From a Newbie - Back Problems Message Board

oakleygirl · 01-12-2003, 08:21 AM

Hi all. I first want you to know my heart goes out to you on this board who have been through so much. I have been lurking, reading all I can, getting up the nerve to post. So here goes....

I guess I have some questions regarding MRI results, but first would like to give you a background. I'll try to keep in brief.

I am a 47 year old female who has experienced bouts of back problems for 20 years, but otherwise am healthy and fit. In Nov. 2001, I ruptured L4-L5, and had diskectomy in April, 2002. Although that surgery made the right leg/butt pain almost disappear, I never got relief from the back pain. In addition to the back pain, I have numbness/tingling in the left foot along with minimal pain in the left outer calf. Unfortunately, my main complaint is the back pain. Excerpts from March, 2002, July, 2002 MRI and October, 2002 X-Rays:
1. Mild posterior disc bulge at L5-S1 causing mild deformity of contiguous thecal sac. Endplate osteophyte with mild facet degeneration and retrolisthesis cause mild right and mild to moderate left foraminal narrowing. Mlld facet degeneration with retrolisthesis.
2. Mild-To-Moderate degenerative disc disease at L4-5 and L5-S1.
3. Post-surgical changes with scar tissue present which encases the proximal traversing right L nerve root sleeve. Few tiny foci represeint recurrent/residual herniated disk material.
4. Grade 1 anterolisthesis lumbar 5 and lumbar 4 during extension which appears relieved during flexion.

I currently take Vicodin when needed, Motrin when I can get by, and am on an anti-depressant, Celexa. When on vacation between Xmas and New Year's, I realized if I could just be a couch potato, I could live with the pain. Unfortunately, I work full time, like to go to the gym, and enjoy being out and about. Have had PT, oral steroid treatment twice, wear lumbar brace when needed, but no injections and no discogram. Neuro wants to do disco next pursuant to fusion surgery. I get the impression from my PCP that he believes I need to have the fusion surgery, but neuro is extremely conservative. I have seen the risks and know the seriousness of fusion surgery and have told my neuro I don't want anything to do with it. However, the pain continues and is wearing me down.

Can somebody tell me what this all means? I look forward to your help. I've seen what you've meant to a lot of people here.

bikerchic052 · 01-12-2003, 09:23 AM

Hi there oakleygirl. Wow you have a lotta stuff going on too huh? Do you understand what your MRI results mean? Did your doctor explain it to you?? If you have questions about MRI results just go to an online medical dictionary and try to look up some of the words. I have found it to be very helpful in translating the gibberish into english. I am sorry for your pain, and just wanted to stop in and say WELCOME!!

Im glad you stopped "lurking" and decided to join in. Im sure you will really get to like everyone here. Its quite a group of good people. Post as much as ya like and ask as much as ya want. Im sure somebody will have an answer or opinion to help .

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Michelle -----35 y/o------ diagnosed with scoiliosis at 16 wore brace for about a year-------- Had partial disc removal due to rupture at L4-L5 in 1998.--------- 2002 - MRI shows bulge at L4-L5, large mass of scar tissue at surgery site. have pain down right leg,hip and numbness in ankle. ------- Diagnosed with DDD and LLD ( leg length discrepancy) given a lift for right shoe. ---- Jan 6 went to ortho doc for 2nd opinion.-------was given 2 options -suck it up or have a fusion at L4-L5, given anti-inflammatories and facet block at L3-S1 on Jan 10th, and return appt for March 3rd to see if better or have surgery

oakleygirl · 01-12-2003, 12:18 PM

Hi Michelle-
I'm really glad you replied to me. I've noticed in your past posts that maybe you and I have a lot of the same stuff going on. My neuro has not been real good about explaining, but I've not known what to ask before. I have done a lot of research since I've seen him last, and will have a huge list of questions to ask when I go back in February.

I'm not sure how you can do the stuff you do with the little ones you have. Fortunately, my kids are grown (20 and 23), and my husband has been great.

Thanks again, and hope to hear from others, too!

ruth ann · 01-12-2003, 04:09 PM

Hi, Oakleygirl!
You are the first person I have seen here (I think) who has mentioned having a discectomy. I would really like to know if you'd recommend it. Another writer, SuccessStory, has had wonderful success with nucleoplasty and IDET. I need to decide between all these procedures very soon. My spine dr.'s 1st recommendation was the discectomy, because my symptoms are left leg pain. But he warned that, as you've mentioned, future back pain is a possibility. How bad is the pain? Do I understand you correctly that the discetomy cured the pain in one leg and butt side, but later it started in the other? If given the choice to do a discketomy now would you do it again, or would you try nucleoplasty or IDET? Thanks for your advice.

Telzey · 01-14-2003, 11:28 PM

Hi oakleygirl and a belated welcome

I've been off the computer for a while recovering from a terrible cold so I missed your first post, but I wanted to say hi and offer you my support.

Retro- and anterolisthesis refer to the upper vertebrae being translated either to the back or front of the lower vertebrae. It looks like you have some loose pieces of disk material in there, some scar tissue. Your disk at L5-S1 is bulging, there is some degeneration of the facet or vertebral joints (i.e. bone degeneration), there is narrowing of your spinal column. Your L4 vertebra is slightly translated toward your front when you bend backward, but it moves back into place when you bend forward.

Hope this helps... I don't have any medical training so take it for what it's worth

Now that you've had the diskectomy, and hearing the MRI results, I don't know how many options you have. You have scar tissue and pieces of disk in there as well as the other problems. I don't mean to sound pessimistic but the fusion may be the only relief from pain at this point. I think many of the less-invasive options aren't available to you because of the previous diskectomy. However, from what I hear, the fusion technique has improved quite a bit even in the last 5 years, and the success rates are very high. Many people on these boards have gotten good results from fusions and had many pain free years.

Good luck and I hope this was helpful and not too depressing!

I wish you the very best, and freedom from pain.

Telzey

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4 years of back pain
Annular tear L5-S1 diagnosed 3/02 via MRI
IDET 12/2/02
Still a little sore, but getting better all the time!