Injections?

Hello Ts I got your email thanks so much.

Ry, I actually felt a bit better with this injection when I first got it.  It wasnt as painful as the first, although I was in alot of pain the day of the injection but after the first 2 days I really did feel a bit better, today wasnt as good.  Im not sure if it worked and I just had a bad day today or if I just did a bit to much today, so I am reserving my opinion of if this injection is working or not.  Will just have to wait and see, I go back to the doc in 2 weeks.

I am still having alot of leg weekness and pain in my but that left side cheek down my leg and Im still not sleeping well at all, that is when my pain is the worst.  There just isnt a comfy position at all sighsss.....

Im not sure if this shot doesnt work if I will attempt the last shot.  From what I read about if so far, is if the first 2 dont work there isnt much chance of the 3rd working.  If Im wrong all feel free to chime in.

Thank you so much for asking Ry means alot to me:)

Lara

Lara:

Thanks for letting us know how it went. I'm with PaLady on this. If you aren't feeling better I wouldn't bet on a 3rd shot doing much. I also want to encourage you not to wait the full 2 weeks if you don't feel like you're getting relief from this shot. Make this guy actually treat you! If the shot isn't working, he needs to get you some medication that will help - even if only for a little while so he can either figure out a new treatment plan or refer you to a doctor who will!

Hope today was a little better for you. I didn't sleep at all Friday night - happens to me fairly often, so I know what that's like for you. You just can't keep that up night after night.

((((Lara))))

Ry

Lara,

I wouldn't necessarily give up on the PM altogether, though it does sound like you may need to get in to a neurologist to have the weakness in your legs checked out. May be a side effect of meds, or could be something more involved.

There are lots of other options out there -- oral meds, alternative medicine, topical treatments, PT, or perhaps even some other type of injection. Without knowing your whole medical history & reviewing all the tests you've had & treatments you've been on, I'm not sure anyone could really say what the next step is. That sounds like a good question for your PM. I think others have brought this up, but make sure you sit down with your PM & review all the symptoms that are bothering you, as well as anything that is helpful or makes your symptoms worse. Be specific about how long the injections lasted, how much relief you got &, if it only relieved pain in certain areas, let your doc know that. If you're wondering about certain treatments, ask your doc whether they might help.

It's rarely a short road for any of us. I've learned to start treating my medical visits like a project meeting. All of my doctors & I are on the project team. I prepare an agenda & email it to my doc ahead of time. [If you're interested in the template I found, let me know & I'll send you the link.] We quickly go through the main points & he'll present 1-2 options for treatment. If I've heard of some other med or treatment, I'll ask him if that might work & if he thinks it won't work for me, I ask him why not. Then he'll do any injections and/or write out scripts for me & give me any assignments he has for me -- going to PCP for blood work, getting a neuro consult, trying different stretches or core work, or keeping certain records on pain/side effects/etc. I know other people do different things -- I think it was Chutz & Ry in the past who've posted links to pain journals and others have shared their ideas for note taking & collaboration. This is what works for me & my current PM, but you'll have to experiment and find out what might work for you & your doc. They key is to find a way to be dispassionate, thorough & to provide a way your doc can quickly get the info he needs. If you're already doing this, probably a good idea to take the same notes with you to your neuro or other visits so everyone's on the same page.

The main thing is just to keep at it. Many of us have found our situations improve when we just keep at it. Some have become completely symptom free, but even those of us who haven't, given enough time, have found better treatment when we've kept at it -- be it through better notes, better communications or seeking out better doctors. I trust you will experience the same & I pray that time will come as soon as possible.

GB,
frances