Another Diagnosis

For the past 6-7 years, I’ve had a lot of pain…too much pain for someone who is merely 20.  After seeing many doctors and specialists, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (overactive nerves), scoliosis (an abnormally curved spine), and having legs of lengths differing by 1/2 an inch.  I’ve been through physical therapy, aquatic therapy, use a TENS unit, and have tried a few different medicines for the pain.

Through it all, the TENS unit is the main source of relief, though the pain returns shortly after the unit is turned off and removed from my back.  Back in 2013, I had an MRI of my spine to show if I had a pinched nerve, a slipped disc, or any other abnormalities.  The radiologist, at the time, said the scan was totally normal.  Pain has come, gone, and returned with a vengeance.

Because the pain has rendered me immobile at times again, I sought out the help of the pain management clinic I where I was an established patient.  The appointment there was last Wednesday.  After 14 pages of paperwork and many questions, the nurse practitioner spoke with the doctor.  They looked over the 2013 MRI and found a possible answer as to why I have been having such horrid lower back and hip pain:  facet anthropathy.  Between the vertebrae of my lower spine, arthritis has begun to form around the spinal nerves, hence causing pain.  Friday, I returned to the office for a diagnostic test:  bilateral lumber facet injections.  This consisted of 3 shots of numbing medicine on either side of my spine and followed with 3 more shots on either side going into the area near the nerves injecting a numbing agent.  During the 12 shots, X-rays were taken to be sure the needles were located where they should.

The shots wore off after around a day, as they should, and offered quite a bit of relief while in effect!  For over a day, I was without pain!  It was such a glorious feeling, being without pain.  Because the procedure helped relieve my pain by over 50%, I will be contacting the office in the morning with the results so we can move on to the next step, which, if I remember correctly, should consist of 3-5 more sessions of injections with a longer-lasting numbing agent to be sure it fully helps.  If it does, they will do another procedure involving deadening the nerves.  I have full faith in my doctors and hope relief is approaching!  Until then, I shall continue to push through and do the best I can.

For now,

Maude.