runner's surgery blog, L4/5, 2008

[runner]

Thank you,
Cindylou.
Hope you are feeling better.
The only thing I dread about injections is that I get more pain when I first get them and it takes a while to go back to baseline.
IV's, injections and such do not bother me, but what does is if the freakin doc gets close to those nerves, that is an ouch.

Talk to you later.


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[runner]

Thanks for all the good wishes.

I am doing okay, the facet block was better than the one I had pre-op.
Had injections on Thursday and now resting and feeling better than on Thursday and Friday.
I know it takes up to seven days to get the full effect, so I am hoping.

I think this was a much better experience than before. I went to anesetheologist, who is a spinal treatment specialist and knew what to do with ADRs. I told them how the last time i had Versed it didn't help and they gave me another sedative drug in addition to the Versed, Propofol (Diprovan) which really helped. I only felt the needles coming out at the end. If this works, I think they are thinking of burning the nerves, and if not, next step, epidural.
The surgical center staff were great.
For the most part, camping out on the couch, taking pain meds and my Gabapentin and not in too much pain.

[runner]

Runner,

I know it sounds like a broken record and you tell others the same thing - stay positive, be patient.

Hope those kids and hubby are taking care of YOU. Mom's don't have to do everything.

Here's to a much better year for all of us. Off the meds and able to have a drink of choice, a little , lots of and all the other stuff that gives joy and happiness.

Sending many hugs to everyone (need an icon for hugs), Sandy
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**Accidents, active life-style, always some back/neck pain controlled w/ibuphrofen
2004 excessive pain, x-ray, PT, MRI diagnosis cervical DDD
**PM recommended, meds, PT, massage therapy, chiropractor, injections
**Dec. 2007 numbness and weakness in left arm/thumb, x-rays, MRI, discs at C4-7 pushing on spinal cord, fusion or ADR out of country
**April 7, 2008, discogram at C3-4, surgery 4 levels, Prodisc-C, Dr. Bertagnoli, Germany

[runner]

A broken record...?

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I know, I know, I have told people the same on this forum...take it slow and easy.
The slow ones win the race, be patient, etc...

I am laying down, icing my back every 30 minutes or so, even taking the dreaded pain meds, just to get through this the right way.

I have resisted the pile of dirty laundry and just letting the steroid take effect, if it will.

You know at first, it really seemed like six months after surgery was a long time to wait for recovery, then I started hearing that a year, 18 months to 2 years was more likely.
I do understand.
I only pushed for the facet injections because I have had the four months of sciatica. Eventually, I think they will find the source of my pain and things will pan out.

I am being cautious now because I know I reacted strongly to previous injections and that is just the way my body works.
The doc put Betamethasone in the facets so I hope that will calm things down. I like to be in control and i am not in control anymore. I wouldn't call myself a control freak but I am particular about my health.
I don't let the docs do anything without really thinking about the pros and cons, first.

I have a good feeling this pain doc knows what he is doing and he is well-qualified. This puts a new slant on the idea of being patient.
May 2009 be a better year than 2008. We lost our cat on Jan 9. So it hasn't started with a bang or maybe it did, because our neighbors let off a M-100 on New Year's Day.
I keep thinking about what has happened in 2008 and before and there are a lot of positive things. I have spent more time with my children since i have been unable to work, my daughters and I have had some incredible experiences. I would not like to go through surgery again, but i did get the experience of undergoing a major surgery and dealing with a complication, which will serve me well when I deal with people in the future.

There are a lot of positives, I have made a lot of "spiney" friends and I hope I have helped people.
I think the only way for people to understand back pain is to undergo what we go against day to day.
I feel fortunate that I don't have the same kind of back pain I had before surgery.
I know this is not a killer disease, like cancer, and through my travels, I have met a cancer survivor who is still fighting this awful disease, a mother who lost her daughter, helped a friend in her journey to get more people registered as bone marrow donors, so people can be saved, and gotten an e-mail that a boy that fought his insurance company and won, lost his battle for his life.

So this isn't the end, it is more like a journey and patience has to be what I practice. I also preach it. "Easy does it".

[runner]

Well, guys, the facet block didn't work.
My facets are apparently fine.
I saw the pain doc in his office, and he thinks L5/S1 is causing my symptoms.
So my surgery disc looks good.
Going to have an epidural next.
Been having computer problems that aren't fixed yet.
Hanging in there, but upset I have another painful? disc.

Runner

[runner]

Well, guys, the facet block didn't work.
My facets are apparently fine.
I saw the pain doc in his office, and he thinks L5/S1 is causing my symptoms.
So my ADR looks good.
Going to have an epidural next.
Been having computer problems that aren't fixed yet.
Hanging in there, but upset I have another painful? disc.

[runner]

Update
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11 months and a few days post-op.
Saw pain doc last Thursday and expect to get another epidural this week. They have to schedule with the surgery center.
At the appointment last week, I spoke to the doc's office lady and then his physician assistant (P.A.).

The P.A. checked a few things and then had me cross my leg over my knee and she was testing for piriformis entrapment of the sciatic nerve root.
She told me that she was dragging her leg with sciatica with pregnancy and I told her that I had sciatica with pregnancy and the sciatica I have now is totally different. I told her this is 10 x's worse. It is a knife-like pain and different. I told her I had one day after the cortisone epidural that I felt 50 percent better and that I felt maybe 15 percent better overall. Not much change.

She said based on that they would try another epidural and some cortisone in the SI joints. She finished and I asked, "That's it. Don't I get to see the doctor?"

So I got to see the doc. I really wanted to ask him some questions about where I was going with these epidurals and such.

He told me he plans to do two to three more epidurals and see after that. I asked him what happens if epidurals don't get rid of the pain and he told me that we really need to have them work. If they don't, he said they would do more invasive tests. He said in that case, they would consider my problem more seriously. He wasn't downplaying things he was just telling me that a surgery after the first surgery would be more complicated.

So that is where I am at. Calling tomorrow to see when I can get in for the epidural and it seems like they never call me and I have to call. So I will call. I have a friend who may be able to take me to the surgicenter this week and drive me home so that is good. I don't want my husband to miss too many work hours.

Not too much numbness today and some sciatica and back pain is so-so. I am more worried about the back pain because I have been getting shooting pains on my left side. I asked the doctor if he thought it might be discogenic pain. He isn't sure and neither am I . I did get a percocet prescription for nighttime. I told her I hadn't been sleeping too well. I told her I didn't want to take anything stronger during the day than the Darvocet I have.
I don't want the brain fog although I think I already have some. So that is what it boils down to. I have a pretty normal looking MRI (except for some bulges) and have definite compression of nerves and gradually increasing back pain. This has been going on for five months now.

Will update after the epidural.