SCS - Horrible Pain Everything went wrong!

[kajari]

It has been a few weeks since my last post about the complications I am having from the Spinal Cord Stimulator and Multi-Level full Laminectomy. I was in high hopes that the crippling pain that I am now experiencing from the Laminectomy would be getting better with each passing day. WELL I WAS WRONG! I had a week where the pain (banding pain around my chest and thoracsic pain) did not get any worse or better and I thought that I might be able to deal with this type of pain with the help of medications. Over the past week the pain has become increasingly worse and is sometimes worse than anything that I have felt so far. This past week I noticed a lot of pressure in my thoracsic spine where the laminectomy's were done. My wife looked at my back and said the swelling is really bad...it is very noticeable over the t-spine but also goes out to my shoulder blades. The banding pain around my chest has become unbearable and I have now started to have severe contractions from the area of the laminectomy around my chest. It feels like someone places a belt around this area and tightens it as hard as they possibly can. It is so bad that it takes me to my knees and takes the breath out of me. This comes with no warning and the pain is HORRIBLE! I do not think it is an infection since my temperature is normal. I have also noticed that my feet get REALLY cold and start to sweat...this happens even when I am laying down on the couch. It has become so bad that my wife has to assist me in getting into/out of the bath, she has to bathe me, help me in and out of my recliner, and has to pretty much help me with most of the simplest tasks that I was able to do before the surgery. I am also dropping things constantly. My wife has to get my medications for me now since I have dropped them on several occasions. I have also started getting quick "jolts" from the SCS. The jolts are really quick and happen in my lower back and middle back around my t-spine. The SCS is still doing a good job controlling the pain in my legs and is about 70 percent effective. Ice and Heat do not have any affect on the swelling in my thoracsic spine. I still have lots of numbness in my right side abdomen, numbness in my groin area, and do not have any feeling when I urinate. I have to concentrate really hard to get the urine to flow and it takes about 15 minutes to drain my bladder. My bowels are working as expected now.
I have an appointment this week with the Boston Scientific rep and the surgeon who performed the surgeries. Ever since I had the SCS surgery and the emergency laminectomy's there always seems to be a gut feeling that something is not right. I also forgot to mention that it feels like there are rocks/pebbles in my back where they did the laminectomy.
Is there anyone on ISPINE.ORG that has experienced anything like this? I am getting really worried since it has been 1 month since I had these surgical procedures and I would expect things to be getting better by now not getting worse like I am experiencing now.
Mark, I have been able to get copies of my medical records from the Hospital but not from the surgeon. I just received these so I am in the process of going through them. I did find out from the records that I have read so far that the Laminectomy was not at two levels but three and 1/2. It was done at T7, T8, T9 and half of T10. There is also conflicting info in the records. In one record he states that there was not a hematoma when he did the laminectomy but in another report it states the he had to evacuate a hematoma in the T-Spine. URGGG...still trying to get all the info and find out what really happenend during the emergency laminectomy. I still do not have a reason as to my he did the laminectomy or what went wrong to cause them to do the emergency laminectomy.

Take Care,
Greg

Take Care,
Kajari

[mmglobal]

Can you get to someone who specializes in thoracic surgery?

[kajari]

Mark or anyone on the list.....
We are having to move to Western KY at the end of May so I will be close to my family for support and help. Does anyone have any good recommendations for a Neuro Surgeon near Nashville? We will be about an hour from Nashville, TN. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Take Care,
Greg

[dshobbies]

K,

You have a suspician that something went wrong? Let me tell you, something is wrong, very definitely. First suggestion, get yourself fixed. Something is terribly wrong and Dr. Regan is Los Angeles would be my first recommendation. Charge the whole thing if you have to and pay it back from that lawsuit against the doctor who did this to you!!!!! You should not be in this much pain - period and your doctor should be doing his best to help you through whatever you have to go through - including getting you those records. My anger at this doctor is at the boiling point.

Your symptoms seem to be bad enough that this is now an urgent situation. Please do not wait.

Dale

[Maria]

Follow Mark's advice re finding the best thoracic spine surgeon you can and maybe find an attorney that can help you expedite your care/needs.

I don't know that multiple level thoracic discectomy is the standard of practice in the community for what your original complaints were or if the surgeon can justify his surgery. Sounds like the surgeon is keeping his records unavailable to you for a reason tho of course I could be wrong.

I don't mean to send you on any wild goose chase as your main goal is to find someone to attend to your immediate spinal needs so remain as focused as you're able and I'm so sorry to hear you're going thru all of this..

[Jim M2]

K,
I like what Dale and Maria say. The immediate need is to get your situation stabilized. Your symptoms are extreme. Your wife will have to take charge and be very aggressive toward getting action out of these doctors. I would think that when you talk with the doctors present your case in an objective manner without any hint of placing blame. They don't like to get involved with tough cases like yours, especially if they think you are prone to place blame and bring lawsuits. I'm praying for you.

[Crystal33]

You need a top spine doctor, an ethical one, and willing to critically review and fix another doctors work. This organisation is headed up by a spine specialist.

(Dr J Regan is reputed top thoracic expert, uses minimal video system of surgery. don't know if he is member of the org.)

Association For Medical Ethics

[Crystal33]

This is the specialist branch of the org. for spine patients.....
http://ethicalspinesurgeon.org/