Initial Consult

I saw my new prolotherapy doc yesterday!

Apparently I was misinformed, however, as I am his first EDS patient for prolotherapy.

He is excited to have a guinea pig, almost as much as I am to be one!

We went over our game plan yesterday, which is to start with my left shoulder, as it has persistently been my worst joint for over half my life, and if I even had 10% of "normal" functionality in it I'd be happy... Also, because it would be the easiest joint to check for improvement.

The plan is to start with the least aggressive solution, and about 15 injections into my shoulder. If that doesn't work, there is a stronger solution ,and if that doesn't work there is an even stronger solution, with alcohol in it that is the most aggressive one, which would only be used as a last resort. There's also a possibility of PRP (platelet rich plasma) being injected to aid in recovery.

I told him about the EDS related prolotherapy research I've done, and about the "whole body prolotherapy" which is in use in the U.S. and he seems to think that may be excessive... But he still needs to send me to a Manual Therapist for an assessment of my joints, and a recommendation as to which joints to work on once we figure out which solution works on me.

I had one little issue with him... Even though we are on the same page as to expectations - which is very abnormal... I usually seem to be in a different book - he wouldn't let me finish my sentences. I tried to explain to him my previous reactions to local anaesthetic - as in it BURNS, like HOLYMOTHEROFGOD WHO POURED ACID ON ME kind of burns... and I got about half way through an explanation, and he cut me off, and wouldn't let me finish. I'll try again to explain it to him. And I'll use fewer words, maybe something to the effect of "It's not that local anaesthetics DON'T WORK, it's that they DO THE OPPOSITE, as in THEY CAUSE ME PAIN." Maybe that would get his attention.

Oh well. Back to the waiting game... My appointment for the first round of prolotherapy is on July 5th.

Is anybody else as excited or anxious about all these needles as I am?

Can I Chew Off My Arm Yet?

Seriously, left shoulder, if you don't stop being such a jerkface, I'm gonna gnaw you off. Om nom nom.

Yesterday, I woke up with a really badly dislocated shoulder. It had been out of its socket long enough that I had lost all feeling in my arm. Throughout the course of the day, my shoulder just felt less and less stable, and more and more tense. The tension in my shoulder muscles pulled on my ribs until they too were dislocated. At this point, I figure out that the only way to put my ribs back in is to screw my shoulder up even more... So I did. I had to use my left hand to apply constant pressure to my ribs for about half an hour before they finally settled back into place, and by then my shoulder and neck were so sore, I couldn't use my arm at all the rest of the day. Blargh.

Less than a week until my Prolotherapy consult!!!! I am really excited!!!! Honestly, very few people would be this excited at the prospect of a bajillion needles being inserted into their everywhere. You know what's really stupid, though? Even in Canada, where we are supposed to have really great healthcare, this isn't covered, so I have to pay out of pocket for the prolotherapy. This is mostly due to the fact that it is an "off-label" use of the "drug" which has no medical research to back it up. I'll just let you imagine what kind of angry this makes me... They cover surgeries, which are unsuccessful more often than not, but something that actually works in 85% of the EDS population? No coverage. They pay for things which will make us worse, but not for those which will make us better.

I just received my forearm crutches today... They took so long to get here! But I have them, and if I need them, they're here. I just need to adjust them to my height, and we're good to go!