I’m not sure that I chronicled this, but several weeks ago my “remission” from pancreatitis came to an end. The pain crept back over the course of a couple of days. Thankfully, my medical team was responsive, and within three weeks, my GI performed another celiac plexus block. This is my third CP block. The first did not help. The second likely caused my “remission.” The difference between the two was the inclusion of steroids in the injection cocktail.
When the CP block was originally explained to me, I was advised that I would feel better right away. That’s how I would know if it was working. After the second block, I didn’t feel better right away. In fact, I felt worse afterwards for at least a week. This is why I didn’t attribute the remission to the CP block. Now that I am a couple weeks out from my third block, I definitely feel better. Some evening discomfort still, but no need for pain meds if I use my heating pad. So, in many ways, this is good news! My CP block will hopefully get me another four, mostly pain free, months.
What was confusing, however, was why I didn’t feel better right away. Well, I think I get it now. Recently, I’ve been dealing with tennis elbow tendonitis, not from tennis, but from an acute injury that involved a squirrel, my bloodhound on leash, and the corner of a house. I was following up with my pain specialist about the CP block, mentioned the tennis elbow, and he suggested and gave me a corticosteroid injection. I was a little sore the rest of the day, but instead of getting miraculously better like 95% of the population, I couldn’t sleep that night or the next because my arm was swollen, angry and hurt like a [insert a string of curses here]. I could barely move my arm for days after. It’s Sunday now. I had the injection Wednesday morning. Today was the first day I could type, hold things without too much pain, or extend my arm. Seems that I may have a cortisone flare reaction to corticosteroids. If the elbow injection follows the path of the CP blocks, then hopefully the tendonitis will not bother me for a while.
Minimizing pain is necessary in order to live a normal life: to have energy to walk your dogs and read to your children, to greet your colleagues jovially and sleuth for answers creatively, to smile at your partner and listen when you ask about their day. Minimal discomfort makes it possible for you to be compassionate towards others and just slightly less selfless than you would be when you are burdened and miserable.
Still, pain-free because of a nerve block does not equal remission. A nerve block only masks the inflammation and the damage. My endoscopic ultrasound confirmed an inflamed pancreas with a bulky tail. Perhaps this block will bring down the inflammation, but it’s also likely that the pancreas is continuing its self-destruction while I turn a blind eye to it. That possibility saddens me.
So, I will be vigilant in my not-quite-remission. I will continue to eat carefully. I will continue to tend to my body with exercise and therapy. Most importantly, I will continue to research underlying reasons for the inflammation. Possibly I can find an explanation that I can intervene and treat.
In the meanwhile, I will be grateful for the lack of pain through the summer, and I will do my best not to be surprised when and if the pain returns this fall.