Three weeks ago today, September 25th, I went in and received a guided thoracic epidural steroid injection. I was told that I might be sore for a few days then at two weeks, I should definitely feel a change. This isn't a shot where it may work a little, it either does or doesn't. So I waited and waited. I held at hope because honestly, this pain in my back is completely doing me in physically and mentally. I am 33 - I can NOT deal with this pain for another 30 years or more.
Right after the medicine was given I felt very nauseous and I had cramping pain around my ovaries. My Endo pain has been pretty much controlled for a while so to feel this much pain again in my uterus really sucked. I figured this was some of the soreness they talked about and ignored it. They told me if I got sick to my stomach, nausea, or fevers after a few days then I needed to call them. After a few days of feeling sore, I did not have any fevers and I wasn't getting sick to my stomach. I was nauseous but honestly, that is my reaction to everything so I ignored it.
We are at 3 weeks today. I gave it an extra week because why not? However, I am still in a lot of pain, potentially more pain than before, and now I have the pain in my uterus. It feels like cramping but it is almost constant. I am also still nauseous. I realized yesterday that these are things I probably should have called them about - why it took me that long to realize that, I don't know. I wrote the office yesterday to let them know that the shot did not work and I would like to schedule the sciatic joint shot. We had discussed during the first appointment having the second shot done a few weeks after and that if the epidural shot didn't work we could talk about doing it again. I figured before trying it again (if I choose to do so - I am still unsure) I would do something I know helped previously.
The plan is when they call to make the appointment I can ask to talk to a nurse or ask if I can just talk to the doctor while I am there. I don't know if how I feel now would influence their willingness to do the second shot or not. So, now it's a waiting game to see when they call and what they want to do.
Below I am going to post the two x-rays I was sent showing the needle and then the needle releasing the dye. Mostly because how cool is it to have that? I will also put in links to videos showing how both shots are done.
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