Status Update May 24, 2014

Right now the main doctor I'm seeing is a pain specialist, who I've been seeing since the beginning of April 2014. In April she gave me two rounds of intercostal nerve blocks, which are 6 injections in my back of a steroid and anesthesia meant to kill the nerves that go between my ribs, from the back to the front. Anyway, they didn't work, just caused me a lot of pain on the day I got them.

At my follow up appointment she suggested I get an implant - a spinal cord stimulator, which would have to be implanted surgically and would involve a week of having it attached to me by wires in my back with open wounds prone to infection while I try it out. I wasn't too keen on the idea, so instead I asked to try some of the meds that I've had suggested to me but haven't tried yet.

So now I'm trying a higher dose of Cymbalta, because apparently the dosage I tried before isn't typically what is used for pain management. The Cymbalta has made me really nauseous so I'm having to build up to the high dosage slowly over the process of a couple weeks, which is what I'm doing now. Also when I'm not too nauseous I'm doing some postural restoration exercises given to me by a great physical therapist in Portland OR (let me know if you're ever there and need a recommendation). I just got custom orthotics for my shoes as well and they're awesome. I'm very normcore these days.

I also have a prescription for a TENS unit, I just need to do some more research on where to get it then I'll pick one up.  Once I'm used to Cymbalta my doctor wants to try adding Lyrica, a fibromyalgia medication, and see how the two drugs work together.  My next appointment is on Wednesday.