Just got my first lumbar block.
 

Hi all,

Had my first (and only) lumbar block this morning. I guess it went well. from what I understand, not only did they give me sedation, but at some point, I was doing/saying/groaning/something, because he gave me more stuff and i was totally totally out. woke up in recovery. he was doing this block because the insurance co. would complain that he hadn't done everything before giving me the scs. I'll get that on the 17th of this month. Next wed. the big question I have is, why is the top of my thigh numb? is this normal. it feels like you face feels when you get novicaine at the dentist. It's just weird. before I left the hospital I also took 2 percocet because of the long drive home. I don't remember getting home or going to bed, nothing...lol poor hubby....my back is a little sore, but I don't know if the block really worked or not. Oh well..I'll be back later...sleepy.....

Mary

Hi Mary,



Sometimes there is a little 'spillage' onto the sensory nerves with a block which can give you numb thighs, inner legs and pelvis.
It should disappear in the same time that an injection at the dentist takes to go away, depending on how much anaesthetic he gave you.
I wish you well with your scs and look forward to hearing some good news for you.
Love Tayla:hug:

I remember after my only block, thank goodness no one forced me to do more, my one leg was numb like that for HOURS afterward. I think about 8-10 hours. Didn't help pain either. I had 10+ pain for 2 months after.

*Hugs* It will stop though so don't worry unless it keeps feeling like that for more than 24 hours.

Karen

ya numbness somewhat freaky no?
 

I too have had that happen to my thigh and pelvic area twice, in all I had 9 blocks done on the right side and 4 on my left lumbar all done over 3 months time. And each had various mostly good results but the benifit gradualy lessened till I was getting no relief past the heating up of my leg on the right.. but the left newer RSD side was still getting good benifit when they decided to plateau my treatment and sent me home.

The numbness I did have for a couple days once but other weird stuff happened that block too.. see they "accidentaly" did a bilateral block (same type spill over perhaps) that gave "both" legs a break in pain both were hot and.. well I never realized the silence that no pain felt like till I woke up that time not expecting it.. both were quite numbish the right more so, but the left felt so good too and sweating decreased, I could even twist it without pain, ohh and the swelling increased for short time post op most times but it'd settle down fast. They continued doing the next few times bilateral blocks (seperate holes) but when the right compensable leg stopped getting benifit they stopped doing both. *sigh*

I know how much more benifit my left leg was getting than the origional RSD right side ever did from any block.. and I feel that it was because the left leg was earlier along and wasn't presenting as strongly as the right by that time.. and I feel the left perhaps hasn't gone too far down the deepfreeze path because of the blocks.

That said I also think they can be quite invasive to the body and a few times I felt like I was kidney punched afterwards.. I still have what look like little hen peck scars over the dorsal horn areas, but I do feel they benifited me.. I think that if they listened/believed my reports prior of the global type spread symptoms they may not have done the blocks.. who knows, we all have diffrent reactions and results to tests and treatments with blocks as much as anything it seems.

I hope you get lasting pain relief from this block Mary sleep well,
:hug: