Back Pain Support Group
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. In fact, about 3 in 4 adults will experience back pain during their lifetime! The term back pain includes pain affecting the neck, midback and low back. Acute back pain may begin suddenly with intense pain but typically lasts fewer than three months. Usually, chronic back pain is persistent, steady, and...
hi everyone,
I've never posted here, so here's a little about me: When I was 22, I had cauda equina syndrome due to hereditary stenosis and several herniated lumbar disks. This was all quite a surprise to me, as I had never even had a backache. I had emergency laminectomies at L2 through L5. When I woke up from that surgery, I could not move or feel my legs. I went back into surgery the next day where they did disckectomies. I woke up slightly improved but still unable to walk. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital and the better part of a year regaining my strength. I'm 29 now and I can walk unassisted but with a limp. I have no feeling and a slight foot drop in my left foot, and significant nerve pain that is mostly controlled with Neurontin. A year and a half ago I developed rheumatoid arthritis, which I have finally gotten under good control with medications.
So, that's my history. I'm 29 now and I have a new problem. I started having pain in my left calf several months ago. It took a long time to connect it to my spine, because the pain was just in my calf and not up my thigh like regular sciatica. I finally had an MRI last month and it showed a huge hernation at L4-L5. It was a pain specialist who ordered the MRI, and he immediately sent me to a neurosurgeon. She said she didn't think it was an emergency only because my prior laminectomy made some room for this disk to expand. She told me to give epidural steroid injections a chance before we proceded to surgery. I did that, going back to the pain specialist for two shots. The leg pain has been getting exponentially worse. The first shot did nothing at all and the second knocked the pain down maybe one point on a ten point scale.
So, today I'm going back to the surgeon to talk and hopefully get scheduled for surgery. She said this could be taken care of with just a disckectomy (I was afraid she'd say I need a fusion). I have done my homework and I trust that she's very reputable. Of course I'm terrified because of my history. Can anyone suggest questions I might want to ask the surgeon? Thanks!
So, that's my history.
I've never posted here, so here's a little about me: When I was 22, I had cauda equina syndrome due to hereditary stenosis and several herniated lumbar disks. This was all quite a surprise to me, as I had never even had a backache. I had emergency laminectomies at L2 through L5. When I woke up from that surgery, I could not move or feel my legs. I went back into surgery the next day where they did disckectomies. I woke up slightly improved but still unable to walk. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital and the better part of a year regaining my strength. I'm 29 now and I can walk unassisted but with a limp. I have no feeling and a slight foot drop in my left foot, and significant nerve pain that is mostly controlled with Neurontin. A year and a half ago I developed rheumatoid arthritis, which I have finally gotten under good control with medications.
So, that's my history. I'm 29 now and I have a new problem. I started having pain in my left calf several months ago. It took a long time to connect it to my spine, because the pain was just in my calf and not up my thigh like regular sciatica. I finally had an MRI last month and it showed a huge hernation at L4-L5. It was a pain specialist who ordered the MRI, and he immediately sent me to a neurosurgeon. She said she didn't think it was an emergency only because my prior laminectomy made some room for this disk to expand. She told me to give epidural steroid injections a chance before we proceded to surgery. I did that, going back to the pain specialist for two shots. The leg pain has been getting exponentially worse. The first shot did nothing at all and the second knocked the pain down maybe one point on a ten point scale.
So, today I'm going back to the surgeon to talk and hopefully get scheduled for surgery. She said this could be taken care of with just a disckectomy (I was afraid she'd say I need a fusion). I have done my homework and I trust that she's very reputable. Of course I'm terrified because of my history. Can anyone suggest questions I might want to ask the surgeon? Thanks!
So, that's my history.
Herniations are like wrinkles they happen, some are better and some are worst, but when they affect you the way that yours has, surgery is a good idea, specially if is only a level fusion.
I would ask the Doctor, how many fusions she has performed, what is her success rate, how many weeks can you expect to be out of work, how long for a full recovery, would you need PT after surgery, and if you do, how long.... I would ask if you have to wear a brace after surgery, and if the answer is yes, ask how long.
How long would you have to be without driving? How many days in the hospital? Would you need to bank some blood for transfusions, just in case...... (I did receive 3 units during my fusion). I think that this are all of the questions that I can think of for now, if I come up with something else I will post again. Take care and good luck with your surgery.
Tipper
I found this very good article in Spine Universe about what questions to ask your surgeon before spinal surgery, hope it helps. The link Is:
http://www.spineuniverse.com/experts/what-ask-spine-surgery
One word of advice.... Do not return to work until you are close to 100%. I know of people that had fusion surgery and returned to work within 4 to 6 weeks and then ended up having to go back on MLOA because of complications. Is better to take 12 to 16 weeks to recover and be 100% when you go back to work, than messing up the surgery by going back to soon. So think about that when you take your medical leave. Take care,
Neurontin helps with nerve pain (for some) but you need to tell your pain doc that you need meds to assist with your pain to take regularly especially with your RA flare that you expect. Don't take anything less that OK from your doc.
My thoughts and prayers are with you,
Terri
Tipper