4th surgery to be scheduled

[nanatothesixth]

Saw the specialist today, and he wants to do the 4th surgery. He wants to do a revision seeing as I did not fuse on one side. It was explained to me that they take the old screws out and put bigger ones in. He will do it with BMP...does this mean he will not take bone from the illiac crest? What is BMP? I have a lot on my plate, so to say. My husband neeRAB a partial knee replacement asap as well. So far, this has been a really rotten year for me. I have a lump on my adrenal gland, nodules on my thyroid, the thyroid is under-actice, and my back hurts like hell. This surgery will not do anything for the nerve damage as it is permanent, nor will it make any of the weird things go away that I am going thru on the left leg. I am really regretting having any back surgery done at all. I will more than likely spend the summer in the house, and I will have to give up babysitting my 3 month old Grand daughter. Have anger issues as well, and have done a lot of crying this past week due to the pain and my leg giving out. The mood swings are far worse than going thru menopause!!!!!!! L3 is not showing any thing wrong with it---for now---we all know the dominoe effect happens in time. sorry for venting---thanks for listening. No one knows what we all have gone thru. People can listen, but if you haven't had back surgery, you have no idea what we are talking about. No one can imagine the hell that we go thru every day.

Pat

 

[ms_west]

((((((Pat)))) My heart goes out to you. I have had 4 surgeries and still suffer each day. My biggest advice to you is make sure you have multiple opinons about the surgery before you do it. Don't put all your faith in one doctor; they are not perfect. You may already realize this but I feel that I had to say it anyway. Good luck and you are in my prayers.

 

[mznell]

Hi Pat ~

I agree with Pepper. If I were in your shoes, I would go to a different spinal specialist to see what s/he would recommend.

BMP is a genetically engineered protein that it being used more and more, rather than your own bone. It has a high fusion rate. It both recruits bone forming cells, and turns on local cells to the bone-making process. In many people, it creates a fusion in 3 months' time.

I'm sorry you and your husband are both having so many health problems. We are all sympathetic to your situation.

 

[BlueAtlas]

Pat, I'm so sorry you're going through all this again. This stinks!

Is there hope that you'll have less back pain after this surgery, even though the nerve damage is permanent?

I don't blame you for being angry. I think a lot of people with chronic pain end up angry, depressed, or both. Is this something you can talk to your doctor about? Maybe there's something he can do to help you. I know it's just miserable to wake up everyday emotionally spent as well as in pain. It sounRAB like you're very similar to how I was when I finally admitted to myself that I was depressed, and had been for a long time. I had lost so many things over the years, and when I lost one more thing, it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I talked to my doctor (cried, actually), and he gave me some much needed help. Maybe there's something or someone your doctor could recommend to help you get through this.

No need to apologize for venting. We've all been there, and we do understand. Please let us know how you're doing!

((((((((hugs))))))))
Emily