info wanted and needed

[hjw]

Hello, my name is Hope. I am 43, typical type A personality. I was extremely active until approx. 4 months ago. I have been diagnosed with two bulging discs. L4-L5 and L5-S1. I have in my posession the MRI, CAT and the nerve study. I also have the reports, none of which I understand. I have an appointment with Dr. Stephen James in Cumming, Ga. on Jan. 16th to see if I am a candidate for ADR. I have seen 3 doctors to date. One wants to fuse, one wants to continue injections and one is just keeping my pain tolerable until the 16th. I have contacted my health ins. and they DO cover disc replacement. My questions are these: 1. What is it exactly do these reports mean? 2. What if I am not a candidate, what do I do then? 3. I want to be able to do most of what I was capable of doing prior to this, will I be able to? Anyone with and advice please email me or post. I am not too computer savy so bear with me. Thanks to all and Have a Happy New Year.

[Terry]

Hope:

I was 49 years old when I had 4-level ADR; 2 lumbar, 2 cervical. Like you, highly active, Type A, athletic. Since my disc replacements I have returned to life as normal. I bicycled 2,254 miles last season while healing from the surgery.

You are asking many of the right questions and will get many different responses. Look through the postings here carefully. Some have had facet issues after ADR surgery and that is a risk. I am not entirely pain free but am much improved than before the surgery. I would do it all over again so far. I consider myself to be a work in progress.

Terry Newton

[hjw]

Terry, Thank you for the words of encouragment. I too have had the injections,including the facet injections. one of the things I've noticed is that there are alot of people that have cervical issues to add to the mix. I have been having neck issues for years. Headaches, numb arms,turning my head always makes me dizzy, just looking downward slightly everything go black, but it somehow rights itself. I've had all sorts of E.N.T. done and I'm fine in that dept. Do you recognise any of this? I believe your the one to ask with your history. Looking at your history, I feel like I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I am happy to know that you can go on with "your life" and be the person you know you were meant to be. Your guardian angel needs a vacation. You take one too. Thanks again, Hope

[Terry]

Hope:

Many here have it worse than me, some not as bad. We are all in this together.

Your neck issues sound very similar to what I experienced for a long time before my hemi-laminectomy in 1995. My left shoulder hurt substantially as well as my forearm and I experienced a large amount of numbness in my hand as a result of cervical nerve roots being compressed. I also had a lot of Fibromyalgia type pain in my shoulder blade area and knots in my neck muscles. My neck was so deteriorated that I could barely turn my head left anymore prior to my ADR surgery in 06. I have a substantial range of motion in my neck now and it does not trouble me hardly at all anymore.

I still have pain in the lumbar area but, considering I turn 51 in a month from January, I cannot complain.

Have you had MRI's done on your neck? If so, what do they reveal?

You are in the right place.

Terry Newton

[hjw]

Terry, This just gave me a wake-up call for an MRI of my neck now. You just described my life. I have had 2 left shoulder surgeries, and 1 right hand carpal tunnel/trigger finger. The right hand was a year ago Jan. I was told then by my Doc that I had 10 years, at best left with my hands. Being a chef/rest. owner, this is not a good thing. To date, I have difficulty holding anything in my right hand. I have to have the heaviest knife so that I can feel the weight and know where it is in motion. I will go to dry storage, pick something up and if it falls out of my hand on the carpet and I don't hear it hit, I get the the kitchen and say my usual "I must have taken my damnitol pill this morning." Some days are better than others. This getting older is not for sissies is it? But, You are giving me hope. Thank you Terry. Have a Great New Year and I wish you a short journey on your road to recovery. Hope