New here... and researching...
 

Hi everyone! I'm new here and doing A LOT of research. My Dr had said a couple years ago that ADR might be a solution down the road if they came out with better implants. Well, it looks like those are coming out now (hopefully). I have had two discectemies in the last 5 years. Here's my story if you want to read on...

In May of 2004 I was studying for finals to graduate college and started having lower back pain. No injury that I know of, and at first wrote it off as stress due to finals. I didn't really think about how it was my lower back and not my shoulders. When it didn't go away I went to my Primary Care Dr. He put me on Flexerel and 2.5 Loritabs. That didn't work so he sent me to PT. I went through my graduation drugged up. PT was making me worse and I was crying everytime I left. They scheduled an MRI for me. On Memorial day that year I was getting out of the shower, bent over to dry my legs off and shooting pain went through my back. I was holding myself up by my arms and couldn't stand. By that afternoon I was admitted through the ER to the hospital. They did the MRI the next day and showed my disc was herniated at L4/L5 and by that Friday having surgery (discectemy). I couldn't even sit up in the bed until after the surgery. It was amazing! I could get up and walk, full recovery.

Jump to 2 yrs later, October 2005, I start having radiating pain down my left side. PT helped some and epidurals a little. MRI showed the same disc, L4/L5 was herniated again and the epidurals helped me last a couple months until I could get my vacation built up to supliment my STD. I had another Discectemy (January 2, 2007), with the assurance from my doctor I would still be a candidate in the future for an ADR. that post-op was horrible. Worse pain afterward than before, they nicked a nerve sack and I had a spinal headache for 3 days. I was in the hospital for a week.

Another 2 yrs, radiating pain started down left side again. I've been through PT and epidurals again, ended in December. Now pain is going down both sides, and my legs and ankles are starting to feel weak (almost like I've taken a long walk without the aching muscles). My feet and legs are going to sleep easily, but I'm not sure if that's from my back or from the Topamax I'm taking for Migrains. The other day I had two large muscle spasms, and I hadn't had those since after my second surgery. I'm scared. I have an appointment for an MRI Monday with and without contrast and then my appointment with my surgeon is May 11th. I know he'll say surgery, but I'm just not sure what to do. I'm pretty sure there isn't a ADR surgeon in this area (Louisville, KY) and I don't have the money out of pocket anyway. I know I'll have to try to get the insurance to cover it. I just really want to try to get a "normal" life back. I'm 30 and do NOT want a fusion. I just want to try the ADR first... even if it goes wrong, I want to at least try it. I don't want to regret not at least trying it. It's just so frustrating. Especially doing all this research and not able to talk to the Dr yet since the appointments are all scheduled a month out!

just venting....


on a side note.... I blaim my best friends mom for all my surgeries.

When I was 18 I got a "tramp stamp" and showed her. She had back surgery before and the first thing out of her mouth? "You better hope you never have to have back surgery"

They've actually done very good with not messing up my tattoo though:p

Hey Symara
sorry to learn about ur pain. I am new here too. I dont yet have much input for you at this time but I have an assurance for you, you would very soon get a lot of very meaningful suggestions from a very selfless group of patients like us who are very active and senior members on this forum including Rich who started it. I am still working on figuring out what course of action should i take.

wish u luk
will give my inputs if there is something i can suggest
take care

!
 

Hi,

Welcome to this site. Actually, You are probably a good candidate for ADR. I had two discectomies, one at two different levels. One problem you might have is scar tissue buildup from your discectomies that could also cause some problems. However, if your facets are still good and it is definitely the disc that is bulging against the nerve, then ADR is the way to go. I just learned that my company is now paying for one level prodisc so your insurance might be paying for it now.

There is a lot of info on this site and I suggest you research a lot and talk with your doctors and anyone else that could help.

My two level at L4-5 and L3-4 was successful but the recovery was six months and hell. But, I other issues that took awhile to resolve with the new discs but I am now pain free and back flying as captain for American Airlines.

Mark

Welcome! I am glad you found us...I wish I had done the same much earlier in my fight for treatment. Better late than never though ;)

We are full of information here, whether you ask for it or not! I hope you find help soon, and if I can assist in any way, please just ask.

I went on Laurie Todd's website and ordered the insurance warrior book. Hopefully I won't need it, but I'm preparing myself. Today is my MRI. In a way I'm looking forward to it, just to get it out of the way.

Scar tissue is something I wasn't thinking about, is it possible that all this pain could just be scar tissue? Or would that have shown up sooner?

As far as my facet joints, my surgeon has never said a word about them, of course now that I have said that, this will be the time that he does. I had to do some research on facet joints when I kept seeing people on here posting about them since I had no idea what they were, after two surgeries and not a clue. I figure either I'm lucky, or just ill-informed.

The last two days were pretty bad, the pain was going down both legs, all the way to the feet. My feet went numb a couple times, but I don't know if that's the topamax or not, and not having migraines is out weighing wanting to find out.

It's weird, having chronic pain, you don't realize your pain levels until they change. I'd have to say that I probably live in daily pain (here recently) of a 4-5 level (1-10 scale) and the last two days have been about a 7. But on that daily level I think, I don't have it as bad as some people, because I have learned to live with it, until it changes, and you realize just how much pain you have been in. Friday my pain had eased up a little, and then increased dramatically on Sat and Sun, today it's back where it was before Friday (4-5). I just didn't realize how much pain I was actually in.

Enough of my rambling sorry. I just feel like I don't really have anyone to talk to here that it doesn't feel like I'm complaining too or that I just keep going on and on about it too.

New symptom?
 

So since last week my pain has been going all the way down to my feet. But the last couple of days my feet have felt sore, achey (sp?) almost. When I sit for awhile and get up from my desk, my feet hurt when I walk. Is this from my back? Has anyone else experienced this?

Just curious if it's my back or something else.

Welcome
 

Symara.

Welcome to our humble family!

I am glad you got Laurie’s book, it has helped many people, all kinds of patients. How did the MRI go? Don’t forget to request the digital images on CD, and of course the radiologist’s report.

Scar tissue is tricky, and most definitely COULD be a problem. Is that causing your symptoms? This is where a good specialist can help, e.g. an interventional radiologist (hard to find these types…Tim – any ideas?!)

On the facet issues, better to look into these issues now, rather than later. There is TONS of information on this important issue, going back to 2004. Do a search on this. See the links above?!

Your pain issue sounds nasty. Did you have any luck with any natural stuff? E.g. magnesium? Herbs? Did you cycle through all the NSAIDs?

Hope this helps….

I actually have not tried to many different things. The only natural thing that seemed to help that I did try to was fasting. (ducking and running for cover) I think this helped because it cleared out my bowels and there was no pressure in my lower abdomen. I have not tried anything new, medication wise, since my last surgery. I have been on Hydrocodone and that's it. Flexeril and steriods have never helped. Not sure where to even start as far as herbs and such. I have seen people talking about some of the NSAIDS and was going to bring this up at my Dr's Appt on Monday also. What is one I keep seeing? Cymbalta?

as far as the fasting- it was nice to be out of pain, completely, for the two weeks I was doing the Master Cleanse. The first time in years I had felt no pain at all.

Symara,

I never noticed the pain easing up pre-op by being regular but it definitely helps post-operative. Now that's the one time I experience discomfort and it goes away once I have activity in that area.

One thing I was tipped off to was snack chips made with Olean Oil. This oil has a natural laxitive property to it. Although the chips I had tasted like flavored sawdust, I have a small portion daily now.

Good luck to you,

Bob

Olean, is that the fat free chips?

The ones that everyone joked about "anal leakage" for a long time?

I have some smooth move tea at home. I've never been a regular person, so I never really noticed how it affected my pain, that was just my theory on why I was pain free durring the fast. I can't think of any other reason, except for that I wasn't putting any chemicals into my body durring that time either.