[B]y all means tell your doctor before the proceedure that you are afraid. If he is any kind of doctor, he will try to ease your worries even before he starts the proceedure. I was a chicken too and was given zanax before hand, and was driven by a friend to get the injections. I don't do so good with those things eithor. I did OK with the surgery. Still on pain meds, but alot less now, better than I could have hoped for with it. thanks for asking. ginnie

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i am glad ginnie that your surgery went well -- g-d willing as time goes on your pain will decrease more --
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i hav 20mg of valium to take ahead of time --- believe me - i have been such a pain in the tush -- they know i am a wreck -
i will keep you guys posted -- be well- dvora

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spine shots went ok - painful but not like childbirth !
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not a lot of moving around today or yesterday --
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ice packs -- pain meds -- lots of rest -
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must wear a hard shell brace when i am out of bed -- but they did adjust the size --
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i am hoping that i can have my monkey hellion - -- actually sweet grandaughter - back tomorrow -
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so i just wanted to let you know -
you have all been so kind --
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dvora

glad the injection went OK> It sounds like it did hurt some. Why is it with some patients there are no side effects, and others it really hurts. Even with the same conditions. Keep the ice on, and I hope you have a decrease of pain for a long long time. ginnie

Cuz everybody's different. Doctors, assistants, nurses, patients.... and sometimes conditions aren't all the same - different locations, different needles, different drugs, different techniques (which goes back to people again!) That's why medicine is both a Science and an Art! (And why some bad experiences shouldn't necessarily sour us on all doctors/medicine forever.)

Doc

I've recently undergone facet block injections for slipped discs with a nerve root pressing on one of them causing the most intense pain I've ever felt in my lifetime. NOT the injections, the nerve. Sadly for me they didn't work, but the procedure was very simple. It was done in the radiology dept with a local first, then they injected a lidocaine type of medicine into the spinal canal first. The injections itself was just a pinch. I didn't even feel the steroids being injected after that. A few hours later I did have a bit of additional pain but to put your mind at ease, the papers they had me sign stated that it had been twelve years since the hospital had had any complications with the procedure. I'm sure you're aware that any procedure has it's dangers but I would not be too fearful of this.
I also underwent a spinal during the birth of my daughter that did go wrong and I experienced spinal headaches that were aleviated with a blood patch. They draw your own blood, about twenty cc's and then inject into the area around the tiny hole in the spinal chord. The relief was immediate.
Good Luck to you and yours. I hope you are able to enjoy a Happy New Year.

Divora, happy your treatment went well for you! Monkey hellion...that's funny!

I was just wondering, why is that they use local anesthesia on some people and they put others under for epi's? Mine is scheduled for 1/9 and I will be put under for it. I've already been told by the ortho and the pain specialist that it most likely not help, but trying to give me some relief until I can find a neurosurgeon willing to operate on someone w/o insurance. But I digress.....anyone know why sometimes they use local anesthesia and other times general??

I too would like to know why some get to be put under, and others just get local for pain injection also. Does anyone have information about this? Seanhorse, I didn't have health insurance eithor when I got my first spinal fusion. the doc. cut my costs as I asked him too. However, not every problem I had in my cervial spine was addressed or even told to me. I had problems that continued to degenerate as he only did what was necessary to keep me from being paralized. Evidently there was some risk concerning that. I got medicare, and then received my second fusion, where the whole of the neck degeneration was addressed. It is tuff without insurance. It took from me all that two generations had saved for. I do know what you are going through. I hope that a solution can be found to help your spine even though you do not have the insurance. ginnie