Well, the day finally came when I visited the orthopedic surgeon for my elbow pain. My wife and 19 yr. old son came along for moral support which I needed all I could get that morning.
The doc said I had three issues with my right arm. I have 'bossing' in the carpal bones of the right hand, swelling at the intersection of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments above the wrist and leading to my thumb, and the tendinitis in my right elbow.
I told the doc to do whatever he needed to do in order to help the elbow. He opted for a cortisone shot into the joint and warned me over and over again that it will hurt. I had two injections years back while practicing judo, I had some idea, but the again it had been almost 30 years ago.
He sprayed my elbow with freezing spray for approximately 30 seconds and warned me again that it will hurt. In fact, he said that the shot area will be painful for several days. The healing of the elbow will take a couple of weeks and I'll also be attending Physical Therapy (PT) until our next visit in three weeks.
He told me to get ready and asked if I wanted the PA to hold me down. She was a tiny thing that most likely weighed about 100 lb. :) He then stuck that needle into my elbow and I lifted off the chair about one inch. It didn't last long even though I sat for a few minutes afterwads before leaving the room.
The doc didn't want to give me any pain medication because of my liver issues. Almost all pain medication breaks down in our liver. So, my wife bought some Advil (Ibuprofen... not the best for me, but...) and used ice for the folllowing two days.
My elbow is still sore, but I can tell the pain is receding. I start PT on October 27, 2008. I'm hoping for positive results.
Later,
dad
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