Of course, like anything medical, nerve pain attacks vary from person to person and event to event, depending on the origin of the injury. I’ll try to give you a visual image of my NPA’s.
Imagine a huge pair of vice grips suddenly CRUSHING your tailbone or ischium (for those of you who don’t know where that is or want to look it up, it’s the curve at the bottom of the hip), then a huge syringe full of HOT ACID being shot up your rear, then being forced to sit in a vat of HOT ACID for several minutes!
Sometimes, it’s all of the above. Sometimes, just the crushing. Sometimes, just the syringe full of acid that dissipates after about 30 seconds. Sometimes, combination of two or three of these.
Nothing helps! No Rx. Not ice or heat (tho hot showers feel GREAT!). Joy has started doing a gentle circular lower back massage when they’re so bad I’m doubled over (about half the time), and that seems to relieve some of the pain. It used to HURT for anyone or anything to bump or touch there, but apparently the clot has dissolved enough that it’s no longer tender.
Update on some comments from previous posts:
Morphine pump: My family took me to ER about a month ago cuz I was literally screaming in pain from NPA and locked up arm. TORTURE!!! SEVEN IV sticks: no success, even w/”the best” and doppler! I’m pretty tough and used to that, but twice (one in each arm), they hit the nerve that controls my thumb. Uncontrollable spasms!! BOTH THUMBS ARE NOW NUMB!!!! Hoped it would heal after a few weeks: nope! Jonathan (my EMT son) had to yell at them to STOP when I gritted out, “TAKE IT OUT NOW!!!” and they refused to give up. I will NOT be going back to ER unless I’m having a heart attack or stroke! (or maybe an open fracture!) Since I’m on blood thinners, the risk of stroke is supposed to be alleviated.
One good thing came of that night: they gave me an 8cc morphine shot to ease the pain. (When we were in a wreck in 2006, it took 10cc before the Dr could staple my scalp back onto my skull. “Normal” dose is 5cc.) Guess what that did?! NOTHING!!! Didn’t even make me sleepy!! So the “I need a morphine pump” idea is a bust, as well.
New wheelchair ordered and approved by insurance. Old one was friend’s and wheels worn out and don’t turn properly. So I get a new wheelchair for Christmas. Simple pleasures make this crazy old lady happy!
Luke 2: 1-20 JESUS IS BORN! The “lowly shepherds” were the first to know and worship Him and be evangelists! The angels sang gloriously! Mary stored up all these events in her heart, probably in complete awe!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!
Wynne Loveless Writes 