Nothing is Ever Easy

Sometimes it seems that nothing is ever easy!  One of the treatments that I get for my lower back pain is  caudal block epidural injections.  The first one that I had actually went very well.  While getting the injection isn't pleasant, the relief that I felt almost immediately was wonderful!  I felt a lowering of my pain level right away, and by the time I got home, I was almost pain free!  I couldn't believe it.  For the first time in years, I actually felt good.  Over the course of the next month, I was able to do things that I hadn't been able to do in ages.  I still had to pace myself, but it was such a blessing.

So, when I had to go back for another injection the day before yesterday, I was actually looking forward to it.  The process starts with basic vital signs testing, such as blood pressure, temperature, and that sort of thing.  You are then taken to an exam room, and you meet with the doctor for a regular visit.  He asks how you are feeling, and how the previous injection worked.  Because the injection itself is quite painful, an IV is started so that they can give you some sedation prior to the procedure.  This part isn't always easy for me, but I'm used to it. I'm one of those people with terrible veins.  Mine are tiny, deep seated, and they roll.  It takes forever for this, and I actually feel worse for nurse trying to put the IV in than I do for myself, because I go through it all the time.  Once the IV is put in place, you are taken to the procedure room.

This room is very much like an operating room.  Once you are on the table on your stomach, heart monitors are attached.  The doctor comes in and uses xray to determine exactly where to inject the medication.  I have mine injected into the tail bone area.  There is no nice way to say this, but mine goes in right above my butt crack, excuse the language, please!  Before he starts the actually injection, the doctor injects some numbing medication in the area.  And then you receive the epidural injection.

Everything started off normally.  We were all chatting and actually having a really nice time.  Because of the sedating medicine, everything seems really nice, and you don't feel at all self conscious about having your naked behind stuck up in the air for all to see!  But as soon as he started the actual epidural injection, I could tell that something seemed a little different.  My doctor gave me more sedating medication this time, because he hadn't give me quite enough the first time.  But this time, it was even more painful, and there were a couple of times that I thought I was going to jump off the table.

My doctor explained that he was putting in more of the medication this time in an attempt to get it further up into my spinal canal, and also to try and get it to last longer this time.  The pressure from this was very intense, and I didn't think I was going to make it through it.  The medication completely deadens the area from about my belly button to my buttocks.  Eventually, the lowest area goes back to normal, and you stay deadened to the area where the injection was put in.

After it was over, I was helped to a wheel chair and returned to my room, where I would recover from the anesthetic for 30 minutes.  After about 20 minutes, the nurse told me to call my ride to come and get me.  Then, it was time for me to get up and walk a bit.  This is when my problems started.  Almost as soon as I sat up, I realized that I had no feeling in my legs, with the right leg being much worse.  I could move my legs, of course, I just couldn't feel them.  With two nurses supporting me, I stood up, and immediately started to fall to the right!  They put me back on the stretcher and said that I would probably just need a little more time, and that this sometimes happens, and not to worry about it.

About 10 minutes later, they came back again so that we could give it another try.  I could tell that the numbness in my right leg was more intense than before, but I wasn't too concerned about it.  When they got me up this time, I was able to stand.  With the nurses support, I stood there for another minute, and then they told me to take a step or two.  Well, I've been walking sine I was one year old, and I couldn't figure out what to do!  I was actually having to think about how to take a step.  Finally, I was able to swing my right leg forward, but as soon as I shifted my weight from my left leg to my right, my right hip gave way.  The nurses had hold of me, and put me back on the stretcher again.

This happened a few more times.  The office closes at five, and it was now five thirty.  I still couldn't hold myself up at all on my right leg, and we knew that there was no way I could get into my house because I have to walk up three steps.  It was now 6:00, and I felt so bad that I was keeping them all there so late after they should have been home.  I was apologizing, and they kept telling me not to worry about it.  But they couldn't let me leave with no way to get into my house!

Because my left leg was supporting me with no problems, I decided that I would be able to get up those steps with the aid of crutches.  My neighbor who picked me up said that he had a pair at his house which I could use.  When the nurses returned, with the doctor in tow this time, I shared my idea with them.  They had a little conference out in the hall, and everyone decided this would work.  The doctor then explained to me again about using the extra medicine, and said that it was just going to take longer for it to wear off.  With the help of three people, we got me out to the car and on the way home.

Using the crutches worked, and I was able to get into the house.  With the help of my sons, I would periodically try to walk, with no luck.  Around nine, I fell asleep, probably from the leftover anesthetic in my system and the stress of the day.  I woke up around 10:30 and tried to stand.  This time, my right leg would hold me up, and with the use of my cane I was able to walk.  I couldn't get back to sleep after my nap, so I would periodically try to walk by myself.  Finally, around 1:00 am, I was able to walk on my own.

This was a really scary experience!  The only residual side effect has been really severe pain in my right hip, and added pain at the injection site.  However, the pain in my lower back is better.  I go back in a month for another injection, and I'm not looking forward to this one at all.  I'm really hoping that the doctor uses a little less medication the next time so that I'm not there all day again!  Like I said, nothing is ever easy!