The latest thing

Well to me anyway. This past Wed. I had my first ever diagnostic nerve (facet) block. My best description is to say it is a lot like when the dentist gives you Novocaine before he starts drilling and half of your mouth and tongue go numb. To be specific about it the doc applied the Novocaine to 5 targeted areas (he managed to do this with several shots.... sounds nice of him but believe me it wasn't), all on the sides of my neck. This is a picture of what it looks like without the skin, muscle, veins, tendons, throat, etc...
The hope was to determine if I would feel any relief from disabling the nerves in question (in my case the facet nerves on either side of my c3-t1 vertebrae). It worked great and I felt a great sense of relief, even though it didn't last as long as I had hoped (the numb feeling wore off in an hour or so). I guess I misunderstood how this was going to go down, because I was expecting him to give me 12 shots all together 6 on each side of c3, c4, c5, c6 ,c7 and t1, and I was expecting it to last for at least a few days. As I now understand the procedure is not really a treatment, it is only a test to see if we have the correct area that is causing the pain. Not only did I misunderstand how long it would last but I also did not know how much it was going to hurt after the Novocaine wore off. It is Friday morning and the whole right side of my neck is still swollen and tender to the touch and my throat feels sore (probably also from the swelling). Anyway, the nerve block did what it was supposed to do and now I have to return in 2 weeks for a follow up and to schedule the second part of the procedure which is the actual ablation. The ablation is more complicated and takes longer since it requires multiple steps at each injection and it requires that all 12 injections be made separately. I am hoping for a local anesthetic but it is not a deal breaker for me since the short period of numbness I had after the nerve block was the best I have felt in a long time. Anyway wish me luck and cross your fingers in hopes that the ablation works and life can go on pain free from then on!!!
Here is a simple diagram of the ablation (the ablation needles are attached to a microwave emitter that kills the problem nerve)

Pain management

It has been a busy month here at home with a recent death in the family and our own trials to deal with, but we are doing well. I am very excited to finally have an answer to the pain I have dealt with for years now resulting from an injury in my neck back in 1999. My doctor recommended that I speak to my physiatrist about having an ablation procedure done. He said it would be my best bet for some lasting relief, and I am all for that. The pain has been pretty much constant for going on three years or so and even after my surgery in November of 07 I have not had much relief except for from medication which is no way to live your life. I spoke to the other doc and he said it sounded like a very good idea and he would check with the insurance company to see if they would give us any trouble covering the procedure. Skip forward a month and I was back in the physiatrist office with the final decision. He said we would have to do a diagnostic procedure called a facet block which is basically injecting Novocaine directly into the nerve facets that come out from the side of each of my cervical (neck) vertebrae from c3 down to c7 and see how well it works (or if it works at all). If that is successful then we schedule for the more permanent fix called an ablation. This is a more involved procedure that basically consists of inserting a needle into my neck that is connected to a radio frequency emitter (sort of a very small microwave) and cooking the nerves which basically kills them and therefore eliminates their ability to transmit pain signals to my brain. It is a somewhat common procedure but it is said to be quite painful. I am not too worried though as long as it works I am willing to do just about anything at this point!
Hopefully I will be writing again on the 17th to tell all about how great it is not being in pain anymore and finally getting back to my "normal" activities (riding, rolorblading, dancing, playing with the kids and the dogs, etc...)!
Wish me luck!!!
-peace