A Pain in the Neck
On getting a Stellate Ganglion Block for my 39th birthday and resolving not to be one of the "good" disabled people
A few days before my 39th birthday, I found myself relaxing in a reclining chair, Bob Marley and the Beach Boys playing through a home speaker while my Xanax kicked in. It might’ve been the perfect way to ring in another year gone- if I hadn’t also had a gigantic needle in my neck.
Yes, eight days ago I underwent a Stellate Ganglion Block procedure in yet another semi-experimental attempt to treat various Long COVID symptoms, including dysautonomia and migraines (both of which SGBs show some promise in alleviating). The nurse at the neurology and pain center asked me to pick a playlist, and I’d attempted to replicate the feeling of relaxing on a beach. And it had gone pretty well until needle met neck.
