If you are advised to have facet joint injections, get a second opinion. Definitively.
I had a set on Feb 7. They said they were non-steroid injections, which I don't want since being a diabetic the steroids raise the blood sugar to bad levels.
During the consult I told them about how several dentists learned not to give me Novocaine or similar painkillers because I metabolize them very quickly. Just give me nitros and when my pupils are pin points, get started. (They call it laughing gas for a reason. You feel the pain, but don't give a crap.)
No nitros, zylocaine. When the injections started and the gel put pressure on one of the damaged vertebrae making it tilt and put pressure on the left side, my left heel came up and hit the doctor in the shoulder. Fortunately I was wearing a pair of their little booties and socks.
Since the right side is the worst, more of the jell was injected in two other places on my spine.
Wife helped me to the car and drove me home. Felt every bump in the road. paperwork said I might fell some discomfort for several days as the gel(which is supposed to be a nerve block) starts to be absorbed and take effect.
Some discomfort was felt alright. When standing I waved around like a stalk of wheat in a March breeze, couldn't focus on the tv or read. Listened a lot to the radio. Laying down put pressure on my back unless I was on my left side. Very dizzy.
Next morning took my blood sugar. 529!! No telling how hi it was the previous afternoon. Classic symptoms of
diabetic overload all day. Took a solid week to get it back under 100 in the mornings. No bread, rice, potatoes, anything with a high carb number for said week.
I looked like a piece of bent wood walking. Back was bent left due to pressure on spine from injections for several weeks. The pain killers they injected didn't work either (they may have, but if they did it only meant I was hurting worse.
I hurt more for the next month than I did before the injections. I did resort to taking my other pain killers twice, but Codeine makes me itch when it starts to wear off.
I guess I had finally absorbed all the stuff injected about two weeks ago when I started walking upright again, could actually get out of bed normally, and felt like I could go more than 5 feet without holding onto the wall or furniture.
So I've taken it slow and easy, getting back into doing things, walking the trails, and finally starting to run the tiller and chain saw, cleaning up from the storms we've had.
The basis of the story is that the facet injections were made up of a gel containing a slow release painkiller that was to desensitize the nerves going to my legs so I wouldn't get the feeling of being tazed when the vertebrae
slips around (degenerative disc disease, degenerative bone disease, all on top of RA) and tickles those nerves.
The injections didn't help, they made it worse for me. Then again, as one poster puts it, your mileage may vary in this situation.
Dang Jerry, am so sorry this procedure didn’t work out - thanks for the heads up about it, it’s good to know about - hoping that full health will soon return
I'm wincing as I read every instance of your discomfort and pain Jerry.
Prayers for finding some kind of improvement.
Getting older isn't for the weak of heart. At 63, I find myself more and more running into situations that remind me "I am not the man I used to be".
I'm wincing as I read every instance of your discomfort and pain Jerry.
Prayers for finding some kind of improvement.
Getting older isn't for the weak of heart. At 63, I find myself more and more running into situations that remind me "I am not the man I used to be".
They wanted me to come in for a consultation before the next injections.
I don't think I can post what I said back to them.
Dang Jerry, am so sorry this procedure didn’t work out - thanks for the heads up about it, it’s good to know about - hoping that full health will soon return
Thanks Stephen, I appreciate that.
Only good thing I can say about all this is that I got a prescription for a massage lounger, and it's one of those that gets to the bottom of my back.
Oh, and my great-great nephew decided that he would get licensed for chiropractic medicine since he wanted to help me get better.
He's now licensed in three states so now all he has to do is wait until he can get a business license.
Until then I guess I'll just keep on being a "practice dummy".
I don't think I can post what I said back to them.
That's what asterisks are for. Lay it on us.
I don't think I can post what I said back to them.
That's what asterisks are for. Lay it on us.
"Here's my consult. You guys fing messed up my back to s. I can't fing walk without having to hold onto the fing wall, or fing piece of furniture. I can't go to p or s without help, I can't get out of fing bed without help, hell, I can't even f since you shoved those fing needles in my back and put all that fing s between my fing joints.
The s don't work. If you think I'm going to fing go through that again, then you are out of your motherfing minds."
I take it that you wish to cancel the next five injections?
That's when I really lost it.
I will say that the lady took it all in stride and probably had the speakerphone sitting on the desk while she and others in the office were laying on the floor laughing. I wouldn't doubt that they record those conversations since I've talked to several others who had the same reactions and gave pretty much the same response
Nothing worse than back pain. Hope you are able to find some relief......
Man Jerry , just brutal , sorry you gotta go thru all that
Damn Brother, sending you some healing vibes, pronto...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jerry, I don't know who you are but He does so when I pray to Him, for you, He pretty much knows the deal. Hang tough. 
Really hope You get to feeling better quick Jerry, You always have excellent insight and knowledge of Macon and our beloved Brothers!!!! Aside from that, I just appreciate all our members. Again Much Peace and Get Better!!.......joe
Thanks guys. I really do appreciate the comments.
I'm kinda paying the price today for cutting grass yesterday.
My brother in law asked me what lower back pain was like.
Asked if he had ever dislocated a shoulder before. Well, try doing that about half a dozen times a day.
Feel bad for you buddy. Thanks for the education on this. Hoping better days are ahead of you!
Feel bad for you buddy. Thanks for the education on this. Hoping better days are ahead of you!
Thanks Nebish. I'm feeling better, as opposed to how I felt when i was being treated to "get better".
Been cutting grass with the push mower to build lower back strength up again. Just have stop and sit down every once in a while.
Caught up answering questions from folks who are told they would be working from home instead of the office.
Also caught up on missed programs. Didn't think it would be so smart watching Dr. Who and other SyFy shows while under what my wife calls "heavy meds".
