VERY bad day for CJ

[cjsmith]

I went to the Stanford Pain Clinic this afternoon. The guy diagnosed me with something something neuritis (I'll get a copy of the full report when the typists are done with it), which he says is under the umbrella of CRPS (although not by any means a bad case).

He says there are several things we can try:
- Medication, which is not likely to work
- Some kind of funky spinal stimulation thing, which is not likely to work
- A sympathetic nerve block, which might or might not give partial relief for three hours or three weeks
- Injecting Botox (into the nerve?), which is not likely to work and which "there is no way your insurance will pay for"
- Surgical or mechanical interventions, which not only likely won't work but could make things REALLY WAY WAY WAY WORSE

So I might get partial relief from an expensive and uncomfortable procedure that would, if it lasts long enough to be worth it, have to be repeated over and over forever.

This is it. End of the line. No more hope for miracle cures, or even nonmiracle cures, or ever having a normal life again.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the idea! I have so far refused anticonvulsants because I want to keep my FAA medical. It's a tough decision: if meds could truly help, I might choose the ability to run and hike and backpack over the ability to fly, but if they WON'T help, the next best choice for putting any fun in my life is probably acro.

My doctor seemed to think meds would be disappointing. There are two(?) classes of people with "this problem" (his words, "this problem"). I *think* some have a problem with the nerves near the end being oversensitive and others have crossed wires at the spine or farther up. Whichever one I am (I *think* the crossed wires) doesn't tend to do well with meds.

[gdmusumeci.livejournal.com]

I vaguely remember from talking to an AME that medicines prescribed off-label are often waiverable. It seems like the FAA would be more concerned about an anticonvulsant failing to control a seizure condition than about the drug itself, after all.

I wish you the best of luck! Let me know if you want to go fly the Arrow someday. Nothing like flying something new to get your spirits up, after all. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'd find that believable, but of course I worry. Now would be a great time for me to go research it.

Thank you! That's a generous offer. A $100 hamburger sometime, perhaps, when things are less busy for the both of us.