This past Friday...

Sorry for no post ladies, I was so nervous about my injections, I totally forgot to load a post!
Has anyone ever had cortisone injections in their spine? It's seriously the worst, most painful thing EVER (and I've had 2 kids). I had no idea what to expect. They told me to come with a driver and bring my MRI and CT reports.
After a consultation, they made me get into a backless robe and go into the procedure room. I was asked to lay on my stomach with my chest on pillows and my forehead on the table. They placed a blanket over my head, sides, and back making an open square at the top of my neck where they would be doing the injections. After cleaning the spot repeatedly, they gave me the first injection witch was for the numbing. They told me it would feel like a bee sting followed by about 2 seconds of severe burning. It was closer to 6 seconds, and it was a long 6 seconds! ;)
Next they put the actual needle in. It is much thicker then a regular shot needle (my back looks like I have a purple mole sized cut as of today). When this needle goes in you feel an incredible amount of pressure. For the next 5 minutes I laid there while they took X-rays up and down my spine my moving the needle slight amounts looking for the problem disks. When I screamed out in pain the doctors words were "fond the worst one!".
Next was the second injection. This was a dye that would show how the cortisone would be moving down my spine. THIS SUCKED! I felt burning all up and down my back, my arms, my neck, my chest and this was the point I started crying.
Finally was the cortisone injection. He took 60 seconds to press the full syringe into my neck. It was hands down the worst pain ever. It was like I was on fire. I lost movement of my entire body and everything hurt from my head to my toes. At this point an alarm starts going off and the nurse says "her blood pressure is 89 over 40" and they quickly finished. The next thing I know they tilted the table so my feet were over my head and cold rags were all over me.
After about 15 minutes I was able to walk into the room where my clothes were and my hubby was waiting for me and I just kept crying. I was able to go home within 30 minutes of finishing this.
I have to go back on the 29th of this month for a second injection or to decide what the next step will be (I'm already against the idea of a second one even though I know it would be helpful).
They did tell me that the first is the worst because my disks were in such bad shape, but I'm still terrified to do it again. She then told me if I wanted to (and had the money to) I could do this at the hospital and they would put me on IV drugs! UMMMMMM DUUHHHHHH!!!!! Why would they let anyone go though it the way I just did!
So this is my new fun thing I get to live with. It's not cancer, it's not life or death, but boy is it stinky! In the grand scheme of things it is a blessing if these work and I don't need a bunch a surgeries throughout my life. But it's still stinky! ;) My dad also wants me to see a holistic doctor and look into the option of acupuncture if that's even something that I could benefit from. Between that and physical therapy, maybe I'll be a new woman for longer then they say. Positive thinking goes a long way!
Thanks for letting me vent!!!