Rambling

I am now a little over a week post RFA and all I can say is it was helpful. Once the rest of my back is taken care of, I might be able to do a little more at home. I expected to have an increase in pain as noted in a lot of what I've read about the procedure. So far, I've felt bruised and tender but that is all. The muscle spasms are still there and of course more noticible when the pain is lessened. I'm not pain free. But it's manageable. I cannot wait to see how long until I can do the left side.

It's been a busy month. Stacy adjusted some meds for me to try to get more pain relief. I had the RFA. I've dropped one support group and the website for it and became owner of another I was on.

I can't honestly say whether my RA meds are helping or not. I'm not having a reduction in flares. At my last rheumy appt. he mentioned my labs were bad compared to their normal. While still comparatively low, my ESR was the highest it has ever been. I didn't look at my other values because I didn't want to know quite frankly. I've switched from Enbrel to Humira because of an injection site reaction that lasted 3 weeks. The injection site reaction to Humira is much less. Less itchy, doesn't last too long...couple days. I'm still stiff and achey and moving isn't easy.

Fibro wise, I'v had a rough time. I feel like I am made of concrete. The increase in muscle relaxers has helped a lot with that. It's now just getting back to being caught up. I still wear out extremely easy, even with Provigil. I am not at the dose I am allowed even but, if I increase it, I just end up pushing too hard and sending the RA into a cycle of flaring. I did go through a period of mental fog that was horrible. Thankfully, that's subsiding a bit.

MY RFA

Well, I'm home. It was nothing. I got there right before 2 and they got me in. Got my BP and pulse checked which was high, despite Valium. They asked if I was sure I wanted to do it. I said sure. So they got me all prepped and ready. The whole pillows to get me positioned, betadine to clean me...then Dr K marks my skin...numbs me, puts in the catheter, numbs me some more, injects saline and then does a sensory and motor test. The sensory test is real tame..just like a fluttery feeling that I have to tell them when I first feel it. Took a bit on the first 2 to feel it and I never felt it on the 3rd nerve. The motor test is an electrical current and supposedly painful. I found it slightly discomforting but not out and out painful on the first 2 and on the 3rd...barely felt it. Dr K kept asking if I was ok. I was fine. Then after the motor test they turn on the RF and it actually burns the nerve. Dr K kept saying if it hurt they could shut it off and restart it at a lower strength. I never felt a thing. Both Dan (the radiologist) and Dr K said I was tough. Dr K did tell me I have spina bifida occulta. I told him he was the first doc to ever mention it but that I knew cuz of reading x-ray reports. We discussed how I learn a lot by reading reports. Spoke about osteoporosis and how I had it long before ever being on steroids. He asked what caused it and I said I'd read a few studies showing kids with JRA have increased chances of it without steroid use even. One of the times he asked if something was painful, I said that my first tattoo hurt more.

Apparently I am a freak of nature because everyone told me this was painful. It's not something I'd do everyday but it's not like I was clenching me teeth in pain or crying out or anything. I was listening to the radio, half listening to Dr K and Dan talk. Dr K did say I have a high pain threshold. Then Dan said so if you complain of pain, you're not kidding around. I laughed and said nope but I also don't show it much either because after 22 years...you learn to hide it.

So now I am home, waiting on my ice pack to freeze so I can do the ice thing. UGH..I hate ice. And gonna try to battle the Valium I didn't need to take so I can watch some TV with my man!