Hi again everyone, :wave:

Well, I had the discogram today and it was one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had! I don't remember ANYTHING at all from the time the main sedative was injected to when I 'woke-up' 1 hour later.

Apparently I was conscious enough to confirm the day and month and fully responded to each disc probe, but I most certainly wasn't there as far as my memory is concerned!! Wish I could have that shot next time I go to the the dentist!!! I wouldn't remember a single moment and wake-up with no sense of having done anything other than have a nice snooze!! :yawn:

All I CAN remember was that when I came round from the anaesthetic, the doctor informed me that he'd checked L3 and L4 but hadn't been able to do the L5 disc because it is now so collapsed, there wasn't even room to insert the needle!! :eek::eek:

Does anyone have any idea what this might imply? Would such a condition represent a 'surgical target' to a spine surgeon or could it be used an excuse not to treat me? :confused:

Thanks. :)

C.Chip,

Never had a discogram,But it don't sound good when your told that L5 disk is collapsed.Our disk are used as a shock absorber and the lumbar takes the brunt of the shock.With the discogram,you at least know where the underlying problem extends from.Talk with a good neuro w/spine fellowship he can point you in the right direction.

Best of wishes

Toni

Hello, I had a total collapse of the L5-S1 area. I was in terrible pain so my ortho spine specialist said I needed a fusion to stabilize my spine and give me some pain relief. You need to make sure your doc is a spine specialist(only does spines). If not you need to take your results to a spine specialist. I guess alot of it depends on how much pain you are in and how much damage would it cause if you did nothing about it. I do hope all goes well for you.
TINCAN
LAMINECTOMY L5-S1
DISKTECTOMY L5-S1
FUSION L5-S1 WITH HARDWARE
BONE SPURS
MEGA SCAR TISSUE
DDD UP TO THORASIC AREA
STENOSIS
SPONDYLIOSIS
DISK BULGE L4-S1

Deat Chocolate Chip,
I agree wtih TINCAN that it is very, very important to see a spine specialist. I used a spine specialist 5 years ago and have a fusion at L4-L5 and L5-S1. I had great results. I had been in severe pain and that went away. It took some time for the nerve to return to normal. Unfortunately I have recently learned at L2-L3 and L3-L4 are bulging and I have some additional degenerative changes.
Be thankful you don't remember your discogram. They used what they called conscious sedation. I couldn't move but I remember it all. My Dr. wanted me to tell him what I felt. His goal was to recreate my pain. Which he did!!
Good Luck. I hope you see a Spine Specialist and he works out the right treatment for you.
Lollie_grace

Hi chocolate Chip
Hey how did You're L-5 look on You're mri?Was it looking like it gad a good space inbetween.

Believe it or not if the disc is totally gone the vertebrae will self fuse. That is what happens when people get old and their discs are virtually gone. They just get stiffer and less mobile but with less pain.

C.Chip,

Never had a discogram,But it don't sound good when your told that L5 disk is collapsed.Our disk are used as a shock absorber and the lumbar takes the brunt of the shock.With the discogram,you at least know where the underlying problem extends from.Talk with a good neuro w/spine fellowship he can point you in the right direction.

Best of wishes

Toni

Hi Toni, :wave:

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I do already have the right doctor (a neuro/spine specialist) and so will get the surgery I need but, so far I haven't had much luck in the past 5 years and am hoping things will be different this time.

C-Chip

Hello, I had a total collapse of the L5-S1 area. I was in terrible pain so my ortho spine specialist said I needed a fusion to stabilize my spine and give me some pain relief. You need to make sure your doc is a spine specialist(only does spines). If not you need to take your results to a spine specialist. I guess alot of it depends on how much pain you are in and how much damage would it cause if you did nothing about it. I do hope all goes well for you.
TINCAN

Hi TINCAN, :wave:

Thanks for sharing your experiences - especially since some of your problems seem so similar to my own.

My doctor is a neuro/spine specialist so, hoperully, this is now the beginning of the end but I can't be too sure from my recent history. :eek:

Like yours, my pain is severe and actually leaves me laid-up for 98% of the time so I hope I get similar surgery for a similar problem with similar results to your own. Anyway, it's good to know there IS a solution to this somewhere.

All the best,

C-chip. :wave:

Deat Chocolate Chip,
I agree wtih TINCAN that it is very, very important to see a spine specialist. I used a spine specialist 5 years ago and have a fusion at L4-L5 and L5-S1. I had great results. I had been in severe pain and that went away. It took some time for the nerve to return to normal. Unfortunately I have recently learned at L2-L3 and L3-L4 are bulging and I have some additional degenerative changes.
Be thankful you don't remember your discogram. They used what they called conscious sedation. I couldn't move but I remember it all. My Dr. wanted me to tell him what I felt. His goal was to recreate my pain. Which he did!!
Good Luck. I hope you see a Spine Specialist and he works out the right treatment for you.
Lollie_grace
Hi Lollie_grace, :wave:

Thanks for your advice and it's great to know you had such good results for a similar problem. It helps to keep me cheerful and positive to know there really is a solution.

I AM more than grateful I don't remember much about the discogram and am so sorry to read that your own experience was so different from my own.

My doctor is a neuro/spine specialist so, providing he really wants to help me, I am hopeful that this could be closer to the end than I've ever been before. :D Time will tell I guess..... :eek:

C-chip :wave:

Hi chocolate Chip
Hey how did You're L-5 look on You're mri?Was it looking like it gad a good space inbetween.

Hi again pipefitter, :wave:

Well it looks extremely flat and has become flatter over the years. Right now it looks like a very thin black line with no space whatsoever, so it didn't really surprise me when the Doctors told me that the needle couldn't penetrate.

I'm hoping my spine surgeon will agree but, stranger things have happened.

What did your MRI look like? Is the disc collapsed or bulging?

C-chip :wave:

Believe it or not if the disc is totally gone the vertebrae will self fuse. That is what happens when people get old and their discs are virtually gone. They just get stiffer and less mobile but with less pain.

Hi again pooby, :wave:

I don't think I can tolerate the pain any longer to wait for it to fuse and since I can't sit, stand or walk for more than a few minutes at a time, I don't see how the bones could get the chance to fuse. :confused::eek::confused:

What would happen to the already-trapped nerves? Wouldn't the bones fusing make the damage permanent and recovery unlikely? :confused:

C-chip :wave: