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pollywaffle
Last Activity:
Mar 21, 2023
Joined:
Mar 21, 2023
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Gender:
Female
Birthday:
April 22
Location:
Brisbane, QLD Australia
Occupation:
Non-Practising Psychologist

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pollywaffle

Newcomer, Female, from Brisbane, QLD Australia

pollywaffle was last seen:
Mar 21, 2023
  • My Story

    I have unilateral pelvic pain on the right side of my body that extends to my right leg, up my right torso and my right arm. I was also diagnosed with scoliosis in middle childhood, which has worsened over the last 15 years from a mild to moderate Cobb angle of approx. 32 degrees as of 2021.

    My pain started in 2005 during the last trimester of my second pregnancy, when I bent over to put on a boot and I felt a "pop" in my right SI joint. I found it difficult to walk for the last couple of months of my pregnancy. After a traumatic, precipitant childbirth in late 2005, I then had to deal with traumatic incidents in the ensuring years, which compounded pre-existing trauma from my childhood and early adulthood.

    The pain was initially radiating from my right hip and glute down to my right thigh. It currently radiates across the right side of my body, emanating from my right SIJ area and surrounding musculature, especially my right glute medius (I think). My last intervention was a few years ago, where I had bilateral SIJ HCLA injections, which worsened my pain from fluctuating from one day to the next, to being in constant pain every waking hour. I am in pain all day, every day at a level of 6-8/10 on average. Very rarely I will have a day where I have little to no pain, but that only occurs a few times a year.

    I have tried every treatment available, including having a spinal cord stimulator implanted in 2017. All treatments have been unsuccessful in treatment my pain long term. I have tried all modes of physical therapy, pain management programs, injections, nerve ablation / RFN, nerve blocks, piriformis injections, right sciatic nerve hydrodilation for adhesions etc. I get relief when I have a nerve block to my right SI joint but this only lasts a day and the pain returns once the anaesthetic wears off. I also had complete relief from a bilateral SIJ RFN procedure in 2019 which lasted approx. 4 months. My previous pain specialist did not want to repeat the procedure as he wanted to see 6 months or more of pain relief for it to be repeated.

    I am in between pain specialists, as my previous pain specialist is no longer seeing interstate patients. He was immensely compassionate and helpful, and diagnosed my pelvic girdle pain and central nervous system sensitisation. After several years on a low income disability pension after a successful career as a psychologist, his treatment has given me not only hope, but some quality of life again. His treatment has involved a SIJ belt for pelvic stabilisation, TMS treatment protocols and Burprenorphine patches to calm my nervous system. When I am able to achieve a lower level of pain (around 4/10), he recommends osteopathy. I am grateful I am able to function so much better, despite my pain levels still being rather high. The treatment has given me the capacity to move again, and I am even able to run 5km on my treadmill! So much progress has been made.

    But I still have hope that I can be pain free, despite what many supposed experts have told me. I look forward to undergoing this structured TMS program so I can get some pain relief in addition to the improvement in my function. Who knows, I may not even need to have osteopathic treatment if I can rewire my brain! I have survived a lot and am turning 50 in a few weeks. I hope to put this chapter of my life behind me, in time, and finally plan to do things with my friends family after nearly 2 decades of just barely surviving and isolating. Thanks for providing this amazing resource and program! I get the feeling it is the real deal.
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  • My Story

    Gender:
    Female
    Birthday:
    April 22
    Location:
    Brisbane, QLD Australia
    Occupation:
    Non-Practising Psychologist
    Diagnoses:
    Pelvic Girdle Pain, Central Nervous System Sensitisation, C-PTSD
    I have unilateral pelvic pain on the right side of my body that extends to my right leg, up my right torso and my right arm. I was also diagnosed with scoliosis in middle childhood, which has worsened over the last 15 years from a mild to moderate Cobb angle of approx. 32 degrees as of 2021.

    My pain started in 2005 during the last trimester of my second pregnancy, when I bent over to put on a boot and I felt a "pop" in my right SI joint. I found it difficult to walk for the last couple of months of my pregnancy. After a traumatic, precipitant childbirth in late 2005, I then had to deal with traumatic incidents in the ensuring years, which compounded pre-existing trauma from my childhood and early adulthood.

    The pain was initially radiating from my right hip and glute down to my right thigh. It currently radiates across the right side of my body, emanating from my right SIJ area and surrounding musculature, especially my right glute medius (I think). My last intervention was a few years ago, where I had bilateral SIJ HCLA injections, which worsened my pain from fluctuating from one day to the next, to being in constant pain every waking hour. I am in pain all day, every day at a level of 6-8/10 on average. Very rarely I will have a day where I have little to no pain, but that only occurs a few times a year.

    I have tried every treatment available, including having a spinal cord stimulator implanted in 2017. All treatments have been unsuccessful in treatment my pain long term. I have tried all modes of physical therapy, pain management programs, injections, nerve ablation / RFN, nerve blocks, piriformis injections, right sciatic nerve hydrodilation for adhesions etc. I get relief when I have a nerve block to my right SI joint but this only lasts a day and the pain returns once the anaesthetic wears off. I also had complete relief from a bilateral SIJ RFN procedure in 2019 which lasted approx. 4 months. My previous pain specialist did not want to repeat the procedure as he wanted to see 6 months or more of pain relief for it to be repeated.

    I am in between pain specialists, as my previous pain specialist is no longer seeing interstate patients. He was immensely compassionate and helpful, and diagnosed my pelvic girdle pain and central nervous system sensitisation. After several years on a low income disability pension after a successful career as a psychologist, his treatment has given me not only hope, but some quality of life again. His treatment has involved a SIJ belt for pelvic stabilisation, TMS treatment protocols and Burprenorphine patches to calm my nervous system. When I am able to achieve a lower level of pain (around 4/10), he recommends osteopathy. I am grateful I am able to function so much better, despite my pain levels still being rather high. The treatment has given me the capacity to move again, and I am even able to run 5km on my treadmill! So much progress has been made.

    But I still have hope that I can be pain free, despite what many supposed experts have told me. I look forward to undergoing this structured TMS program so I can get some pain relief in addition to the improvement in my function. Who knows, I may not even need to have osteopathic treatment if I can rewire my brain! I have survived a lot and am turning 50 in a few weeks. I hope to put this chapter of my life behind me, in time, and finally plan to do things with my friends family after nearly 2 decades of just barely surviving and isolating. Thanks for providing this amazing resource and program! I get the feeling it is the real deal.