epidural steroid injection tomorrow at 745am.

Hi again everyone, I have been keeping up with the forum, and wanted to ask you guys what to expect after this shot. I have had MULTIPLE facet block injections, before someone actually figured out that one of my fusions is not fused anymore.

Is this injection similar in pain level (when administered) as the facet blocks? I am just a bit nervous that they go into the epidural space, (yes, they are using fluoroscope thing) I am in a lot of pain, every single hour of every single day and night.

They are just doing this to make SURE that my pain is coming from the broken fusion, before going on to the surgery discussion.

I would really like to hear your experiences, thank you so much!

Thank you Alcie, have they done MRI + flexion xrays + CT Scan? My surgeon insisted that I have all three, and before this, I was misdiagnosed as having "arthritis".

The CT scan clenched it for him, although he was 99% sure after he saw the xrays. I have been in amazing pain for 10+ years. If I were you, I do think I would be getting a 2nd opinion.

He told me ablation wouldn't ease this pain, and he is just doing the ESI to make ABSOLUTELY sure that my pain is coming from the failed fusions.

I wish you luck in your endeavor for pain relief. Thanks again.....

I hope you are resting comfortably today, poplargrove.

When I was talking about ablations, that is for my lumbar problems. No surgery there. My pain doc has been able to keep me mobile enough for the moment.

For my post-fusion cervical issues I've had MRI, CT, and flexion x-rays ad nauseum, the most recent ones showing retrolisthesis. So far, facet joint injections haven't helped much and the surgeon and his minions have been less than helpful. He's on vacation until July and I refuse to see the minions because they don't care. I'm not convinced my neck has even fused.

I do have arthritis in my spine, but the fusion was necessitated by falling on my head and crushing a bunch of vertebrae and having a big bone spur snap off and crush my spinal cord.

Did your surgeon do the injection?

Hi Alcie, and all,
My surgeon did NOT do the injection, but it was one of his colleagues that ONLY does injections and the like. He was so gentle, and even without "relaxing" meds beforehand, he was nearly painless. A very compassionate doctor...and that's saying something THESE DAYS! :)

He went extremely slowly, injecting the local, so that I hardly felt the needle going deeper and deeper, he asked me if I was hurting just about every 20 seconds or so, and I only felt very slight "pressure" and some pain down my arm which is usual for me. Nothing excruciating at ALL.

I felt GREAT for 3 hours while the numbing med worked. It was heaven riding home in the car and not having to brace for every single bump in the road.

I came home and stayed on the couch all day, which is so boring to me, but hey, I watched about 3 episodes of "orange is the new black" so it was ok. The pain started to return after 3 hours, but I expected it, and used ice and even drifted off to sleep (had to get up at 530 this morning!!)

I have moved around a little bit today, so I didn't become stiff from being a couch potato, and my pain is tolerable tonight. I have to admit, I WAS hoping that the injection would help for a longer period of time, and I still have high hopes that the steroid part will help ease the pain until I go back to my surgeon on 7/2.

He told me it wasn't really for pain relief, but for diagnostic purposes. I did get almost complete relief, except in my arm, which is HUGE!!! To not have my neck/shoulder/shoulder blades screaming was soooo nice. Thanks for listening you guys. This forum is such great support and info too. I hope you all sleep well tonight! :) <3

After the local anesthetic has work off, then you need to pay attention to whether you get relief, even a little. That means they hit the right spot - where the nerve is being pinched, possibly just from swelling or inflammation. The anesthetic spreads out, so you can't go just by that. Relief may take a few days and may not last longer than a few days. So be aware, and make some notes about where you get relief and where there is still pain, if any.

You may be looking at surgery, but this is also done before doing nerve "ablation."

So very glad the injections are helping you, but please take it easy for a few days...
Many well wishes...

I spoke waaayy too soon. I am really angry with myself. I am in terrible pain at the moment, and I have no one to blame but myself. As I mentioned earlier, I went out and watered my garden this morning.

I also went to the grocery store, planned a great dinner for tonight, and came home and cooked it. The trouble started at the grocery store with unloading the cart. Major Major pain. I came home, folded two baskets of laundry, which is one of the most painful things for some reason! So much pain, it makes me nauseous and sweaty.

Cooked dinner and was in tears before I got done. So stupid. I should have known better. I was just thinking that the steroids had kicked in when I woke up this morning feeling "better".

My husband is inviting an out of town friend and his wife here this weekend, tentatively, and I swear, I don't think I can make it. He is angry with me, but you know, when you have been dealing with pain like this constantly for so long, I think the people around us become numb to how we feel, because we feel so yucky lots of the time. Or is it just me??

I don't know how to handle company this weekend, because as any other females out there know, the house has to be nearly perfect, food has be be prepared (as well as planned out) and you have to have your "game face" on.

I am just not sure how to deal with this, my husband has been through all of this with me, but I cannot get through to him now. Thank you all for listening (again) and I would welcome any suggestions. Peace and restful sleep to everyone..

Can you get someone to do some quick cleaning, for appearances sake?

And even, I know, I know,...but maybe order some type of take out and set that out for dinner?

You need to be nice to yourself and super gentle right now.

I've had my Hubby get cranky at me for being in pain before. Again, it's the "invisible disease" thing that makes it hard for people to take seriously, or to keep remembering, because we get good at putting our game face on for short periods of time....then when no one's looking, we scrunch it back up in private and return to....the face of pain.

Would your husband do the cooking or at least part of the cleaning, whatever is tougher? Does it help to explain you'd appreciate the company (bear with me here), but you're having a flare up and cannot currently do what you'd like to do to participate.

Thoughts?







M.