On Tuesday morning I had a nerve block. According to the pain specialist who performed it, the procedure couldn’t have been more perfect. The needle was easily passed through my tailbone to deliver the anesthetics to my nerves – this may be the one thing about my condition that has played out as described in a medical textbook. Because they inserted the needle into my tailbone, the area has been incredibly sore so the only way I’ve been able to sit is straight upright as if I have a plank in my back.

Ganglion Impar Block

For the past 48 hours, I’ve been dutifully keeping a log of my pain improvement progress every two hours. Overall, I’m not pain free but I have less pain than before the procedure. I still have my right-side oriented pain in my lower abdomen, back and leg but I’m experiencing what I’ll characterize as a constant low level of pain on the pain scale. This probably means that combined with the nerve block, I’m feeling the benefits of my pain medications for the first time in a long time. My hope is to lower the level of pain medications I take over the next few months so when I have surgery the doctors will have room to treat me before reaching the maximum limits of pain medication doses during my recovery. The pain specialists have told me that my case is very complicated and the possibility exists that my pain will be difficult to treat post-surgery. This nerve block will be a good indicator of what they can expect.

I’m also hoping to go for a few walks before the effects of the nerve block wear off. Walking for a significant distance is something that I have a lot of difficulty with these days. With the weather being as wonderful as it is, it would be nice to pack a lunch, walk to the park, and sit in the sun for a while. That’s such a simple thing to wish for, but it’s something I badly want to do. However, I know I’ll have to take things slow because I just came back from an appointment and the car drive there and back has affected me negatively and increased my pain. I’ll dream about the walk to the park while I rest my body.

John Mellencamp – Hurts So Good