Discectomy - After the Operation

[DoggyStyle]

take care ali.
thinking of you xx

 

[stechaae]

So sorry to hear your news!!glad u are in hospital now tho and being given pain meds when you need them. I will pray for you tonight for a good painfree recovery. Keep us updated xxxx
Carly

 

[.Music.]

Hi Firollie

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! to you both on the arrival of your baby boy. lovely news.

Luv to you both and the little one.
Cas08

 

[larry141094]

I have discovered your website for the first time and i've been sat here reading your stories with tears streaming down my face and not knowing what to do. I am 29 and was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc in April, i had back pain for about 18months following a car accident and had been sent to accupuncture by my GP. After months of it getting worse i eventually paid to see a private physio who said i had a prolapsed disc and then paid to have an MRI as my GP told me that it was muscular and they weren't paying for one!

Anyway i have since had an epidural/steroid injection and i have to say that i have made an improvement, my leg is a lot better and i only suffer with mild sciatic pain now with the majority of pain being in my back. I find sitting for long periods difficult and feel like a 90 year old. I have no social life as going out for a night would be immaginable at the moment. I was meant to get married in a rainforest outside of Brisbane in June but we had to cancel (well postpone for a year as i couldn't bare the thought of fully cancelling) as i couldn't sit for the flight.

Sorry i'm rambling, i feel like i've now reached a plateau. I'm still off work as get quite a lot of back pain, still taking the painkillers which do help but feel like i'm trapped. The disectomy was suggested at first but at the moment i'm having physio every week- 2 weeks (depends when they can fit me in) however she has only given me 3 stretches to do for the last 3 weeks, not told me to increase these and has given me a course of accupuncture in my last session and barely spoke to me! Do you think that i should push for the operation as i just want to get back to normal and worK! I Want to plan for my wedding next year and don't feel that acupuncture helps me. However i feel like no one is listening to me with the only answer being "wait and see". I know time is a healer but how long do i have to wait?! and as i have been told that my disc could cause me as much pain as it was at any point i'm concerned that if i don't have it i will be in this state of limbo for the forseeable future.
Any suggestions? Also thanks, as at the moment although i have a fantastic fiance and family at times i feel very isolated and you really have helped.

 

[gymnast]

Hi Lakey
Sorry to hear about your situation.
I get so frustrated with GPs on occasions, I know what you are going through, it was years before I had an MRI through my GP.
With regards to having an operation, go through all the options before you decide. I've had 3 ops and am still in pain but after the 1st op i had a couple of good years before the relapse.
I am glad you decided to join the forum as there are so many people here with so much experience of what you are going through that you will receive so much good advice and encouragement that you won't feel alone.
Hope everything goes well

Cheers

Andrew

 

[Taylor K.]

Advice desperately needed ...................

Hi,
I am in a real pickle & desperately need other peoples opinions ....

I finally got to see the big man himself today as he was on annual leave when I got to my appointment last week.

So he had a good look at my MRI results, ummed & arrr'd for a while, mumbled with his registrar then summoned me up to the computer. He showed me the disc prolapse which is 'humungous' & gave me a choice. I can have revision discectomy OR spinal fusion L4/L5 & L5/S1. We talked a little (actually i cried & lost my temper just a tad) & I have been summoned to return on Wednesday when I must have decided which option I am going for.

Previous History
Microdiscectomy L4/L5 May 2008
washout & debridement June 2008
Revision discectomy L4/L5 November 2008
Large prolapse L4/L5

Any ideas????????

 

[fkelgugdilfionerj]

Hi Lakley

I am so sorry that you are having to go though this. When i read you post I so empathise with you. I know exsactly how horrible this is for you and the feeling of being in limbo and will i ever have a normal life again.

Firstly you have to demand an MRI scan. I am so fed up with these bl**dy doctors give them a dose of prolapse pain and they would soon change their mind. I had to demand an MRI scan. You just have to be really pushy make nusaince of your self, its your life.

I agree with what andrew06 has said go through all your options. You can improve the prolapse situation with how you are doing it, it takes awhile i suppose it depends on the size of prolapse.

I have had 3 prolapses on the same disc L5/S1 the first was a very big prolapse and rendered me disabled so I had no choice to have a discetomy in Oct 2007. However my second prolapse July 2008 I just had a nerve block. I had another prolaspe in April 2009 and this time althought I am on the waiting list for the N/B again I have seemed to got better with pain killers and staying active seeing a Ostopath and a physio. I am however still geting pain in my lower back but the consulatant said that if the pain has gone from my leg they want give me the injection.

Saying all the above I do not regreat my discetomy. It is very rare to have a 2nd let alone a 3rd prolapse on the same disc. There are plenty of people on here that have done really well. It has however left me with a weak point and I will have to do pilate excersises every day for the rest of my life, to keep up my core stabilltity. On the whole I could not have stayed in that awful pain.

Stay active as you can and as posative as you can do your exersises. I know how frightening it all is. Its good you have found this site as you will get a lot of support from the people on here. Do your research ask loads of questions, if you did go for the opp they would need to do a MRI scan anyway.

keep intouch
Stay posative Flower
Luv
Cas08

 

[OriginalPenguin]

Hi all, Hope you all well.

I had my op on 23rd April, have been seeing my Doctor after that etc but I got told from the doctor that I was doing fine etc.. Going to Physio every 2wks for the back class. Was playing football (im a sport coach) last saturday, but since then I have had really bad pain in my legs, hips and the whole back rather than lower back, I can't sleep, taken codipar again to get me to sleep. Im 18, 2ks until 19, so Im very young , and love sports .

I have my check up with the hosp. next wednesday and have physio next thu. do you think i should just wait until next week or go and see my doctor this week about the current pain ?

Thanks in advance

 

[SamJenkins]

Hi Greg

Sorry to hear about your new pain!I had my op just after you at the beginning of May. As I am also young 23 I expected quiet a quick recovery and I was getting back to work/holidays 3 weeks after now I know this was far to soon!while on holiday I was experiencing all new pain in my back and awful Sciatica so we returned back home and went into hospital. They put it down another small prolapse but others there thought it could be a flare up. I was advised to rest for 4 weeks and if pain had not gone a fusion could be done!after plenty of resting its completely calmed down and I only take pain meds to fall asleep!!there is a point to me rambling on!!-Playing football may have just caused it all to flare up. your moving and twisting in all new ways since the op and it may have agravted the nerves.

So I think it depends on your pain to whether you see the doc sooner than later they will probs give u some stronger painkillers, my advice would be rest for awhile!let it all calm down..the hospital are probs the best people to help you with any new pain.

Hope this helps alittle xx
Carly xxx

 

[nhnnzjjr]

Hi gregdfc,

Having had an L5 S1 discectomy on 29th April 2009, I can sympathise with you.
I haven't tried playing football yet but would like to.
I was not allowed to go back to work for six weeks, no heavy lifting for 10 weeks and no impact sports for 13 weeks.
I am not too sure what I have done but have aggravated my back somehow and am just resting it and would encourage you to do the same.
My sister in law always encouraged me to take the medication as it seems to relieve the pain and it certainly helps in the long run for my recovery.
I would wait until you go and see the hospital on Wednesday and physio on Thursday and see if time and rest is a healer.
I go and see the physio this Tuesday and the surgeon this Thursday.
Hope you get on well with both appointments and just try to take it easy.

best wishes

dalep115

 

[Jack D]

Hi All xx

Msksquared I was wondering if you have had any change with the stiffness?

Gregdfc how are you feeling any?

Hope everyone is well and having 'good days'

Carly Xxx

 

[Common sense rules!]

Ali

How are you ?
xx

 

[Ruff Lindy]

Ali, you poor thing!! You really have had a rough time of it. Hope you are well and truly on the mend now.

Everyone else... hope you are all going well, and that your spines are behaving themselves.

 

[Doodlestuff]

Hello Everybody,

My first post and don't want to hijack this post but my question seems relevant to the title.

I underwent a L4/L5 discectomy 4 years ago in December 2005. Since that time I have had mild backaches (no problem) and after decorating or gardening have had episodes of wonky back where muscles on one side of my back seem to go rock solid.

Two weeks ago I decided that to get healthy I would start swimming. Today I am sitting here with a pain that seems to be under my right hip and a numb / stretchy feeling in the back lower part of my leg muscles.

Saw my doctor who suggested I might have slipped the same disc slightly again. He says it may go back in on its own, I have however got an osteopath booked for next week to give me a second opinion.

My question, and I realise that nothing is normal but has anybody else here after an op slipped a disc that has then gone back in?

Cheers,

Simon.

 

[- - Rslnd - -]

hi all and thanks for your postings which helped me understand and deal with my slipped disc problems this yr.
after bad lower back pain over 9 months and a few trips to an osteopath (which gave me temporary relief) I picked up my son early one morning (he's one) in February and keeled over, felt like a bomb went off in my lower back. then an ambulance, morphine and ae.....
I'm self employed and bloody stubborn so I chose to try and work through then next 10 weeks and beat the thing. It was exhausting and emotionally I became a wreck. I visited the gp, who kept telling me it would go away...lots of water and paracetomols. I could only hobble, had severe sciatic pains, foot drop and intermittant weeing problems... I got grumpy and depressed, though I didnt realise it at the time

As I deteriorated i got pretty low and eventully went to a sports physio who was great. she picked up the nerve problems and sent me for an mri scan. They said I had a suspected spine tumour at l5 s1 level! They told me this on a friday afternoon. Ater a further scan the next week it turned out that i had a very large extrusion compresing some nerves.

Glos hospital spinal surgeon very good Mr Harcourt (Glos) was great and i got a 2nd opinion in London form Mo Akmal (excellent). Both were clear have the op to remove the extruded material asap.

I did, thank god. I would have done anything to make the pain go away at that stage. Glos hosp was excellent, though the run up to the op was very scary.

Recovery was very slow for the first month. I found alexander technique the best for building core strength, partic the semi supine position which strengthens the muscles around the vertebrae and is a very relaxing thing to do. the person i saw WAS AMAZING her name is collette lyons in teignmouth Devon.

I still have nerve problems and slight foot drop and have seen a dr tong in Portishead Bristol who is also amazing. he has done acupuncure and given me herbs to energise and regenertae nerve. He has a great perspective hes been trained in western and chinese medicine and has been a hospital neurologist

Three months post op I have lots more energy and am starting going to the gym. Yesterday i got the feelig back in my numb foot, a burning senation which is now massively itchy and has swellled up overnight. I'm taking this as a sign of nerve reawakening.
Has anyone else had this?

Its really quite a journey this whole spinal thing and also impacts on family and work such alot.

Generally i udnesrtand that post op things get better for the majority of people. Its was definately the right choice for me. i hope this is usful for someone out there..
j

 

[Laredo]

Hi my first post and 3 weeks post operative. I had my first op 2 years ago my back went in the middle of the night in January never had pain like it morphine etc. Through my doctor I ended up at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre brilliant hospital and the operation was a success but left me with acute pins and needles down my right leg which had been there since my disc had moved! The pain returned and I revisited the doctor who sent me down the same path. At first the consultant thought it was pain from the original operation but after an MRI discovered that it had gone again at L3/4 but had also gone lower down. I had the op 3 weeks ago again at the Nuffield feel really good but the acute pins and needles are still there. Does anyone else experience this?

 

[Malbioraed]

Hi all
Hope everyone is feeling well.
I have this week started my new medication, Gabapentin.
I have been feeling really spaced out since starting these, but I am sleeping more!
Has anyone else taken these, and if so, how did they affect you.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Andrew

 

[Ruby T]

Hi Andrew,

I have been on Gabapentin for over 6 months now, the side effects will pass. I am on the max 1800mg a day and i find they dont hardly affect me at all.
They say with many medications that side effects can last only a short time, and sleep is good....our backs and legs don't hurt when we are asleep lol!!


Anyways, its been a while since i have posted so how are we all doing?
I have been in and out cos i keep falling...clumsy sciatic stupid leg keeps giving out on me!
I have been advised by doctors,nurses and paramedics to go down the stairs on me bum from now on!! I am also looking for alternative accomodation as well, thats a good idea!!!
My spinal foundation referral has stalled again, my surgeon and gp aren't keen....i really dont know what to do. Its them who need to make the referral. Balls

P.S. Subi and Jess and Tracey and Melza, how are we doing?

 

[Brya]

Hi all, havent posted for a while. Am now ten weeks post op revision L4/L5 surgery and am so low I am starting to worry about myself! I havent had some of the horrendous relapses that a lot of you have been unfortunate to experience but my left leg just aches constantly and I battle to get comfortable, it seems the more I try to do to aid my recovery (ie exercise) the worse the persistent dull aching becomes - I even ache in places where I had no pre op pain. My back is killing me and my consultants response was to discharge me - I feel like I am in a pretty lonely place at the minute - any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jessid928]

ALI78
Sent you a pm

bonnie10