Hi all, :wave: Just wondering how others with both areas herniated are doing? I have had cervical c 5-6-7 fusion, L5/s1 discectomy and now collapsed along with l3-5 bulging. Yep, ddd on all, and nerve damage. I am a survivor with a great pain threshold. But, I am fooling myself that someday it will get better? I know my limitations now, sadly. I want so badly to get out and join in on life! I can and will tolerate my pain, but will I get worse by so doing? I am moving to a home that has alot of stairs, my knees hurt now, gosh is this going to be a problem? I am only 48 and refuse to give in!!!! I am alone no support system and a baby boomer with concerns. Now I know how our parents must have felt. What kills me is I never even had an accident that caused this! Why, I don't know, maybe large babies? alot of exercise in my younger yrs, who knows, but its there. :confused:

Ohh, do you have to move into the place with stairs? If your knees bother you now, those steps are going to be a killer and might cause them to deteriorate faster. Not to mention that steps are hard on spinies to begin with. I don't blame you for not wanting to "give in"; but please don't make it harder on yourself to prove a point. After all, you're the one who has to pay the piper!!!

Carol

Hi Cardinal,
I'm new here too. Had c3 ACLF in Feb and 3 level LFIP in April.
I thought I got along great after the cervical operation. No side affects, normal recoup pain that has mostly gone now. My Lumbar is still fresh though. All the screws and rods and plates are constantly fresh in my back though the pain is subsiding slowly each day. I still find after moving around the house for 2-3 hours I need to lie down for and hour. Problem is I immediately aquired a nerve problem right after the operation. My doctor thought I was just complaining a lot because it turned out to be a bigger operation than expected. Each week after I would call my doctor or go see him and complain about my foot and leg pain that radiated from my butt when I sit. My foot is swollen and darkish in color. My calf aches!!! My toes are cold and numb. My skin on the foot feels like it has been sunburned. My back aches on and off. I take 600mg Neurontin 3xs a day and Vicodine every 4-6 hours. The meds only help a little with the back and hardly at all with the leg and foot.
My Neurosurgeon sent me for an MRI and when he was satisfied with it he sent me to my primary to check everything else. He also referred me to a vascular doctor. Everything checked out OK. So now tomorrow I go back to him and tell him all the other doctors feel it is the back causing the swelling, pain, redness. Now this past week I feel my hands and arms are being affected by something similar. I sure hope my neurosurgeon can admit that something was affected by the laminectomies and suggest a corrective action before I have permanant nerve damage!

I too am alone. It was pure HELL lying in bed the first 2 weeks unable to get up to take my meds. I cried for several weeks because there is no one to help me. It's only been about 2 weeks now that I can sit a little at my computer. It's really hard when you're alone and ill. I thought I had friends but I guess they just can't find it in them to offer help??? I have since asked a neighbor or two to pick up my medicine at the store or to purchase a roll of toilet paper for me. But if I don't ask no one knocks on my door???

I need help so badly, to change my bedsheets, to go to the laundromat, to wash my floors (they are so dirty!) My doctor has me wearing the bodybrace 24/7."even while I sleep" he said. He did a lot of work on my spine. I have DDD on the entire spine. He fixed the L4, L5, and S1 and also the C3 which was severely unstable. I had to have rush surgery for the cervical. I asked him what will I do about the thorasic that is entirely affected and he said he did not want to go there because the likelyhood of success in the thorasic was so slim.

Well I think you got the gist of it. I never thought I would have to go thru operations like this alone but I did and do have to. I have no one to help me so I just have to tough it out.

PS Just when I can finally sit a little and do a little more for myself, today my company calls me and terminates me! They made up some trumped up performance charges and say that because my employment is being terminated I won't be eligible for their long term disability insurance! I know I need a lawyer now but I'm so very busy with so many doctors and buses to get to them while I'm in so much pain! One day I was actually standing.. no, leaning on a bus stop signpost crying in the rain while I had to wait a half hour for the bus to come to get home from the doctors office!
Tomorrow I need to get to NYU and I know it will take me several hours due to my difficulty walking. But what can I do? I need to see my doctor in person this time and not on the telephone (which will be shut soon for none payment). Please say a little prayer for me to get to the doctor's office and to figure out what to try to do the next day for this backstabbig by my boss.

Thanks for listening about me. Did you have any problems with either of your surgeries?
I'm going to sleep now. Will check back tomorrow late.

Take it easy eveyone. Feel better and good night. :)

Thanks Carol for the insight! Molly, gosh, I feel so sorry for you! I know how you feel! I lost my job due to my situation. I do have a friend, but no help physically, he is an alcoholic. But financially, a God send!!! I had to take a taxi home after my surgery to find my condo a pig pen from my "friend". I needed meds and went 6 days w/o a bowel movement, til he was finally capable to drive and get me fleets. Never imagined a home coming to another hell. A neighbor finally came to my aide with errands. Are you on disability? I am awaiting a decision, I hope, for ssi. I sent a letter to the judge after over a yr of waiting for my hearing now. Also have a lawyer for my law suit with my ltd from my employer. I have not had a ck from short term dis since 8/03! I got a puppy to ease my lonliness. That created more problems with having to take him out...but he keeps my mind off me! My move is to a home that has alot of land for him to run, condo living is not for me or my dog! My friend is not going with me, sadly but it may help him to change? or worse? But I must do what's best for me. I worry about the outside stairs, but there is a back entrance w/o stairs, most likely will use that way most of the time. It's the area I so love, mountains, creek, cooler climate than Fl. If life is going to be painful atleast I can sit on my deck in a peaceful tranquil setting and the puppy can be free!! Life is too short to worry. But I sure would love to get back on a motorcycle, horseback, mountain climbing, tennis, skiing, heh , we have the memories and I did it all and proud!!!!!! :bouncing:

Molly, I'm so sorry! If I lived near you, I'd gladly spend the day cleaning your house for you, running errands, etc. I really pray you find someone who can help you out. Have you tried calling your local church? Even if you are not a member, many churches would be happy to help you out. Please try that.

Wishing you all the best, with much happiness and pain-free days. :angel:

You wouldn't believe it...I am an active member in my church! Most people know me in my neighborhood. They know I am alone. On Sundays I drag myself to Mass. No one offers to help. No one invites me for dinner. Everyone stays so distant I can't believe it. Not a phone call or letter!

When I was well, I invited different people to dinner, had New Years Eve parties that let me reach out to a lot of people from church to come. And they did too. But where are they now! I swear, the hurt in my heart is as big as the pain and disability.

I keep hoping God has a good reason behind all this lonely suffering. I think if i just didn't have the feeling of abandonment I would be able to cope better.

Sorry for the depressing reply...I am not having a good day.

TTYL
Mollybrown

I think you need to tell your church friends what you need. Call the minister or church secretary. Tell them straight out that you need help and see if they can arrange it for you. We must be very straightforward when explaining our needs and disabilities to others. They may just not know or understand what you are going through.

(hee hee, kind of like men. We can't expect them to know what we need - we have to explain it to them in black and white!)

You wouldn't believe it...I am an active member in my church! Most people know me in my neighborhood. They know I am alone. On Sundays I drag myself to Mass. No one offers to help. No one invites me for dinner. Everyone stays so distant I can't believe it. Not a phone call or letter!

When I was well, I invited different people to dinner, had New Years Eve parties that let me reach out to a lot of people from church to come. And they did too. But where are they now! I swear, the hurt in my heart is as big as the pain and disability.

I keep hoping God has a good reason behind all this lonely suffering. I think if i just didn't have the feeling of abandonment I would be able to cope better.

Sorry for the depressing reply...I am not having a good day.

TTYL
MollybrownHi Molly! My thoughts have been on you since your post. I know how the "church" thing goes. I went with my sick friend awhile back in hopes of getting some help. We both filled out the "guest" cards. Well, HE, got a call not me. But the call was for money, yep, because of his status, very wealthy family, they called him. It really put me with a bad taste of that church. I called the minister several times asking him to stop by and talk with my alcoholic friend, never came. So I keep my Faith and live by it!!!!!!!!!!!! There are good people out there, it seems alot of the ones that don't Live the Life are only doing it on Sundays.... My prayers are there for you and do have Faith, if you live right every day, eventually it comes back in good ways!!!! I believe it and truly I have been blessed, alot of work and waiting but I know I am a good human being, nothing to be ashamed of!!! So hang in there your day of goodness is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angel: