Ganglion Cyst and Cortisone Shots?

I have a ganglion on my left wrist and it is very painful. I'm going through with the surgery, but the doctors around here are slow as hell and have been wasting my time so the surgery won't be for at least another month. In the meantime it's getting worse and worse with the pain. Doctor won't give me anything for it, but suggested I get a cortisone shot to try to get rid of the pain in the meantime. So I'm wondering, 1) how painful is the shot? 2) does it actually work to get rid of the pain if it's on the nerves more so than bothering the tendons (ie, anti inflamatory meds didn't work), 3) What have people's experiences been as far as recovery time? 4)How do they bandage you up after and how long does that stay on?
Thanks so much. This has been ongoing and I'm really frustrated, but I don't want to go through with a pain in the *** shot if it's not going to work and just be meaningless pain

The cortisone shots hurt. They hurt big time. That being said, you are the only one who can decide which pain is worse. If the ganglion is causing you such extreme pain that it is affecting your daily living then take the shot. It will help, definitely. May not take all the pain away, since yours is sitting so much more on your nerves. But it will alleviate some of the pain. I, myself, hate cortisone shots so I avoid them at all costs. But again, that is just me. It will hurt for a few days afterwards, sort of a dull ache kind of pain.
My ganglion is on the right wrist. I am right handed. Great combination. I have had it removed surgically, twice. Yup, twice. It has come back both times, bigger and better than before. Got into a car accident three years ago and it popped, horrid feeling at first but it was gone. It was the sudden impact that did it. Sort of like dropping a very heavy book on it which was suggested to me by one doctor. Now it is just starting to come back, but very, very tiny. I think that if it grows this time into the giant ganglion I had the last few times, I am going to go with a controlled heavy book being dropped on it. That impact seems to get it gone better than the surgery.