runner's surgery blog, L4/5, 2008

runner · #1 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009, 01:12 AM

Saw neuro doc today.
X-rays of ProDisc at L4/5 look "fantastic"
I should be doing great he said.
He agreed with the pain doc.

runner
(but not running at the moment, should call myself, walker).

Justin · #2 (**permalink**) 04-10-2009, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runner

Saw neuro doc today.
X-rays of ProDisc at L4/5 look "fantastic"
I should be doing great he said.
He agreed with the pain doc that I should have a discogram to see if L5/S1 is a pain generator.
So discogram soon.

runner
(but not running at the moment, should call myself, walker).

Good news about L4/5 "Walker."

Kimmers can you describe your pain--where you feel the pain in your leg/foot?

runner · #3 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 07:02 AM

Sure, I can take a stab at it Justin.
I don't have the same pain as I had with L4/5, which was a "take your breath away pain" at its worst and had surgery for 2008. But when I first "hurt" the other disc, I did feel that pain, where I almost dropped to my knees. It did stop me in my tracks, as I was doing Pilates and felt the pain, ignored it sort of, and then was walking with a stretch band on my ankles, felt it again, and had to stop (I felt this pain three times).
Exactly two weeks later, I woke up with sciatica, much more severe than I had with L4/5 and it increased until I called the doctor to request getting back on Gabapentin (I was off both narcotics and Gabapentin). At that point, I could not get off the couch without feeling serious hurt. I started on 900 mg of the drug as I was on before and then that wasn't enough and gradually increased it to 1800 mg.
The sciatica, which can be described as a knife-like pain in the glutes and hamstrings, is a 24/7 pain, which is muted by the Gabapentin. At the same time, i also had a resurgence of the plantar fascitis-like pain in my right foot. I have a history of plantar fascitis but it was mainly caused by working on hard floors and some running. When I didn't work or run, it was not there, but I tore my plantar fascia again in April 2007. Of course, I woke up with back pain in May and the plantar fascitis flared again and I was not working, not running and my podiatrist figured out it was related to sciatica (L4 nerve root). He also noted I had soreness where the nerve ran down to the foot. (I got cortisone shots, which helped)
Fast forward to post-op in August and I was off Gabapentin and narcotics and did not have a problem with plantar fascitis. It came back with the new back pain.
I also have had right toe pain, that woke me up at night and fairly recently intermittent pain in my toes on both feet. I have had pins and needles pain but not everyday and only in my feet.
Along with the sciatica, I have had numbness in my legs and feet. I have had my legs fall asleep (usually only one) when I am standing or laying down. My left foot regularly goes numb especially when driving and currently when sitting. When driving, my right foot tingles and does not currently go completely numb. On 4-6, bottom of left foot started to hurt.

Right now, it is 11 pm and I took my last Gabapentin at about 8:45. I am laying on the couch with my laptop. My feet are burning across the top of both feet and on the lateral sides of my ankles and calves and there is some burning on my medial side of my left calf. I also have some burning on my right thigh and on my right hamstring (they call it posterior thigh??) and I am getting intermittent glute and hamstring pain.
the gabapentin is wearing off.
My back pain is about a 4-7/10 and I have taken Darvocet and tylenol earlier in the day. And it is left and right-sided. Seems to be more right-sided today.
The back pain has gradually increased from when it started. Around mid-February (Valentine's Day) I was able to sit comfortably at a movie with medication. By 2-27, even taking Darvocet and Percocet (10 mg), I was unable to sit at my daughter's performance comfortably. I was squirmiing in my seat. My sitting tolerance improved and then declined.
I went to a conference on April 2 and was basically sitting on and off, but there were a lot of breaks. It went from 7:30 to about 4 pm. Afterwards went back to my room and was in a whole lot of pain, so took a Percocet.
I was taking Darvocet during the day (prescribed for four times a day prn).
I rested and then walked a short-distance to a restaurant and had about 7/10 back pain even after the percocet and darvocet had time to take effect and so I did a no-no and had a large beer. Got back to hotel room and still had severe pain and had taken all the meds allowed. I was also icing my back as much as possible.
Yesterday, I went and got x-rays and waited about 50 minutes. Went to neurosurgeon appt, about 40 minute wait and then in and out. At night, had severe pain. took Darvocet and Percocet together, sat on ice pad. Had back and leg pain and could not sleep because of the pain. Took sleeping pill (rare for me) and that did it.
I am sure some of my pain and numbness today is due to yesterday's sitting.
I have had one facet block and three ESIs since January. Before the last ESI, I almost fell down when I got up quickly from a nap (phone was ringing) and my left leg was asleep and right foot was numb too. Got two day "relief" with that ESI.
I have gone from taking no narcotics, only Tylenol, to taking narcotics 3-4 days a week to taking them everyday. The back pain has gradually increased as the leg pain has remained mostly the same.
The back pain ranges from spasms to burning (like tenditinitis) to a deep pain. I also had thrown into the mix some SI Joint pain and my SI joints move out of place pretty regularly. Was out of place today and put back by PT.
Pain doc told me he thought sciatica/numbness was from L5/S1. Not sure about back pain so disco on Thursday next week. I am nervous but ready. Seven months of this is too long.

This is pretty lengthy but you asked me what the pain felt like.
Be careful of what you ask for.

runner

Justin · #4 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 03:22 PM

runner,

Thanks for your detailed reply. Seven month is too long. I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this. With your description, it definitely sounds like L5/S1 is implicated in your pain. (Of course, this is my personal opinion.)

I do hope the discogram reveals, or it least confirms, the culprit of your pain. I wish you the very best and please keep us posted after Thursday of next week.

Keep your head up--we're here for you.

runner · #5 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 07:08 PM

Thank you,

Justin. It means a lot that you and others on here care.

Kathy · #6 (**permalink**) 04-11-2009, 09:46 PM

Kim,
I had no idea that you had a 'new injury' so to speak. I had thought that your back pain had never went away after surgery. You had ADR on L4/5, right? I usually have to read and re-read everybody's signature so I can keep up with what level (s) goes with who. Anyway, let us know how the discogram goes. I hope you find something out soon.
God Bless,
Kathy

runner · #7 (**permalink**) 04-12-2009, 04:18 AM

God Bless you Kathy.
I have had these crazy sciatica/numbness symptoms for a while and despite the conservative treatment, nothing much has changed but the back pain is getting worse and worse.
Yes, before this, I was on the road to recovery and I could not believe it. I was still tired, and had some little symptoms like slight tingling in my lower legs and feet. Nothing above that and I was doing good, just recovering slowly. Sore, tight muscles, but my surgeon was pleased.

The problem with back surgery IMHO is that things are rearranged and nothing is the same so things flare up and go down and it is the normal recovery process. So back in late October, after a pretty-much normal MRI, and some treatment, they thought it was just normal recovery or some irritation from micro-motion at the back of the disc.
Finally, in January, I asked the doc to check into the facets and then I was sent to a pain management doc, who has dealt with patients with discs. My previous pain doc had not. I got the facet injection and like my pain doc said the other day, i got no relief, even in recovery right after so the facets don't look like they are the culprit.
Then the ESIs, which gave me some brief relief, but not enough. This has led to them getting the next test done.
From what I have seen and heard, I think doctors really look at your one-year mark as a milestone. This is just the realization of what I have feared all along. You just know something is wrong, but you don't know what because the back is so darn complicated.
Got to go, "Gabi" is wearing off and my right leg and foot are "tickling" right now.

mmglobal · #8 (**permalink**) 09-25-2009, 12:21 AM

Hey Runner, what is generating the forward or backward talk? Sorry things are so tough now... I hope you can get some relief.

Mark

PS... I've recently seen a repeat ADR case.... interesting similarities to your case. Feel like another art walk?

runner · #9 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 10:05 AM

Yeah mark.

Maybe up for a real short art walk.
PM me or e-mail me.
I sent you a PM.
Still waiting for surgery. It is getting real old.

runner

runner · #10 (**permalink**) 01-22-2010, 07:59 AM

Haven't been on here for a while. I have looked and peeked but not really delved into this site for about two months. Other words I was snacking but not spending my meals here. Just would check in and see how everyone was doing.

Still waiting for surgery. Been busy with trying to get surgery and doing other stuff like appealing social security disability.

Fun.

It has been a really tough time but hopefully it will not last forever and I will soon get surgery. Keeping busy with organizing my files and taking care of my children. Doing little things. I cannot do much without aggravating my back and sending my butt to the couch.

Hope people are getting better and moving on. Just wanted to update and will add more when i know more or something comes up.

Runner