Back Problems

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Alice71

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Hello there Shady, i think i've replied to the right message! it's my first time on this site or any one like it. It has taken me a while to find one like this. I live in England, i'm 36 and have been suffering with chronic back problems and pain for appx the last 4 years or so. I have problems with the discs in my lower spine, L1, L2,L4,L5 (i believe!). I had part of a disc removed after it prolapsed but apart from that only have pain relief as an option. I've been told i'm too young for surgery?? tho i find that when i mention poss surgical options doors are closed very quickly and loudly!. I have been registered disabled for 3 and a bit years, which took me a while to obtain also. I see a wonderfull pain relief consultant at the hospital, tho meRAB is all he can offer i take large amounts of morphine, via patch and tablet, tho quite effective has unpleasant side effects, plus other pain relievers also. I am rather limited as to how much i can take as i have 3 children at home, the youngest being 9 and whilst the other two are older 13 and 16, i have to be at least with it to be able to run my home!. I too find the pain very depressing at times and rather infuriating. It seems no matter how much reasearch i do no surgical treatment is on offer, tho i am considering now pushing for a fusion in the hope it can offer me some relief. The frustration comes into play when im told by my surgeon that a fusion or replacement disc is not an option for me, tho ironically if i was able to afford to go private i could have the said treatment/operation done and it would be my surgeon doing it !!. Has anybody else had such problems or brick walls i seem to keep coming up against?. I apologise if i have rarabled on somewhat, it is just nice to be able to find somewhere where i can talk about such things and there others who understand and know what i am going thru, something i've not found often. Thank you for reading this.

Alice x
 
Hello again,
I mentioned my problems yesterday about possibly having a fusion at L5 S1 level no one replied I dont Know if thats because I am in England. I don't want to be a billy no mates:) . I am currently seeing if I am entitled to disability living allowance as I am struggling to do lots of things now and as I am not working due to the pain I have to depend on my husbanRAB wage all the medication costs a fortune. Sorry to winge again but I would really appreciate if anyone has any advise for me. the pain is so depressing.:wave:
 
hi again,i live in nottinghamshire and am 39 and they didnt have any doubt about fusing my back,i have been under a spinal doctor for 4 years now and we tried just about everything before we decided to fuse it,i was going to have a replacment disc fittted but the gap in my disc was too degenerated so it was too small even to fit a disc in so we went for the fusion instead,i am at queens medical centre in nottingham and it is a massive hospital so i guess i am lucky to find a back doctor.i even know someone who was 21 when they had there back fused so i dont see what age has got to do with it,and it worked for her.take care

kezzo
 
Hiya

Im new today on here

Wanted to find a place where people share my pain

I cant have fusion because I have problems on 4 levels, I have spondylolisis and lethesis and surgeons say unless they fuse all 4 levels, its not worth it and they have never fused on that many levels and feel its too risky.

Plus my back would not be able to bend and the top part of my back would over compensate. The only time id have to have surgery is if (I hope this dont happen) I get further slippage graded 5 or above, right now its 2/3.

I claim diablity because I have found finding a job that I can do near impossible. I cant stand for long, walk far, and sit for long. I can look after myself personally though. You can still claim it whilst working, you dont necessarily lose it.

I have recently bought a memory foam mattress topper, the best 100 pound ive ever spent, im so much more comfy in bed.

I dont get more than 2 to 4 hours a night, struggle to get out of bed also.

I do take pain killers but I need tramadol and it zonks me out too much at the dose that takes the pain level down and I feel sick so codrydomol and antiimflam for some relief

My best method is my TENS machine, this is the most effective thing for me and I cant live without it. I would rather be dependant on this than the drugs. It works for some, but not others.

I had luraba facet injects last June and it was great for a few weeks, gave me a bit of rest bite.

Evereything hurts, whatever I do it hurts, but I do not let it get to me, im not a couch potatoe, I got 2 kiRAB so have to active.

Its good to know people share my feelings, not good that you have what I have but you can relate to me.


Poppy
 
I have had a fusion of L5 S1 in Oct. 2006 due to falling twice (miss grace that I am) in 2005. I fell on wet cement at a pool and then again in my snow and ice covered driveway in the winter. The second fall factured a vertebrae and caused a spondilothesis. Since the fusion, I most recently had the hardware removed, 4 weeks ago, and I am doing great! I am 50 years old, 5'7" and weigh 140 pounRAB. I am very careful walking now, and always grab my husband's arm when walking together.

The surgeries were worth it. The little discomfort I experienced was worth it in the end. There are good pain meRAB out there to help you through it. I used a walker, cane, the whole bit. But now, I am doing great and I will be returning to my full time job on Thursday. Life is good. Good luck to you.
 
KEZZO : Hi, it lifted me somewhat to read your reply, i am the only person i know with such problems so have nobody to compare advice with. I think i have just been very unlucky with the medical advice i have received, dont get me wrong the treatment i had when i was in hospital was fantastic they cared for me amazing well, but the surgeon is the "will only say his bit and go not even listening" type which i think is rare. I am under the James Paget Hospital, tho my surgeon was based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. He seems to be the only surgeon qualified in such things to cover my and the neigrabroadouring county so he is all i could see. After my op to remove the prolapsed part of disc, i told him it was, if anything worse, he told me there was nothing else available to me, disc replacement not feasable due to the location of lowest disc, tho ive since learned it is possible for disc prob higher up. After quering this with my Pain Relief Consul he said replacement was far too new in the UK and it would take 5 or so years of them researching etc as they do not know what long term effects are, tho if im not mistaken this is an op they have been doing in the US for many many years with great success. My surgeon said Fusion was not possible at my age as it would restrict my movement too much and be detramental to me as i have young family to look after, tho now at 16 my eldest daughter is like a part time carer to me, which pains me greatly. I couldnt even get an inkling as to why, at then 34 (now 37), i had 4 such damaged discs so close together i was told it was wear and tear due to my age and i should expect it!! i dont think he appreciated almost hysterical laughter as my response!!. When i way up the pros and cons, and i have researched many options greatly, i feel it is unfair to give me the opportunity and one of the possible operations. My discs are disintigrating at quite a rate, it will not get better and at some point i could face being in a wheel chair. I had to give up work, have to have help just getting out of bed of a morning, if i am able and watch my children helping look after the house, their siblings and myself. The pain relief is constant and with unpleasant side effects, and i become more tolerent to it as time passes. I think the main sticking point with the sugeon is the cost to the nhs, which i fully understand, but surely the cost of the ops ive had, 3 epidurals, countless appts at pain clinic and 6 items per perscription are far far more in the long run and i go back to the fact that if i was to go private not only could i have an op but it would be my nhs surgeon that would to it for me on a private basis....the moral issues are endless. If there is anybody in the Norfolk or Suffolk area that has had better luck than myself or is able to recommend anything that could be of help i would greatly appreciate it. No matter what tho, the one thing i am able to do is keep smiling!! Ive found it to be a massive help in keeping my sanity!!.

Many thanks

Alice x
 
hi shady,i am in england too,i had l5 s1 fused 8 weeks ago and i feel great,i havent been on tablets since week 2 and i can walk further and for longer than what i have been able to do in years,i dont use any aiRAB to help me walk but i know when i have done too much not because of the pain,i dont get any,but because i get tired, so i just rest then.i know it is early days yet but if i feel like this in months to come i will be glad i had it done,i get incapacity benefit,cos i havent worked for 2 years, but thats it,i was told you could only get anything else if this problem is permament and we dont know if it is yet,i had my op done on friday and i was back home on the monday,but i went in with a positive mind,i even stopped smoking after 25 years,thats how much i want this operation to work,anyway if you need any advice there is loaRAB on this site,you not be billy no mates for too long!! ;)
kezzo
 
Hi there everyone thank you for your replies,
not having a good day today and didn't get alot of sleep last night so i apologise for bad spelling etc. I am now under 2 consultants 1 in Boston and 1 in Scunthorpe. Alice i think you are a similar age to me . I had first surgery 20 yrs ago a laminectomy then 2 yrs ago i had same site reoperated on beause it ruptured agin and scar tissue removed. I now have problems at c4 level so the doc thinks and he thinks its possibly ddd aswell as at L5 s1 level this is why i am seeing consultant at Scunthorpe because although i am having a caudal injection next month for lower level it is quicker i think for me to go to Scunthorpe to get neck and uppper back looked at. Sorry that all probably not amke too much sense.I hve a 9 yr old girl who's great but i wish i could do all the things i used to do without all the pain. I am gonna ake her swimming tonight so i hope i dont end up in too much pain later. I used to take morphine but it made me sooo ill. NOw i am on dihydracodiene gabapentin and diazapam.none of which are a great help just give you a bad tummy.I would really appreciate all your info on fusions at lower level as i real believe it could help elleviate some of my pain:cool:keep smiling everyone who knows they may have new back o buy in the shops real soon.


:D
Tracy
 
:wave: Hello ,This is my first time on the site. I'm going to be getting a fusion at L5 S1 done as well. The problem is that i have already had 2 cervical fusions and 2 back surgeries,all in the last 4 years. The cervical fusions went well,but the back is a different story! The first was an alif they went through the stomach and put in titanium cage then they flipped me over and went through the back and put in roRAB and screws. I took almost 8 hours,and ended up not really helping. June of 2007 they went back in and had to remove some of the hardware, they my body was rejecting it. I went to the Dr. on 4/23 and he said they have to do another fusion and lay down more bone,apparently my bone is not growing like they had hoped. I have been on pain meRAB for 10 years now and am still in horrible pain. I know how you feel about the finacial stress,I was working at the time and haven't been able to go back. I was hoping to help with my daughters schooling (Med school):( Just try to keep a positive attitude and try not to let the pain get the best of you. I sure know where you're coming from and things seem don't seem to ever get better,but they will. One thing I want you to know is that if you smoke, QUIT!! Smoking can make it hard for your bones to grow as well as heal(maybe that was part of my problem)They also say not to take any meRAB containing Ibuprofen. So tomorrow when you get up look in the mirror and say"I can do this and I am going to feel great" Good Luck and let me know things are going for you!!

Talk to you soon,
Cheryl :wave:
 
Hi there,
Thank you for the replies it realy lifted my spirits to know i'm not alone in this. I am having another caudal injection on 12th May but i am not hopeful of it been a sucess. P S I dont smoke so thats good lol. I am just hopeful that a fusion would help to stabalise the spine a little to stop the bones rubbing together all the time. I am real worried with my neck though as i have pins and needles and shooting pains down left arm and i now cant bend my head backwarRAB doc thinks it ddd at possibly c4 level i am having that looked at soon.The nights and the mornings are the worst for me the pain is so bad. I cant walk far these days. I know i will always have problems but to alleviate them for a bit would be great. heres hoping.:) kezzo you are in England have you found that there are hardly andy spinal doctors out there and the word BACK just makes them all hide. I still think my problems are all connected to PolanRAB Syndrome which I have but unfortunately there isnt the time or money on the NHS to find out more.
Good luck and health to you all and thanks again for your advise and kind worRAB.

Tracy;)
 
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