Ouch…update.

Posted on July 10, 2009

Luckily, the Pain Management Specialist (PMS), had a cancellation for today and I was able to get in for my consultation.  The facts remain the same with a minor addition:  I have arthritis in my lower back due to the wear and tear put on my joints.  Previously, we thought it was just the last two vertebrae that were not fused by my previous surgery.  Turns out there is an additional joint located under the spine, close to the hips, that ALSO has arthritis, and that is the joint that seems to be causing a majority of my pain.

So, he has put me on a different pain medication that is geared more towards easing arthritic pain (which means I can stop taking the medicine that made me sleepy!  Yay!)  Sadly, that was the expensive one, so there’s that money out the window, the new medication is just as expensive, and I don’t get to discontinue it until after I get the the injections (sigh).  He also ordered an MRI, and was as surprised as I was that the orthopedic surgeon didn’t order it already.

Which leads me to the second part of his plan.  He is going to do three injections, each two weeks apart, into the larger joint that is causing most of my pain.  For this, I will be in a hospital, and be under conscience sedation (basically, I won’t remember anything, but I won’t be completely under.)  Then we will reevaluate.  If I continue to have pain, he is going to do a similar procedure to the last two vertebrae.

Happily, he didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t get pregnant after all of this is done. He did, however, warn me that my symptoms could flair up again during pregnancy, but most people’s pain eases after giving birth.  So, there is still hope for baby #2!

That’s the plan.  Its going to be kind of a scheduling nightmare because I cannot drive myself to these procedures, and so we will obviously have to get babysitters for Chloe.  Luckily, several of my mom’s club friends have offered, so I am not as concerned about that as I am for poor John, who will have to drive me to all of these appointments.  He really is a saint and I am lucky to have such a supportive and wonderful husband.  He has to be to put up with all the crap that comes along with marrying me!