I had a somewhat traumatic day and I am terrified to go to sleep!

[acstorfer]

Okay, so a little background. Back in June I was riding on my Vespa and a car turned left straight into my left side. I flied, I bounced, I rolled, and I slid. All things considered (and absolutely no safety gear in the least) I am EXTREMELY fortunate. Anyway, after my neck not really feeling better I had an mri done. So, the spine in my neck has 5 bulging and 2 herniated discs. Now we are mostly caught up.

After consulting with an ortho surgeon we decided an injection would be the next best course. We will do surgery as a last resort. I read about these injections and it kinda gave me the willies. Stuff like x-rays throughout the procedure. The ortho surgeon assured me it's just a quick shot, and no weird things going on. Okay, cool. I have had shots into my knees and shoulders. I give myself insulin injections. My first tattoo session was 6 hours. I use to donate blood at every opportunity. I'm not allowed to anymore. I was stationed in the UK during Mad Cow so I am permanently disqualified. Anyway, my point is I am in no way bothered by needles. Of course needles into my spine is completely different.

So I show up today to get it done by the pain management doctor. Okay, not only was this thing exactly the shit show I read about, but it was worse! I was getting 4 freakin needles, and of course 4 injections of numbing shots, all under the watch of the xray machine, because it's going into my f'ing spine. So imagine yourself face down on the table, with all this medical equipment engulfing you, while you have 4 needles sticking out of the spine in your neck for a minimum of 10 minutes. I am trying not to exaggerate. 10 minutes is a long time in a position of absolute complete vulnerability. It wasn't really painful. It was just freaky! The only part that really hurt were when the injections were done. They were very quick though, still though 4 times sucked.

Anyway, the neck is pretty stiff now. The doc said the numbing stuff will work through tonight, but tomorrow won't be a fun time. I am so worried about waking up with extreme neck pain. I wake up in the middle of the night every night. I have had 11 knee surgeries. I wake up every night in pain. Still, I really really really dread having new additional pain!

Thanks all. I really needed to get this off my chest. It really is quite a pain in the neck! Obviously the pun is intended or I would have said pain in the mother fucking ass! It is very rare I fully curse online lol.

PEACE!

On a good note for today, it is mine and Chewie's 5th anniversary of our gotcha day! Five awesome years!

 

[RustyOldNail]

Seems like they were trying to go into each disc. I’ve had the steroid injections done twice, only one injection in between one set of discs. I have 4 bulging/herniated neck discs that cause nerve pinch pain. The 2nd time I went back, and it was one shot in a different disc. Neither shot helped at all. In my case a 4 disc operation is considered serious, I’m hoping to avoid surgery and the potential side effects, and hope pain management will get me to the finish line. I feel your pain, literally…. good luck!

 

[acstorfer]

Seems like they were trying to go into each disc. I’ve had the steroid injections done twice, only one injection in between one set of discs. I have 4 bulging/herniated neck discs that cause nerve pinch pain. The 2nd time I went back, and it was one shot in a different disc. Neither shot helped at all. In my case a 4 disc operation is considered serious, I’m hoping to avoid surgery and the potential side effects, and hope pain management will get me to the finish line. I feel your pain, literally…. good luck!

I haven't had much luck, well no luck with injections into my knees and shoulder. I really have no intention of doing this again. If this doesn't do it I am pretty sure it's gonna be surgery. I want this one and done and I do not want to do this over and over. Not happy about the thought of surgery, but I want this done with.

I will say I probably doubled my weed intake since the accident. The docs aren't keen on giving narcs to pot patients. I am really good with that. I spent over 20 years on pills and don't want more. Still, this has been a bit on the sucky side.

 

[Abysmal Vapor]

Dude sorry about your experience .If it was me i would have thought aliens abducted me and made experiments and then disguised it as a medical procedure.

 

[acstorfer]

Dude sorry about your experience .If it was me i would have thought aliens abducted me and made experiments and then disguised it as a medical procedure.

As an SG1 fan, if I was abducted for experimentation it better be Loki of the Aasgard. Worst he'll do is kill my clone when he's done.

 

[Bortz]

As an SG1 fan, if I was abducted for experimentation it better be Loki of the Aasgard. Worst he'll do is kill my clone when he's done.

Man I love that show. I have also flown from a motorcycle; you never realize how fast you are going until you stop. I'm dealing with some spine issues now (not sure from what yet, hooray!) and really feel for you. I hope the shots help you a lot. A foam back roller and percussion massage gun have changed my life. And turmeric/black pepper with an anti inflammatory diet. The better the rest of my spine and body is, the happier the bad bits are. I hope you don't need surgery, I have found relief from chiropractor, yoga/stretching, and physical therapy. Really glad I didn't go under the knife, at least at this point.

I'vs also had a fluoroscope done when they put the contrast in my shoulder for an MRI. Similar situation, laying on the table seeing myself on the screen in real time was fucking strange. 5 masked nurses surrounding you, all kinds of arms of equipment everywhere.

Then doctor dude came out with an 1/8" thick needle about 8" long. I laughed said, real funny man. He was like "hahaha, it would be", and screwed it onto the front of this greenish-grayish goo in a big ass syringe. Gadolinium contrast I think. It was a couple hundred mL of solution, to distend the shoulder out of the socket and examine the labrum for damage.

So I'm laying there, the nurses hit me with 6 shots or so of Novocain. We wait a minute or two to let it kick in. Doc asks if I'm ready, I say let's roll man.

So this dude is trying to push this huge ass needle in my shoulder, and it fucking HURTS. Like started to pass out, clenching my legs fighter pilot style, while I breathe and make this "ommmmmm" sound.

He pauses. "Are you chanting?"
I open my eyes, "Dude I'm just trying to not pass out."
Doc: "You feel this?"
Me: "I'm not supposed to?"
Doc: "Nurse, get me *unintelligible*."

Huge ass needle still protruding from me. I can see it all on the screen, my insides moving around and stuff. He continues, "Sometimes some people have a resistance to Novacain, it seems you might be one of those people." Blasts me with like 15 shots of whatever it was, just chilling, chatting to me with this spear sized needle in my shoulder while it kicks in and I enjoy X-Ray vision myself on the monitor. Asks me how it feels now, tell him it hurts but I'm cool. He says alright, little pop, and pushes the needle. *CRUNCH*, this noise erupts in my head from the needle penetrating my cartilage or whatever. Then just feeling like someone put an airbag in my shoulder and was trying to blow it off. "All done! Off to your MRI!"

Walk into MRI, "Okay, we're going to have you put your arm over your head, elbow up!" My shoulder was so full of fluid, I couldn't hold it in place, they had to strap it back hahaha. Took like 25 minutes in the tube with my arm wrenched behind my head. 0/10 would definitely not recommend.

I hope you find peace, sleep, pain relief, and healing!

 

[acstorfer]

Man I love that show. I have also flown from a motorcycle; you never realize how fast you are going until you stop. I'm dealing with some spine issues now (not sure from what yet, hooray!) and really feel for you. I hope the shots help you a lot. A foam back roller and percussion massage gun have changed my life. And turmeric/black pepper with an anti inflammatory diet. The better the rest of my spine and body is, the happier the bad bits are. I hope you don't need surgery, I have found relief from chiropractor, yoga/stretching, and physical therapy. Really glad I didn't go under the knife, at least at this point.

I'vs also had a fluoroscope done when they put the contrast in my shoulder for an MRI. Similar situation, laying on the table seeing myself on the screen in real time was fucking strange. 5 masked nurses surrounding you, all kinds of arms of equipment everywhere.

Then doctor dude I hope you find peace, sleep, pain relief, and healing!

Indeed... indeed!

 

[Unibonger]

I've found the prescription 5% Lidocaine patches to be helpful for all kinds of pain. Back & knee pain, headaches even toothaches and sciactic pain. I try to have a box of them on hand.

 

[acstorfer]

I've found the prescription 5% Lidocaine patches to be helpful for all kinds of pain. Back & knee pain, headaches even toothaches and sciactic pain. I try to have a box of them on hand.

The VA gave them to me to try with my knees. Didn't help there, but maybe worth trying in others. Thanks.