Monday, December 13, 2010
The Pain Is Getting Better (?)
Wanted to report in. Had another shoulder injection last Tuesday, this time into the side of my shoulder. My rheumatologist decided on that approach, which is called a subacromial bursa injection, since the last injection didn't seem to do anything. She also used a different corticosteroid this time, Kenalog (Triamcinolone Acetonide), for the same reason.
She warned me this injection would hurt more, and that she'd be giving me a shot first to freeze the area. I was like, whatever, bring it on! I mean, I'd been having quite a bit of pain anyway, and the whole point of the injection was to help.
I won't kid you, though, it did hurt to a certain extent. Did it kill? Of course not. Whenever people talk about those pain scales of 1 to 10, I think of someone on train tracks getting their legs run over. I think that would pretty much be a 10. Kind of puts things in perspective, don't you think?
So the shot? Well, compared to that, I couldn't even really say a 1-2, but, yeah, it hurt.
Although, as I said to my doctor, compared to the pain I've been feeling, particularly for 1 two-week period I suffered through, it didn't in any way compare, so, again, whatever!
My very nice doctor gave me painkiller samples to get me through the next few days, since the last time I'd had a 3-day flare from the steroid.
I'd taken the day off, to rest my shoulder and ice it. I'd took the painkillers, but only for two days, because while taking them, I couldn't take sleeping pills, and I couldn't sleep because my shoulder hurt too much at night. Can you say Catch-22?
So almost a week later, I was pretty much convinced that, once again, steroid shots had failed me.
Until last night.
What changed my mind?
When I went to bed, it was the first night in pretty much three months that I haven't hurt to the extent that I couldn't sleep. I lay down, and waited for the pain to kick in. It's been hurting throughout the day, every day, but at night, it's unrelenting. No matter what position I lie in – on the shoulder, on my back, on the other side – it hurts.
Last night, not so much! It ached very slightly, but practically nothing!
I almost couldn't believe it!
And on Friday, I'd even started up my physiotherapy exercises again: heat the shoulder thoroughly with heat pack, do exercises, then ice shoulder, at least 3 times per day.
I'm thinking this might work!!
P.S. No, that's not my hairy back in the picture!
P.P.S. I'd like to know why my computer always insists I'm spelling the word "rheumatologist" wrong...