Met w/ my neuro doc today. He completely agreed that the RFA was not a good idea, but thought we really needed to continue with the blocks and add a cervical block to help w/ what is going on in my arm/hand/torso. If the lumbar blocks didn’t amp me up before each visit… well.. going into my neck is sure to do the trick! Oh my gawd!

I told him about how much the injections aggravated my lower back. He wants to add a Medrol steroid pack with the blocks. Okay. Dear Lord please let me still be married when all this is done lol. Yikes.

He called my PM doc while I was in his office and pretty much lined him out on there’ll be no RFA, and can you do the cervical and lumbar block simultaneously, and we’ll be adding a med, and so on.. Was cool. I felt like I had an advocate. He said, you want your doctors talking. He right.. I do. They’re my team! He was nice to my PM doc, but was very much protective of his patient. I liked that.. a LOT!

We added a med today, Mexiletine. Well, I’m waiting to add it. The pharmacy said it would interact badly w/ the Zanaflex I’m on. I don’t think Zanaflex does much for me anyway, so cool I won’t take it. Oh no, since two different docs (PM = Zanaflex & Mexiletine = Neuro doc) are involved he wants someone to “own it”. I have another muscle relaxer I use that I feel is far better. <sigh> oh well, hopefully they will get that worked out soon and I can give this new med a go. It will require I have my blood work monitored. For what I’m not sure. I did not ask. Level perhaps.

He increased my Zonisamide. I’m cool with that. I think this drug is helping reduce my neuropathic pain (shocks). Anything that gets me closer to being able to backing off gabapentin. I swear that drug is just messing up my stomach. He understands my goal is to back off the gaba. We just are not there yet. I agree.

So I know I am going to do at least six. PM doc told me this previously. I meet w/ the PM again on 04/16, and I am guessing he will want to start right away. I am trying to figure out a schedule to get rides home for six weeks in a row. I would like to have this edit completely to bed. We’re getting closer thank God. So if I can get the logistics all worked out.. wow I NEED meditation training STAT!

If I can just learn (quickly) how to get and hold my mind in the right space to get through them. I have no idea why this just freaks me out so bad (the actual procedure part). Not like I’m worried about CRPS w/ these treatments, just the actual you’re about to stick me and it’s gonna hurt! I think it takes me back to memories of post op pain in my back. I have no idea, but I hate it. It’s ridiculous actually, borderline embarrassing. Did I mention I have birthed three children, one without anesthesia (not by choice). You’d think I’d have this. It just raddles my cage. Maybe I’ll get better at it the more I do. MAYBE.


To bring new readers up to speed:

So far we’ve done 1 Sympathetic Block and I responded well in that my limbs warmed up and every symptom from the waist up gone! Limb warmth lasted about 30-ish hrs and upper body about a week. Lower body gave me grief from the first one with spasms in my legs and hips.

The second procedure was the Facet Injections / Medial Branch Block. This was for diagnostic only for my lower back. See my lower back got angry with the Sympathetic Block. It wasn’t acting like it would hold up to weeks of injections and is also contributing to the CRPS pain / dilemma. I responded positively. Therefore the PM wanted to do RFA. I declined.