Discectomy - After the Operation

[JORDAN B.]

Bonnie,

Have replied

 

[Jessica V]

Bonnie I hope that you feel better soon. I am facing two ops, one cervical, one lumbar, but posts like yours really make me think I should wait as long as possible. I couldn't bear to go through it an then still be in pain. I do so hope you feel relief and that it was all worth it. Not sure my words are any encouragement, but just wanted you to know that I am sympathising with you xxx

 

[raigafan18]

hey ali!
good to hear from you. why are the bigwigs stalling your SF application? have they given you a reason? it's so awful that these things take so freakin' long. just knowing you have an appointment coming can make all the difference. i am going through all of the nhs b******t again with the fertility issue....waiting forever for a gynae appointment. but thankfully am not in physical pain and am trying to be grateful for this every day.

i am nearly at my operversary (operation anniversary for those who don't think like me (a good thing)) and doing well. i have been back to the gym lately, done some classes and tackled a few of the machines. running really aggravates my leg ache, but otherwise all ok. slowly shifting the post-op bulk!

thinking of you ali, and others. keep posting how you're getting on!
lots of love xx

 

[Shazam]

Ali
have replied

 

[Mr_University]

Hi Ali

Hope you are feeling well.
Thanks for your reply, it has put my mind at ease a bit so I will continue taking them and see how it goes.
I am so sorry that the Doctors are messing you around regarding the Spinal Foundation, it is really annoying that some of these people think that being a Doctor means that they can "play God" with the lives of us mere mortals.
I hope they will see some sense in the near future.

Speak again soon,

Andrew

 

[Korn]

Hi all,

I have come across this site and would love some advice. I am 36 and struggled with back and right leg pain for 7 years. I had IDET 6 years ago and after a relapse this year am now 5 weeks post op Discectomy at L4/L5.

I am still very sore around the wound and am still getting leg pain which I am told is due to the recovery of the nerve. But at 5 weeks I don't feel like I am recovering quick enough. I am doing some physio exercises and two 15 mins walks each day but still resting in bed most of the time as sitting up is still very uncomfortable. I am still taking painkillers and anti-inflammatories and feel exhausted as I am not able to get a full nights sleep. My physio doesnt seem concerned with my progress but as I was supposed to be going back to my desk job at 8 weeks I am getting quite worried. I would be grateful if you could share your experiences so I can discuss with my physio in my next appt on Weds.

Thanks,

Mrs Thomas

 

[tilly_:)]

Hi Mrs Thomas
sorry to hear you are still having pain. If you read through the posts on this site you will notice that most of us have had the operation and either still have pain of some description or have taken longer than expected to get better.
Five weeks is very early days and the question you should ask yourself is "is the pain worse or better post op?" - if it is better then take heart from this - apparantly the nerve takes ages to heal. If your pain is keeping you awake my advice would be to go back to your gp and get your meds changed - the longer you remain exhausted the longer it will take your body to heal and then starts the cycle of depression and frustration. Its really important to keep moving and everyone on this site will tell you to keep plugging away at gentle exercise - the last thing you want is for scar tissue to set in as this will cause you issues later on down the line.
I am 11 weeks post op and I still have lingering leg pain, some days its better than others, usually I have to put up with a dull throbbing ache from hip to toes - it gets me down - its like a bad headache which never goes away. If you read some of the posts from "fireolli" he still endures some degree of pain every day and he is over a year post op - he is a fire fighter and some of his posts are very inspirational.
Try not to worry (I cant believe I have just said that when I am so fed up myself), give it time and see how things go, you are probably doing better than you think.

Bonnie10

 

[nleqfuovimlijvexr]

Hi Mrs Thomas,

I totally agree with Bonnie10.
I had an L5 S1 discectomy on 29th April 2009 and am 13 weeks post op.
I am 37 years old and am frustrated I cannot do sports like I used to do.
I know it is not easy to always be patient. Time is a healer.
Unfortunately a slow healer in your case.
My op was deemed a total success. Two weeks after the op, I started suffering pain in my left leg which is gradually going and is mainly evident when I wake up in the morning.
Originally I was told I would be playing sports after 13 weeks.
Now I have been told that my sciatic nerve may take up to a year to settle down. This could be the same for you.
I was not overjoyed to hear this. Just like you, I am not 100% happy with the slow progress.
I would say I am 100% happier I do not suffer with chronic left leg sciatica any more.
How is your pain post op compared to pre-op?
Just try to be patient and always ensure you do the physiotherapy exercises.
Physiotherapy is as vital as the op which I have found out through a bad experience.
I did the physiotherapy but in my case it turned out to be not intense enough.
However, I have changed physio and have seen a marked improvement with very little leg pain and a stronger back.
Dont give up and try to be patient. Good luck with your recovery.

Best wishes

dalep115

 

[healthinsz]

Hi everyone

Thought I would share a recent experience with my surgeon with you all.

I had my Microdiscectomy on May 9th. Afterwards the sciatic pain had all but disappeared which was great as it had troubled me for so long. My main problems were awful headaches post op - I had another MRI scan to check that the dural tear during operation had healed and a CSF leak was not causing the headaches.

All was clear but on visiting the surgeon I got the distinct impression that he didn't totally believe me which was very frustrating! These eventually sorted themselves out but certainly hindered my recovery as I couldn't get out and about as much as I wanted to.

The sciatic pain has returned - sometimes a dull ache, sometimes a sharp pain in my hamstring, hip and bum. I intended to discuss this at my 6 week check up with the surgeon. This appointment never materialised and after 7 weeks I rang up and got an appointment for last Saturday.

I explained my symptoms to the surgeon whose response was to glance and rais his eyebrows at the nurse present with him and say "what are we going to do with you then" in a very patronising manner. His advice was " go home and try not to think too much about it - come back if it is still troubling you in five months."

I'm so angry at his attitude and feel totally frustrated. All I want to do is give my all to my family and children and my job (Head of a primary school) but I feel I'm back almost to where I was pre op.

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Mark

 

[fraffinia]

Hi Mrs Thomas


I can understand your frustration at what you think is slow progress. I felt exactly the same expecting to back doing most things the same as before my op. In reality when they say it can take up to a year for the nerve to settle they are right.

I am now 1 year post op and it has taken a good 11 mths for me to feel anything like back to normal. I am 56 now but probably do more exercise than most people half my age. I have done my post op exercises every day without fail as instructed by my surgeon and I have paid to have my physio to visit me once a month to 'tweek' things back into place and i swear that has played a big part in my recovery. It has been slow and I have been very frustrated at times and have wondered if I would ever be able to do what I used to do.

This is a breakdown of my week at the moment and I am at my 'best' now.

Monday : Fitball class and Bodyblitz class( kind of boxercise to music)
Tuedsday : Bodyblitz plus Abs
Wednesday: Swim 1 mile
Thursday: Bodyblitz
Friday: Rest
Saturday:Rest
Sunday: Swim 1 mile

So I hope this gives you some hope that you will get back to fitness.
I still get some nerve stuff if I sit for too long or over do the bending and I think I always will but you do get to know what your limits are and you have to stay within them and respect your body. There is no way I would do anything to risk getting pain like I did before my op. If I am doing something and it doesn't feel right - I stop!!!!


So all I can say is be patient and listen to your body - we are all different and age can play a part so you might find that you don't take as long as me, but even if you do it is well worth the wait.

Kind regards

pennylane xx

 

[Rhalina Fassett]

Hey there...I've had this problem at work. I'm in the forces and have been through a bout of depression over the last few years. They refused to believe that there was a problem with my back and told me I was 'creating my own pain' to compensate for the thoughts in my mind. Something to make it real.

All I can say is after 18 months of perserverence I have finally had an MRI scan which showed I have a prolapsed disc.

Keep going, Keep complaining...And don't let it get you down! Someone WILL listen to you eventually..

Ali xx

 

[Andy L]

Good evening Mark/mrodgerslcfc,

My advice would be to be very persistent and ask to see another surgeon if you are not very happy with the current one.
I was more than happy with my surgeon when I had an L5 S1 discectomy on 29th April 2009.
I am also lucky to have a very good employer who provide occupational health services and helped me see the same surgeon privately before having an op and seeing the surgeon on the NHS.
If you are not happy, you should complain immediately to PALS(Patient Advisory Liaison Service). I did following my op as I was not receiving very good physiotherapy advice. The op and the hospital were first class.
You can also contact the surgeons secretary even after you have been discharged.
I did not think I could but having spoken to an Occupational Health Adviser through work, I arranged another appointment with my surgeon following being discharged after 6 weeks.
Let me know where you are at the moment with your progress following the op.
When I left hospital the day following surgery, I was giving a date for a six week follow up appointment.
Did you not receive physiotherapy following the op as well?
I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

dalep115

 

[KoolKat]

Thanks for your feedback so far, can anyone remember how much they were doing at 6 weeks post op, I am worried that things are not going fast enough as I am still doing very little. I am struggling to do 15 mins of physio and two 15 mins walking per day.

I would be grateful for any info.

Thanks

Mrs Thomas

 

[Cole]

Wow - so many interesting posts... I've been away on holiday so lots to catch up on.

Mark - I had v similar experience to you when I went to hospital 3 weeks ago, worried about my pains (L5 S1 discectomy 13 May, unlucky for me!). I still have really tight pulling pains right up my back, which I think might be a nerve trapped in scar tissue. Anyway, I went to the hospital pretty much out of desperation, and got the complete w****r doctor (it's always a lottery - time before I saw someone really nice), who basically tried to fob me off by saying that my pains are 'nothing to do with my surgery' - yeah, right, that makes sense. And when I queried it he turned really aggressive, saying 'why are you asking? Are you a doctor?'. So absolutely no explanation of what is going on in my back, and like you was made to feel like a timewasting malingerer, or something. I am now looking at trying to have a private consultation with someone, just to get some explanation of what is going on. Maybe that's an option you could consider? But I think orthopaedic doctors are pretty much all lacking in patient communication skills...

Mrs Thomas - I think where you are at 6 weeks would depend a lot on how bad things were before the surgery (size of disk extrusion, length of time of compression etc), and on what kind of surgery you had (open versus microdiscectomy, how much was extracted), and on various other factors. So I do think it's difficult to compare your progress. I am now 12 weeks post open discectomy, and although I thought my initial progress in terms of walking and physio was quite quick, I have felt absolutely stuck for the last four-five weeks or so. As the others say, all kinds of weird pains are normal for weeks and months after this surgery and you do have to take it slowly, and be thinking medium-long term for your recovery. Can you go back to work in stages, or postpone it for a couple of weeks? Might be a good idea if sitting is still hard. Also, I recommend a wedge shaped cushion for sitting after the op. It's hard work for your back but should help strengthen the muscles so that sitting becomes easier.

Carly 22 - sounds like you are feeling a lot better? How is your stiff back? Mine is still hopeless. I've been doing cat stretches every day, as well as the other physio, and I feel like I am getting nowhere. I asked the doctor about it - see above - and basically got completely fobbed off and treated like c**p. I don't think it's normal that it's so tight and pulling so painfully at the muscles, and my physio says the muscles are not in spasm. So I guess it;s scar tissue somehow. But I'd love aproper explanation. Also having lower back pain and new leg pains in both legs. So really feel am going backwards at the moment. It could be that I've been overdoing it, as we were on holiday which was great but also demanding. Back home now, see how things settle down.

Well, hope everyone is doing OK tonight...

Msksquared

 

[lreqmukmidyirqeya]

Hi JohnCooper and Scruff

Yes, like you I have had new and old intermittent nerve pains since the op (13 May, l5-s1). In fact, since yesterday I've got new pains going down my right leg, and my left leg was the bad one preop. But I think it's fairly common judging by all the posts on here. Re-awakening of nerve pain seems to be closely related to introducing new or demanding activities. Not sure medically what the explanation is but I don't think it is something to worry about unless things get really bad.

Johncooper - your post about semi-supine position is interesting. Is it really as simple as lying on floor with books under head, or is there more to it than that? And how long should you do it for. I live in Germany and I am not aware of any AT practitioners here, so interested to know more.

Also, how are you coping wiht your wee one? I have a toddler and a baby (4 months old, birth of which was probably major cause of my disc slipping) and one of my biggest worries is about whether and how I can be a good parent with this now dodgy back. Thankfully I can now squat and kneel - both essential for parenting - but I feel exhausted after carrying my baby for only a few minutes. I really need to strengthen my back quickly, but progress is very slow, and I have a lot of pain and stiffness in my back which isn't helping.

All good wishes

Msksquared

 

[umeoaubcimoicferg]

Hi Mrs Thomas
you sound very low and clearly worried about your recovery and your impending return to work. What has your physio had to say about your recovery and did you speak to your gp about changing your medication so you can sleep better?

recovery rates are hard to compare - we all recover at different paces and although we may have had similiar issues and surgery we all respond in a different way. I had my second round of surgery on 13th May at the same disc level and my recovery in terms of leg pain/back pain this time has been a lot longer than following surgery in 2008. Many people on this site have had to endure relapes which has set them back weeks.
You havent specified why you are struggling to do your exercises, is this because of pain/stiffness/fatigue or a combination of things? What kind of exercise regime have you been prescribed - is it all core muscle work or have you been shown how to give your back and legs a good stretch?
I understand you are concerned about your progress but are you seeing any improvement at all? If so dont be too worried that you havent made a full recovery at this stage - I am afraid thats going to take months, everyone on this site will tell you the same. I found setting myself goals a good way of getting through - they were just silly little things like filling the kettle up and making myself a cup of tea, doing the washing up or making the bed by myself - but I found it helped, it doesnt all have to be about exercise.

Have you set the time scale for your return to work or was that your employer? Have you had your follow up with your consultant yet, what are his/her views about returning to work at 8 weeks and how does he/she feel about your progress so far. Can you phase in your return to work so you only work a few hours a day/week or can you just postpone it - it sounds from your posts like your are under a lot of pressure to meet that 8 week deadline and this in itself could be counter productive because you cant relax and let your body heal naturally.

Are you getting the support and advice you need from your physio. Like Dalep115 I changed my physio and ended up going private as the nhs one didnt appear overly interested - at week nine post op I also had a few sessions of hydrotherapy which helped a great deal - it gave me the confidence to get out of the house, down to my local pool and do the exercises for myself in the lovely warm water which supports your body.

I hope between us all we have managed to settle some of your worries - it feels like a lonely place out there but everyone on this site will be routing for you

Bonnie 10

 

[itsme]

i just wanted to post today cos it is one year since my op and i still maintain it was the best decision i ever made, and the best money i have ever spent in terms of getting the op done as early as poss. i was so lucky to be in that position and really recommend it to anyone else who can afford to go private.

so overall my recovery has been very positive, although i think perhaps i have blanked out some of the early difficult days. my advice to all recent post-oppers is to hang in there and try to relax as much as possible and not dwell on the niggles and aches. do what your physios tell you and remember to take it easy, but stay active.

ali...how are you??
melza...where are you??? and how are you?? miss hearing from you.
olli...how's parenthood going?!?

take care all xx

 

[mkb80]

Hi Jess

Congratulations on 1 year post op. You had yours a week later that me!

I also have no regrets at spending my hard earned savings to go private rather than wait for a further 6 months. It was the right thing to do for both of us obviously and luckily we both seem to have benefited from having the op.

Good luck to everyone. Hope you all benefit in the same way soon.

pennylane x

 

[arosentexas]

The little whinger is back, but luckily other people are suffering from the negative consultation...so I don't feel so bad about my whinge.

Does anyone remember I was put in for surgery to my neck, a laminictomy? That was at the beginning of April, it now seems I have slipped through the net and may have to wait until September. Feel very despondent about that...but then it got worse.

I had another big lumbar muscle spasm in March, same as when the disc prolapsed before the op (2 years ago now but discectomy in Nov) and now my hip is coming out at an angle, the same way it did following the original muscle spasm. I finally plucked up courage to see my GP about it and also asked if I could be referred back to the Consultant. No, I don't need to go back to the consultant and they probably won't do anything anyway. Best to manage with pain relief he said. NO!!! And then, he wouldn't prescribe the soluble Tramadol that works so well with the nerve irritation, he prescribed capsules instead. Actually I don't want to pay for a prescription that won''t work...and somehow I have to get it changed or not bother with pain relief.

I know I've said this before, but is it me?????

And does anyone know why my hip keeps throwing itself out? I'm still working but seriously considering giving up as its getting too painful to walk so much. The thought of poverty and a repeat of bills I can't pay is a good deterrent though.

Yes Mark, we only ask for the ability to support ourselves and our families, but obviously asking too much.

Bless you all, I've been keeping up with everyones news and glad there are some happy endings out there.

 

[Mayla]

Hi Jess,

I certainly agree with you.
14 weeks post op from an L5 S1 discectomy and I am kicking off from the side off the pool when swimming like an olympic athlete, well not quite!
I was lucky in getting to see the surgeon privately through occuptaional health at work and only had to wait 11 weeks for the op on the NHS.
Your are definitely right stating if you can afford it to go privately.
It is unbelieveable sometimes comparing the timescales between NHS and private.
Hope your recovery is still going well.

Best wishes

dalep115