Greetings

[Adrienne]

Hi, I've been lurking for a while but have never posted.

I've finally gotten to the point where everyone is on board for a surgery of some kind, either Fusion or ADR, and I figure I'll be coming here for more research and tips.
I'm having a bone density test this afternoon and if I pass, my doctor says I'm a go for ADR.
Hopefully, I have bones of cement.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks all for the information I've gleaned from you guys. I'll be back, I'm sure.

Adrienne

[Harrison]

Welcome, Adrienne. When you can, click on the User CP and poke around; e.g. set up your profile and signature, look at how private messaging works...

Call or email if you need help.

[cathydownunder]

Welcome Adrienne
I assume you're only looking at ADR for your L5/S1 level?
Do you have any more info such as what type of disc is being considered and when your surgery is likely to be scheduled?
You've obviously been reading the posts on here so it'll be easy for you to direct specific questions to people who've had similar surgeries. You'll be very happy I think with the support and help you'll receive.
Cathy

[KBear]

Welcome Adrienne,
Glad you found us; but sorry you have to be here. I also had an Idet, on L4/5 in 06, did nothing for me either. In fact the 'small tear' it was 'fixing' is now a herniation, and the disc is ruined. My report actually says DDD L4/5 post-Idet (the way it was explained to me was that if I wouldn't have had the Idet, the disc would not have degenerated so prematurely.) I think it is a pretty worthless surgery, in fact, I have never heard of a successful one (I'm sure there are some out there; but from what I have found, more failures.) Would love to hear your answers to cathydownunder's questions about what level, device, etc.
Until Next Time,
Kathy

[Adrienne]

Hi, Thanks for the welcome. I posted a reply before but it must have landed elsewhere.

I assume the ADR is only for the L5/S1 but this has been going on for so long that the surgeon at UCSF ordered another MRI just to see what the neighborhood is looking like these days. "Might as well get all of them while we're there," she says.

I don't know what kind of artificial disc they're looking at but I realize there are many choices and I have to do my homework. I had a bone density test yesterday and was confident of passing until I filled out the intake form in which I had to answer 'yes' to every risk factor. I might go down like a pillar of salt like what's-her-face in the Bible, in which case I'd have to have a fusion. We'll see.

For me, the idet was worthless and a painful waste of time ( 6 months) but it was worth a shot. The docs thought surgery might be overkill for this tear since they couldn't find any compressed nerves or significant bulges on the original MRI and I, being a coward, readily agreed.

The surgeon hasn't read the lastest MRI yet (I just got the results today) but the report says status hunkus dorus except for L5/S1 in which there is a small fissure with a small protrusion abutting the thecal sac. I'm hoping, probably beyond hope, that they can just go snip it out and send me on my pain-free way. This MRI machine was newer and more sensitive than the original one so maybe that protrusion was always there and was culprit all along. Anyway,that's what I'm drinking to tonight. :-)

Sorry about your idet; it's a drag, I know.
Take care,
Adrienne

[KBear]

I couldn't agree more on the Idet being worthless and painful. I am not only a chicken; but was VERY naive at the time (read: believed every word out of my dr's mouth was true and the final authority on the subject). I hope you pass your bone density test. The only test I flunked was my 'crazy' test. I am, apparently, supposed to be chipper all the time and use my imagination to 'forget about my back pain' (kinda hard to do when it hurts so bad it is all I can think about). When I had my second test, I lied like crazy (aka. I am never depressed, mad or sad about my back pain) and I passed with flying colors! No more deep breathing exercises for me! At least you have your sense of humor; I couldn't make it without mine. Good Luck & Let us know your results!
Oh, Just Curious (nosey) Do you have children, married, working, on disability, retired, etc.?
I am married, just celebrated my 6 year anniversary on the 9th! I am a stay at home mom to my 2 girls, Emma 5 and Ava 2 (almost 3).

[Adrienne]

Hey, thanks for the answers to the crazy test. No one has administered it to me yet but I'm sure my day is coming. Seriously, though, you nailed it. The last thing you want to do is sound like a crock. On the other hand, you have to whine loudly enough so that people will take note. It's a fine line.

This must be doubly hard for you with small children to tend; you have my sympathies as well as my admiration.

I've been married 21 years (to an MD..both an advantage and disadvantage as far as this thing goes) and have two sons 18 and 20. Not working at present, nor am I on disability but once I'm completely grafted to this couch, money won't matter. Where would I spend it?

Keep up the good work and I hope you find relief soon.

Adrienne

[KBear]

Adrienne,

Yeah, if you have the crazy test aka. psychological evaluation (which I am told is standard for most offices and that most insurances require it) let me know and I tell you some of the other weird stuff the asked. Here are some of the true (I swear) questions:

"Do you ever imagine the pain is not in your body?" (I think a yes anwer would be a red flag, so of course I put no-wrong answer!) "Do you tell yourself that the pain is not really happening?" (And this life is just my imagination too!)

A whole butt load of questions about 'imagining' the pain is not happening to you; answer yes, you do imagine it is not there (which sounds just a bit crazy to me, seeing as how I live in reality). Second, admit to no depression, you are not/nor have been depressed. I admitted to being depressed a month prior (that when I was told I would be on chronic pain management for the REST OF MY LIFE, that I was depressed) to the contrary I should have been happy that I was just marked hopeless at 28 and could not have the 3rd child I VERY much want. Third, I admitted to thinking about my circumstances often, at least when I am in pain, yeah, I think some nasty things about the driver who hit me. Nope, I never think about my back and just love the a-hole who is responsible for stealing the last 3 years of my life. Basically, any normal feeling those of us in pain have, lie like a dog. Sad thing is, I even lied about how bad I was on the first evaluation and thought I had passed, only to find out I needed to lie more. But of course, don't seem to flippant, as that is a sign of crazy too. Like you said a fine line.

I found that to get the dr's to take my pain seriously, I have to just be blunt and say "I hurt so bad, I want to die" then they will understand. Because when this all started, I wouldn't say how I felt, I wanted to be smiling, normal, and not appear crazy. It didn't take long to realize that the dr's thought I was 'fine' when I came in and did nothing. When I came in and let it all out, they responded. I even had one say "I can tell you are not feeling well, you are not smiling like usual" It is sad that you have to be dramatic to make things happen; but due to all the laws and quacks, it makes it hard on all the rest of us.

Congratulations on 21 years of marriage, that is awesome. Are your sons in college? I'm sure that is bittersweet. What kind of MD is your husband? My step-mom is a family nurse practitioner, and it is great when the kids are sick after normal dr hours and she can see them and call something in. She does 'old school' family medicine, where you see birth-death, pregnant women, etc. Not too many of those kind of dr's left, most in my area are specialists. Which can be nice; but then you have so many different dr's and so many different records (a double edge sword). Funny what you say about being 'grafted to the couch' I guess that is the plus side of back problems, you save on the shopping habit; but sadly only to spend on the back Sorry I got so long....

[kimmers]

Wow, KBear and Adrienne,

I never took a psychological test.

BTW, welcome to adrsupport, Adrienne.

I have had problems with my initial H and P at my doc's office. The PA accidentally put that I had a history of treated depression.
The dept of managed health care (CA) physicians used that against me in their denial of ADR.

I was speaking to someone a couple of weeks ago and told him that and he asked if I had ever been depressed. And of course I said I hadn't been treated for it. When he pushed, I said, "How can you not be depressed going through what I went through?"

I believe that there is a strong mind/body connection when it comes to pain.
But I wasn't able to completely block out pain--are you kidding--no way.

But when I saw and spoke to spine surgeons about surgery, I was definitely ready for that denial of my pain. Luckily, no surgeons doubted me. But one surgeon came close and I was ready to disagree with him if he did.
I have been there before and I don't care for doctors that don't listen to their patients or don't believe them.

Good luck in you search for treatment, Adrienne.

Kimmers

[Adrienne]

True there's a clear depression/pain connection but a person in constant pain would have to be insane NOT to be depressed. I can't believe you have to pass a fruitcake test for surgery.

I think of the pain like vacuum. I can be drawn away to something positive in the outside world but the minute it's neutral, BAMMM, back I go. So there is a correlation to mood. The enticement outward to happiness and the pain play against each other.
The sanity-saver on this for me is that if I'm semi-reclined or lying the pain goes down to zero. I have control over it.
Walking is another story, unfortunately.

My husband is a physician and we're tied in with the local med community. But I think if not for that, if not for our friends saying, "She's really not a crock", I would have been given some meds and told to go home. My MRI's were perfect, the nerves with plenty of wide open spaces, but they kept looking and finally found the large tear on the discogram.

Now if anyone asks...I'm not depressed. Not at all La la la. I was thinking of trying an anti-depressant but maybe I won't now; it's probably bad packaging.
Thanks for the tips, ladies.

Adrienne