t6-7 laminectomy/discectomy

[rosyrivets]

Hi, I am new to the site so here I go with my story. I am still very confused, but I am trying to educate myself.

I am a middle aged female in very good physical condition and use to doing physical labor.

Jan. 2011 I unloaded and repacked 200 18# rotors (3600#total) for shipping overseas. This required bending into a large wire basket, turning and bending over and repacking into a shipping container on the floor. On the way home that night, (1 hour drive) I was extremely uncomfortable and when I got out of the car, I was in pain walking in. Went right to bed, woke up 6 hours later in extreme pain. Pain was in my low back, right buttock and right leg. My first thought was I had pulled a muscle and it would get better, just suck it up and deal with it.

The leg pain quickly passed the other symptoms and intensified over the next 9 months. I went to family doctor, pain doctor for shots, chiropractor and had numerous scans of my lumbar. During this 9 month period I went to over 50 doctor visits. The official diagnosis was a lumbar sprain/strain. All the while, the right leg pain was becoming unbearable and much worse at night.

Then in Aug. 2011, I had unintentional weight loss, going from a size 8 to a size 4 in 30 days. The base of my buttocks became numb, (they ordered another Lumbar MRI) Over the next 30 days I developed saddle numbness and then my left leg began to go numb. I went to the ER, they looked at the lumbar scans and decided to admit me to surgical ICU as I was deteriorating by the minute. They decided to do a thoracic MRI.

The official findings were; Right t6-7 lateral recess large subligamentous disc fragment with calcified or hemorrhagic component with significant right cord compromise and displacement. Knew I had trouble when 4 doctors came in the room.

I had laminectomy/discectomy surgery that day. Next day right leg pain gone. Two weeks after surgery I began to have pain radiating to front rib cage and right leg pain returned. Called surgeon and was told it was not from surgery. Two more weeks and went to appt. with surgeon and now he decided it was mechanical, ordered mri/ct that showed another disc fragment in the same location w/ cord displacement. This same surgeon says leg pain not from this!! Yet, I know it is. I am now going for 2nd opinion as some of the other symptoms have returned. I know if I have to have fusion it won't be done by this doctor! At this point, I have some permanent nerve damage but I am so grateful for what I did not lose.

Sorry this is so long. Has anyone experienced any of this? I know thoracic herniations are rare and haven't found much info.