continued severe pain 3 mos after discectomy

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gbgb

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Hi,
I had a 2 level discectomy 3 months ago, after being bedridden for 3 months with 2 extruded discs from an immediate trauma to my back lifting/catching, I also have 1 herniated and an annular tear that they left alone.

I usedto not be able to put my right leg down or bear weight, then both legs began to buckle and i'd almost fall alot of times i was caught before I fell.
As well as being besides goingto the bathroom, bedriddden in severe excrusiating pain.

After surgery I was readmitted for inability to urinate and kept in hospital for 3 days longer.

I now haveto go for another MRI as it's 3 months later, I have severe pain down both but cheeks and thighs into feet in both legs, and I can only stand for about 20 minutes sometimes longer before the pain gets so bad and pressure I haveto lay down still. I spend most my time on my back or side, and the more I walk the less my legs can move til I shuffle.

I still have a limp but not as bad as it usedto be.

How long does this take to heal and what are they looking for on the MRI?

Neurontin doesnt do much and makes me so dizzy and exhausted. Vicoden doesn't help much either. The pains are getting worse again. When do you know if you have permanent damage?

EMG is probably next in line to be done I assume.

Thanks for any insight or links on after surgery nerve pains etc.
Maybe they should of fused me instead.
 
Hi I am so sorry you are having pain after surgery. I have had the same thing happen to me and it is depressing. When one goes into surgery, they anticipate that all will be better which unfortunately is not always the case with back surgery.

I suspect they are doing an MRI to see if they can determine why you are still in pain after surgery. They may need to do CT Scan/mylegram as well.

My biggest advice would be to make sure that if they want to do any additional surgery that you:

1. get a 2nd/3rd opinion
2. have a discogram done to confirm which levels are the culprit for your pain.

Sometimes, like in my case, a perfectly looking innocent disc was the generator and the disc that looked like the culprit was not.

Good luck and keep posting. We are here to support you.
 
Thanks so much for responding DrPepper I've been in tears from frustration. Tired of not being how I'm supposedto be after surgery. Everyone said I'd be up and about bla bla and I had such high expectations of getting better and I'm still useless.

If I'm in bed all day or most of it I'm okay, then I try to clean up the kitchen or if someone brings me to the store and then I see just how bad I am again and then I am completely stuck on my back for days afterwarRAB. I can't even drive or sit up in the car.

I'd give anything for a pedicure my feet are gross cuz I can't hardly reach them. I know sounRAB ridiculous but, it's true. I hate pedicures. But I can't sit in the chairs they have to even do that.

The surgery pain was so horrid I couldn't even move, they gave me dilaudid that was the first medication to alleviate my pain since I hurt my back months ago and that ended when my hospital stay did. Even car rides kill me for days afterwarRAB and set me back to stuck on my back. I hate it.

I'm afraid of another surgery after the extent of pain I had for 2 months and being completely stuck on my back or side.
I'll post back again, I just read alot from my laptop but even that is tiresome and I dont get many answers to my dilema either.
Thanks again. It's just really hard to be like this.
 
I would love that pedicure too!! That is definitely a challenge to clip the toe nails for us spinneys.

It sounRAB like you are miserable and I strongly recommend getting a 2nd opinion if your dr is not helping you or managing your pain.

I will add you to my prayer list.
 
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