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Finger/Thumb Right Thumb joint's LRTI coming up October 8!

@Grammyof2 Thanks for the update. Sounds like your hand surgery was a success. Well done!

Sorry you are dealing with lumbar spine issues. Been there, done that! I did have surgery but all it did was fix the sciatic pain. I still suffer lumbar pain daily. But my strategy is just keep moving. More difficult these days - but we have a big property and animals to tend to.

Hope you injections work for you! Please keep us updated.
 
Thank you, @Jaycey Sorry to hear your surgery didn't relieve the lumbar pain (and very glad it fixed the sciatic--I've had that twice, after my TKRs).

Enjoy that big property and the animals. Wish I could see your place and the critters!

It's OK to post about lumbar and bursitis injections right here, in my "thumb thread"? (Well, gosh, I guess it must be--you're the admin!) Will do... :)
 
Grammyof2 said:
It's OK to post about lumbar and bursitis injections right here, in my "thumb thread"?
Click to expand...
Yes. We don't have a spinal area as these issues are so complex. But many of our members contemplate or face these injections. I think it would be great to document your experience.
 
Help!! Just got a phone call. Thanks to a cancellation the rhizotomy of one side of my lower back's suddenly going to happen tomorrow afternoon! (The other side will be done Christmas Eve.)

:yikes:

I only found out yesterday (session with surgeon's assistant) that no Versed or anything like it will be prescribed--apparently all insurances stopped paying for that ~3 years ago.

During the 2 Lidocaine injection sessions, I yelled, howled, screamed etc. every time the very thin needle punctured my skin, despite having been given some sort of local anesthetic. Taking diazepam the last time made no difference at all.

Tomorrow, they'll make some 1/4 inch incisions, with just the Lidocaine to help! I'm petrified.

Can you tell me something, anything, that might help?
 
@Grammyof2 Before anyone does anything discuss your concerns with them. They can't start any procedure until they have your consent. If insurance won't allow Versed, then there has to be something to replace it. Stay calm (easy for me to say I know) and make your concerns known.

Please let us know how it goes!
 
I told the surgeon's assistant yesterday. She said they'll prescribe something like Valium. Nothing that might be remotely similar to Versed is permitted any more (by insurance) she said. No reason given.

I just took a long walk to ease my anxiety. I'll try calling our insurer next.
 
I contacted my insurer, who said it would be very unusual for them not to OK Versed or anything like that for such a procedure, and told me they needed the doctor to call their provider number to discuss this.

So I called his office and explained. His assistant told me that, in truth, insurance is not the problem. “He does not give anything that would knock out a patient for a procedure. He wants them to be able to tell him if something’s happening.”

I said, "But I'll be screaming." Long pause. She had no real answer to that, but said she'd just sent in a prescription for Lorazepam. Great. I'll feel relaxed while screaming.

My next trick: yesterday, the doctor's assistant told me I can expect to be in quite a bit of pain for a day or two after this procedure. I'm to lie on a cold pack to relieve it for 20 minutes, substitute a new cold pack, and continue all day, and take Tylenol.

But I have severe RLS, amounting to a kind of myoclonus. Jerking would surely increase my pain while making it impossible to remain on the cold packs. (Any time I have to stay in one position for more than 10 or 15 minutes, my entire body starts to jerk I must stand up and walk around or else bang my knees together for as many minutes or hours as it takes until I can change position.)

I need a more substantial painkiller, but I suspect he wouldn't prescribe an opioid. I'm going to beg my neurologist to discuss this with him, but I have less than faint hope of success.

If my lumbar spine pain weren't so hellacious and debilitating, I'd chicken out. :shrug: I'm tough. But I'm not looking forward to this--or to going through it again on Christmas Eve.
 
One question, doesn't this procedure disable the nerve? That may be why your doctor doesn't want you out. They want to make sure they hit the nerve. I'm really not sure it will be like your injections. Did they give you any patient information on the procedure?
 
No written info, but he did the two required Lidocaine injections, a couple of weeks apart (I think using a fluoroscope to zero in on the places identified by MRI).

I got a couple of days relief from each, walking a mile each day without any pain at all! I haven't been able to walk or even stand without pain since the early 1990s.

That's regarded as proof that they know where the problem points are.

During each of those, he did ask me if I was feeling any numbness in either leg--a possible side effect; I said no. Perhaps that's what he's hoping to do between my howls of agony tomorrow.
 
Some good news: My neurologist told me that if the post-procedure pain is too much for me to bear, my husband can call his office and he'll prescribe "a limited amount of oxycodone." That's extremely kind.

No clue how many pills that might amount to, but knowing that at least some relief is possible has reduced my stress level a lot.

Off to bed! :sleep:
 
Glad your surgeon is going to give you some pain relief after your surgery.
Good luck tomorrow.
When you get a chance, please check your signature so it can be updated to include tomorrows surgery.
Just post the correct information and a moderator will update it for you.
Thanks,
Chris
 
@Pumpkln I clicked on the "G" and followed it as far as I could, but couldn't find any place where I could change anything, and I'm not sure what I'd insert anyhow.

Was that not my "signature"? If you give me a very precise how-to, I'll follow it! :what:
 
@Grammyof2 I can update your signature for you. Can you just confirm which side they are doing today? Thanks - and all the best. I will be with you in spirit.
 
Thank nyou, @Jaycey , for updating y signature!

Had Rhizotomy #1 yesterday: right side. Appt. for left side is Dec. 24. Injection in left bursa/IT band is to happen on Jan. 12.

Amazing... yesterday, I howled every time a needle went in, as usual, even jerked once despite best efforts. All the Lorazepam did was make me really really groggy. I did take 400 mg gabapentin an hour earlier in hopes of not doing that RLS jerking during incisions...

BUT: I have had no pain on the right side since then. No need for the cold packs. No need for pills from my neurologist! :SUNsmile: I'll call him soon to let him know.

First, though, I plan to take my morning walk... using the UpWalker, since the left side of my lumbar spine and the bursitis/IT band area's still hurting I'll see how it goes after than. Don't want to decline pain relief too soon!

Half the time, I'm solidly in the present, getting the house ready for Christmas; the other half, I'm yearning toward the end of the injection process, and even more relief from pain. Trying to focus more on the former, of course. :xmas-wave-smiley-emoticon:
 
Well done! You are very brave! I'm so glad the injection seems to have worked. Please take things very easy. I have had 3 spinal injections and stupidly never rested after them. In many cases it can take up to 10 days to get relief. But from what I read - rhizotomy deadens the nerve. Fingers crossed for you!
 
I'm firmly ensconced in the land of If It's Not One D**d Thing It's Another."

I decided to take a one mile walk. As I set out, I noticed that my belly ached just a tiny bit. Ignored it. At the 1/4 mile point, it was getting difficult to pour myself into my usual fantasies or even everyday thoughts and plans--more bellyache. Half a block later I paused: take the interesting side trip or not?

I decided the belly pain would surely not get any worse. Started walking down the side street... the pain did get worse. Turned around.

Nearing the decision point--full mile vs half mile?--I knew I'd be very fortunate to complete the half mile and get home.

Don't know when I've walked so slowly! That belly pain was determined... but determined to do what?

I considered calling my husband, but that seemed silly--I could be home on my own in the length of time it would take him to get dressed, drive around the corner, heave the UpWalker into the trunk (knowing him, he'd very carefully take it apart and fold it up first), ease me into the passenger seat, and drive home.

Got to the foot of our driveway. Not very steep, but... such tiny steps I took. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Got into the garage and there he was, that wonderful man!

I managed to get into bed while explaining my plight: the very same mysterious belly pain (left quadrant) that's flattened me three times and sent me to the ER twice had returned. I'd had two ultrasounds with contrast and tons of blood work that showed nothing that could cause it, yet it was back. WHY?

While he called my gastroenterologist, I placed a heating pad on High on my belly. By the time they got back to us, the pain was waning. No need for ER, thank goodness.

Sooo. Just got back from the hospital lab. Results should arrive next week--a metabolic panel, C-reactive protein, and something I forget. Perhaps one day I'll get an answer.

I feel fine, and I'd be outside finishing my walk at this moment except--it's about 6 minutes after 4 pm, and sunset--how dare it!--was at 3:58.

There's always tomorrow. By the way, before the belly nonsense set in, I noticed such an interesting thing on my walk: I felt some back pain, strain, stiffness, etc. But only on the left side! The side that has not yet had its rhizotomy!

I can hardly wait for December 24, when the left side will be done!
:whistle:
 
@Grammyof2 please take it easy! The procedure you had is significant. It's great that you feel better but please rest and take it slow.

Hope your tummy troubles ease quickly. Please keep us updated.
 
@Jaycey The lab results came back with a few oddities; my gastroenterologist called to say the most likely culprit is failure to drink enough water! Now I make sure to drink two 8-ounce glasses upon waking, one after my walk, and another before bed, in addition to the skim milk I always drink at breakfast and lunch and my glass of ice water with dinner. (I count my morning cup of weak tea and twice weekly glass of beer or gin & tonic against the total of liquids.)

No belly pain since I started doing that. Feeling hopeful!

Since I resumed walking, I've lost two more pounds, for a rough total of 40 since my diet began. Fifty pounds to go. This progress will surely help my hips and lower extremities. I move quite slowly, with the UpWalker, and continue to do my PT exercises. :kitty:

After Rhizotomy #2, I'm hoping to buy a set of LL Bean trekking poles. Do you, or anyone, have thoughts, warning, and/or recommendations?

According to some online reviews, they seem to have good features (I won't bore you with a list, except that for starters they're good for vertically challenged old ladies like me--5'2" if I stretch). I hope to regain some upper body strength and--a few weeks after the procedure--move a bit faster to aid my conditioning and weight loss. I absolutely yearn to take them on a couple of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trails this coming summer! We've gone there yearly since 2008, but there are still two trails I haven't tackled... not difficult, just out of the way.

Can you imagine? By then with any luck we'll have been vaccinated much of the daily sense of crisis that's darkened 2020 will have faded like fog on a sunny day.

Finally got our 3-ft. tree up & decorated. Feeling some holiday spirit!:plugging-in-xmas-tree-smiley-emoticon:
 
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Many of our members use hiking poles and are very happy with them. They are good as they encourage good posture and gait.

BTW - I removed the link in your post as it was broken. But I think any LL Bean product is very reliable.

Fingers and toes crossed for your second rhizotomy! What a nice Christmas present - no more pain.
 
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