Hi Donnalynn! So glad that your Jim is doing so much better--a load off all our hearts.
About nerve ablation--Cin just had hers done and you can follow her thread over in the headache section. It is basically a process of a series of diagnostic nerve injections at first with long lasting lidocaine and corticosteroid to locate the nerves that are triggering the pain. In my case two sessions are given two weeks apart and if relief is achieved they go ahaead with the ablation process. This involves inserting needles into the nerves which carry a radiofrequency current which heats them up and essentially damages the nerve enough so that it no longer carries pain signals to the brain. We have two kinds of nerves in our bodies--ones that allow feeling and ones that allow movement. The feeling ones are the ones that carry pain signals. The ablation can last for up to a year or possibly forever. My new GP had one in her lumbar spine several years ago and her pain has never returned.
Right now I am going through the process on my sacroiliac region, which was damaged due to prolonged surgical position during my way too long laparoscopic hysterectomy 18 months ago. I had over 40 injections two weeks ago and will have my second round on Monday. I got a great deal of relief with the first round.
When I am done with my back, my Botox in my head should be worn off, so we will start on my occipital nerves and hopefully get me headache-free, or at least headache greatly reduced, possibly forever!
If you want to Google it, it is also called a rhizotomy. I will possibly be having a "C2-C3 dorsal rhizotomy" and he will probably follow the occipital nerves where they leave the spinal chord and up the back of my head and fry those, too. Seems that's what Cin had done as well. She's still having some pain, but that's to be expected for 4-5 weeks following the procedure. This definitely ain't for sissies and the docs only do it for folks who have had this kind of nerve pain for a long time.
I'm working with a great new doc who is an anesthesiologist who specializes in Pain Management, is fairly young and seems to really know his stuff. Not local, but near Charlotte, NC--about a 2 1/2 hour drive and close to my grandscallywags.
Sorry for the loooong post, but I wanted to give you a thorough updat cuz you asked!
Thank you for being the caring person that you are m'dear!
Hugs to you, Jim, and Vanessa,
Capt Deb
