WICHRIS
05-16-2004, 10:39 AM
Hi everyone-I was hoping someone could help me understand the results of
my MRI. I started having terrible pain at the base of my neck that radiates
out to my shoulder blades and then down my spine- the fingers on my left
hand are sometimes numb and recently sometimes I drop things with my left
hand.My PCP ordered an MRI last week and called me 3 hours later and said
the disk at C5-6 was pushing on my spinal cord ( the radiology tech said I
wouldnt have the results for 2 to 4 days ! ) My PCP then called and had me
make an appt. ASAP with the Physiatrist for an EMG test and pain management and in his words to see what she suggests as further treatment.
I am currently on Neurontin,Flexeril and Vicodin 5/500 ( 2 x day ).The last couple of days though the pain has been so bad I was going to call tomorrow
to see if I could take the Vicodin 3 x day. I guess I am just really scared about this and dont know what to expect.Now I have to wait 2 weeks because the Physiatrist is on vacation until then ! What type of treatment
do they use for this condition ?-Surgery?? This started about 2 months ago and seems to get
worse everyday-has anyone had to use pain meds like Vicodin for this problem? I truly appreciate any help,replies or suggestions as I am really
nervous about this whole thing...
Thanks-Chris
my MRI. I started having terrible pain at the base of my neck that radiates
out to my shoulder blades and then down my spine- the fingers on my left
hand are sometimes numb and recently sometimes I drop things with my left
hand.My PCP ordered an MRI last week and called me 3 hours later and said
the disk at C5-6 was pushing on my spinal cord ( the radiology tech said I
wouldnt have the results for 2 to 4 days ! ) My PCP then called and had me
make an appt. ASAP with the Physiatrist for an EMG test and pain management and in his words to see what she suggests as further treatment.
I am currently on Neurontin,Flexeril and Vicodin 5/500 ( 2 x day ).The last couple of days though the pain has been so bad I was going to call tomorrow
to see if I could take the Vicodin 3 x day. I guess I am just really scared about this and dont know what to expect.Now I have to wait 2 weeks because the Physiatrist is on vacation until then ! What type of treatment
do they use for this condition ?-Surgery?? This started about 2 months ago and seems to get
worse everyday-has anyone had to use pain meds like Vicodin for this problem? I truly appreciate any help,replies or suggestions as I am really
nervous about this whole thing...
Thanks-Chris
Sponsor
Hurdy
05-16-2004, 12:07 PM
Hi everyone-I was hoping someone could help me understand the results of
my MRI. I started having terrible pain at the base of my neck that radiates
out to my shoulder blades and then down my spine- the fingers on my left
hand are sometimes numb and recently sometimes I drop things with my left
hand.My PCP ordered an MRI last week and called me 3 hours later and said
the disk at C5-6 was pushing on my spinal cord ( the radiology tech said I
wouldnt have the results for 2 to 4 days ! ) My PCP then called and had me
make an appt. ASAP with the Physiatrist for an EMG test and pain management and in his words to see what she suggests as further treatment.
I am currently on Neurontin,Flexeril and Vicodin 5/500 ( 2 x day ).The last couple of days though the pain has been so bad I was going to call tomorrow
to see if I could take the Vicodin 3 x day. I guess I am just really scared about this and dont know what to expect.Now I have to wait 2 weeks because the Physiatrist is on vacation until then ! What type of treatment
do they use for this condition ?-Surgery?? This started about 2 months ago and seems to get
worse everyday-has anyone had to use pain meds like Vicodin for this problem? I truly appreciate any help,replies or suggestions as I am really
nervous about this whole thing...
Thanks-Chris
Hi There, As far as your vicodin question, with the pain you are having i am surprised at the low dose the doc has you on. With the strength of vicodin you are on it is safe and commonly prescribed to take 2 vicodins every 4 to 6 hours. If you should be put on that dose with the pain you are having you could probably manage your pain much better should you take the med on time every 4 or 6 hours and not wait until the pain is unbearable. If you dont wish to take that many vicodins there is a higher dose vic that your doc could prescribe for you to take 1 three times a day or even 1 tab every 4 to 6 hours. There is alot of pain medication options, you should sit down and have a good conversation with your doc about your pain level and what type of pain management would suit you best, but please remember, until you get this whole thing straightened out, you dont have to suffer everyday with severe pain! I know where you are coming from and i really feel bad for you. If i can answer more questions i would be more than happy too! I just had ACDF of C4-5 and 5-6 with double titanium cages put in. I had the same pain you are describing, unfortunately my pain has not went away after surgery. My best friend also was just diagnosed with herniation of C6-7 with the spinal cord involved just like you, so she is just getting started with this whole mess and treatment. I am just glad i guess for her that i have already been through it so i can tell her what to expect and explain to her what she is feeling. Sorry this post is so long, guess i just got carried away!!!! lol I wish you the best of luck, Hurdy
my MRI. I started having terrible pain at the base of my neck that radiates
out to my shoulder blades and then down my spine- the fingers on my left
hand are sometimes numb and recently sometimes I drop things with my left
hand.My PCP ordered an MRI last week and called me 3 hours later and said
the disk at C5-6 was pushing on my spinal cord ( the radiology tech said I
wouldnt have the results for 2 to 4 days ! ) My PCP then called and had me
make an appt. ASAP with the Physiatrist for an EMG test and pain management and in his words to see what she suggests as further treatment.
I am currently on Neurontin,Flexeril and Vicodin 5/500 ( 2 x day ).The last couple of days though the pain has been so bad I was going to call tomorrow
to see if I could take the Vicodin 3 x day. I guess I am just really scared about this and dont know what to expect.Now I have to wait 2 weeks because the Physiatrist is on vacation until then ! What type of treatment
do they use for this condition ?-Surgery?? This started about 2 months ago and seems to get
worse everyday-has anyone had to use pain meds like Vicodin for this problem? I truly appreciate any help,replies or suggestions as I am really
nervous about this whole thing...
Thanks-Chris
Hi There, As far as your vicodin question, with the pain you are having i am surprised at the low dose the doc has you on. With the strength of vicodin you are on it is safe and commonly prescribed to take 2 vicodins every 4 to 6 hours. If you should be put on that dose with the pain you are having you could probably manage your pain much better should you take the med on time every 4 or 6 hours and not wait until the pain is unbearable. If you dont wish to take that many vicodins there is a higher dose vic that your doc could prescribe for you to take 1 three times a day or even 1 tab every 4 to 6 hours. There is alot of pain medication options, you should sit down and have a good conversation with your doc about your pain level and what type of pain management would suit you best, but please remember, until you get this whole thing straightened out, you dont have to suffer everyday with severe pain! I know where you are coming from and i really feel bad for you. If i can answer more questions i would be more than happy too! I just had ACDF of C4-5 and 5-6 with double titanium cages put in. I had the same pain you are describing, unfortunately my pain has not went away after surgery. My best friend also was just diagnosed with herniation of C6-7 with the spinal cord involved just like you, so she is just getting started with this whole mess and treatment. I am just glad i guess for her that i have already been through it so i can tell her what to expect and explain to her what she is feeling. Sorry this post is so long, guess i just got carried away!!!! lol I wish you the best of luck, Hurdy
WICHRIS
05-16-2004, 12:40 PM
Hurdy I am sorry your pain is still bad even after your surgery...I hope you
start feel better.Thank you so much for your help and suggestions.My PCP did rx the Vicodin 1 every 4 to 6 hrs but I have tried to get by with 2 a day.I guess this pain management thing is really hard for me-I am a health care
professional myself currently having to work 50 + hrs. a week and I am really having trouble with coming to terms that I might have to take some time off
work to get this pain under control.However,your reply has me feel better about calling my PCP tomorrow and asking for an refill on the Vicodin to take 3 to 4 times and enough to last 2 weeks until I see the Physiatrist.The last
rx he gave me was for 30 tabs and I made that last 2 weeks. I truly am scared about this since I had the MRI as it just doesnt seem good that this disk is currently pushing on my spinal cord-and my heart sank when he called
3 hrs after the MRI when they told me he wouldnt even have the results for 2 to 4 days.Thanks again for all help and encouragement....
Chris
start feel better.Thank you so much for your help and suggestions.My PCP did rx the Vicodin 1 every 4 to 6 hrs but I have tried to get by with 2 a day.I guess this pain management thing is really hard for me-I am a health care
professional myself currently having to work 50 + hrs. a week and I am really having trouble with coming to terms that I might have to take some time off
work to get this pain under control.However,your reply has me feel better about calling my PCP tomorrow and asking for an refill on the Vicodin to take 3 to 4 times and enough to last 2 weeks until I see the Physiatrist.The last
rx he gave me was for 30 tabs and I made that last 2 weeks. I truly am scared about this since I had the MRI as it just doesnt seem good that this disk is currently pushing on my spinal cord-and my heart sank when he called
3 hrs after the MRI when they told me he wouldnt even have the results for 2 to 4 days.Thanks again for all help and encouragement....
Chris
Hurdy
05-16-2004, 08:53 PM
Hi Chris, I am a Health Care Professional as well so i really do know where you are coming from. I have been on pain medication on and off for about 3 years now because of this whole mess. So of course my body has built up a tolerance for it. I have only taken vicodin (lortab) and percocet but the only strength that really helps the pain is like vicodin 10/500 or the percocet 10/500. I havent been in the Health care world since i had my surgery on April 5th, 2004. Even though i may have the medication if i am going to drive or be in the health care i dont take the medication so i have suffered with pain alot on and off. Enough about me, your injury with the spinal cord being involved can be very serious! After my friend had her mri she went to see her pcp and he told her that ( i also read the mri report, i have the report if you would like to view it just to see how similar it is to yours ) she had a herniation at c 6-7 that was pushing on her spinal cord and that the report said that there is thinning of the spinal cord. So the pcp told her she was to do absolutely nothing but rest and he also told her that if she didnt have surgery she could be paralyzed and if she did have surgery it was a 50/50 chance it could go either way, she may come out of surgery just fine or she could be paralyzed. She then had an appt for in july to see the ns well 1 day later after her pcp faxed her papers down they were calling and wanting her to come in the next day. Well she went and she didnt even see the ns, she saw a practicioner. The practitioner told her no lifting but just told her to do PT for a month and see if that helps with the pain. Well i say WHATEVER!!!!! So i called my ns and she will be seeing him for a second opinon in 2 weeks.I really hope all works out good for the two of you. Hurdy
WICHRIS
05-18-2004, 01:59 PM
Hey Hurdy nice to talk to another health care person such as myself.I hope things are going better for you with your pain management..sorry to hear about your friend-I am glad you are there to advocate for the proper medical treatment she needs ! Sometimes I just marvel at how truly messed up our current health care delivery system is at times..As for myself thanks for all your help and advice it amazes me at how on top of the game I can be at helping other people and my staff but when it comes to my own health care I turn into an bumbling idiot! I guess probably most of it is due to the fact I was never really sick until the last year or so when I first got diagnosed with fibro by a Rheumatologist and then this C 5,6 disk last week.I have come to the realization that I will probably have to take some time off work as my PCP
suggested to get this disk under control whatever that may entail..Yesterday
I worked and I dropped a few things with my left hand and now my left leg feels weaker sometimes and I currently am at the start of a 7 day stretch at work..Well just wanted to touch base and I will be sending good thoughts your friends way as she awaits her treatment plan..
Chris
suggested to get this disk under control whatever that may entail..Yesterday
I worked and I dropped a few things with my left hand and now my left leg feels weaker sometimes and I currently am at the start of a 7 day stretch at work..Well just wanted to touch base and I will be sending good thoughts your friends way as she awaits her treatment plan..
Chris
Hurdy
05-19-2004, 08:05 PM
Hi Chris, It was very nice to hear from you! It is funny how some of our symptoms are so similar. When my injury first ocurred the left side was effected. I can still remember how bad the pain was and there were times when i just wanted to die! The docs kept misdiagnosing me without doing any kind of tests and they also knew how conservative i was when it came to taking meds, so i sufferred tremendously. When i was finally dx i really didnt want to have surgery so i just kept putting it off. Well, wouldnt ya know it, just my luck a year and a half later i was in an auto accident, this elderly man who shouldnt have been driving hit my vehicle, so i ended up herniating another disc! So here i am with 2 herniated discs, one effecting the left side and the new one of course effecting the right side! A few months after herniating the second disc, one day i noticed that my right arm seemed to be weak. A couple of days after that it was extremely weak and i couldnt hold on to anything. It was pretty much weak and unusable for about a month and then it slowly came back. It was pretty scary when it first happened. Now since my surgery as i stated in my previous post, i still am having alot of pain and over the past 3 years i have changed a bit when it comes to the pain meds. I decided that if they were available to me i am going to take them for my pain, providing i am home. I am just so tired of being in pain. I keep telling myself that it will get better and it just takes time to heal, after all i am just 6 weeks post op. I am so looking forward to the day that i am pain free and need NO MORE MEDS!!! Do you ever post on the professionals board? Maybe i will see you in there! Hope to talk again soon, Hurdy
WICHRIS
05-24-2004, 12:17 PM
Hey Hurdy I just thought I would check in and see how your post op is going..
Is the pain getting any better ? I am sure you are getting pretty tired of dealing with it day to day but hopefully you can see some light at the end of the tunnel..How are things going with your friend-has she seen your NS yet?
As for me, I finally caved in and turned my medical paperwork in to temporarily
reduce the amount of hours I work every week.I looked at the results of the MRI my PCP listed and he said Moderate,Diffuse disk protrusion at C5,6-I am not sure clinically what that entails...However, I am having a hard time believing that the pain at the base of my neck & shoulders can be this bad and also that this has caused the numbness in my hand & fingers at times..I do however seem to have lost some dexterity in this hand because I frequently drop things with it. My next appt. is in a week with the Physiatrist to do EMG test and pain management and whatever else is deemed appropriate..Take Care and better tomorrows !
Chris
Is the pain getting any better ? I am sure you are getting pretty tired of dealing with it day to day but hopefully you can see some light at the end of the tunnel..How are things going with your friend-has she seen your NS yet?
As for me, I finally caved in and turned my medical paperwork in to temporarily
reduce the amount of hours I work every week.I looked at the results of the MRI my PCP listed and he said Moderate,Diffuse disk protrusion at C5,6-I am not sure clinically what that entails...However, I am having a hard time believing that the pain at the base of my neck & shoulders can be this bad and also that this has caused the numbness in my hand & fingers at times..I do however seem to have lost some dexterity in this hand because I frequently drop things with it. My next appt. is in a week with the Physiatrist to do EMG test and pain management and whatever else is deemed appropriate..Take Care and better tomorrows !
Chris
Ricki
05-24-2004, 07:58 PM
Hi Chris,
I also had a C5-C6 herniation with cord impingement. It was also pinching a nerve and I had the same symptoms in my left arm. Once I started dropping things, my loss of strength seemed to progress rapidly. I had surgery 2 weeks ago and my arm pain is better but it is a tough recovery -- more of a rehabilitation really. I am hoping I will also have less neck pain, migraine headaches and nausea but that remains to be seen. Glad you are cutting your hours down to take care of yourself.
Ricki.
I also had a C5-C6 herniation with cord impingement. It was also pinching a nerve and I had the same symptoms in my left arm. Once I started dropping things, my loss of strength seemed to progress rapidly. I had surgery 2 weeks ago and my arm pain is better but it is a tough recovery -- more of a rehabilitation really. I am hoping I will also have less neck pain, migraine headaches and nausea but that remains to be seen. Glad you are cutting your hours down to take care of yourself.
Ricki.
WICHRIS
05-24-2004, 09:39 PM
Ricky sorry you are having such a hard time with the nausea and headaches..
How about asking your doc to rx some phenergan for the nausea?-they could
also use compazine or zofran maybe..For the headaches have you ever tried
fiorcet or any of the other butalbital compounds?-they work great for a lot
of patients..Just a thought but how is your overall pain control ? ..sometimes
patients with inadequate pain control will get headaches that also contribute
to intermittent bouts of nuasea,etc..I hope you get to feeling better and I guess when looking at post op it is definately more of a marathon than sprint.
Thanks for your reply as I guess I am just at the start of this roller coaster!
Chris
How about asking your doc to rx some phenergan for the nausea?-they could
also use compazine or zofran maybe..For the headaches have you ever tried
fiorcet or any of the other butalbital compounds?-they work great for a lot
of patients..Just a thought but how is your overall pain control ? ..sometimes
patients with inadequate pain control will get headaches that also contribute
to intermittent bouts of nuasea,etc..I hope you get to feeling better and I guess when looking at post op it is definately more of a marathon than sprint.
Thanks for your reply as I guess I am just at the start of this roller coaster!
Chris
Ricki
05-24-2004, 11:19 PM
Hi Chris,
He gave me Compazine for the nausea but it makes me tired. My migraines give me nausea, but I often have nausea with no pain and I don't understand it. I have had every test in the book so I am hoping this surgery helps. As far as pain control, I usually take Imitrex for the migraine and it works pretty well, but I don't take anything for prevention. I have tried several preventative drugs and all I got so many side effects. Between migraines and depression I had all of these drugs in my system and I didn't know what was causing what. I finally worked my way off everything. I also need to be careful about pain meds because I have been addicted to Vicodin in the past and getting off wasn't pretty. I know your doc gave you Vicodin too. Is there anything you can alternate with it so you don't get addicted? You are suffering enough without that! I was feeling extremely hopeless before this surgery so I have a lot riding on my recovery. Isn't all of this crazy? Whatever you decide for your treatment, conservative like PT or Surgery, I suggest being very assertive with your providers to get care as soon as possible. No reason to prolong all of your suffering.
Ricki
He gave me Compazine for the nausea but it makes me tired. My migraines give me nausea, but I often have nausea with no pain and I don't understand it. I have had every test in the book so I am hoping this surgery helps. As far as pain control, I usually take Imitrex for the migraine and it works pretty well, but I don't take anything for prevention. I have tried several preventative drugs and all I got so many side effects. Between migraines and depression I had all of these drugs in my system and I didn't know what was causing what. I finally worked my way off everything. I also need to be careful about pain meds because I have been addicted to Vicodin in the past and getting off wasn't pretty. I know your doc gave you Vicodin too. Is there anything you can alternate with it so you don't get addicted? You are suffering enough without that! I was feeling extremely hopeless before this surgery so I have a lot riding on my recovery. Isn't all of this crazy? Whatever you decide for your treatment, conservative like PT or Surgery, I suggest being very assertive with your providers to get care as soon as possible. No reason to prolong all of your suffering.
Ricki
Hurdy
05-25-2004, 10:07 AM
Hey Hurdy I just thought I would check in and see how your post op is going..
Is the pain getting any better ? I am sure you are getting pretty tired of dealing with it day to day but hopefully you can see some light at the end of the tunnel..How are things going with your friend-has she seen your NS yet?
As for me, I finally caved in and turned my medical paperwork in to temporarily
reduce the amount of hours I work every week.I looked at the results of the MRI my PCP listed and he said Moderate,Diffuse disk protrusion at C5,6-I am not sure clinically what that entails...However, I am having a hard time believing that the pain at the base of my neck & shoulders can be this bad and also that this has caused the numbness in my hand & fingers at times..I do however seem to have lost some dexterity in this hand because I frequently drop things with it. My next appt. is in a week with the Physiatrist to do EMG test and pain management and whatever else is deemed appropriate..Take Care and better tomorrows !
Chris
Hi Chris, Well i was 7 weeks post op yesterday and still am no better. Still having alot of pain. I decided that it probably wont get any better so i am going to have to deal with it! As far as my friend she is still just as miserable as ever. No, she has not seen my NS yet. She will see him on the 11th of June. As far as your dx. of moderate diffuse disk protrusion.... I will try to explain.... as a health care professional you know what moderate means, the diffuse is " widely spread ", now as far as the protrusion..... There are 4 stages of disc herniation: Bulging, Protrusion, Extrusion and Sequestration. With the Bulging and Protrusion the annular ring that encircles around the outside edge of the disc ( outer wall ) is still intact whereas extrusion and sequestration it is disrupted or ( broke open ). So with you having a disc protusion the disc is pushing out of the disc space and taking up the room and pushing on the many nerves that come from the spinal cord and normally pass freely by the disc. This is the reason for the pain and the weakness in your arm and hand. So they say that the disc protusion or a herniation itself isnt painful, it is the pushing and pinching off the nerve that causes all the pain. I hope that i have been of some help explaining it to you, it was the right thing to do to turn in your papers to cut down your hours. I know how painful this dx is, i am actually surprised that you can even work at all. Please take care of yourself! Hurdy
Is the pain getting any better ? I am sure you are getting pretty tired of dealing with it day to day but hopefully you can see some light at the end of the tunnel..How are things going with your friend-has she seen your NS yet?
As for me, I finally caved in and turned my medical paperwork in to temporarily
reduce the amount of hours I work every week.I looked at the results of the MRI my PCP listed and he said Moderate,Diffuse disk protrusion at C5,6-I am not sure clinically what that entails...However, I am having a hard time believing that the pain at the base of my neck & shoulders can be this bad and also that this has caused the numbness in my hand & fingers at times..I do however seem to have lost some dexterity in this hand because I frequently drop things with it. My next appt. is in a week with the Physiatrist to do EMG test and pain management and whatever else is deemed appropriate..Take Care and better tomorrows !
Chris
Hi Chris, Well i was 7 weeks post op yesterday and still am no better. Still having alot of pain. I decided that it probably wont get any better so i am going to have to deal with it! As far as my friend she is still just as miserable as ever. No, she has not seen my NS yet. She will see him on the 11th of June. As far as your dx. of moderate diffuse disk protrusion.... I will try to explain.... as a health care professional you know what moderate means, the diffuse is " widely spread ", now as far as the protrusion..... There are 4 stages of disc herniation: Bulging, Protrusion, Extrusion and Sequestration. With the Bulging and Protrusion the annular ring that encircles around the outside edge of the disc ( outer wall ) is still intact whereas extrusion and sequestration it is disrupted or ( broke open ). So with you having a disc protusion the disc is pushing out of the disc space and taking up the room and pushing on the many nerves that come from the spinal cord and normally pass freely by the disc. This is the reason for the pain and the weakness in your arm and hand. So they say that the disc protusion or a herniation itself isnt painful, it is the pushing and pinching off the nerve that causes all the pain. I hope that i have been of some help explaining it to you, it was the right thing to do to turn in your papers to cut down your hours. I know how painful this dx is, i am actually surprised that you can even work at all. Please take care of yourself! Hurdy
WICHRIS
05-25-2004, 11:51 AM
Hey Hurdy it was nice hearing from you...I have been wondering how your recovery is going and I had hoped your surgery and post op would start to show better results...I am sorry your pain is still bad as I cant imagine dealing
with a failed surgery and the pain that you continue to deal with on a daily basis..How are things going with you in regards to your pain management-do you have a clinician willing to work with you to achieve the best results? Thanks for your explanation on my MRI results as it has been quite awhile since those anatomy,physiology classes ! I was already thinking along those
same lines as you explained..however, I wasnt sure about the actual grades
of herniation so thank you...This is the first week I have decreased my hours-
I am now working almost half of what I usually do-previously I worked a solid
50-60 hrs./wk. I must admit I am somewhat lost already..I guess I never got the whole work/life balance thing down..as I think I am 90 % work/10 % personal life..hmm...My appt. with the Physiatrist is 6/1 as I am anxiously waiting for some resolution to this...in your opinion do you think I will have to
have surgery ?
Chris
with a failed surgery and the pain that you continue to deal with on a daily basis..How are things going with you in regards to your pain management-do you have a clinician willing to work with you to achieve the best results? Thanks for your explanation on my MRI results as it has been quite awhile since those anatomy,physiology classes ! I was already thinking along those
same lines as you explained..however, I wasnt sure about the actual grades
of herniation so thank you...This is the first week I have decreased my hours-
I am now working almost half of what I usually do-previously I worked a solid
50-60 hrs./wk. I must admit I am somewhat lost already..I guess I never got the whole work/life balance thing down..as I think I am 90 % work/10 % personal life..hmm...My appt. with the Physiatrist is 6/1 as I am anxiously waiting for some resolution to this...in your opinion do you think I will have to
have surgery ?
Chris
kiery
05-26-2004, 02:48 AM
Hello, I have a major spinal injury and have surrived spinal surgery and have had so many MRIS that I feel I can almost read them myself.
Advise-Get to a NeruoSurgeon ASAP. It sounds like you have a dick that has ruptured into the spinal canal and is presing on the cord. This will require surgery to fix. Also call andother Physit. 2weeks is to long. As for the pain get to a Pain mgmt Doc. I take Oxycontin 120mg every12, Oxycontin IR 5mg 2every 4hours, Victon 10/325 2every4hr, valium 10mg, vioxx 50mg and allot other. So you can get pain relief. Your PCP is not a surgen and that is what you need!!! Anything else I can help with let me know!!
B
Advise-Get to a NeruoSurgeon ASAP. It sounds like you have a dick that has ruptured into the spinal canal and is presing on the cord. This will require surgery to fix. Also call andother Physit. 2weeks is to long. As for the pain get to a Pain mgmt Doc. I take Oxycontin 120mg every12, Oxycontin IR 5mg 2every 4hours, Victon 10/325 2every4hr, valium 10mg, vioxx 50mg and allot other. So you can get pain relief. Your PCP is not a surgen and that is what you need!!! Anything else I can help with let me know!!
B
Hurdy
05-27-2004, 05:44 AM
Hey Hurdy it was nice hearing from you...I have been wondering how your recovery is going and I had hoped your surgery and post op would start to show better results...I am sorry your pain is still bad as I cant imagine dealing
with a failed surgery and the pain that you continue to deal with on a daily basis..How are things going with you in regards to your pain management-do you have a clinician willing to work with you to achieve the best results? Thanks for your explanation on my MRI results as it has been quite awhile since those anatomy,physiology classes ! I was already thinking along those
same lines as you explained..however, I wasnt sure about the actual grades
of herniation so thank you...This is the first week I have decreased my hours-
I am now working almost half of what I usually do-previously I worked a solid
50-60 hrs./wk. I must admit I am somewhat lost already..I guess I never got the whole work/life balance thing down..as I think I am 90 % work/10 % personal life..hmm...My appt. with the Physiatrist is 6/1 as I am anxiously waiting for some resolution to this...in your opinion do you think I will have to
have surgery ?
Chris
Hi Chris, Nice to hear from you! As far as your question about surgery..... Is your bulging disc just pressing on your nerves or is it pressing on your spinal cord causing narrowing? Why are you seeing a Physiatrist? Why didnt your doc just refer you to a NS? I do know alot of the times the NS likes to try less invasive aproach if at all possible with surgery being a last resort. I am not a big fan or big believer of PT when it comes to the bulging and herniated disks. I have talked to alot of people and read alot of posts on here and i have not seen any big relief from the pain with the PT or any positive results. As i said before, it was a smart move to lower your hours at work. You need to rest and also i am sure that your job is stressful, which will in turn cause you to be tense and your muscles to tighten up and cause even more pain. I am guessing that you are not married, so with the extra time off you should expand on that 10% personal life and have some fun and see that there is a life outside of work!!!!!!!! Have fun, Hurdy ( Wendy )
with a failed surgery and the pain that you continue to deal with on a daily basis..How are things going with you in regards to your pain management-do you have a clinician willing to work with you to achieve the best results? Thanks for your explanation on my MRI results as it has been quite awhile since those anatomy,physiology classes ! I was already thinking along those
same lines as you explained..however, I wasnt sure about the actual grades
of herniation so thank you...This is the first week I have decreased my hours-
I am now working almost half of what I usually do-previously I worked a solid
50-60 hrs./wk. I must admit I am somewhat lost already..I guess I never got the whole work/life balance thing down..as I think I am 90 % work/10 % personal life..hmm...My appt. with the Physiatrist is 6/1 as I am anxiously waiting for some resolution to this...in your opinion do you think I will have to
have surgery ?
Chris
Hi Chris, Nice to hear from you! As far as your question about surgery..... Is your bulging disc just pressing on your nerves or is it pressing on your spinal cord causing narrowing? Why are you seeing a Physiatrist? Why didnt your doc just refer you to a NS? I do know alot of the times the NS likes to try less invasive aproach if at all possible with surgery being a last resort. I am not a big fan or big believer of PT when it comes to the bulging and herniated disks. I have talked to alot of people and read alot of posts on here and i have not seen any big relief from the pain with the PT or any positive results. As i said before, it was a smart move to lower your hours at work. You need to rest and also i am sure that your job is stressful, which will in turn cause you to be tense and your muscles to tighten up and cause even more pain. I am guessing that you are not married, so with the extra time off you should expand on that 10% personal life and have some fun and see that there is a life outside of work!!!!!!!! Have fun, Hurdy ( Wendy )
WICHRIS
05-27-2004, 12:16 PM
Hi Wendy it was nice to hear from you as I have been hoping your recovery
is getting better and that your pain is under control-are things going any
better for you lately ? I have only talked to my PCP that one day when he called and gave me the MRI results and said it was pushing on the cord &
resulting in my left hand Sx-he wanted the EMG test done and me to go
to the Physiatrist first to see if something else could be done besides
surgery. He somewhat reminds me of the absent minded professor in a lot
of ways but overall a very caring,compassionate doc-which as we all know
is quite hard to find these days ! How is your daily life going ?-are you able
to get out and do any activities that you enjoy,etc ? I would imagine with
your post-op complications that you are still off work..I really hope you
start to feel better. For me personally I have come to believe through out
my life all happens for a reason even tho it is not apparent to me always at the time...maybe the big lesson here for me is what truly is important in
life..anyway I never usually use any of my vacation time but this fall I think
I am finally going to take that trip to Australia I have always wanted to do..
I hope your days get better...
Much Thanks...Chris
is getting better and that your pain is under control-are things going any
better for you lately ? I have only talked to my PCP that one day when he called and gave me the MRI results and said it was pushing on the cord &
resulting in my left hand Sx-he wanted the EMG test done and me to go
to the Physiatrist first to see if something else could be done besides
surgery. He somewhat reminds me of the absent minded professor in a lot
of ways but overall a very caring,compassionate doc-which as we all know
is quite hard to find these days ! How is your daily life going ?-are you able
to get out and do any activities that you enjoy,etc ? I would imagine with
your post-op complications that you are still off work..I really hope you
start to feel better. For me personally I have come to believe through out
my life all happens for a reason even tho it is not apparent to me always at the time...maybe the big lesson here for me is what truly is important in
life..anyway I never usually use any of my vacation time but this fall I think
I am finally going to take that trip to Australia I have always wanted to do..
I hope your days get better...
Much Thanks...Chris
Hurdy
05-30-2004, 03:06 AM
Hi Chris, Sorry it took so long for me to write back! I have just been having some issues here at home and have been EXTREMELY STRESSED OUT the last few days. It just has to get better! Anyway, i still have pain on a daily basis, some days its not to bad and and others it is excruciating. Today was one of the terribly painful days. Now about you, i think you would most definately benefit if you consulted with a NS. My girlfriends herniated disc is also pushing on her spinal cord and there is also some narrowing of the spinal cord as well. She has an appt. with the NS week after next, however, her pcp keeps telling her that she needs to be off work and absolutely no lifting under any circumstances that her condition is very dangerous and that if she opts to not have surgery she will most likely become paralyzed and that if she opts to have surgery that it will be a 50/50 chance that she may come out of surgery paralyzed. I guess we will know for sure exactly how bad it is when she sees the ns, i set her up the appt. with him because he is one of the top 15 ns in the united states. how wonderful that you may be going to Australia! That most certainly is one of the places i would love to go someday! Well, my insomnia is wearing off so i guess i will hit the sack. Talk to you very soon, wendy