeling of self-worth. I have lots of depression.
Besides my mental health struggles that I had prior to FM, it has brought a lot of other issues to the table. Being social is PHYSICALLY DRAINING. It is equally mentally draining. This is also a lot of the reason I tend to self-isolate. Throw in I am so dang sensitive to heat, light, noises, & smell--Covid to boot, WHY WOULD I want to be out & about?
When I went to the chiropractor the first time, he asked what I hoped to achieve? The pain management doctor asked the same?? Can you guess what my answer was? To be able to walk again. I want to be able to go on a walk without debilitating pain. Not much of an ask. If I can walk without debilitating pain, I can walk to gain some of my health back.
SO I met with my new Dr. He had me do a number of movements. Then he felt along my spine, asking "does this hurt?" When he got to my lower back, I reacted. Reacted significantly because he had pushed right on the spot.
He tells me to sit & says "It is arthritis." I almost cried because to date, other than some medicine & injections , nothing helps. However he took it a step further. Brought out his spinal vertebrae display and explained in detail what was happening.
This meant a lot as just being told you have arthritis & the detailed explanation of what is happening and why helped ME understand.
My L4 & L5 and S1 vertebrae, where the pain originates, the joints get inflamed when stress is put on them. Stress of walking, standing, & sitting. When they get inflamed the nerve radiating out sends the pain signals. This is specifically located at L4-5 and L5-S1.
The better news was that there is a procedure that can help significantly reduce or even eliminate the pain. However in order to determine whether or not this would work, I was required to undergo TWO diagnostic procedures.
The diagnostic procedure, Medial Branch Nerve blocks, involved injections that would temporarily block nerve pain in the lower back (one side for each procedure. Depending on my results would determine if the treatment would be best for me.
My first diagnostic test was April 13. We would definitely call that a success. This has given me hope that it would work for the right side. After which would be the treatment-RFA Ablation.
was set to have diagnostic procedure 2 on May 18. It was cancelled last minute. I am severely disappointed. The reschedule is June 15. This means I have to wait a month to have the second diagnostic--which is required before we can even talk treatment. This means another month of pain. Another month of waiting for relief. Another month of waiting.
I had been kind of hoping to have it over so when I attend a concert next month, I could actually enjoy it. But alas...more waiting.
As I said, I'm severely disappointed at this time. I just want some relief.
WHAT IS RFA Ablation?
below info directly from _Radiofrequency ablation | North Texas Pain Institute (thentpi.com)
AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT PRODUCED BY A RADIO WAVE HEATS A SMALL AREA OF NERVE TISSUE AND THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS, DECREASES PAIN SIGNALS FROM THAT AREA.
TYPICAL BENEFITS OF RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION:
- Longer lasting pain relief in comparison to steroid injections
- Reduction or relief of pain
- Short recovery time
- Improved range of motion
- Reduction in pain medication
- Semi-permanent disturbance of the pain signals
- Targets nerves part of the spinal column sending pain signals to the brain
- Reduced need for anesthesia as this has a reduced degree of nerve damage.
- Decreases the pain from severe knee arthritis without needing a knee replacement
- Pain-free benefits of 6 to 12 months on average. Some patients claim pain relief for up to 2 years.
TO BE CONTINUED
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