I'm 28 and my back is falling apart on me!

  • Thread starter Thread starter smilinirisheyes
  • Start date Start date
S

smilinirisheyes

Guest
Thanks Jaqui, I will definitely look into that. I have always had good posture, but I try to find a comfort zone when I sit and stand but it doesn't work. And good luck to you and I will also update you as well.
 
I'm a 28 year old mother of 2 boys and I have always enjoyed being active with them, but for the past year, especially the last 6 months I have been dpressed because of all the pain I have in my back.

Here is my MRI results from 14 mos ago, keep in mind they have scheduled me a new one before I go and see the neurosurgeon.

At T11-T12 and L5-S1 disc dessication and mild disc space narrowing

At T11-T12 right posterolateral disc protrusion w/ mild ventral impression on the thecal sac and moderate right foraminal narrowing

At L2-L3, disc bulge causes minimal ventral flattening of the thecal sac and there is mild facet arthropathy

At L3-L4 there is minimal disc bulge and mild facet arthropathy

A L4-L5 disc bulge causes mild ventral impression on the thecal sac and mild to moderate inferior left and mild inferior right foraminal narrowing.

At L5-S1 broad based right central disc protrusion with posterior annular tear. Mild to moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing. Mild ventral impression on thecal sac.

I am in constant discomfort and have begun pt again, hoping it will help this time. I have been prescribed Soma and Cyrabalta and have just now started the Cyrabalta for the nerve discomfort.

Does anyone else have these similar issues? My doctor told me I have the back of a 60 year old and they have no idea why as of now. I just wondered if anyone else was in the same predicament as myself. I have a very poor quality of life because of this and I just want to be normal again. I haven't been to school because I have to stand for 6 hours every day and I cry before, during and after work because I dread having to carry heavy trays of food on my shoulders for 5 -6 hours and walk around without being able to sit and rest my back.

I just wanted to converse with someone who was going through or has gone through what is happening to me.:(
 
Hi I am also 28 and in your same position! I have already had one spinal fusion surgery of L5-S1 9 months ago, and next week am having a second spinal fusion surgery of L4-S1. My first fusion never healed, and I also have what they halos around the screws: empty space between the screws and bone from where the screws are grinding against the bone when I move. And then he neeRAB to fuse the level above it because that disc has degenerative disc disease, a full thickness tear, and it is basically herniated and compressing my nerve. He is also giving me a 20% chance of needing more fusions later because L2-L3 and L3-L4 have tears.

With my first fusion, I had spondylolisthesis. I had a fracture at L5 which was causing the L5 vertebrae to slip forward into my abdomen. The chunk of bone fractured had actually completely broken off and was laying on top of my nerve. L5-S1 was herniated as well.

I have been in terrible pain for 2 years, so about the same as you. I have a 2 year old daughter and would love to have more but that would be incredibly not fun with my back. I also was out of work for a long time. I simply could not work anymore. My husband and I have had major financial problems as a result (he also lost his job), so I had to go back to work. Luckily my dad owns a consulting firm so I work for him- from home. It is nice because I can take breaks whenever I want.

I also used to be active, and I am not over weight or even close. My theory is this: I had an eating dissorder for 15 years. It makes sense that it would cause these problems. Discs and bones need nutrition and hydration.

Good luck at your next appointment!
 
I'm 24 and I have a crappy back as well. I was diagnosed with Grade II Spondylolisthesis last May. I had 3 months of therapy and water aerobics, didn't help. I just had my first ESI last Thursday and it was awful. I still feel a lot of pressure from it. I was stupid tonight at work and tried to catch a falling box and I am paying for it now. My back is hurting worse than it has and my leg is hurting again. :( I hate that anyone has to go through this, especially those of us so very young. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you can find some relief.
 
Thank you for your reply. I never have had any fractures of any sort, and I've never had any injury to my back. I've been doing some research into all the terms listed on my report. Seems like I have spinal degenerative disease, but that is just my conclusion right now.
Did you have to do physical therapy and did you ever get the steroid injections? I had the injections and they were worthless. I really don't want surgery, and I hear the neurosurgeon I'm seeing is very conservative and surgery is last resort. But my pt therapist told me this morning that therapy would only strengthen my back a little, not really relieve3 anything as severe as my conditions are.
What options did your doctor have you do before decicing on surgery? I'm also considering applying for temporary ssi, since I have to call into work most of the time.
 
I'm 39 and had chronic back pain for 20 years. I have especially been having more frequent pain the last 6 years or so because of my jobs. I have recently lost my job due to my back pain making it hard to concentrate thus, too many mistakes. My employer protected their butt by just saying "too many mistakes, we can't trust you". Anyway, I have now been to 7 doctors (including 3 pain specialists) all in 1.5 years for my back pain. Today, my pain had been validated! I was diagnosed with DISH syndrome/Forestier's Disease. I wish there was a cure or even a surgery to shave the "spurs" down to give the patient more mobility and less pain but all they can give us is anti-inflammatory medications. I wish you the best of luck with your pain and can find some relief.
 
Well I don not have near as many involved vertebrae as yourself, but I do understand your situation. I am 30 years old with 2 young children age 2 and 10 months. I have already had 3 surgeries at l5-s1 since late Sept. The first one being a discectomy/lamenectomy. The second was Jan 27th the exact same surgery. My disc had re-protruded. Less than a week later I was readmitted to the hospital with back pain and of course leg pain. Ughhh, here we go again was all that I could think. Then on Feb 2 my Dr chose that it was time for a fusion. I was not sure what to think, but anything had to be better than continuing to have surgery every few months.

Well I am now 4 weeks post-op. I am still having severe pain in my back. I am taking pain meRAB every 6 hours just to control it. I guess the worst part is not being able to pick up my children. They just dont understand why mommy can't perform her motherly duties. It kills me. But I have been bad and attempted to pick up the younger of the 2, and let me tell you what a mistake that was. I could barely walk after that. And I already have enough trouble walking.

I dont feel that my family fully understanRAB what it is like. Is anyone else out there completely out of injury after surgery? I try to get up and do things throughout the day, but I get so worn out. Even the simple act of sitting upright in a chair not only causes me to be very uncomfortable to just plain wearing me out. Any suggestions?

I have had 1 post-op and go back for my second next week. My Dr said everything is healing well so far. I just feel like I should be further along in my recovery.
 
I had a spinal fusion last year and I am 23. L4-S1 with 2 roRAB and 4 screws. I was the best thing I have ever done. Six days in the hospital and about 2 weeks after the surgery were rough but after that it only got better. I have almost no pain anymore. I work a 40 hour a week job and stand for just about every minute of it and it doesn't slow me down at all. I had spondylolisthesis grade 3. I feel like I have my life back. I was also told that my back looked like a 60 yr olRAB but what I had in my favor was age. One thing that will help too is if you don't take pain meRAB that are to strong. It will make the ones they give you after surgery more effective. Hope that helps!
 
Hello, I'm 21 and have a lot of similar problems :( I've got a herniated disc in my lower back and mid-upper back nerve compressions causing pain everywhere between the shoulder blades, down my arms and legs, tingling hanRAB and feet etc. I have a feeling mine has to do also with a teetering on an eating disorder and alot of back stress doing gymnastics many years as a child. But most importantly, which is something I discovered only afew days ago thats given me hope is that the back pain is caused by the prolonged pressure of incorrect posture, I was at a school that used laptops and still use one regularly and am a musician so Iam almost always in a position that puts a lot of strain on my back ...

Something I recommend that you may not have tried, is to see a physio trained in the mackenzies method for mechanical spinal problems and displacements. Something my physio told me on monday (which was my first appt with a mackenzie trained phsyio) was very very helpful and gave me a sense of hope, is that the displacements you have in your back are not 'fixed,' that is, disc protrusions and other displacements can be righted and alligned again by the correct exercises and hence relieve the nerve compression and the resulting pain, if other methoRAB including surgery are not working I thoroughly recommend this, for you dont realise just how much your posture is affecting your back and the pressure you may be putting on it.

Trained Mackenzie method physios are all over the world, I was lucky cos here in australia there aren't as many, only one in Western Australia but theyre all over america and will be able to assess your individual sitiuation and help you!, I've only had one appt so far, but I've been given hope just in the first session with him he really changed my perspective and made me realise that things can get better. I will give you an update on how things go, but I'm very hopeful and I thouroughly recommend this it just may be the thing that helps. xx
 
Smilin- I did a lot of PT, 3 different programs all together actually, and I have done 3 injections. None of them ever helped me. With the surgeon that did my first surgery, I went to him as a third opinion, and ended up going to him for surgery. He just basically looked at my test results and said "here is what I propose to do" and that was a fusion. With my current surgeon, he looked at my old mri's and most likely told me what I would need- a 2 level fusion, but sent me for a new CT scan and a new discogram first. I followed up with him this past Dec 1st and he said surgery. I had already provided to them all my recorRAB which showed I had done all the conservative treatments.
 
Back
Top