“On a Mish” #348 Stabbed in the Back – Part Two. Southern Cross Radiology. Christchurch City. Canterbury. Aotearoa. 1.10.2022. When it comes to getting stabbed by needles I can say I have had my fair share. Having tattoos on my back means I could already say I have literally been stabbed in the back! Over time getting ‘a couple of tattoos here and there’ means I have become used to the feeling of a spike going into my skin. I thought this ‘experience’ was going to be useful when it came to getting steroid injections into spinal disk bulges but I don’t think anything can prepare you for the fun I had on a chilly September afternoon at the hospital…
After removing the last needle from my back I sat up straight away – to the surprise of the doctor and nurse. I even began to have a conversation and everything seemed good as gold. I then attempted to stand up and this was when the world began to spin and everything was no longer as good as that shiny and valuable mineral! It felt like every drip of heat was escaping my body, leaving my skin super hot but somehow my core felt extremely cold. I suspect that the doctor knew this would happen as he was on the spot with wet towels to cool down my rather sweaty skin.
After about 30 minutes recovery time I was free to go home but at this stage my legs had given up work in protest and I had to be wheeled out to the car in a chair. Most people have that one time they got really hurt and can judge their pain levels according to that situation. Unfortunately over the last two and a half years I have had many times of extreme pain and this was right up there with the worst pain I have ever felt (especially when my nerve got hit!).
After getting home and slowly shuffling my way inside I spent the night attempting to find a way to be comfortable. Not an easy task when you consider that the pain is in a place that is unavoidable no matter which way you lie. The night took me back to when my hip was at its worst and it was only thanks to the strong sedatives I had that I could get a little bit of sleep. In the morning I felt surprisingly good until I tried to move.
Within a few seconds of standing up I felt the pain start to throb up and down my back and into my legs. I only lasted a few minutes before I had to crash out on the couch and that was where I stayed for most of the day. So now a couple of days on I feel a little bit better (still a lot of pain in my lower back), but I am happy that finally something has been done and hopefully getting ‘Stabbed in the Back’ will help me get back on the never ending road to recovery…
