:confused: Well here I am 4 months out and I am in terrible pain. My pain is in my low back. My pm doctor said the cauda area. And I am afraid i know what cauda equina is and I do not want it. She asked me if I have been fallin or tripping and mercifully I have not but I have noticed some numbness in anal area. So I guess we are doing shots next Tuesday. I am afraid and second guessing myself so I guess I need some encouragement from you guys. Oh and pm changed pain meds to morphine. ( yep its hurting that bad)

I'm afraid I cannot give you much encouragement. I'm 7 months post op and in horrible pain. The majority of my pain is muscle. The muscles in my waist and buttocks are hard as a rock. I also have tailbone pain, leg pain, numbness in my foot. The surgeon says it was major surgery and it will hurt a while. He tells me if by June still in pain he will send me for more tests. So it seems like he is using 9 months as a recovery window. Don't know if that helps at all. I'm taking Oxycodone was takes the edge off.

My boyfriend is now 6 months postop and he is in more pain than ever. He has a CT scan this Friday but even if they see fusion what can the doctors do about the pain other than meds. He went for surgery to try and have a normal life and not have to take such strong meds. He is on oxycontin and oxycodone for breakthru. He used to have a good day here and there and now everyday is a bad day. We saw a neurosurgeon and that was a waste of time.

Lynne

Have you ever had Radiofrequency Injections / Nerve Burning?

I didn't think much of it...but its the 1st thing that has actually helped me. My PM MD did it.

Hope things settle down for you soon.

Hi Lynne, I know for me, I had to have the surgery. It the vertabra slipped a tiny bit more it would have been bad and emergency surgery. So I guess I am the same. Before surgery it hurt every day. Now it hurts everyday but worse. I still hold hope that one day I will wake up and be pain free or at least able to function. The Neurosurgeon seems to be using the 9 month as a guage for when the pain will be better. I'm 7 months now. Before the surgery I was using a TENS machine every waking moment. Not I'm using it with Oxycodone, Skelaxin and Lyrica. Somewhere down the line it has to get better. Gotta hope. I think you are right about the CT results. Unless the hardware has a problem, what can the dr. really do? I don't know. My surgeon said he will do tests in June if still in pain. I didn't ask what kind of tests. Sometimes I rather not know because I will obsess about it. I hope your boyfriend feels better.

I just want to say I am sorry to each of you and that I am lifting you up in prayer. I pray that you find relief soon. Being in severe pain day after day is the hardest thing of all to live thru. I know I lived thru it for 3 1/2 years prior to my fusion.

God Bless

thanks all for your thoughts. I thought everything was getting better than wham. First thing my doc asked was "what did you do" and i said absoutley nothing out of the ordinary. I feel alitttle better today. Morphine sure seems to work. Its a little strong so I have been cutting them in half. Happily it doesn't upset my stomach a tenth as much as percocet. I guess Im having a steroid injection in the cauda area. Boy I hope it helps . I hate needles so i will be sedated. Again thanks for talking me down and I'll keep you posted.

Dee
:yawn:

just to repeat myself, so you can have some hope in case the steriod inj doesn't help (which i think it will) but the radiofrequency inj helped me when the steriod inj only cause me alot more pain. Just some food for thought. Good Luck....I feel for you. I've researched your diagnosis in the past, and I know how much its supposed to hurt.

Thanks babs I will mention to pm about radio-frequency inj. I am really nervous about having this procedure so soon after fusion. ( 4 months) I hope nothing bad happens. well at least i will get a little relaxation with the sedation. I know ill feel good that day at least.

Won't an injection interfere with your fusion fusing?

Does your surgeon know about this? The reason I am asking is that I have talked to several people who have had the quada equina, and you only have a very short time frame to fix this before permanent damage. There is a girl on here that this has happened to. I would call the surgeon and get checked asap.

I haven't said anything yet...but i am calling his office monday cause I am scared now.

Hi Dee - Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I just want you to know that we will all be here for you. New back pain is scary. I am sending you a big cyber hug.

Rose
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sorry maybe missed something. Is the pain in the same area as the fusion? I only offered the advuice for the Injections b/c I thought it was in another area.
I had a fusion at T7-T8, and I've been getting all sorts of injections at T9-L1, and it wasn't a prob with my fusion...just wanted to add that so you knew where I was coming from. Hope it all works out sooner than later.