Spinal cord injuries are not fun.
Since I have known cervical spinal canal stenosis (previously asymptomatic), my neurosurgeon advised me to be on the alert for the appearance of signs or symptoms of spinal cord compression. I had been happily sailing along without such signs/sx until yesterday at 12:30 AM, when I fell while trying to deal with a leg cramp, and landed on my face.
Awakening from that (literally) stunning event, I noted both hands were now on fire and experiencing repeated lightning strikes every 3-4 seconds. Frankly, the pain was agonizing in its constancy. 7 to 8 on the pain scale, with very brief bursts of level 9 pain.
Such symptoms are very consistent with an acute cervical spinal cord injury. I joyfully discovered I could move both hands, but doing so triggered even more horrendous burning, shocking pain. As did touching anything. I could also wiggle my feet so that was nice.
A quick trip to the ER occurred, and MRI revealed no acute fractures so I was able to get out of the cervical collar applied by paramedics. But it did show that my stenosis had progressed and now was apparently causing spinal cord edema, probably from the cord being jarred by the stenotic spurring when I fell.
Meanwhile they tried to control my pain with IV fentanyl and later dilaudid (both of which did nothing for the pain, but did make me slightly more relaxed and mellow about the whole situation) and loaded me up with gabapentin and steroids, which after about 12 hours started to kick in.
Now (36 hours after the fall) my hands are no longer having lightning strikes and the burn is reduced to a smolder, giving me only mild to moderate pain with use and almost no pain at rest. I can even type on a keyboard without screaming.
But only now do I truly understand what my former patients with severe neuropathic pains experienced. And I see firsthand how opioids are not very effective in relieving this type of pain for most sufferers. And I see why many of them contemplated suicide when they could not find decent relief from their pains. Because after having unrelenting pain for 12 hours, I was horrified by the thought of having to live with that degree of sheer agony and dysfunction without relief.
I see my neurosurgeon this coming Wednesday to find out what he advises. And I’m contacting my friends in the related medical fields to gather their opinions.
Today I’m grateful that my current pains are something I can live with, and will probably diminish further. And grateful that I had a competent, responsible health care team who listened to me and responded professionally to my needs. Also I am grateful that I’m not quadriplegic after that fall. And the adventure continues . . .
