Hi
My Doctors Is Trying To Get Me To See Orthopedic Surgeon So They Could Try And Take My Pain Away. I Have Had This Pain For 20 Years And Nothing Works Not Even The Strongest Pills Aloud With Out Getting Hooked On Morphine And Thats My Last Resort, So Maybe One Of You Can Tell Me If You Have Had Sucessfull Surgery.

Hi
My Doctors Is Trying To Get Me To See Orthopedic Surgeon So They Could Try And Take My Pain Away. I Have Had This Pain For 20 Years And Nothing Works Not Even The Strongest Pills Aloud With Out Getting Hooked On Morphine And Thats My Last Resort, So Maybe One Of You Can Tell Me If You Have Had Sucessfull Surgery.Everyones surgery will be different,My surgery helped me, BUT I am still having lots of pain . If I had to do it again I would. I had a fusion on my L5-S1 - L4 with hardware. I want the hardware out, But now, No spine Dr's will see me. Good luck I hoped I helped some what :)

My 1st surgery was a God send it helped.. the thing I wish people would remember is and I am sure most know but I am going to say it anyway.. We have surgery because it is needed and it is so frustrating to be told that it may work it may not!! Also hard part for me to keep reminding myself is that even if I had surgery and it did fix the probs I will always be different than I was before my back wen't to pot and back again.. Evryones surgery is different and such. Things wear out and such once we have some of these ops. I am going in for a 2nd time and even with all I know I am scared to death.
I would be happy just to have half the pain I had from my 1st surgery at least then I was able to live. As for pain meds I have so worried about addiction and I can even say that I take a week off from them each month to clean my system out it is a hell week. I notice my body feels like yuck and I am grumpy but then of late with the pain I am always grumpy lol. If truly in pain and being watched by a Dr the chances of addiction to the extreme I feel because I was also told by my Doc is lower.

At one point I thought ok I would rather have to live on these pills than in the sort of pain I have day to day than end up in a far worse light such as depression and well ya know cause I have said many times I can't live like this anymore.
I would say go see an Ortho it does not mean surgery will be needed have you had Xrays an MRI Ct anything to show what is going on in there hun ?? you may have some serious inflamation that can be controlled by anti inflamitory and such. Most inportant thing is to go see the Ortho just to get a thought on what is causing all this pain.

Once again remember to see an ortho does not always mean surgery. I think for the most part most dont just cut to cut at least with my case they did not :) Keep your chin up and hope you get feeling better very soon.

leesusan,

I've had 8 spine surgeries and 4 were fusions. Each fusion has been a success and taken me out of unbearable pain. The doc's couldn't help that I keep collapsing in new areas. Some of us just have bodies that give way, some of us do so much heavy stuff in our works that it brings on degeneration faster, and then of course, there are the accidents that do damage.

Hon, I had 10 levels fused the first part of Dec. That's just over 4 months ago, and I am out working in my yard, doing things galore, although maybe having to find some new ways to do some things. All of us are afraid of surgery, but with me, I'm more afraid of being paralyzed again or living in excruiciating pain for the rest of my days. I'll risk the surgery when I am confident in the doctor as being the best I can find and that I feel that the Lord is with us. BTW, on good days I need no oral meds or pain patches, but most days do use 2-3 patches and some Ultram in order to be my best. That's very doable and I can have a normal life.

I believe you will find lots of successes here, but even the greatest success isn't going to mean that you may not have some bad days. The thing is, if we don't commit ourselves to searching out and finding that best doctor, and proceeding, we can be a painful, sad mess the rest of our lives. I don't believe anyone really wants that. Even if you feel you have the right doctor, I encourage people to get additional opinions. There are so many ways of treating things and we want to take the one that is right for us. I love my doc and think he is the grandest, but I still get other opinions and he doesn't mind.

Don't know if you said, but several of us who have had major surgeries several times recommend that whether you prefer a neuro or ortho, that they be spine specialist. They typically have done a spine fellowship (you can find that in licensing info or AMA listing) and the greatest majority of theiri patients, if not all will be spine surgeries versus arms, hands, etc. I had no preference but it just happens that my miracle worker is an ortho spine specialist.

As others have said, there are many options to try before surgery, depending on your particular problem. There is one thing to put in the memory bank though and it is this: The longer a nerve is compressed, depending of course on how hard it is being compressed, the chances for a full recovery from the numbness, pain and tingling can best be achieved within the first 6 months, then it drops to 75 percent at 9 months, and about 50 percent chance at a year. So, if you have numbness, etc., don't let fear of taking corrective action keep you from having the best chances at a good recovery. Do your research and seek several opinions so you can choose your options.

Best wishes

Here is just another success story...........

I had a triple Laminectomy from L3to S1 with Fusiion with bone graf from my hip, along with a spinal stimulator implant. My surgery was on 02-28-05, and I was home on the 4th day after surgery and up and walking on 03-03-05.

As each day progresses I feel better and I am healing fast and am taking less and less of my meds which is only Darvecet N100, which I know only take 2 times a day if I need them. The pains which I had prior to surgery, numbness in right leg with electrical jolt running through right leg, extreme lower back pain in any position, excruciating pain in right side of groin anlong with pain in anal area. Now after surgery I am dealing only with the healing process which if I had to do again I wolud with no hesitation.

A few pointers for anyone about to have surgery:

1) After surgery I was on Morphine injections, which really killed the pain, but when I was able the next day to get out bed the morphine was to much for me to handle and made me sick, I switched to 2 Darvect N100 every 4 hours. This made being on my feet easier to handle and still controlled the pain.

2) Keep a steady timely intake of your pain meds while in the hospital, this will make you saty a lot more comfortable and controll the pain. Which in my case I was rarely over a 7 on the pain scale, and most of the time was in the comfort zone of a 2.

3) Try to keep a positive outlook to your healing process. I found that most of the time that I thought I was in pain that I was only scared to move because I might cause Pain. Listen to your Doctor and Nurses they are there to help you.

4) I was worried about the possibility of have a catheter put in after my surgery. Well let me tell you when I woke up I had a catheter inserted into my penis. Was I SCARED !!!
But after a few hours I was totally releived that I did not have to get up or try to use a bed urnial to relieve myself, and the removal of the catheter was not painfull at all.

5) When you get home DO AS YOUR DOCTOR INSTRUCTS YOU TO DO. Wear your brace as you are to do so, do not try to over do it, if you do you are only going to hurt your self.

Thats about it fo now, but I will Keep posting as I progress, But for now I know I will be back close to 90% of my normal self prior to all my back problems.


Its now been 7 weeks post oop, and I am doing great, allready in 2nd week of PT.
The pains I used to have are all gone. The only draw back I have is now I have less flexability in my back. But Pt is showing me new ways to function and I am learning to live a normal life again. Also have not taken any med sice end of week 5, the only problem that I had was swelling of the legs from the knees down to the toes. Dr sent me for Ultra sound tudy and found no blod clots so I was fine, all i had to do was wear the hospital support stocking when up during the day, and elevate my feet at night when sleeping, had to do for a week and then I was fine.

Hope this helps, and good luck to you.

Tavist
Tavist 07