Thanks, Linda for giving me reassurance that the two-level Prodisc will fix my issues. You are right, I'm getting myself worked up about the dreaded distraction pain, but maybe it won't be so bad.
Sean - I did have a L4/L5 nerve block epideral in late 2004 and that gave me relief for a year. Then the pain came back, so they gave me another L4/L5 epideral. The pain came back in six months. At that time, they did another MRI and found out that my L5/S1 had deteriated considerably in a year and a half. So, they gave me a L5/S1 nerve block epideral and that gave me relief for three months. Then they gave me a SI facet joint injection (not sure of the exact term) and that gave me some relief for about a week.
After trying physical therapy and pain meds, the surgeons (finally) decided to do a discogram and determined that both L4/L5 and L5/S1 are pain generators. That's when they told me to look into fusion or ADR.
Does my story sound familiar to your story?
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Paula
37 years young
DDD, minor scoliosis 2003
L4/L5, L5/S1 herniated and bulging, Discogram confirmed
Three spinal nerve blocks, One SI joint nerve block, 8 wks of PT, pain/anti-inflammatory meds
L4/5, L5/S1 ProDisc ADR with Dr. Zigler at Texas
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