Post Nerve Block Update

March 17, 2011

Hello friends!

I realized I really haven’t written anything about my health since I went in for my nerve block. I had a nerve block done on March 7th to try to help relieve my pelvic pain. I was pretty nervous about the procedure and didn’t sleep much the night before. My bestie Sarah took me to my appointment and I kind of kept her up off and on thru the night because I was so restless.

Once I was at my doctor’s office and being prepped for the procedure my nerves calmed down. The doctor came in and spoke with me beforehand to see if I had any questions. I asked if I had to take it easy for the day and he said “no…you can do what you are up to.” So I asked if it would be okay to go home the same day (I had previously been told I’d need to stay in the area and stay down for the day) and he said if I felt up to going home I could. Then he went to get his staff to help him start the procedure.

I had in my mind that this nerve block was going to be torture. But once they started it I thought it was a joke! The nurse had asked if I wanted to hold her hand when the doctor was getting ready to insert the needle into my abdomen. I said sure. So she took my hand, but I didn’t squeeze it…and she said “you can squeeze my hand!” The fact was that the procedure wasn’t hurting. There was only one injection that hurt enough for me to squeeze a little bit. He injected me in about five different places. He was literally done in about two minutes from start to finish.

I was seriously like “really…you’re done?!” I felt fine. I got dressed and walked out to the waiting room where my bestie was waiting for me. I smiled at her and started laughing. We were both fully expecting me to be out of it and have the nurse walk me out and for Sarah to have to help me to the car. I was in no pain and told her we could totally go home that day rather than staying if she wanted. And so that is what we did. She drove us home to her house. I rested there for a few hours and then drove myself the other hour home.

I was sore by the time I got home that evening, but just from the actual procedure, not my normal pelvic pain. I felt pretty good the next day, but by the following evening I was having tremondous amounts of pelvic pain again – to the point that it kept me up all night and I had to take several doses of pain meds. I called my doctor’s office and spoke to the nurse. She documented everything and was going to talk to the doctor and call me back in two days – that would have been last Friday. I didn’t hear from them. And he is on vacation all of this week so I am expecting to get a phone call this Monday.

I was worried the block didn’t help since I was in tremondous pain just two days after. However, after that the pain has calmed down some again. I’ve actually had some better days and haven’t spent near as much time in bed. I still have some pelvic pain and still am in need of my pain meds, but I think the block worked to help break some pain cycles and because of that, my pain has lessened some!

On top of that I have now been on some high doses of Vitamin D (my body is deficient) and that alone has given me so much more energy it is unbelievable! I also start physical therapy on the 25th and we are hoping that will help decrease my pain as well. So – it is a start. I am not “out of the woods” by any means yet and have a long road to travel still, but I see some light in this dark tunnel I’ve been living in. That alone has been enough to bring a smile to my face and help me continue on this journey with a positive attitude.

Thank you friends for all your love and support, and especially your prayers. I am grateful for you.