[allanbruce]

I am having a disc replacement at L4-5 and fusion at L5-S1.

I have been suffering from chronic lower back pain now for 10 years after an injury a few years before that. I was a concreter and after Christmas holidays the first day back I was lifting steel mesh during a concrete pore and I hurt something in my lower back. I received physiotherapy and after 2 weeks went back to work. After that I had constant niggling and spasms on and off for the next few years. But after a marriage break-up and a period of depression the pain got worse. I was retrained to work in a camping shop but ended up doing more physical work loading tents and tarps etc. So that ended work for me and kicked off my life of pain.

I believe I tore a disc in that original accident and My work didn't help me at all. Then about 2 years ago I started having neuropathic type pain up my spine and then sciatic nerve type pain. The pain starts across my pelvice and through my butt then down my left leg to my foot. Leaving me with a limp and a lot more pain than before. So what freedom I had was taken from me. But at least it gave me the symptoms that the surgeons would finally operate. Even then I had to take out private insurance and save what money I could to be able to choose my own surgeon and be treated in a private hospital.

So this week will be a new beginning and I hope the surgery will be successful. Well I pray it will. Though I live one day at a time I sure hope I will one day walk without a limp a cane and with reduced pain. I have seen about 5 surgeons and 4 pain specialists before having the right pain medication. I use durogesic patches, a nerve medication, an anti-inflammatory, an antidepressant, a muscle relaxant, a stool softener. a stomach med, paracetamol as in Norgesic, and endone (oxicodone) when necessary.

It took almost all of those years to finally have the medications that manage most of the symptoms. Though I still have a lot of pain and I am limited in what I can do. At the moment I am spending most of the day in bed. It hurts to sit and to stand and the only relief I get is when I am in bed and sleeping is the only time I am pain free.
So now I am putting all my hopes in the surgery.

They will do this from the front and I am pleased after all the threads about the scar tissue left around peoples spines and this way I hope there will not be any of those issues. Also This is the surgery that is my surgeons technique and I have been told that it is best to have the surgeon use his speciality and the surgery he always uses. He seems very confident and I am pleased with that.

I hope to be back here to report how I go and how well the disc replacement compares to the fusion.
Allan