A Praise :)
Wow! I usually try to post once a week, but last week was just plain busy that I didn’t get a chance to. So, to update everyone on what’s going on, here’s what happened last week:
On Monday, January 30th, I had my third stellate ganglion block. When I arrived at the CPC, excitement was running through my veins! My doctors told me they were going to try a new approach with this block (and the funny thing is, my pain dr. didn’t tell me till after the procedure
that he never did it this way before on anyone else! He made this up himself, and I was their guinea pig! ;). They still used ultrasound and fluoroscopy, but in addition to bupivacaine, my doctor also added the strong anesthetic ketamine to this block, and they went in my neck at a different angle and in a different area. The needle had to be pushed in very deep…being awake, I kept hearing my doctors tell each other it “needs to go deeper…” If you looked at me then, my eyes were probably wide open! o_O To me, it felt like the needle was close to hitting my bone! And after the procedure was over, the ketamine made me SO sleepy!! I could barely open my eyes! But this block was so worth the pain and discomfort, because once I was fully awake, my hand/arm felt SO good!
It was that big of a difference! Praise the Lord! “I will praise the Lord as long as I live…” (Psalm 146:2) I was so happy. I couldn’t believe how amazing everything was feeling! When they discharged me, they gave me a pain diary for me to keep track of how long this block gives me relief.
So that’s what happened last week! I still have physical therapy every other week and occupational hand therapy twice a week. I’m also studying to become a medical assistant, so that and all my appointments and home exercises keep me busy! But I’m just so thankful that things look like they’re heading in the right direction! Praise God and share in my joy!
