New kid on the block

TiredofPain · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2012, 04:47 AM

Sorry it's been so long. I will be going to my 10 month surgical appt on 29 Feb. I had a high for a short period of time. A litlle bit of painting around the house, cleaning, vacuuming....all thses things cause me discomfort but I mad it through them. I was able to leave the house at least 3 or 4 days a week. That ended about 2 months ago. Now once a week for an hour or two and I get very uncomfortable. Now I'm haveing other problems, my hips and knees. Have had knee probs, hip probs are new. Back above L4/5 L5/S1 is starting to cause discomfort. Don't know if it's related but it may be. Also having major sleep problems, because the way I am now I will never be able to go back to work. Thats pretty depressing due to only being 45 years old. Right now the best I can do is feed my dogs in the morning, rest, then cook dinner for my wife in the eveing. Will see what happens in the next 6 weeks. Wish me luck.

Maria · #2 (**permalink**) 02-06-2012, 04:15 PM

Sorry to hear you're experiencing pain above the fused areas. Sounds like the disc above is aggravated tho perhaps ESIs would help calm that down or an injection of 60mg IM Toradol (non steroidal antiinflammatory med) for muscle spasms (you might start out asking for this at your PCP/Ortho/PM) and if that stuff fails and you don't "have to" have surgery (as in emergent reason) then perhaps you could try a pain medicine to at least cut the pain.

Sounds like you have other things bothering you and I don't know whether they're related to your back or aggravating your back because they're painful.

Good luck on something helping or perhaps just more time. Try not to think that what you are living with today is your life's sentence as things may change with time and/or some intervention (not necessarily meaning more surgery).

thanks for the update

wishing you better days

TiredofPain · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2012, 05:31 PM

Hi Maria, Thank you for the response. My appt with the surgeon is at the end of this month. He is great and hopefully will be able to provide some insight. I'm still on pain meds and anit-inflamatory. I have taken hydrocodone for so long it's becoming less and less effective. But I don't want to take a med that will give me a high sensation. My next appt with the PM isn't until May. Will keep you updated. Again, thanks for your response. J

jsewell · #4 (**permalink**) 02-07-2012, 07:51 PM

Tired of Pain, I am hoping that your pain all gets explained to you on the 29th. I have had hip pain since my scoliosis and kyphosis surgery in Oct of 2010. I woke up from surgery with it. I since had a few more spine surgeries , but the pain remains. I had my hips checked out, my right was already replaced. It is definitely from my spine.
sleep has been a problem for me for years, until i went on a medication called trazadone. My primary, psychiatrist as well as other docs have all told me of no side effects associated with it and it works pretty good to keep me asleep for about 7 hours. I couldn;t survive with out it.
I am still on percocet and have taken it since my hip replacement in 2008. I have had so many surgeries since then and am left with some pain/discomfort when standing, or walking. I seem to do better with hiking which i have recently started. Must be the extreme angle. As i cant really stand up straight.

About working, my doc thinks i should be on disability, but i do not qualify as i worked for the schools and we don't pay into social security. My life circumstances now require that i work . It won't be pretty is all i can say.

But i hope for the best for you in some way. Take care and write any time . I do a lot of venting on here and elsewhere. It seems to help!!
judy

Maria · #5 (**permalink**) 02-08-2012, 05:39 PM

How well I know that one as I've been taking the same dose of Methadone now for 11 years! It works well for me tho so I'm very happy. I do have flare ups every now and then and also because I'm nearly 58 I have other things that seem to get aggravated and be a royal pain for a while sometimes lingering and sometimes not. Today it's my hands and a terribly arthritic or some kinda feeling that's making it hard to type!

Ok wishing you well and hope your doc's visit is productive in terms of answers! take care! Maria

TiredofPain · #6 (**permalink**) 02-27-2012, 08:09 AM

Hi again. Not sure why I thought that my appt was the 29th, as it was actually the 26th. And it didn't go very well as far as I'm concerned. I have a great surgeon, but this time, he seemed to be in a hurry. Maybe I'm too sensitive or something. But they took xrays, and he came in and said that I'm not fusing very well, and he wants to put me on a bone growth simulator and give it two months to determine if another surgery is necessary. Needless to say, that was not remotely close to what I was expecting. He asked about smoking, and mentioned vitamin d. I was taking vitamin D supplements last year but quit. Guess that was bad. I was also diagnosed seven or so years ago with the early stages of osteoporosis. Although I do still have pain, I don't like the prospect of another surgery. If I don't get good fusion and that will be at the 1 year mark when I go back. Will surgery be a necessity. I have for the most part accepted that I will have some pain for the remainder of my life. It's a bummer, but it is what it is. I'm pretty limited now as far as what I can do, but other issues contribute to that as well. Sorry, starting to ramble. I still consider my surgery to be a success because it is better than pre-surgery. Any thoughts on the bone growth stimulator, and if it does not help with the fusion, is another surgery in my best bet. Thanks in advance for any response. J

jsewell · #7 (**permalink**) 02-27-2012, 06:26 PM

When i had my very first surgery, my doc gave me a bone growth stimulator. I got more questions about that as i walked around town. If it is the same device i am thinking of, it has pads to put in the fusion area and a little piece you wear around a belt or attached to your clothes. I had no problems fusing with that. I have had problems now with fusing, but he has never prescribed one again. I have had additional surgeries to redo unfused areas too. But the surgery was not specifically for that purpose.

Sorry the appointment did not go as well as you were hoping, I have certainly been there too. I too , have accepted that i might be in a lifetime of spinal pain although as you said it is much better now than before surgery.
judy