runner's surgery blog, L4/5, 2008

treefrog · #1 (**permalink**) 05-03-2009, 06:28 PM

I also had 4 levels tested with facet block, 8 injections, and like you had no effect. Have you looked at your back afterwards? I felt like a Frankenstein monster

, with all these holes on either side of my spine.

I hope your doctor has some good answers for you on Thursday. I think your instincts are good, and that it is the L5/S1 disc that is causing the pain. I hope your surgeon agrees that something needs to be done.

runner · #2 (**permalink**) 05-04-2009, 08:05 AM

Thanks Cathy,

I think i am at the point where something needs to be done.
I have exhausted all conservative care, now.

I think I'm in denial about how bad my back is. It seems to have gone downhill rapidly. Laying down on my bed with my feet up, seems to be the most comfortable thing to do.

I'm getting those occasional sharp pains on either side but mainly have this deep, achey back pain besides the sciatica and the numbness, which doesn't seem as bad as it was. And the right leg pain which is still here.
I wasn't this bad when i saw my doc about 3 1/2 weeks ago.

I had eight little band-aids along my back but several have fallen off. I think he used small needles to place/inject? the anesthetic into the nerve root. So you had eight little pokes and they didn't work?
Then they focused on your discs?
Just wondering.

treefrog · #3 (**permalink**) 05-04-2009, 04:00 PM

Well, I had had several ESI's which only gave me very limited relief (a week at most). I was trying acupuncture at the same time. Then my PM decided to try a facet injection, which had similar effects as the ESI's which she thought might have been significant. Hence trying the facet block, but it didn't do anything, nada, zip. That's when I asked for the discogram, I was done with conservative treatment.

I hope you have a good talk with your doctor.

runner · #4 (**permalink**) 05-06-2009, 07:42 PM

Cathy,

I hope so too.
Things are just getting a bit overwhelming.

runner · #5 (**permalink**) 05-08-2009, 08:21 AM

Well,

It looks like i am facing surgery again.
My doctor did listen to me and I am either going to have surgery in June or early July. I am still kind of in shock even though I knew this was a possibility.
I haven't quite wrapped my mind around this.
The first thing I thought when I got home was, "Do I need this?"
Then I had back pain tonight and the knee pain from the discogram seems to be raising its ugly head and i know I had to eventually do something.
So it looks like ADR at L5/S1.

Runner

treefrog · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runner

Well,

It looks like i am facing surgery again.
My doctor did listen to me and I am either going to have surgery in June or early July. I am still kind of in shock even though I knew this was a possibility.
I haven't quite wrapped my mind around this.
The first thing I thought when I got home was, "Do I need this?"
Then I had back pain tonight and the knee pain from the discogram seems to be raising its ugly head and i know I had to eventually do something.
So it looks like ADR at L5/S1.

Runner

New news! Well, I have to say that it probably is good news. Normally having to have surgery would not be considered good news. But when you have pain that won't go away, the prospect of surgery can be good news, as you know.

I hope, now that some time has passed for the news to sink in, that you are looking at surgery as a good thing. It gives you hope that your pain will be resolved. And you've been through this before, though I'm sure you thought at that time that it would be the end of your pain.

It must be very frustrating to have developed this pain, after just having surgery. It's a real shame they didn't catch the L5/S1 level at the time, so you could have done them in one surgery.

Who is doing your surgery? Is insurance going to cover it?

I really hope this is it for you.

runner · #7 (**permalink**) 05-12-2009, 08:14 AM

I hope so, too. Cathy.
The news is beginning to sink in as I have my first pre-op appt with my primary doctor tomorrow so I can be medically cleared for the surgery.

Now I am worrying about how I am going to get this paid for and covered.
I cannot consciously do fusion when I know ADR is the better surgery in terms of outcome, recovery, adjacent disc disease, etc...

I got my surgery date today and it is later than I wanted but maybe it will be for the best. It will be on July 7th.

So fireworks, my husband's b-day and then surgery. Yeh!!!
It comes out to eight weeks of waiting.

I think the L5/S1 problem just was under the radar. The only indication was a pain response at L5/S1 in my 2007 discogram. Then, it was thought to be referred pain from L4/5.
Since I first felt that awful,, familiar pain in late August, 2008, it has been eight months of increasing pain and that other stuff, numbness and sciatica. Today was not good.

It just seems like you do the discogram and things go downhill.

My mood should be good but besides the thought of undergoing a second major surgery is the worry about getting ready for it.
My hope is that after this surgery I will be able to go back to work and live my life like it should be led.

My surgeon is a very talented neurosurgeon in my area.
Yes, he did my first surgery and he placed the Disc right on the money. It is working great. I love it when the doctors marvel at my range of motion but that is what you get with motion-preserving technology.
The vascular surgeon assisting him is a well-renowned doctor and so nice. I will probably even get the same anesthesiologist.
It will be like old home week in the OR.

There are pluses. My PM doc said last week that I still have a lot of strength left in my legs and feet, although it is not what I have had in the past. There is the possibility that the numbness might go away. Hopefully, the sciatica will be erased for forever. I know my reflexes are not good but they might get better. Who knows.

I have thought of delaying the surgery and then realize that will not be a good idea because if this just gets worse it might preclude me from having a disc. I don't want to be in pain and just deteriorate. From last time, I realized they cannot tell you how bad the DDD is before they operate.

So I try to get my house in order before the big event. And I figure out the logistics. Must of spent three hours or more on the phone today.

You are coming up pretty soon, aren't you, Cathy?

Runner

runner · #8 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009, 11:02 AM

Funny, Maria.
Now I am confused.

I think you are mixing me up with Phylly, after all we both look alike. LOL.
I had L4/5 ADR in 2008 (DDD).
Started with new symptoms just short of six months post-op. All L5/S1 related.
L5/S1 is a bad boy and now need ADR surgery there.
I have exhausted conservative care.
You made me laugh. Because the way you were thinking, no, it would be quite impossible.
That's ok.
Every time, I got an ESI, I would just go crazy from the steroid (I am not saying you are crazy, just talking about my experience). I never got instant relief like that one video says, "bathing the nerve in steroid." Or whatever the voice on the video says. LOL.

(used to be a) Runner.

Maria · #9 (**permalink**) 05-11-2009, 04:56 PM

Runner,
thank you for clarifying that and I went back again and looked at the post that I thought had your sig on it and saw that the header had your name or you had posted it but had pasted Phlly's post on there and it had her sig!

Ok!!! Yep.. I was thinking .. Wow.. where'd this girl go to have that kinda work done?

RE the ESIs.. there was a time when I got a steroid high it seemed and was either just feeling crazy but very happy and alleviated of the pain immediately and then the first week afterward I would literally explode at my husband over nothing. My emotions were askew!

I think the surgery center stopped using epinephrine with me...

I've read that many people get that steroidal nuttiness.. and yes, I feel crazy much of the time anyway w/or w/o