runner's surgery blog, L4/5, 2008

[Kathy]

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]

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.

[runner]

I am sorry to post this guys but unfortunately I was rear-ended on Tuesday after taking my children and others to school.
This was the very last thing I wanted to happen, but it did and although it wasn't at high speed, it messed with my back a bit.
I had pain afterwards but the lady who hit me didn't want me to go to the ER (go somewhere else instead to get x-rays) as she wanted to keep the car insurance company out of it.
I didn't want to go to ER too, but my doctor's office finally told me that my dr. said I needed to. My doc was not in the office. So not to confuse people, the office told me to go to the ER also the first time I called them, I am just a reluctant ER visitor.
I pulled my oldest daughter out of school, dropped off my youngest with grandma and went in.
Luckily not too long of a wait, got out of there in four hours.
Had x-rays and nothing major so was released after having two shots of dilaudid. My teenager wasn't too happy, she does not like hospitals.

I think I just stirred up my painful disc as I had some sharp, shooting pains from my right side.
Just in time for my test on Thursday.
So goes life I guess. The dilaudid caused nausea which has finally passed. I did get some sublingual Zofran but that didn't work completely.
I tried to apease the lady who hit me but I was unable to and unfortunately for her, this will go through the car insurance route.
One of the things I was thinking was too bad she hit someone with back problems. Ugh.
That's it. I will post after the test.

Runner

[Justin]

K,

Sorry to hear about the accident. It's good to hear the xrays came back OK.

I'll share this so you don't feel alone in all of this: when I traveled to The Texas Back Institute in 2003 for my stateside ADR evaluation I was rear ended on the way home from my appointment with Dr. Guyer. My rental car was not hit hard, but when I got out of the car to speak to the woman that hit me she acted like it was no big deal. This really pissed me off because she didn't grasp how I was already suffering from back pain and this accident flared me up instantly. The next day I went to my discogram that Dr. Guyer had already scheduled.

I agree with you: too bad lady, this is going through insurance--good for you.

Best of luck on the 16th...I've been crossing my fingers and toes but it's getting a little difficult to walk around like this.

[treefrog]

Wow, that sucks. I know I am always afraid of getting into a car accident, and causing worse problems with my back.

I hope your back calms down.

[Kathy]

K,
This sucks, so sorry. The same thing happened to me, 6 months after the first wreck. Same thing, sorry to file on insurance; but you just re-hurt me (I was actually feeling better as I had just had injections the week before). Because of the second accident, it let the first one off the hook for anything beyond that point. My attorney said it is called an 'intervening accident' and that the second person is now liable for everything beyond that. I had an MRI after the second one, that showed the L4/5 tear, so it did cause new damage. It makes you just want to choke the person that hit you, knowing that you are going to be suffering more because of their carelessness.

Glad you have your discogram scheduled, hopefully no new damage to the back and you can find out what is wrong. Will be praying for you and your surgeon, Kathy

[runner]

Thanks,
Justin, Cathy and Kathy,

It was pretty funny today when I took the minivan to get an estimate on repairs and the little "tap or bump" actually imprinted the lady's license plate into my bumper.
Still sore today but better than yesterday but I rested most of the afternoon.
Pretty soon will be disco time and I am not quite ready to dance.
Talk to you later,