New here, first post....
 

New here and first post. I am 44 years old and live in Sacramento, California.

I have two herniated discs at the L4/L5 and L5/S1. I also have a bulge, but no herniation on the L2.

Too much lifting weights my entire adult life and, indeed, it was lifting weights that ultimately got me.

There's commercials and PSAs for smoking, drinking, drugs, heart disease, diabetes, but NO SPINE education out there. They should have a disclaimer at age 40, like that tag you cut on a mattress. Don't do this, this and THIS anymore once you pass 40 yrs. old. Oh well, I probably wouldn't have listened anyway.

So, the injury is now officially 3 years old almost to the date. I didn't know what the problem was when it first happened, unfortunately. I was used to pain, good pain. Never knew the kind of pain that stuck around.

My chiropractor looked at my MRI and X Ray and told me straight up, 'If I was your age and had your back, I'd be PISSED.' He told me my options weren't good. My L5/S1 could fuse on its own in the next couple years. I'm already feeling bone on bone there. And my L4/L5 causes me to just not lift anything remotely (or not remotely) heavy as it causes me to tighten up.

Adjusting to life has been interesting. I use my voice a lot more and command people to do common things from my boys taking out the trash to moving ladders for me around the house.

The pain is different each day. Some days its tight muscles. Other days its radiating pain in the upper/middle buttocks. The worst is sitting. I can't sit without using my arms to support some of my weight.

At 44, that's not good. I'm suppose to live a lot longer and that's not good either since it will be harder.

Currently I am trying decompression therapy with the chiropractor but I know its only temporary. Expensive and temporary. Although we can all dream right?

I have Kaiser now and have an appointment tomorrow but may change my coverage if they don't work with me. I would like two ADRs, but not my chances are slim to none. Not sure what my other options are, perhaps a hybrid fusion on the L5/S1 and an ADR on the L4/L5?

Anyway, I'll get more information from Kaiser and would love to hear some of the thoughts of the folks here.

Thanks a bunch.

Wyatt, welcome to the forum. I'm sorry that you need to be here. You are where I was 11 years ago when I had my first big lumbar surgery. I had two prior microscopic discectomies, but the L4-S1 ADR was my first really invasive spine surgery.

I hope you don't mind, but I moved your post to it's own thread in the main forum. More people will see it here.

Kaiser is not an early adopter of the new spine technology. (Aside from that, I think they rock!) I look forward to hearing what they are offering you. Please post an update.

Good luck!

Mark

welcome
 

Hi Wyatt,
Good luck with Kaiser and your spine. I already had my injury (WC related) when I was going to Kaiser back in my early 30's. They didn't do anything for me back then however that was nearly 30 years ago and besides my injury was WC related so had to jump thru the hoops there for a number of years to get things going to point of surgery.

With regard to being 40 and back probs.. welcome to the club. I was 28 when I hurt my back working as an RN in Neurosurgery. Stuff happens. There are no guarantees in life and only until something is really terribly wrong and maybe painfully so we realize how good we had it for so long.

If you've not been the route of conservative care first unless you have an emergent reason for surgery likely you'll be offered Pain Management and maybe epidural steroid injections and such depending on your MRI findings and the protocol for dealing with disc probs per Kaiser. I was offered a 2 level ADR back in 2003 and then that offer was pulled and I had to wait 2 more years with WC and by then I was offered a hybrid surgery with ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1. By then I was doing better than I had in a long time and was too afraid to deal what I didn't know about with regard to more spine surgery (the better the devil I know than the devil I don't reasoning).

Almost every health care plan is the same on what they offer first unless there is a reason for emergency surgery. If you've been thru the Nsaids, maybe stronger drugs, the ESIs and so forth maybe things will move along quicker for you. Maybe not.

Anyway wishing you the best with your situation spine and insurance wise. I also had a terrible time sitting for YEARS with regard to my disc bulges and anular tear and even still I cannot sit for hours but I can sit longer and more comfortably now 2 failed spine surgeries later (discectomies) and many years down the road with some autofusion going on finally.

Again, best and hope things work out for you. Hopefully something out there will be offered that works for you~ may take some time and concentrated efforts on your part tho at least you have that to look forward to! Spine probs really do stink!

Welcome Wyatt,
By now you have been to kaiser , i think an i am wondering what they offered to you. spine problems suck, i have had 9 spine surgeries , some very very necessary. Some not so much, just hoping to be out of pain. I would avoid them if other means help you. I have been getting epidural injections every 4 months and they have helped greatly, but like everything else long term use of those is questionable.
Please let us know what happened at your appointment.
Judy