Bone Scan and Facet Injections

[Kathi49]

Hi All,

Well, I saw my PM today and am sooooo glad I had this bone scan done. Sure enough...the worst of the arthritis is really with the facets; L3, L4, L5 and S1 to be exact. And on the left side. He probably needs to inject the right side as well. But for today...just the left. And for the last couple of months my left foot and ankle (outer) has been killing me. Within minutes of those injections...I had my foot back! YAY! The pain completely stopped. Now I just have to wait it out because I know the majority of that was from the numbing med.

Anyway, I am such a moron. I THOUGHT today was just supposed to be the day to go over the films; not injections. But he said if I wanted to reschedule I could. But I said no, I am already here, let's just get 'er done. I just hate facet injections and I do tense up...just can't help it. :eek: But he was teasing and said to take some Valium next time...just make sure I have a driver. And they did hurt...but I survived. So, I went ahead and scheduled bilateral facet injections for Feb 1st. But he said if I have relief, just cancel. I think he just does it this way to guarantee a slot of time.

Okay, so we went over the films and I learned quite a bit. Yes, I have arthritis in my feet, knees, shoulders and of course the cervical and lumbar spine. What I didn't understand was why my nose and what looked to be my pelvic area was darkened. And he asked me if I had ever had nasal surgery of any kind. Well, duh, yes...for a deviated septum but that was when I was 30...so I don't get it LOL! And the outline of what I thought was the pelvic area was really the ureters...LOL! Anyway, I am just glad to know where all the arthritis really is from having this scan done.

And another thing I don't understand. I feel or felt the pain in my back but it bypassed my leg and went straight to the ankle and foot. I know it is referred pain. But why does it start at my back and just end at my foot. I would think I would feel it down my leg but I don't. But then again, I never felt the C5/C6 in my arms either...just felt it in my neck and thumbs! And here's another weird thing that I forgot to mention to him. My left foot buzzes...for lack of a better description almost like a cell phone on vibrate. :D And it is intermittent...not a constant buzzing...just feels like I have phone ringing in my foot. Weird, I know...but I can't figure that one out either.

Anyway, just glad I have some relief for the moment and will see how this goes. :) But right now it is cold pack time and time to lie down for a bit.

[Mark N]

Kathi, glad to hear that you have relief from the injections and I hope it is more than a few days. I know what you mean about the buzzing as I went for a long time feeling that buzzing and actually checking my cell phone, even times I didn't have the cell phone on me, and it is an odd feeling. The reason you don't feel pain along the way and only in your foot is it depends on where the nerve ending is. Nerves don't have pain sensors all along their length otherwise our brains would be confused and we would never know where our injury is.

I am happy you are doing better and go some answers to what you saw on the scan. You have a very good doctor and he proves it at each appointment.

[Kathi49]

Thanks Mark,

Yep, the sensory stuff is always distal; used to be my hands and feet. But now it is just my feet. That buzzing stuff is weird....not painful just annoying. It IS like a cell phone LOL! :) There was some increased pain yesterday; pretty bad. But this morning...I felt like I had a whole new left foot. That's why I was able to walk around quite a bit today. Anyway, I hope these injections last awhile. And since I have other issues, stenosis, burning sometimes in my feet...who knows? But today I felt pretty good! :) Oh, and my left knee stopped hurting too. This is all probably short lived but for now I will take it.

[gizmogirl]

I'm happy for you. At least you have found, with your doctor, sites that can be worked on, so that if the injections don't last forever you could try pulsed RF maybe?

[Kathi49]

Gizmo,

Thanks! I had an RF done last January; the only thing was the L5/S1 wasn't included in that. So, now that it has been a year it would make sense that the nerves have regenerated. I don't think he does pulsed RF's. We talked about that a long time ago. I can't remember his exact words but I don't think he believes they are all that effective. Besides the facets though; and I did pull out my Lumbar MRI report from August, there is bilateral mild lateral recess forminal stenosis at L4/L5. There is no mention of herniation at any level. In the Conclusion section it just basically says facet degeneration is more progressive at L5/S1. And the game plan is just to wait and see. If by February 1st the pain comes back, then another round of facet injections but they will be bilateral. If I am still doing well, I can just cancel. So, it all remains to be seen...I just have to take a wait and see approach for now.

[MarleneW]

Kathi,
I'm so glad the injections have given you some relief, it's always good to hear someone is feeling a little better. I hope it lasts for a long, long time.
I have finally decided to go ahead with my hysterectomy. It will be on Wednesday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well with my head and neck.
Marlene

[Kathi49]

Marlene,

Thank you! And I wish you much luck with the hysterectomy. Just PLEASE be sure to tell them to watch your head and neck. And I wanted to ask since I can't remember what you said earlier...is everything going? I am trying NOT to be graphic here. :) Anyway, I think you will find you will have so much relief when it is all said and done...I know I did. And there has been no return of endo since 1999. Good luck with it and post back when you feel up to it.

[slipnslide]

Kathi,

Hopefully you'll get long lasting relief this time around:) , and I'm glad those bone scans came out good and didn't show anything more to worry about.:D

Kim

[Gimpy]

Kathi does he do these injections right in his office? Does he use the fluoroscope? I couldn't handle any spinal injection without some anesthesia, sounds to painful and almost cruel to me.

G

[Kathi49]

Gimpy,

Yes, and his office is affiliated or rather in the hospital. And, yes, he has ALWAYS used fluoroscopy. And I have been given Versed before. The thing is...I can usually do without it for other types of injections. And for some reason the facet injections are harder on me; probably because they are usually inflamed. But he did use plenty of numbing medicine. It hurt but I wasn't screaming or crying or anything. :) And, trust me, I have had facet injections before from another group of PM's where I really was crying...they hurt pretty d@@@ bad. But at that time I had Residents doing them and being overseen by the Director; so they took twice as long. Now THAT was torture in my mind and I DID have Versed then...probably not enough though. And those were done at a teaching University/Medical Center! :eek: And I DID yell at one of them one time which I shouldn't have done. But that particular time was pretty darn rough.

Anyway he did ask me if I wanted to reschedule. But it was MY choice to say no and to just go ahead. I mean...I was already there, have had facet injections before so I just figured I could take it. I did and survived. :) Oh, and he has stopped before; one time when I was having them done in my neck. And he asked me then if I wanted to stop and come back. But again I said, nope, I am here...let's just get it done. Anyway, no, I wasn't in screaming agony type of pain. Actually, he is pretty fast and really good with the injections. It's just me and my darn facets and the fact that I tense up. And I don't know how true this is but I was told more than once that facet injections are normally easier on a person; it is the selective nerve root injections that tend to be more painful. But for me it is the opposite. The SNI's don't really bother me...I usually just feel pressure, than he illicits a pain response for just a split second and then it is pretty much over with. The one ESI I had done was pretty much the same way; yes it hurt but was over with pretty quick and I didn't need sedation for it either.

I understand what you are saying...but no, he's not mean and cruel LOL! Again, it was just ME, I opted to go forth without any sedation. I suppose I was just thinking that a few minutes of pain was worth having it done rather than to wait for another appointment.

And as he always says...no one LIKES injections in their spine at all! So, I just deal. Not that I am stoic or anything. I just am used to how he does things and he is much better at these things than that other group was! However, if I were to have another RF, you better believe I want to be sedated. :) And he did sedate me pretty well for that...I don't remember a thing about it!