 Burst & Compression Fractures of L1 Vertebra
Hello. Last July, I fell 25 ft. during Marine Corps combat training and broke my back. I have burst & compression fractures of my L1 Vertebra and a 45% height loss. I was in a turtle shell from July to December, and took Physical and Occupational therapy until this March. Because of the position of my bone fragments, the neurosurgeon decided that it was not worth the risk of nerve damage to operate. It's almost been a year and I still have sensitivity to the L1 area of my back, almost constant muscle spasms and constriction through my ribcage, and severe right hip/buttocks pain. I still do the exercises from therapy and take my prescribed medications, but the pain is pretty intense and sometimes I feel like I'll never get my life back. My back is healed, there was no union in the shattered L1. I just had to quit a part time job at a coffee house because the constant bending and lifting even 5-10 pounds was causing me too much pain. I have a neurosurgeon, but I am still waiting a second opinion and was not impressed with the last doctor I consulted with. I really haven't felt that there has been anyone to thoroughly answer my questions so far. Does anyone know if it's normal for recovery to take more than a year and to still be in pain at this time, although I'm only 20 years old? How likely am I to be a risk for reinjury in the future? Also, the possibility of not being able to safely have children really bothers me. If anyone could offer some input on any of these issues, I'd really appreciate it.
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