Pain Management Appointment and Pain.

Avrielle

So, I had my pain management appointment yesterday. I had no sleep the night before as I was in too much pain to sleep... my hips had started hurting like mad again.

I had ordered an ambulance from patient transport service to take me to the hospital. I specifically said an ambulance because I would be too uncomfortable in a car. So when I fight my way down the stairs to the front door, what do I see? A bloomin' car!

It was an hours drive there and an hours drive back. By the time I got home again, I was having a lot of difficulty getting out of the car! I honestly thought I was going to fall flat on my face! Not very amused.

As for my pain management appointment, I told him about my knees and what the other doctors had said and he told me that there is still a reasonable likelyhood that it is arthritis. We have agreed that we would wait for the tests to be done and come back to check for infammitary, and for the immunities in my blood tests.

We had a short discussion about medication I have tried and he said that he was impressed at what a good shot I had given the medication he'd suggested. But there is little improvement to my knees or foot.

So he is still very keen on giving me a very nasty injection that will go in to my back to treat my foot pain. I very much refused the last time and said I would give other medication a go first and the injection would be a last resort. But it is not far from having to use the last resort now. Basically, if my tests show that I do not have arthritis, or if there are no pain meds to treat my arthritis if I do have it, then he will have to give me the injection.

He claimed that the injection is described as moderate pain, but pain affects people differently. But since severe pain probably describes having an amputation with no anesthetic, I'm really not looking forward to it! Also, he said this injection would only treat my foot pain and would not benefit my knees at all.

It was a very short appointment, and I'm still in agony from the car drive. I'm supposed to have an appointment to see a nurse today, but have had to cancel it as I'm still in pain.

Folara

Hi Avrielle,

Don't be too worried about the back injection. I have had 5 of my facet joints injected not that long ago and it was bearable. You can ask for some relaxing medication to help. Sadly this block of injections didn't work for me o I am now booked in for a procedure where the sciatic nerve is shocked with electric via 2 needles into my back. This is supposed to relieve some of the numbness in my feet.

As the pain killers don't really have much effect I am happy to try anything cos the constant pain is getting too much for me now. That said I am NOT looking forward to this procedure at all.

Fols x

stickywicket

It sounds like a good appointment in that it was a discussion, not a monlogue but I'm sorry about the journey. I actually prefer a car to an ambulance as I find the steps pretty steep. Mind you, if you get a nice hunky ambulance driver to help

I guess only you can decide about the injections. I tend to go for whatever's on offer if stuff's bad but it's a personal decision. I hope you've eased up a bit by now.

Avrielle

When I got home yesterday, I simply slept the whole day and then all night too. I'm still tired!

Just written a big post on claiming ESA. Hope it is beneficial. But trying to get up to make a cup of tea is nearly unbareable! I'm walking so slowly, feels like I'm a zombie, my limbs just don't seem to want to do what they should be doing, so taking a single step takes a lot of energy and my knees are really painful. Not good. Glad I cancelled my appointment though. I would never make it over to the Doctors!

phoenixoxo

Hi Avrielle,

I agree with sticky: rather a discussion than a monologue! I haven't had the type of injection suggested for you by the doc, but I hope that, if it's necessary, it isn't too painful. I do have experience of patient transport, however. How do you arrange yours? I phone my surgery and they make the booking. It's many years since I've been able to travel comfortably in a car, so I've always asked for an ambulance; if steps are a problem (they're impossible for me), try requesting a tail lift. Hospital appointments can be nerve-wracking enough without worrying about the journey.

Hope you're feeling a bit better now,
Phoebe

Colin1

Hi there
Try not to worry to much it will make you feel worse, Injections in the back or spine are not to bad it doesent take long and if it works you will get a longer lasting pain relief.
You take Care
Colin