Why, Why, Why, Why?

[JANENE]

Hello Everyone!!!

I don't know how to get this through my doctors head.

I had a L5 Laminectomy & bilateral foraminotomies at the L4-5 & L5-S1 levels, ithey also found conjoined nerve roots at both levels as well that they seperated (whatever that means, I have still never really been informed with what that was) November 2004. I am not going to go too deep into the history or you will be reading this FOREVER!!!!

Most recently I have been having right sided pain, that makes my leg feel stiff, and causes muscle spasms in my leg ( I think thats what it is??)

I went to my doctor the other day to tell him that I needed something more for the pain and spasms and as well how the leg likes to give out, and when I drive or sit for too long my leg will go numb, and the stiffness seems to get worse. He has put me on Neurontin, I am up to 2700mg daily, and it is not making a difference....

My doctor told me he is not comfortable with giving me more narcotics, and that I have to learn how to deal/manage with my pain.....then I lost it and told him that I think I deal pretty well considering, that I have 4 kids to deal with everyday.....blah, blah, blah..

So after a long discussion, he decided that ok he will increase my pain meds.....then I had asked him what I was suppose to do about all the "new" and weird (to me) symptoms I have been having with my right leg..He said that the meds should help with the pain. But then I told him that wasn't what I was talking about, and it was the part that my leg goes numb when I sit for too long, which makes it EXTREMELY difficult to drive. The stiffness, and the pain along with the fact that the leg like to give out from under me.....etc. He told me he thinks the right leg problem is from my antaligicgait?

I don't know what to do about all this....ANY HELP/ADVICE/INFO WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

Thank you for reading my NOVEL!!!

Janene

[mmglobal]

Janene, I 'm working with a client who has similar issues... I'll know much more in a week or so. I've had other clients with similar issues that have been discovered to be related to pathology away from the spine... classic sciatica symptoms but due to a variety of malformations, injuries or other pathology in the hip / glute / piriformis / hamstring area. Again... very similar to what you describe.

However, if you are dismissed as so many spine patients are (especially women), without the benefit of serious consideration of the new symptoms... your medical team may be overlooking something very real and fixable.

Another issue is that many spine surgeons are taught that such issues are so rare that they hardly even beleive they exist and will not give them serious consideration.

Keep in mind that I'm not suggesting anything about what you have or may not have. I'm just saying that you need to be taken seriously and be evaluated by someone who will consider something other than: "you're done'... no more options."

Mark

[JANENE]

Hey Mark!!

Thanks for reading my post!!!

Well you know, thats what I am trying to say to him. That THERE is something going on with my right leg, and when I first told him about it in November he looked at it to make sure it wasn't a blood clot etc.. It wsa at that point that he decided that it was coming from my back..HE DECIDED!!

So, here I am 3 months later and the problem is not getting any better and depending on the degree of pain in my back, depends on the degree of pain/stiffness/weakness etc..in my leg.

THIS ALL IS SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!! How do people deal with this so well??

I just HAVE no idea at which way to turn, and what to do about it...

Anyways, thank you again Mark for your reply/help.......

Janene

[JANENE]

BTW Mark.....................

I unfortunately Do not have a "MEDICAL TEAM", I have a one-man team, who is just my GP.

[fortitudine]

Hi Janene,

Your GP is making these diagnoses and decisions???? I'm thinking he should be referring you to a spine surgeon PDQ!!! Can you ask him to do that?

[dshobbies]

Hi Janene,

I think most doctors go for the simpliest explanation before ordering tests or making referrels. It's the 'new' medical system. We, on the other hand, immediately tend to think the worst. Well, sometimes it's simple and sometimes it isn't but we all deserve the absolute best medical care we can get. If your doctor doesn't want to bother looking further, demand that your symptoms be taken seriously. You don't want them just masked over with medication, you want the cause found and cured if possible. If we don't stand up for ourselves, few other people will.

Good luck, Dale