I really hate getting injections...

If you've read my Facebook page you already know that I had an injection into my SI joint yesterday. Usually the worst part of surgery for me is getting the IV. The same cannot be said for me when I get injections. You're awake for the procedure, and it's hard to be brave when you're getting multiple shots in a sensitive area. The worst set of injections was when I had to get a discogram. Even if the disc is good those injections hurt like hell. And the bad discs are almost unbearable. You have to lie perfectly still on the table for 45-60 minutes while you're getting multiple injections of lidocaine before they inject the HUGE needles that inject the dye. I think it would be an effective form of torture.
I've also had 3 set of epidural injections and 1 set of facet joint injections. The first epidural injection was the worst because the doctor hit the nerve. The pain was excruciating for an entire month. The others were very painful for 2 weeks, but nothing was quite as bad as that first one. They did not help relieve the pain I was having so that's why I had to have surgery.
Anyway I had back surgery 15 months ago, but started having nerve pain in my hip and down the sciatic nerve in September. I went to my neurosurgeon with new MRI films, and as far as he could tell it was a flare-up of the SI joint. He said that people with back surgery sometimes have this problem, but usually it starts within a few weeks of surgery. I went to the pain specialist he recommended, and he concurred with my dr's diagnosis. I felt good about proceeding... well, as good as I could feel about needing more injections.
I would be lying if I said I was looking forward to yesterday. I hoped that the procedure would go smoothly and that there would be pain relief. I was really nervous once I got to the room. Too many memories from previous injections, I guess. My heart rate was over 100 BPM so they gave me fentanyl and versed... good combination. I tried to talk them into doubling that dose so I would be asleep, but they didn't. Oh well. It was worth a try! They were only going to give me one of them so I'm grateful that they gave me both. I got several small injections of lidocaine, but before lido works it stings like the devil. And it only numbs the skin, really, because it felt like the doctor was drilling a nail into me a mm or 2 at a time. The tech kept maneuvering the x-ray machine so that my dr could get a good view of the joint so he could place the needle correctly. The procedure was over within 15-20 minutes, but it seemed a lot longer than that.
It's been 29 hours since I finished, but I still haven't noticed a change in the pain. It says that it can take up to 48 hours to start working so I haven't lost hope yet. I hope that this shot took care of the problem, and that by this time tomorrow I'll feel awesome. I can't wait!