I figure it's time for another update on me. I have recently been to the city for a few appointments. I saw a pain specialist in January and it was decided to try a nerve block in the occipital nerve. The Dr said there were three things that could happen. It could help reduce the pain from a week or so to several months. It could fail and do nothing and the last option was it could make the pain worse by inflaming the nerve. I was told to allow up to ten days to see if it worked. I was also told the injection would be like a couple of bee stings. I thought after they were mighty aggressive bees. But the pain after wasn't bad it even dulled the frontal pain which shows the pain is coming from the Occipital nerve. It also helped with the pain in the shoulder and my elbow. In case I haven't mentioned it I also now have tennis elbow.
Did the nerve pain work? I would love to be sitting here in very low pain and saying yes for the first time in 21 months I have very little pain but the reality is I am in category three. The pain is higher. before it was four to five out of ten now its more seven to eight out of ten. Its frustrating but I am hoping it will still settle down back to what it was.
I also saw the specialist about my wrist which I hurt two and a half years ago and he is going to operate and do an arthroscopy on the wrist and may need to trim the bone. So now I am on the list to have this done and hopefully sometime in the next 12 months. Now to get the tennis elbow fixed. Its quite painful and it starts to settle down until I use it and then it will be set off again. My wrist is also quite painful right now.
I have recently completed a pain course through the Macquarie University Ecentre Clinic. The course is over 8 weeks and helps to teach tools to cope with chronic pain. While it doesn't take the pain away it has helped deal with some of the pain. At present I am struggling cos of the higher pain and the tools are helping to a degree but I can also thanks to the course see signs of stress cos of the constant high pain.
I know there are other options to try and that will be discussed next visit.
2 comments:
Jenny, sorry to learn the shots didn't work. We will keep you in our prayers that the pain level decreases and that the pain-coping class helps until the doctors can work on ways to treat the problem. I've been thinking of you!
Jenny, I'm sorry to hear the shots didn't work, but thanks for keeping us updated. Praying for you.
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