It’s been over three months since the nerve block injections. A few days after I received them, The New York Times came out with a a feature about a study on how many redheads react to anesthetics. That would be me. Sigh. Luckily, thanks to this blog, I got in touch with someone else who had a similar reaction who told me it took about 3 months for it to wear off. She was right. It was a huge help having a timeline to focus on. Now I’m almost back to where I was before those awful shots.
Meanwhile, life got in the way which is why I haven’t written much. My daughter started back at school, got sick for 3 weeks (possibly H1N1), changed preschools, and we spent days and hours trying to refinance our home to no avail. Now we’re looking at possibly selling and moving. Paying for childcare and medical costs has just made it too expensive to stay. Of course I’m watching the healthcare reform topic very closely. I wish there could be something in it to help with our situation, but I doubt it. And it’s not like the banks are any help. If we default, maybe they’ll pay attention to us. Not that I want it to get to that point.
So I’ve been working day and night whenever I’m resting or not with my daughter. I’m lucky I’ve found freelance work, but there are so few jobs out there for experienced, senior level people that can be done remotely. That frustrates me in terms of how far our society needs to go with job flexibility and workplace rights. I can’t do a full time office job nor do I want to right now, but I would love to have the opportunity in a few years once my daughter’s in grade school and hopefully my nerve damage is mended a bit more. Still, although ADA requires adaptations, most people don’t know how to respond to those who can’t sit much.
Summer’s over and I missed much of the time I wanted to spend outside with my daughter, but now that I’m feeling a little better, I’m going outside with her and doing things whenever I feel up to it, which is a nice respite from being stuck in bed. I’m lucky I love my work, but I also know my time with my daughter is limited and she’ll only be young once. And due to this injury, I’m unlikely to have another child. I’m not sad or depressed right now, but I definitely was right after the injections.
I was too busy keeping myself occupied to fight off depression to post; I didn’t want to think about the pain for a while, even though it was constantly there. I tried Neurontin, and that didn’t work. I tried Valium, Vicodin and others. Nothing really helped. They barely took the edge off but gave me awful side-effects. I decided ice packs and rest were better solutions for the time being. I had to take a lounge chair with me down the street for our neighborhood block party and I missed a handful of really amazing conferences I wanted to attend professionally. It was a sad time, no doubt. But now as winter approaches, at least I’m feeling better and can get out and do more.
I’m off to run errands with my daughter now, something that any normal mom does every day, but for me, it’s been over four months and is a major endeavor. I’m nervous but excited. It’s fun time we can share together and she’s a great companion, but it will be painful. C’est ma vie.
Pain In The Mom 
WOW you’ve had a lot on your plate. I am so glad your daughter is recovered and you are over the injection-related pain flare.
If you are serious about relocating, consider Texas and particularly Houston. My understanding is that they’ve essentially not felt the recession. I have friends there old and newly relocated; housing is infinitely more affordable than where you are now. It’s just a thought. Houston is also a medical mecca, which is something you won’t find in a smaller area.
I’m wishing you all the best for what you are going through with work and housing. I’m so happy to see your update and especially glad you are recovered from the anesthetic. I’d be interested to see that article if you have it handy; it might be of interest to the PN forums.
so sorry to hear of another sufferer from pn, but i am very inspired by your resolve – that’s what keeps us going through trauma like this. i never got much if any relief from nerve blocks, neither pre- nor post-surgery. i am convinced that injecting into an already bothered area, through very fussy and spasmic muscles usually does more harm than good. it is worth trying, though. 5 1/2 years, two surgeries, and many treatments later, i am at the point where i am only doing treatments that lessen the trauma of the whole experience: acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, feldenkreis pt, and massage-therapy. i am slowly having success with these treatments, though i may never know the worth of the surgeries and other invasive procedures i’ve had. i don’t like to give advice because everyone’s pain and its source are different. but i can say for certain that starting with pt, and gentler treatments is the way to go.
for me, swimming and walking are the activities that i look forward to, and that i gauge my recovery on. and i, too, try daily to turn this 180 degree life change into something positive by pouring myself into my visual art and writing.
it’s good to see you sharing your experience! God bless, and may you heal daily!