Mary,
So nice to have some *eye candy* as Kathy put it while in pain at the doctors! Hope his good looks weren't too distracting re asking questions altho he sounds like he was quite nice to talk to. I hope he's experienced as well re surgical procedures (not that young)!
Ok, anyway, the ESIs sound like a good place to start. They help me like they help Kathy's hub and I can do and undo which I'm not so sure is good for me overall tho I think it is at the moment!
I'm always told I'm fortunate as I have a large spinal canal tho I wonder if that's so why with small disc bulges I have felt so much pain and with rebulges the same thing and so on so forth tho perhaps it's been part of why I could wait so long between my last surgery and the next one that I've not yet committed myself to yet...
Good luck getting your first injection scheduled. Sometimes the first ESI can flare you up down in that low lumbar area (I'm guessing it will be directed at L5S1 or given caudally in that area) and you may feel more pain for a few days then less pain but if you rest and ice the area you should be feeling better between 3-7 days. For me it was 3 days after the first one and then the next 20 plus injections I've gotten over the last 8 years I've practically been better the next day or that day..
If I"ve gotten sedation which I do each time now that I get an injection but I didn't in the beginning I will feel tired the day of the procedure and mostly will rest and sleep the remainder of the day.
Hope you feel better since seeing Dr.McDreamy/McSteamy/McHottie
take care
