Pain Management and CT Scan Results

I went to aquatic PT this morning and got an extensive workout in the pool. It is much better than traditional PT.

Pain Management went over the results of my CT Scan. They were not good. I have disc bulges at L3-L4 and L4-L5 with spinal stenosis and loss of disc height at L4-L5. There is impingement on the nerve roots at all levels, mostly on the right.
They wrote for a Neurosurgery consult. Now I just need to wait and see what happens from here.

Aqua Therapy and Caudal Injection

I had my first Aqua PT appointment today. It was a nice experience compared to traditional methods. The pool, that is similar to a spa, is approx. 10x5 feet and 7 feet deep. They put a float around your waist and place you in a lift. The lift places you in the water and the platform submerges until you begin to float. Once you are floating, you hold the side bars and do the exercises as they instruct you. It still wore me out and I sleep for 4 hours when I returned home.

I just got a call from the Pain Management Office asking to reschedule my injection that was supposed to be done this week. They could only fit me in on the 4th and now needed to reschedule for the 15th. I told them not to schedule it until I talk to my primary pain MD. I am afraid that it will make the pain worse when the lidocane wears off. And they say the Canadian Medical System is worse... I doubt it.

Pain Management Appointment 4-23-12

I went to the pain clinic today to avert a trip to the ED for uncontrolled pain. I toughed it out over the weekend to get this appointment. It was not with my primary pain MD, wich could be a good thing for a different view. The thing that aggravated me was that even though I told them I was in 'suicidal" pain, he would not go up on my opioids. He prescribed amitripyline, 800 mg of Neurotin at bedtime to max out the medication and lidocaine patches to put over the primary pain areas. I am still not sure how that is going to reach the spinal nerves... He also wanted to do a caudial injection this week, but of course the schedule was full until 5-4-12. That was his plan so he didn't need to go up on the oxycodone. So much for that, so I will just suffer until then.

The first good thing he suggest was aquatic therapy, so I scheduled an appointment for this Thursday.

I missed 2 functions this weekend from pain and cannot enjoy my life. It is impacting my ability to take care of myself and it is becoming a depressing realization that I may need to live this way, but I haven't given up yet. My CT scan is this Friday and maybe it will reveal the primary source of the problem.