Hi all,
Unfortunately, myself and my friend were a little too busy today to capture any real footage. Nonetheless, I will detail today's experience while it is fresh in my head.
I got to the Bristol clinic at around 5.45pm ahead of my 6pm appointment. The surgery isn't solely a private clinic, there are lots of individuals there to see their regular GP. Dr Krishna's nurse came out to meet me at approximately 6.05pm and they asked me to come through for initial consultation in one of the GP style rooms.
In my honest opinion, Dr Krishna was great. I have absolutely zero affiliation with him, but I had a very positive experience. He asked me about my medical history and symptoms, before we discussed the SGB procedure in more detail. He made it very clear that he injects 7ml of anaesthetic into C6 using ultrasound guidance. He then recommended that I wait 30-60 minutes before deciding on whether I choose a C3 injection (and subsequently a C7 injection). He made it very clear that I should dictate the number of injections and he was happy to stay until all injections were completed. He made it very clear that it was always my decision as to whether I wanted another injection, and he recommended I stop after I experience some kind of symptom relief or feel better.
He noted that many patients come in absolutely adamant that they need 2-3 injections after reading online and that although he tries to deter them, ultimately he wants to go on the patients guidance. He noted that even though many patients have positive reactions to C6 (and C3), they will insist on more injections, hoping to gain a greater positive effect.
Both Dr Krishna and his nurse made me feel very comfortable before, during and after the procedure. I was made aware of all potential risks of the procedure and signed a consent form following this outline. I'll be totally honest, I found the procedure itself rather uncomfortable. Dr Krishna asked me to remove my top (I'm male), so long as I felt comfortable, so that he had perfect access to my neck. I then laid down flat, with a pillow underneath my back, to provide better access to the neck area. He then doused my entire neck with antiseptic, to reduce risks of infection. This was fairly cold, but not too uncomfortable. He then used ultrasound to assess the position of various arteries, nerves; and of course C6. He decided fairly quickly on the best entry route for the needle. I was then given a small amount of local anaesthetic to the skin, so I wouldn't feel the larger needle. He then informed me that he was starting to inject, so I needed to remain completely still. It went quiet for a short while and I started to feel rather anxious and panicked, I needed to swallow really badly. But I was aware I currently had a needle in my neck and any movement could lead to a potential disaster. They asked how I was doing and I used my left hand to signal I wasn't doing so great. I then put my hand up as if to say 'take the needle out now', and the nurse held my hand gently and reassured me I'm ok and that the needle was out. Apparently he wasn't 100% happy with his first attempt at positioning for injection, so wanted to try a second time. Then he warned me to stay still again and inserted the needle a second time. As he reassured me I was doing great, I could feel the liquid entering my neck. After a minute or two, we were all done.
Within seconds of sitting up on the table, my right eye began to droop heavily and I could also feel a heaviness in my neck, face and even a little of my upper gum (or so it felt). I also felt a little nauseous and out of it for a few minutes. I felt uncomfortable and a little anxious at this point. Dr Krishna and the nurse began talking to me, just generally about how I was feeling and generally about life 'do you have any siblings etc'. Within around 15 minutes it was extremely obvious that I felt totally relaxed and had become very talkative. It was really quite lovely. I told them that I'd decided to stick with the C6 injection for now and would happily stay in touch to let them know how I progress. I was not pushed into getting further injections and Dr Krishna said I had been very sensible in making this decision. He also told me (after I asked) that a follow up C3 or C7 injection would still be £200, whether I had it done today or another time and I would not pay another consultation fee. On that note, I decided to call it a day. I had a final chat with the nurse (she is super nice) and then made the payment or £795. I wasn't with Dr Krishna for any longer than 1.5 hours in total.
My friend then started the long drive back up the country. He noticed that I was really talkative and in a great mood, and I definitely felt it. Much less anxiety and nervousness than usual. The physical effects from the block haven't been nice, but absolutely nothing unexpected. My voice was a little hoarse but nothing crazy. My droopy eye began to normalise after around 3-4 hours. I struggled to swallow anything apart from water for about 5-6 hours (don't try to eat to soon, it scared me a lot). I still have a very uncomfortable feeling in my neck, as if I've got a big bruise in the area, but to be fair, I have had 7ml of liquid injection into my neck!! In terms of mental effects, still feeling more relaxed and I'm very pleased to have had the injection. I will note that it's not a miracle cure, but it's been a nice subtle drop in anxiety and tension.
Hope this helps!! Happy to answer any questions and I will continue to post how I feel in the coming days/ weeks.
