Nerve Freezing

Last week I had my first appointment of having my nerves frozen in my SI joints in preparation for nerve ablation. 

The preparation for the ablation is brutally painful, but necessary. In order to ensure that my body will tolerate severing the nerves, they need to test my body's response to freezing. 

Essentially, if I have some relief without a great deal of complications, then we can go forward with ablation.  

Here is how the appointment went: 

Mask on, I was prepared for a procedure similar to cortisone injections into the SI joints. I was unaware, however, that they would be injecting both sides AND injecting freezing into multiple locations. Luckily, I found this out before the procedure began. 

I had to be face-down on the table as the doctor and technician prepared my back. I wore a dress for easy access (and so that I wouldn't have to try to put pants on over the injection sites afterwards). The technician and the doctor were both very calming and as gentle as possible. Unfortunately, shoving a needle into an inflamed joint to freeze an irritated and inflamed nerve is, very obviously, going to be painful. 

I don't want to deter anyone from getting this procedure done, but I also want to be completely honest. The procedure was brutal. After the first couple of injections, I became extremely nauseated, sweaty, and felt as though I may vomit from the pain (thinking in my mind that I was about to vomit into a mask), but I was able to push through. I know that I could have asked the doctor to take a second, but I also wanted the procedure over with. 

He was extremely efficient and was very adept at trying to get me thinking about other things. 

At one point, the needle grazed the nerve, and I felt a 'funny bone' type of zing down my right leg. It was not as painful as some of the other sensations, so it acted as a kind of odd distraction. It was fascinating, so I was actually happy for that particular moment. 

All in all, the needling itself lasted no more than 15 minutes (times vary for each patient of course). So I kept focusing on my breathing - trying to breathe out heavily during each entrance of the needle - and tried my best not to flinch or tighten my buttocks too much. (I find it amazing how, if properly prepared, we can stay relatively still as someone is inflicting pain). 

Unfortunately, these freezing tests, when done without the use of Cortisone, only provide relief for approximately six hours. So it doesn't quite feel worth it. It is a means to an end, though. The relief from actual nerve ablation could last 6 months or more! 

I have one more set of freezing tests and then the nerve ablation will be scheduled. I'll let you all know if I have found it worth it once the relief from the ablation is evident (likely a few weeks after the procedure itself). 

Summary: 

Nerve freezing feels similar to Cortisone injections, with a bit more of an intense pain during the procedure and more locations. So it is a bit more painful, a longer procedure, and multiple injection sites. BUT it is also a quick procedure. Now that I have been through it once, I am more confident going into the second appointment. It will be rough, but it doesn't take long.