Hey Everyone,

I know I promised an update a few weeks ago following a double RF spine ablation to treat chronic pain, but I wanted to wait until I saw the outcome and how my body fully reacted before posting.

If you’ve been following along, you know I live with chronic pain. The spine is my main issue, and while some of it probably comes from years of figure skating and being an athlete, a lot of it has been mechanical. I have Bertolotti Syndrome and Spondyloarthritis. For over eight years, I’ve been getting 3–8 injections in my spine per year to deal with the pain. At first, it was mostly the right side, but the left side was worse, so after the second year we started treating both. And then suddenly, eight years had gone by and I had become very dependent on these injections. What was supposed to be every 3–6 months became much more frequent, and I decided I needed to take charge.

I met with my rheumatologist, who referred me to the pain clinic in March 2025. They agreed RF ablation was a possibility but wanted me to do diagnostic injections first.

Those injections came in May and almost immediately made a difference, which told me the ablation would likely work.

After a follow-up, the doctor agreed to a double ablation. He explained it would be two separate procedures—left side first, then the right, two weeks apart. If both sides were done at once, there was a good chance I wouldn’t be able to walk or sit for a while (I thought he was joking—he wasn’t). Doing them separately minimized longer-term risks.

The first procedure was at 9 a.m. on July 22, 2025. I checked in, got prepped, and was brought to the operating room. They mapped out my spine, inserted the needles, and triggered them to make sure no major nerves were involved (similar to a TENS unit). Each nerve was then burned for about three minutes.

It hurt like hell. Sitting was awful, walking was a bit easier, and once I got home I slept 14 hours trying to escape the pain. I also remember it irritating my bladder and waking up every hour to pee, but this was normal with the injections as well.

For the next two weeks, the pain came and went. Some days were really good; other days I wanted to crawl into bed and cry. A few days before the second procedure, I went to Ontario for some shopping on a work break. At first I was fine, but as the trip went on the pain became unbearable—I ended up buying medication at Walmart just to get through the two hour drive home.

The second procedure was August 5, 2025.

This time I knew what to expect, but the right side of my spine is almost completely fused, which makes it harder to map out. Even with injections over the years, finding the sacro-transverse joint was like finding the width of a hair.

Once mapped, they placed the needles, did the same stimulation check, and began burning. Before each burn they inject medication so you don’t feel it, repeating after each one.

But the first nerve they hit was connected to my groin. Even numbed, it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt—about 85°C burning into my groin, back, hips, and knees. It was so excruciating I kind of blacked out and don’t remember the rest. I was dizzy afterward, but it eased once the pain settled.

Two days later I saw another of my doctors and asked for short-term pain relief. I was prescribed Tramadol—the only one my body tolerates—just enough to get me through the healing process.

Now it’s been about three weeks since the second ablation. There are still flares (it can take 2–3 months for full effect), but overall it has made a huge difference. If you’d asked me right after, I probably would have said no, I’d never do this again. But now, weeks into recovery, I can honestly say: if I had to, absolutely.

Sure, some pain remains, and there are other problem areas (neck/shoulders, etc.), but walking is easier. Sitting is easier. Bending is easier.

I’ll try skating again—maybe even competing this season—but only after my mid-September follow-up confirms everything is okay.

I’m so grateful for advancing technology. I’m so grateful to the medical team that encouraged me to go through with this double ablation. And I’m excited to see what the next weeks, months, and hopefully years bring.

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