Update: I finally had the last straw with Firefox. For some reason they’ve had v3.6 out for some time and not done a thing to fix an issue with Google Gears and WordPress. Blogging has been a huge festering boil on the figurative ass of the blogging world.
So I’m trying out Flock, which is Firefox based but seems to not have some of the most annoying features of Firefox. It also seems a bit more tailored to be of use to a blogger. So far I like what I see – I’ll keep you posted.
Damn Firefox.
Supplemental update: If you blog, you will want to at least try Flock. It has an external (read: Not WordPress’) editor, and it rocks. You then hit a button when you are done and it posts your blog entry for you. Oh so nice.
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Had another radiofrequency neurotomy done today. C2-C6 – I basically asked the doc to do most of the right side because I’m rather tired of going in for one region at a time. It means more pain over a larger area, but it gets it done in fewer trips.
Prior to the procedure my doc comes in and says “Well, I’m now a member of the group.” He had a herniated disk and was experiencing his own pain. I told him that at least he was in a good place where the partners in his practice could treat him. His response? “Oh I don’t trust anyone here to work on me.” Oh, sure, doc… way to instill confidence…
For whatever reason, it seems to take longer for me to recover from the procedure but the nerves also regenerate faster for me. They should stay deader for longer each time a region is done.
Two vicodin and a muscle relaxant later, I’m still smarting. It is like having Freddy Krueger mucking about in your neck but using pieces of sharpened rebar instead of razor-sharp knives. I am very loopy right now and am having to re-type everything.
Months ago I had the second one done for the C5-C7 region (left side) and it helped very much to reduce the number of flareups in that region.
Here’s to hoping that it heals up before we go on vacation. The last procedure took about 3 to 3-1/2 weeks before they died (half the time of the first one in that region). If there’s an end in sight it is much easier to tolerate pain. If it is long and drawn out and there is no end in sight, that is the hardest thing to deal with.
I am also hoping that I can contemplate getting on my bicycle this summer. Start out slow and see if it can be done.
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Speaking of discomfort, at last there seems to be a politician with guts. Good on ya, Gov… good luck.
Lemur King's Folly 
I’m so sorry for the pain. I hope this treatment, though more extensive, will prove to be the last one 😦
I sure wish it were around these parts 😀
Just whining. I had forgotten that 2x the injections is actually more uncomfortable than simply doubling it. It weakens the neck for a spell, so it is less comfortable until things get back on track.
As McGoo would tell you, that’s what opiates are for. A necessary evil.
Believe me, I’d love to take a vacation that was more for our immediate family rather than travel to see the extended family in the NW year after year. Don’t get me wrong but I would sure like to see some new places for once.
We have Six Flags, Sea World (the non-dangerous one), cave systems like Natural Bridge Caverns (the just opened up a new room and OMIGOD it had no moving air in it so crystallization went beserk!), the Riverwalk, Fredericksburg (German town) Hill Country, Wildlife areas, and of course, THE ALAMO.
Put that in CW’s ear 😉
The big plus: I cook, and chauffeur for free 😉
Good luck with this round! We’re all pulling for you buddy.
I never cared for Firefox. I know it’s supposed to be da shizznit and whatnot but I never use it.
You should try coming to Vegas sometime! Tourism is down lately so you should be able to pick up some good deals. 😉
Awesome bedside manner your guy has. “I don’t trust anyone here…”
He’s got a really dry sense of humor that is pretty warped if you are paying attention.
I pondered his response and I wonder if it isn’t a prudent thing to do to NOT have a colleague do it in case something does go wrong. I could see that getting messy.
Yep – opiates will fix you right up, LK. Of course, you won’t be doing much creative science or engineering at your job, and you will drool a bit when you are lost in idle daydreaming (which you will be doing a lot of).
LK – I have a premonition that this one will do the trick.
I do hope for the best!
…and I wish I had a Dr that could make self-deprecating humorous remarks. Most Drs are too proud…or too cautious. That your did reflects well on him.
You would not believe this – the right side of my neck, from over the vertebrae out to the cords of the neck (90 degrees out) and from the corner of the neck (c7) all the way up to the skull, about up as high as the vision center… has *zero* sensation.
McGoo you could come up and put cigars out on my neck for grins and giggles.
That’s externally. The left side is screaming from having to hold my head up and the right is plenty painful deeper in. It’s weird to have such a conjunction of pain and numb in the same areas. Needless to say, I’m not wasting a lot of time for it to get worse. Got to sleep around five-thirty and had 4-1/2 really crappy hours – you would think I had drunk more than my one Red Bull at 3pm.
I’m hopeful too, McGoo. This is purely a subjective assessment but it seems that the lower left after they did it for the second time has fewer flareups. Maybe if this one heals the same way then I’ll be able to try things again w/o fear of frakking up three days of my life.
Been disappointed enough times so far that I’m only marginally allowing myself to be hopeful, you understand.