6 injections in the facet joints – more pain not less, next up a nerve block

I thought one injection was bad, but try 6 at one time and to make it worse, it is worse pain now than before. Now they are talking about deadening my nerves to stop the pain. If only that works. I am having trouble being positive during all this.

Tessa –

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

A Day At Radiology

Most people go to radiology with just one test in mind. Maybe a mammogram or an MRI. I decided since I hated them both that I would just take one day and schedule them both.

It was time for my routine yearly mammogram. I hate to have them done as something always goes wrong. Whether it is how the technician does it (today she slammed my jaw and chin in the machine. I am yelling and she came running to see what happened. I couldn’t move the machine off of the area and it really hurt.

Mammo’s are painful for me because of the Fibromyalgia. I told her about it and asked that she only tighten the plates the minimum she needed to take the test. Some technicians simple squeeze as hard as possible. She listened and at least a few of the tests weren’t so bad. Now I have to wait and see what they see on the pictures. Every other year or so I am told that they see something and I have to redo the mammo and add an ultrasound and in some cases they want a biopsy which was one of the worst tests I have had done. The anesthesia did not work and I was screaming bloody murder while being scolded about it because after all they gave me anesthesia. Bull! It didn’t work. I went from screaming to tears running down my face and I closed my eyes and tried to ignore it, but every time they touched me I jumped and yelled. The person in charge finally realized that I wasn’t looking at them, but was reacting to each touch. She said to me, “You REALLY are feeling that?” I have a have pain threshold after 40 or more years of chronic pain so you know this was bad. I gave birth to 3 children naturally and didn’t have this much pain. She stopped everything and went through the anesthesia again. It helped a little, but I just finally beared it and got it over with. I don’t want to hear the word biopsy on my breast again. AND there was nothing wrong just to add insult to injury.

Now the MRI is hard as I am incredibly claustrophobic. I took my anxiety medicine before it and since it was my lumbar spine I could go in legs first. Not as scary, plus I had a long ride, but I made the trip since this location had the shortest and the widest bore so i could handle the claustrophobia.

I had a few uncomfortable hours, but it is done and over with and no longer have to look forward to either one of the tests.

Tessa –

Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also a devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work mostly although occasionally I do add something new here), new work is mainly on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Stroke update! My pain update!

Dad is experiencing forward movement in some areas, but is going backwards in others. He is losing his memory slowly but surely. He no longer remembers how many children he has or the street he lives on. He knows me and my sister are his children or maybe I should say he remembers us but maybe he doesn’t make the connection that we are his children at times. There are 3 of us although my brother is in another part of the country and too far away to visit. Mys sister and I see to his needs.

We found a nice subacute rehab facility. It has large rooms, looks more like a bedroom than a hospital room. AND they do his laundry for free. Yea!

And that brings me to my problem. The parking lot is really far away from the entrance and then he is all the way down a long hall. They are built out on one floor rather than up. That walk is making the pains in my own body much worse and I can’t go every day, not that my sister or he want me to anyway. They both told me to not be so intense and to take care of myself. They only have one handicapped spot and it is taken usually.

My spine pain is much worse and I can feel it move. The pain dr wants a new MRI to see what is going on in there. My last one was in last September. This puts surgery back on the table as a possibility. She has increased my pain meds from 1 to 2 meaning every 3 hours I am taking either a Percocet or a Tramadol. I have to write down when I take them to keep it straight. 4 of each every day to help alleviate some of the pain since Percocets alone are no longer working.

Tessa – advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.com (this blog contains my old work), new work is on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

Still no apartment, epidural and bankruptcy

From a supposed move in time of March 1, no communication at all. Very frustrating. I know it doesn’t matter to them and we are just needy nobodies to them. Do they think I would put myself in this position if I didn’t have to. Very humiliating the treatment can be. I am afraid when they finally call to view the apartments I will be otherwise engaged in something I can’t change.

Still waiting for my court date for the bankruptcy. I did get the court number for my case, but still no date set.

I just had my 3rd lumbar epidural. I actually feel less pain this time. Maybe it will work this time and we can start on the neck. This time I did it with iv sedation and not a local. I never felt or knew it happened until they were waking me up. Costs more, but the way to go.

The office changed their name to Corda Pain Institute. Sounds more professional, but they are completely out of control and over booking and can’t handle parking, seating and the wait times are ridiculous as they also brought more doctors on. Every time I go which is usually 2-3 weeks apart, they have changed their procedures. And the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. They are driving me crazy.

SoI have started packing and donating to the thrift shop as well as trashing a lot. Most of it needed doing anyhow. Less to take with me. Took a car load to thrift store today. And both my dad and son are getting rid of things they don’t want either. Had trouble getting rid of things so far, but really they have no value to me or they wouldn’t have sat in boxes for over 14 years, some long.

So tired of going nowhere.

Tessa – advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (this blog contains my old work), new work is on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

 

5 “Don’ts” for a Better Relationship With a Fibromyalgia or CFS Doctor

5 “Don’ts” for a Better Relationship With a Fibromyalgia or

CFS Doctor

I can relate to this. When I was first looking for a diagnosis for what was going on it was over 7 years ago. I had doctors who agreed with the dx of fibromyalgia and some that didn’t. Then my rheumatologist retired, I had to start again and find one that believed in fibromyalgia. My pain dr also believes in it and tried treating me, but I simply can’t respond to any of these meds.

Tessa – advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses, also devout Christian

Author – http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (this blog contains my old work), new work is on this blog http://www.tessacandoit.com

I was warned…

I was warned that day 2 and 3 after the epidural injection could and most likely would cause more pain before leaving.  There is a chance it may not leave, but we are not entertaining that idea.

Today is day 2 and I have some mild pain return. I had a faith healing from my dad to help me and I still have the neck to deal with. I expect another epidural at the minimum in my neck.

It was painful, but bearable so this time I won’t have to be as in fear as I was with that first one. I had these with local anesthesia and not general iv surgery like the first time 7 years ago.

I think moving around  more would also help. I tend to stiffen up the longer I sit or lie down.

Teresa (Tessa) Dean Smeigh

-Advocate for Mental and Invisible Illnesses

-Author of Articles, Stories and Poems

http://www.tessacandoit.com

http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (no longer canceling this blog, just not adding new work to it, sign up for http://www.tessacandoit.com for the new posts).

Epidural done yesterday, feeling much better

The local anesthesia was the worst part. Didn’t feel the actual steroid injection. By the time I got my pain pill a couple of hours later it took a couple of hours to start feeling better.

I could turn over in bed without the resulting pain and this morning getting out of bed was easier. I can walk easier, not all stiff and little steps as I did with that terrible pain. I haven’t felt this well in decades.

Ruby I kept your prayer cloth in my pocket right next to where they were working. It gave me comfort. Thank you to you and your church for praying for me.

Teresa (Tessa) Dean Smeigh

-Advocate for Mental and Invisible Illnesses

-Author of Articles, Stories and Poems

http://www.tessacandoit.com

http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (no longer canceling this blog, just not adding new work to it, sign up for http://www.tessacandoit.com for the new posts).

Pain is Weird

Pain is weird. I was pain-free for a few days and now it is back, but on the other side of my body. I can’t figure it out. I was so relieved there for a few days and boom, just like that, it is back again.

I can’t figure out if too much movement is the cause, not enough is the cause or that there is no specific reasoning behind it,

I have spent the last few days calling the 2 doctors offices trying to get an appointment for the required EKG. I finally got one today at the very last minute before the procedure. Well slight exaggeration there. The procedure is Tuesday, but no time yet and so need Monday to wait for the time. The EKG is set for the last appointment on Friday afternoon. The day they close early.

I will plan on leaving the house early just in case of problems and just wait in the parking lot for awhile and then in the waiting room. I can’t take any issues such as road construction, detours and such. I was hoping to not have to have it. I really felt better than I had for over the last 7 years, but now it is back.

I just made a payment plan for the MRI’s I had and had to sign a paper so luckily my dad agreed to drive it to the post office for me. I had eased off a little on the pain pills and perhaps that had something to do with it.

I am sitting here in pain. Lying down was feeling better. May be up and down all night till bedtime. I have also had bad stomach pains the last couple of days. Not sure which hurts worse.

Teresa (Tessa) Dean Smeigh

-Advocate for Mental and Invisible Illnesses

-Author of Articles, Stories and Poems

http://www.tessacandoit.com

http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (no longer canceling this blog, just not adding new work to it, sign up for http://www.tessacandoit.com for the new posts).

The higher strength meds not helping much…excuse all the mistakes

Part of the problem is that I ran out of my arthritis meds and didn’t realize that the narcotic did nothing for that pain and so all of my joints have joined into the fray.

I am trying to get those meds refilled. I need a new script, now pain management promised to take care of it and the office tech came and asked me which pharmacy I used and sent it, but the pharmacy didn’t get it and they can’t get through to pain management because they won’t talk prescriptions over the phone. So I tried calling the rheumatologist who originally gave me the script and I had to cancel this most recent appt because I am seeing an orthopedic dr and pain management right now and didn’t think being redundant was necessary. Now I am hoping he will rewrite that script without me going in for an appt. So far I haven’t heard anything and it is after 5 PM and I know the drs office is closed. She said she would call if there was a problem. So I will try the pharmacy soon since they also promised to call if it came in. I know how that works with the best of intentions and all.

My life is so confusing right now. I am stumbling through it the best I can. The narcotics are affecting my ability to think though. I am finding lots of writing mistakes on posts and correcting what I do see.

Teresa (Tessa) Dean Smeigh

-Advocate for Mental and Invisible Illnesses

-Author of Articles, Stories and Poems

http://www.tessacandoit.com

http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (moving posts to other blog and will be deleting this one).

 

Stronger medication, but not much relief, just grogginess

I called the pharmacy today to make sure they had given me the right medication. It was supposed to be stronger. I couldn’t sleep all night due to the worsening pain and when I finally got up I found myself very groggy and my therapist wasn’t going to let me leave since I was driving a car.

I over rode her objections and drove home carefully as it wasn’t far and climbed into bed. The pain though was still worse.

Now it is evening and it is starting to lessen and I am not as groggry. I still don’t understand why a medication that was stronger was actually working less. I can understand why I was groggy, but that is all.

I will see later how I feel when I take the next dose and climb back into bed.

i called pain management and they will send the script for the required EKG for the injection and they are working on the pre-certification as well. Hope my insurance is more accepting of this procedure than they were of the MRI.

I must say I am much more relieved now that I don’t have to have surgery. I was really a mess over that.

I am not thrilled with the series of injections in my spine, but much prefer them to surgery especially with all the stories of failed back and neck surgeries.

Teresa (Tessa) Dean Smeigh

-Advocate for Mental and Invisible Illnesses

-Author of Articles, Stories and Poems

http://www.tessacandoit.com

http://www.finallyawriter.wordpress.com (moving posts to other blog and will be deleting this one).