Prodisc L Update 4 months

[truck54]

Well im rapidly approaching the four month mark post surgery with the Prodisc L. Im not really to sure what to say at this point as my pain has been all over the board.. It seems that alot of you on this site have had lingering pain that seemed to dissipate at or near the four month to six month mark, while some have taken upwards of a year.. I think the hardest part is not knowing where i am going to land if i ever do.. There have been some days where i was feeling i was going to be pain free in no time at all, and then the reminder of a major surgery slaps me in the face with leg pain bilaterally.. I have read lots of times that the longer i was subject to nerve irritation the longer it may take for that said nerve to calm down..

Here is where i stand at the moment.. I was released to go back to work under the understanding of if the firestation was too much i would be taken right back off the floor.. That was December first.. As of today i am assigned now to lite duty after what some would consder a one time crazy day where we were up all nite on a second alarm fire.. Welcome back!! I saw my doctor and again xrays were taken and he says it looks lovely.. Why is this pain so persistant?

Its hard to decribe what a normal day is like as there really is nothing normal about my pain.. There are blocks of days where i know the pain that comes in the form of pins and needles, burning sensation, cramping in my hamstrings and calves, tightness at the achillies, is less the the previous.. And then there are days when the pain is seldom there? But then without explanation a full return of all the symtomns described above..

Frustration has become a large part of my day.. At nite i am commonly alternating between ice treatments, and heat treatments while using the tens unit.. I walk everyday and have stopped therapy with my trainer.. The insurance company is reluctant to keep authorizing...

I think what i really want to know from everyone is does these symtoms of tingling, pressure, pain in hamstrings, tighness in achillies and back of the heel seem like this distraction pain? Have any of you had these symtoms continue for longer then four months and had them go away completly after? I am eating anti inflammatories and have actually started pain pills again from last weeks crazy one day back at the station..

Please tell me that im not going to be the one that never gets better then this? please tell me this is normal for my long history of nerve abuse and it will heal..

[janaya3]

Originally Posted by truck54

Well im rapidly approaching the four month mark post surgery with the Prodisc L. Im not really to sure what to say at this point as my pain has been all over the board.. It seems that alot of you on this site have had lingering pain that seemed to dissipate at or near the four month to six month mark, while some have taken upwards of a year.. I think the hardest part is not knowing where i am going to land if i ever do.. There have been some days where i was feeling i was going to be pain free in no time at all, and then the reminder of a major surgery slaps me in the face with leg pain bilaterally.. I have read lots of times that the longer i was subject to nerve irritation the longer it may take for that said nerve to calm down..

Here is where i stand at the moment.. I was released to go back to work under the understanding of if the firestation was too much i would be taken right back off the floor.. That was December first.. As of today i am assigned now to lite duty after what some would consder a one time crazy day where we were up all nite on a second alarm fire.. Welcome back!! I saw my doctor and again xrays were taken and he says it looks lovely.. Why is this pain so persistant?

Its hard to decribe what a normal day is like as there really is nothing normal about my pain.. There are blocks of days where i know the pain that comes in the form of pins and needles, burning sensation, cramping in my hamstrings and calves, tightness at the achillies, is less the the previous.. And then there are days when the pain is seldom there? But then without explanation a full return of all the symtomns described above..

Frustration has become a large part of my day.. At nite i am commonly alternating between ice treatments, and heat treatments while using the tens unit.. I walk everyday and have stopped therapy with my trainer.. The insurance company is reluctant to keep authorizing...

I think what i really want to know from everyone is does these symtoms of tingling, pressure, pain in hamstrings, tighness in achillies and back of the heel seem like this distraction pain? Have any of you had these symtoms continue for longer then four months and had them go away completly after? I am eating anti inflammatories and have actually started pain pills again from last weeks crazy one day back at the station..

Please tell me that im not going to be the one that never gets better then this? please tell me this is normal for my long history of nerve abuse and it will heal..

Truck 54,

You are not alone but I want to remain optimistic and positive. I returned to work back on November 17, 2011 after a 12 week FMLA stint which started back on August 25, 2011 and while it has been rather busy and stressful at work (as a Clinical Pharmacist) I don't have nearly a laborious & physically demanding job as yours. I too am a single level Prodisc L, L4-L5 and was also wondering why I am having bouts of returning pain here and there. They don't linger much but sometimes occur more frequently than I would like them too. I too have all of a sudden began having little bouts of strange pains and discomforts here and there. In particular I have been experiencing more tingling, numbing, burning like pain and sensations near my groin, incision site and lumbar area. They get annoying and lately I have turned to the pain medications again but not in any high doses. I have also added naproxen to this around the clock.

I am also finding that sleeping well,...it is a hit or miss for me. I can't quite figure out what is or may be precipitating my lack of it BUT I do know for certain that I have a lingering ache and tender/sore spot on my spinous process either above or at the level of my implant that makes me toss and turn at night. Anatomically I just can't really pin point it. It feels like a ligament/muscle strain. Nonetheless, I just can't seem to get comfortable and I had days, weeks & even a month or so were nothing seemed to bother me. I decided to order a memory foam mattress topper (4 in thickness with 4 lb density) as a trial and error in my case. I hope it works for me and possibly eliminates this "pressure point". I am trying to eliminate all the potential and obvious before I make a call to my neurosurgeon and start questioning what is going on with me.

I am tyring to stay very positive but at times it can become very discouraging however looking back I did live with a very "bad" spine condition for nearly 10 years of my life and I am not expecting an instant fix. Occasionally and on a "worse-case-scenario", I start to think and question whether or not perhaps my facet joints were and/or are more severe than what any MRI depicted or radiologist interpreted but on the other hand I keep telling myself that I am only 3 month out of surgery and a MAJOR one at that! I still use ice and heat like yourself but have also noticed that maybe I am a bit to "over" active given my timeframe. I have joined a gym, working long hours-- making up for my absence, busy spending time with my two children, running around....basically living life again. Lately my calves too have been starting to feel very achy and what appears to be the very beginning of cramping especially while on the eliptical or with prolonged walking/standing. This is strange as I never had this before. I am wondering if what I feel now is the "distraction" pain but I guess I will never know. So NO, you are not alone! I hope you continue to improve and one day both you and I are able to really be asymptomatic and pain free.

[truck54]

hello janaya3, in reading your response and the length of time you have have been dealing with back issues i can say you sound alot like myself.. I agree that staying optimistic is really important thru this and it is challengeing to say the least.. I start lite duty tomorrow and that alone will be a challenge with no ability to take that hot shower that seems to calm the back muscles and going barefoot that makes everything seem easier.. Im sorry to see that you too have what appears to be similiar pains and i too hope we can both laugh someday when we speak of what this experience was like to navigate.. Im fortunate that my little girl has been so patient and so helpful and understanding.. I think one of the hardest things to deal with is the family members around you seeing you hurting so bad.. Thanks so much for the response and especially for your thoughts on how you to are battling optimistically to get thru this.. I wish you great luck and hope to see it posted...

[janaya3]

Yes i think our stories are remarkably similar. It would be interesting to see if anyone further out than you and I can share their experiences. PM me if you have any questions or concerns.

[Harrison]

Hey U2, did you already see and vote on this topic? Your comments there would be helpful too...

Distraction Pain - Poll

Thanks!

[janaya3]

Yes, I did.