Good day...Please alleviate my pain

[srajan0929]

Hello how are you guys. This forum is extremely informative and I highly respect how the ADR community has helped raised the awareness of back problems and solutions to back problems. My problem like the rest of you, starts with my back and heres my story in a condensed form.

Had a bad weightlifting accident, squatting 250 pounds, i slipped, body slid to the right. Since then, haven't been the same. I couldn't walk for almost 3-4 months. Was prescribed pain killers and epidural. Nothing helped. I then flew out of the country to phillippines and found out from a spine surgeon that I had protrusion at L4-L5, L5-S1. Had a disectonomy on June 2008 performed by the spine surgeon. Result: Extreme success. Recovery was about 4 months, no pain what so ever.

Then on December 2010, i got involved in a car accident. Not my fault. I thought it was fine since i felt little itch in my back. 3 days later, my entire body shifts to the right. I am unable to walk or even move. I bed rested myself. Couldn't even go to school. Took an MRI and it revealed disc bulging at L4-L5 and L5-S1. Went to a spine doctor in the US and was told I had degenerative discs.

Now, its march and I cried so much (guys dont cry right?). I dont even know what to do. My pain is tolerable. I just had an epidural injection and it seems to have solved the sciatic problem, but i am still unable to sit for more than 15 minutes without my back acting up. I am extremely active...i run and swim. I went to a spine surgeon in new jersey and he told me that i was not a candidate for ADR since i had a disectonomy and my spine wouldn't be able to support an ADR. He instead suggested a fusion at two levels. The thought of that extremely scares me. Is my surgeon correct? Is there some one more knowledgable? Perhaps he doesn't know about ADR too well? I am at my wits end. I am only 27 and i feel like a cripple. I can still run but i am not able to sit at all. My pain is just from sitting and nothing else. Who is gonna marry a cripple like me? I dont have the motivation to compete at the olympics in a wheel chair. Every time i go to a club, i can only do the side step. i cant even dance. Whats more horrible. While i sleep on the floor, my beagle sleeps on my bed. Please tell me something reassuring.

concerned indian...

[Harrison]

Welcome to the community, I hope we can help. We've all been there!

For the record, some spine surgeons will disqualify you from ADR if you have had previous surgeries. If it's a clinical trial, the inclusion criteria is often even more specific (or limiting).

If you've not already seen this topic, pls review it carefully -- there are many pages therein:

ADR Risks, Complications, Disqualifications

PS: Real men DO cry.

[srajan0929]

hey harrison. thanks for your message. But is it not true that Dr. B or some more experienced surgeons do actually take people with prior disectonomy? and the out come has been very successful?

rajan

[Harrison]

This is actually a multi-part question since there are myriad differences among spine surgeons, particularly between US and German docs (see related topics in Arthroplasty Central):

- experience, though ADR started here in the US in 2000; 80s and 90s in Deutschland;

- yes, the more experience and procedures a doc performs, the better their outcomes -- in general;

- German docs will consult with almost any patients, and can take risks that many (or most) US docs may not.

More will chime in...there's much more to this issue.

[srajan0929]

Hello guys, as I made my introduction. I have been doing crazy research into whether ADR was right for me. I just compiled all of my mris and and going to send it to dr. B in Geramany and to Dr. Delamarter in LA. I dont know what else to do. I have been lying on the floor everyday. After my sterioid injection in my back, I thought i was healed. Then i sat in my numerical analysis class. God, the worse pain i ever had in my life. My problem is that i just cannot sit. When I mention it my professor, he thinks i am kidding. I feel like the whole school is laughing at me because i always have an excuse to not come to school since ihave a back pain. I felt something weird running up and down my back, as soon as i got up to stretch, i felt something pop and i knew i was a goner. Is there no hope for guys like me? i am only 27 and i feel like i can never be the same happy guy i used to be. (. I am contemplating suicide if this doesn't work out.

[Harrison]

Raj,

Many folks here have been in your shoes, but you clearly need more support than what a discussion board can provide! Pls get help, with these different people asap:

- pain mgt doctor
- spinal surgeon(s)
- counselor
- friends and family

I'd like to keep the continuity in your previous post, so I will combine these posts. This will help us better follow your process. Also, can you add a signature please? See my welcome messages to you.

And yes, there is always hope!

[srajan0929]

i found my mri report. can anybody make any sence of this?

There is straightening of the lumbar lordosis. The conus demonstrates normal morphology and signal characteristics. Loss of signal is noted at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels with decrease in disc height. No areas of marrow replacement are seen. Postoperative changes are seen with evidence of laminectomies on the left at the L4-L5 and possibly the L5-S1 level.

There is annular disc bulging at the L4-L5 disc space with a small area of peripherally enhancing intermediate signal intensity on the left centrally at this level as well as extending slightly caudal to this interspace with the central area of nonenhancement felt to represent the L5 nerve root on the left. Furrther caudally within the left lateral recess of the mid to upper aspect of L5, there is a tabular nonenhancing structure most likely representing a mildly enlarged L5 nerve root. A current disc herniation is not felt to be present

Annular disc bulging is seen at the L5-S1 disc space with a superimposed broad based central disc herniation, the latter abutting the ventral portion of the upper aspect of the right S1 nerve root without displacement

Impression:
1. Status post laminectomy on the left at the L4-L5 disc space with a small area of postoperative epidural fibrosis on the left centrally at and slightly caudal to this disc space surrounding the proximal portion of the S1 nerve root. Further caudally with reference to the mid to upper aspect of the left lateral recess of L5 is a tabular structure asymmetric to the right probably representing a mildly thickened left L5 nerve root as opposed to disc material .

2. Broad based central disc herniation at the L5-S1 level slightly more prominent asymmetrically on the right which abuts the proximal portion of the adjacent L5 nerve root on the right without displacement of this structure. Please read above for complete report.

[srajan0929]

hi guys. I would like to update my condition. Currently in 2nd month of PT. Had epidural sometime in February and finally I am currently able to sit down now for about an hour or so. Sometimes two hours. But whenever I sit down, I feel like as if something is squeezing in my lower back. Like technically, I feel that my disc at the lower back is compressing. Feeling some sort of tingling feeling. The sitting is just feeling very uneasy. But not as bad as it was 4 months back. Sometimes I feel some sort of pain down my groin. I figure it must be the disc pressing against some nerve root. I sent in my MRIs to Dr. Nick Boeree in England just today. Hopefully, he will contact me with some good news. After ADR, how is everyones sitting tolerance?

[srajan0929]

i recently got a two level disectomy and a laminatomy done to relieve the nerve roots by Dr. Stieber. It was a 3.5 hour surgery. Hopefully things work out well hereafter. I decided not to do ADR as it is still relatively new and an unproven technology.

[herron65]

Hello
I hope you have better luck with your redo than I did. If you take it realy easy you could do well. My second disectomy only lasted about 6 mo if that. So be very careful, your disc is now ultra thin around the area they performed the operation.
And don't rule out an Adr, its only new technology here in the states to doctors here, my discs were made here but the surgery was in Spain,
Good luck and I hope it lasts
Jeff