100% disabled after discectomy and fusion surgery

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Junior warden

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Hello everyone, just checking in. but is there anyone who is 100% disabled after having these type of surgeries. I am 6 months out of fusion surgerey. And i am having a rough time. I am about to go for the test to see how much i can lift for the rest of my life. And i cant lift a pound, so if anyone can help it would be heart felt.
 
Yes psuedoarthrosis is what they call my existing fusion as well.
Backhurtz did you get better after your revision/ second fusion? I am scared to death as I have also had a rotten couple of years, but having another fusion is like my best chance at ever being pain free, or at least mostly pain free, which is all I guess I can hope for at this point. Other levels of my spine are now failing, that is why L4-L5 neeRAB to be fused now in addition to fixing the old one. He gave me a 20% chance of needing more future fusions as L2-L3 and L3-L4 are beginning to tear.
Junior Warden- please don't give up just yet. I am sick of all the doctors and tests too, but I just cannot live this way much longer. In addition to my back problems I have been very (very very very) sick from my gallbladder. I just had it along with it's golf ball sized gallstone removed last week. So I have certainly had my fill of problems, but I still have to keep hope and try everything. I am 28 and have a beautiful little 2 year old girl, and an okay husband I guess;) I need to get better for them. I would love to have another baby someday too.
 
The plan right now is to have a L3-S1 via lateral (XLIF) fusion. Should be interesting!
 
Thanks, but it just gets a little frustrating, some people think your crazy. But i refuse to let anyone else tell me how i feel, or listen to these crazy doctors. It has been 3 years, 2 surgeries, a lot of bills and frustration. I just accept my condition, I am 41 2 kiRAB and a family. I am currently doing the work hardening program, which is killing me, and making me worse. so i am just hanging in there doing what the workmans comp people are telling me.
 
I know what you mean- my family all thinks (maybe now "thought") I am/ was crazy. I think finding out that one of my gallstones was the size of a golf ball maybe helped them to believe me. That and going to another surgeon who says I need another fusion.
They are also really concerned about the fact that I have been taking pain medication on and off but mainly on for over a year. They think I am addicted. I don't blame them, as I think about that every day. It bothers me and I know it is bad, but at the same time, I have to function and I have to have some sort of sanity. I will say that I do not enjoy taking them, they make me feel yucky.
They have no idea what we are going through. Neither do the doctors. I have had a lot of emotional problems due to all this too. I have to take anti depressants and anti anxiety meRAB sometimes. I had never ever had an anxiety attack until this. Not only is the pain hard to deal with, but financially we are very stressed because I lost my job and was on disability (1/2 my salary) for so long. I finally am working part time from home, for my dad. I am not well enough to hold a job full time and where I would have to leave the house. Money wise we are still in big trouble.
So yes it is so incredibly hard to maintain a positive attitude day to day. I am trying right now to focus on Christmas and making it exciting for my daughter.
 
I am very sorry to hear and yet very sorry to tell but it seems your fusion for some reason failed. 6 months is very long recovery period.

What was your diagnosis prior to fusion, what type of fusion you had?
 
Wow. Good luck with that!
My last fusion was a 360, but this surgeon is only going through my back. I am sure that will make it easier to heal.
 
I have had orthopedic problems for years. On occasion I would go out of work on Short Term Disability (STD) but the longest was 6 weeks. We'll now I've been out since late April and exhausted my STD and am now well into my LTD. If this next surgery goes well I may be able to return to work in 2010 but never at my old pace (job required travel). But I'm lucky to have LTD so if I remain disabled I'll have to find a way to come to terms with that.

After a couple of spine surgeries I'd guess most people have some level of permanent limitation (even it it's only not being able to lift or carry much). But spinal surgeries can take a long time to heal and each little step in the recovery scale is worth aiming for.
 
I would really like to meet someone who has had a fusion in the past and not had complications down the road. I had a micro-d then a year later i was in pain again.. then had 3 level (L3-S1) fusion. I had my fusion in April06 and was on some HEAVY meRAB. finally got off everything (pain meRAB, muscle relaxers.. the whole kit and kaboodle) in Jan07.. i still have pain every day.. some days it gets really bad.. and some days its not horrible.. but it is still there :(( (my fusion failed..but not doing anything about it til i have to)

i tried for disability in 06 and was actually denied... i work (right now part time) and i am pretty good.. i can function... but when i am having a bad day.. i just want my bed and my heating pad ( have not taken any narcotics since Jan 07)

Good luck.. hope all works out for you.
 
Have you asked for more scans or MRI's? I had a fusion 8 months ago and never got better. Doctors and family thought I was crazy, thought it was all in my head. Even the guy who did my surgery said I would be in pain forever, and sorry that there was nothing he could do. Finally one day a couple of months ago I fell down the stairs on my butt and said "thats it I am going to the hospital." Now I am back with a new and better surgeon and about to have a 2 level fusion. He has to do L4-L5 (full thickness tear, DDD, and 10/10 pain on discogram) and completely re-do L5-S1, as it was a failed fusion and didn't heal. I have what they call halos around my screws, void space from the screws grinding against the bone.
 
Even though I am working part time I am still collecting some LTD because I only can work part time. I used up my STD a last spring. Even though it is a pretty easy, light work load job, I still have problems because I cannot sit in a chair for very long at all. Last night I sent myself into a horrible pain attack and could not get it under control. My feet also went durab and I was crying.
Spine when is your next surgery and what is being done? Mine is not scheduled because I wont have insurance until Jan 1st, and they can't schedule it until I have it. Then it will be 4-6 weeks. I am having L4-L5 fused and an L5-S1 revision.
 
I am so determined to get better. This time around I am doing everything right. I am on much lighter pain meRAB right now than I was before my first surgery. That will make a huge difference in keeping my pain under control. I am eating better and putting on some weight before the surgery as well. I have a 2 year old, and I love her so much and want to have another baby! I should be pregnant right now!
 
Yes, sir.....I have a failed fusion, pseudoarthrosis which meant that I had to have a revision done, but was totally disabled after the first one went bad. Developed post op CES and lost most of my ability to walk, let alone stand and sit....
It's been a horrendous couple of years.
If I were you, I would check with a neurosurgeon to see what he or she thinks of where you are now. That is how I found out about what was wrong, and the failed fusion, broken screws, etc...
What a mess.
 
I had a level 2 fusion with 4 screws. i had a collasped disc before the surgerey. and no i have not had a mri, or anything like that. i am tired of mri,s and all of this stuff i accept the fact i will be disabled i am tired of this workmans comp stuff.
 
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