My Appointment..
 

Hey all!!

Ok, I am home, WOW that was very interesting. He was FANATASTIC!! YOUNG, GOOD LOOKING & SINGLE, LMAO!!

Ok, seriously though, he looked over my MRI with me and explained in detail the problems that I do have with my spine and told me he can understand WHY I have the pain I do.

He is concerned with my L5/S1, I have a central disc extrusion with a tear, that is irritating my L5 nerve root. I also have a smaller spinal canal, he said I was born with that.

I have been doing physio since December with no significant improvement, so he said to stop that and that he wants me to have some steroid shots in my low back, :eek:. He will be setting up the appointment for those.

When I am done the shots, I have to go back to him and at that point he said he will decide the options of surgery. "In a nutshell" as he put it, surgery is unfortunately in my future. YUCK!!

He did tell me not to worry and that he will get this resolved and I will be back to my happy old self again....how did he know if I was a happy person or not??

He was understanding with my situation and explained that there is not point in putting me through months of torture if it isn't going to help, especially with a little one I have to look after.

I just got home not too long ago,so I have to give my attention to Amiah, I will be on later, so much was said, so if there is any info that I MIGHT have not filled you in on, ask away...I probably have it all in my head I just don't know how to word it....

THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!! I TRULY APPRECIATE IT!!

Mary

Hi Mary,

Who is the surgeon that you saw? As few of us have gone through this in Canada, we may come up with some info for you.

At last, you found out what causes your pain.:p

Did he give you anything to take for your pain?

It's great to have some answers though. That's a relief as, now you know it can be fixed.

Good job. :D

Terry Newton

Mary,

I'm sorry you will need surgery but at least you have a better understanding of your condition. You've also probably calmed down and thinking is much easier.

What concerns me is your daughter and how you will able to care for her when you do have surgery. Regardless of which surgery you have, back surgery will prevent you from doing so much. You will have to have help. You will not be able to pick her up for weeks if not longer. So in understanding your condition, you also have to understand what your limitations will be.

I hope the injections work for you. It will ease you pain and make life better but having walked in your shoes, caring for a little one is all day, everyday. You will need help. I only wish you lived closer!

Let us know how it goes. My fingers are crossed, Dale

M: Is Dr. Handsome recommending a disectomy? If you have back pain, you might want to ask him if a discogram is necessitated to make sure you don't need a fusion or ADR at this level. Otherwise, a disectomy would be for naught. Best - Allan

What can't I have a hot back doctor? At least if you have to see them all the time, you have some eye candy! I did have a hot OB when I was preggo; gotta get me cheap thrills somewhere!
I know surgery is never great news; but it is a relief, knowing something can be done. You will definitely eed help with the little one. I have my little one in a 2 day a week mother's day out program and family watching her the other days. My 5 year old is in school and family picks her up (they still have me not driving; it's killing me) I have had them by myself for a few hours at a time; but they are also older than yours and can do more for themselves. I hope you have some people that can help you out.
Maybe, the injections will help you out. My husband gets them and says he feels like a new man. I get them, I hurt more for a week and they do nothing. I would try to get help for a few days after the injections, just in case you are one that has more pain afterward. If not, you can just enjoy the time to yourself or cancel the arrangements.
Take care of yourself and that beautiful baby,
Kathy

re the epidural steroid injections
 

Mary,
So nice to have some *eye candy* as Kathy put it while in pain at the doctors! Hope his good looks weren't too distracting re asking questions altho he sounds like he was quite nice to talk to. I hope he's experienced as well re surgical procedures (not that young)!

Ok, anyway, the ESIs sound like a good place to start. They help me like they help Kathy's hub and I can do and undo which I'm not so sure is good for me overall tho I think it is at the moment!

I'm always told I'm fortunate as I have a large spinal canal tho I wonder if that's so why with small disc bulges I have felt so much pain and with rebulges the same thing and so on so forth tho perhaps it's been part of why I could wait so long between my last surgery and the next one that I've not yet committed myself to yet...

Good luck getting your first injection scheduled. Sometimes the first ESI can flare you up down in that low lumbar area (I'm guessing it will be directed at L5S1 or given caudally in that area) and you may feel more pain for a few days then less pain but if you rest and ice the area you should be feeling better between 3-7 days. For me it was 3 days after the first one and then the next 20 plus injections I've gotten over the last 8 years I've practically been better the next day or that day..

If I"ve gotten sedation which I do each time now that I get an injection but I didn't in the beginning I will feel tired the day of the procedure and mostly will rest and sleep the remainder of the day.

Hope you feel better since seeing Dr.McDreamy/McSteamy/McHottie

take care;)

Mary,
Maria's post reminded me of something, GET THE SEDATION! I LOVE the sedation, a couple of hours of pain relief, awesome sleep and the only 'margarita' your going to get for awhile! My hubby is all tough guy and doesn't get it. He literally walks out of there all feeling good. He even went to work the same day, it was an instant relief for him. His first one quit working after 6 months, the second one has lasted 18 months and is still working. I look forward to having any procedure done, just for the couple of rare hours of pain relief. It also burns like hell when you get the lidocaine. I was crying and screaming in one of the procedures (they didn't give me enough sedation). I was trying not to move; but couldn't help it. It took over an hour for a simple procedure, because they had to keep giving me more drugs to get me to 'sleep'. I also come out crazy hungry. The first thing I ask for is a Dr. Pepper, then I make my hubby take me to a drive through (it's like drunken hunger). Good Times.
Maria- I am so jealous of you getting injection relief! Not jealous of your back issues though.. how are you doing?

Mary, it's good to hear that your doctor is starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I wish you the very best.

re my back
 

Ok diverting this a moment to answer Kathy's question.. I'm doing OK. Not much back pain these days unless I sit too much tho then again I've not been too active since last Sept. because of tendonitis in both feet which was really tough plus plantar fasciitis in the left foot.

I thought back pain was bad!!!!

My last low back ESI was nearly 6 months ago and I'm requesting one now because I'm starting to feel achey in the a.m. tho still all in all not doing badly.

Now my neck is another thing. It stinks. I have one disc bulge at C5/6 and I wonder how it can raise such hoopla?! I should know with the history of low back stuff.

BTW, I used to get the ESIs without sedation too. Had a great guy doing them then I moved several times and one PM only did them with sedation. The one I see now does it with or without. Patient preference but I now just want that *margarita like time* you described~ Love it!!!!