If I'd Known Then What I Know Now....

.... I would have fled while I had the chance!

I have been having shoulder problems that have made my arm and hand go numb. For the past 3 months I have been in and out of various doctors offices to try and find out what is wrong. After physical therapy, neck traction, an MRI and finally a diagnosis of a bone spur on one of my cervical neck bones that may or may not be affecting the nerve endings serving my arm, I am at the doctor's office today to have a cervical epidural.

For the squeamish among you it involves having an IV needle inserted into the gap around the spinal column so that they can inject a steroid more accurately into a targeted area so it will reduce inflammation and ultimately get rid of the pain. I am told it is a minor procedure, but that I need someone to drive me home, so I took Kate.

The doctor is a big fibber. First off she was miserly with the local anaesthetic. I am a redhead and we need more stuff to numb the pain than the average Joe, and we are prolific bleeders. "Should I really be feeling like I want to jump off the table and punch you because you are hurting me?" I asked the doctor. "Oh I'd better give you more numbing medicine". "Yes you better had".

Once the procedure was over I was told I may feel "minor discomfort" for the next 24  to 48 hours and to just ice the puncture wound, and to wait 6 hours before driving...

I have never been in so much pain in my life as I was for the 5 days following the procedure, far more pain than I was in when I went in, and my arm was very weak and I was unable to use my hand! I had no desire to drive the car.

If I'd known then what I know now I would have waited a week so I could have enjoyed Christmas.

As I am backblipping and a week has now passed, I am happy to say that I am sleeping well again and the pain level is about what it was pre-procedure and I am hoping for a little more improvement otherwise I will be very loathe to go through this again!