I rarely post, but I've collected so much useful info here but with my pain levels I haven't been doing much reading on line. But I could really use some of your insight....3 weeks ago, well I guess it's going on to 4 weeks now I've had the worst relapse and increased pain than ever. In July my PM suggested he do a DiscTRODE procedure at Levels L3/4 and L4/5 and that he said it would relieve my pain, well I wanted time to looking into the procedure and I had to wait on my disablity insurance to kick in so I scheduled the procedure for Oct. 13th. Well pain levels rose the last 4 weeks I called him crying, I could barely walk to the bathroom without be resovled to tears. The pain in my back, hips and groin is like a vice grip pressure like pain that is 8-9. I can't sit or stand without this pressure and when I walk it goes to about knee level on both sides the inside of my legs are worse, but the pain wraps around my back, and the outside of my hips too. Laying do brings the level to maybe a 7 but the pressure and ache is unrelenting no matter what position I'm in. My PM got me in about a week later and gave me the usually nerve root injections bilaterally, I had my second injection last week and still it has just barely taken the bit away.
My PM order a MRI to see what's going on and being 9 months from my last MRI it's now showing besides DDD at levels 3/4 & 4/5, central bulges at both levels, more narrowing, L4 nerve impingment and facet deterioration at both levels. The last 2 items didn't show on the previous MRI. But for 4 years I tried for ADR and with each passing MRI it's getting worse and worse.
Here's my dilema, I'm tired of the Merry go round, nothing has given me signifigant relief for any amount of time, and now I eat Percoset which I've never taken on a daily basis, I just tolerated the pain, but now can't go with out it. I called my surgeon and waved the white flag, I'm done waiting for ADR and with the facet deterioration it's now hopeless, I'm done with the injections all the time, done. I'm scheduled in Philly for October 24th and my pre-testing, blood drain Oct 11th. And for and hour and 1/2 on my way to see my PM for the 2nd round of nerve root injections I finally felt like there was and end to my nightmare, but when I told my PM I wished to cancel my DiscTRODE, that I decided to have a fusion he flipped out. He told me I'm making an uninformed decision, that I'm making the biggest mistake ever, and that I'm studpid and then reworded to call me uniformed again that I'm making a stupid mistake out of pain. He said I'm not giving him enough time to help me, note he's like my 5th PM doctor, I've been with him for about 4 months, but have been through injections for the last 5 years with nothing long lasting, ESI, facet blocks, RF lesioning, Medial block injections, now nerve root blocks, I'm just tired of being a pin cushion. He says if I have a fusion I wouldn't find any relief just more pain and mostly disablitiy. He told me I should have the DiscTRODE procedure and Facet blocks and that will be my answer for pain relief with no surgery. But I'm still a pin cushion and a lifer at the PM. He has a huge practice, but I just feel like a weekly meal ticket $2,800 per injection to him. After my injection, note this conversation went on while I'm having 2 level bilateral injections done, he had 2 of his staff members come in and try again to change my decison. They said he cares enough and is concerned I going to make the wrong decision and wanted to make sure I think about my decision.
But now he has me double guess my resolve to finally have surgery after 19 years of pain. I never wanted a fusion and tried everything to avoid it, but I'm done fighting, tired of being poked and probed. I'm a single mother and all I want to do is go to work everyday, clean my home, and do things, active things with my son.
I called my surgeon in Philly and his nurse has never heard of the DiscTRODE and but that the surgeon wouldn't do a procedure or recommend surgery if he didn't feel I would recieve relief from it, and she scheduled me an extented appointment to talk to him and said I can back out any time, but that's 2 days before my disctrode.
I don't know what to do, I'm so confused, I just want this cycle over with. I just want a chance to live life at a relatively acceptable pain level, the disctrode might offer me 1-2 years relief, but at what expense, I'll still be getting facet injections and my back will still be Deteriorating, and the injections long term will just cause more damage.
I just want this over with, but am I jumping the gun like my PM says?
If there are any 2 level fusion out there, how are you doing, pain level, activity level? Are you still seeing a PM for injections?
Sorry of rambling such a long post. Any comments would be appreciated.
Melissa