My Radiofrequency Lesioning

I was petrified going in the morning of my procedure.  Everything I had read about RFL said it was a torturous procedure done while wide awake with a long, painful recovery.  Of course, Dr. B. assured me that was not the case, but I tend to expect the worse and didn't believe a word he said.  I mean...the internet certainly knows more than the drs., right?!?  This would be the reason Jesse keeps threatening to disconnect our internet modem...and banning me from WebMD.  Anyhow, when I got to the surgery center, I was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely anesthesiologist waiting for me, with syringe in hand,  the second I was taken into pre-op.  She was ready to inject my fentanyl before I even had an IV site!  They couldn't get that IV in fast enough as far as I was concerned!  I longed for that relaxing, melting sensation to come over my body as at that moment I was twitching with anxiety and felt like I was jumping out of my skin.  Of course, not being able to have anything by mouth 12 hours before the procedure, I was dehydrated.  It took 3 attempts to get my IV in as my veins kept "blowing".  As a nurse, it was frustrating!  Now, I don't always get IV's right away either, but I know where my good veins are and the nurse wouldn't listen to me.  She jokingly kept saying..."Stop being a nurse and just be the patient"...although I know she really meant it.  So, finally IV in place, fentanyl on board and being wheeled blissfully into operating suite.  I was placed on the table, face down and started panicking once again screaming, "I don't feel sedated enough...don't start yet!"  Then....nothing!  I woke up in a recliner in recovery, completely dressed, sobbing and dry heaving.  I always cry coming out of anesthesia.  Apparantly I was put completely to sleep!  Yay!  (Dr. B. later told me that he does not use the old barbaric method of making the patient stay awake). So after a few sips of ginger ale and some more Zofran, I was set free.  Pain wise, it wasn't unbearable at that point.  Still the good drugs kicking in.  I felt pain only on my left side, right side...nothing.  I got home and right to sleep I went.  The rest of the day went fairly smoothly.  I took my pain meds around the clock and kept ice packs on constantly as ordered.  Then...WHAM!  Almost out of nowhere, I awoke in the evening in what I can only refer to as utter agony.  The pain in the sides of my neck is what I would describe as a deep, burning ache.  It hurt like hell.  My head was pounding so hard, I thought the top of it was going to pop off.  I had sharp stabbing pains shooting through my eyes and ears.  I could do nothing but cry and ask Jesse over and over again why I did this.  My mother's boyfriend (an ER physician) was working and I knew I could go to him for help, but I chose to wait it out.  In my mind I kept thinking "what if I have a spinal headache?" So I took every medication I had in my medicine cabinet, surrounded my head and neck in ice packs, drank some caffeine and laid flat on my back.  Eventually I fell asleep.  I awoke the next afternoon at 1pm to Jesse hovering over me, making sure I was breathing!  He does that quite often.  I am lucky to know I am being looked after and frequently checked on when I am in my medication stupor.