Hi,
I thought I'd update my status with pain, and what I am doing now to help relieve it. I just did another series of stellate ganglion blocks. They help but I am finding that my pain seems to be increasing, and I believe it is because I have gained some weight. So, I am now on a wheat/gluten & dairy free eating plan. It seems to be helping. The meds I am taking seem to interfere with the working of the gut, and when the adrenals are messed up, the body can't process the food well, and so just stores more fat. I think between the meds and wheat/dairy insensitivities, my gut has been trying to process my food but is unable to do so. After 3 weeks, I have lost 4 lbs. A very sensible loss, and one I am determined to stick with. Before this lifestyle change, I believe I was eating the wrong foods for my body. It really hasn't been that hard, and I'm going to start branching out and trying to use some of my favorite recipes with exchanged ingredients. Have even lost my craving for ice cream.
I am meeting each week with a PT who specializes in scar tissue elimination without surgery. I have scar tissue by my axilla and breast on right side. I also have scar tissue across the the abdomen at the hip line from results of TRAMflap breast reconstruction. My abdomen tends to swell, and I have been swimming or in a water exercise class 5-6 days a week to combat that. The PT is now using Kinesio Taping to help move the fluid out of the areas that are swelling--it works amazingly well. The special tape is applied and stays on for at least 4-7 days. The tape is applied so that it lifts the skin and gives the lymph fluid more room to move through the lymph channels and or to the watersheds in my body. The first application of tape reduced my LE pain from a 5 to a 3-4, and the sharp pains I was experiencing in the reconstructed breast are gone (even the stellate ganglion blocks didn't help those); sharp as in a 8-9 on the pain scale--enough to take my breath away and sometimes cause me to double over! Today the PT started working on the deep scars in my abdomen and breast, using a butter-like substance with a beveled stainless steel knife-like object that she ran up and down the muscles, rather hard, for several minutes; while I reported to her my pain level. I could feel the beveled object going across my abdomen and "catching" on what felt like cords or grains of rice. I am to do this at home all this week. If we can break up this deep scar tissue, my LE therapist believes that my pain level should drop to almost 0-2 and that eventually I may be able to go off my medications. Next week, the PT will assess how the scars are responding (and these are deep, deep scar tissues) and will do another round of the pushing on the scars. In addition she will be adding special strengthening exercises as well as resistance exercises. The deep scars are a result of my body's response to the high level of pain I have lived with for almost 3 years since the last surgery and although it hurts to do this beveling treatment, I do feel better after.
My OT will also be doing some cool, light laser treatments. The laser reaches deep into the body and also helps break up the deep scar tissue. I hope to get well enough from these treatments that I can go off many of my pain meds.
These treatments and modalities--beveling, lifestyle eating changes, special exercises, laser and taping--will be added to my "toolbox" used to battle LE so that I can live and actually have a life!!
Sorry this is so long but I want to share what I am learning about LE, and its effect on the body. I'll keep you posted!
