Messed Up Spine

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opleeeeze

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During a visit to my neurosurgeon to see if any changes occured in my spine we again talked about surgery. I have stenosis, scoliosis and would need a 3level fusion. My neuro who is conservative sent me for a second opinion to an orthopedic surgeon who would come into surgery with him and tag team.
The neuro has a wait and let's see since it is a big fusion. The ortho says why wait?
All this and I am still in pain. But, I have to tell you I have Multiple Sclerosis also and that causes me pain and the symptoms are the same as the back pain.
The neuro says surgery would take about 7 hours the ortho says 4 and I am getting confused. I do not want a new dr. as I trust the neuro cause he did my cspine surgery and it was a success.
I know why the neuro wants to wait because of the 3 level fusion the rest of the verterbra will be stressed and might lead to further surgeries.
Then I come on this board and it seems most people are still in pain after the surgeries.
I can deal with the pain if it doesn't get worse. But, will I be able to walk at all? or will I be paralyzed?
My neuro said hold off as long as you can because it will probably lead to other surgeries which is what I do not want.
I guess I just have a messed up spine.
Any thoughts?
 
I'm with you. Really bad back, herniated disc, disc degeneration, and MS. Frankly, the back is going to put me in a wheelchair before the MS does. I wake up in the morning feeling like I was in a car accident. I have relatively no symptoms from MS, but my back pain is excrutiating. I don't know where to go next. The PM said I had a really bad back with possible arthritis. The MS Specialist told me it was the least of my concerns. It doesn't feel like the least of my concerns.

Not sure what else to do. I can't imagine living through back pain like this.
 
Hey Opleeeeze,
Don't forget that the folks who hang around here on the board are not representative of people who have fusion surgery. Most fusions are completely successful, and even though you'll always need to be careful, you can go on to get your life back and won't have the time or need to log onto healtrabroadoarRAB anymore.

It sounRAB like the neurosurgeon and the ortho are connected in some way? Are they in the same group? You might want to get another opinion from a doctor not in the same group, maybe not even in the same hospital. You can tell the new opinion that you're there for another opinion, but don't tell him what the other doctors have said. Take all your tests with you and let him come to his own conclusion.

Who have you seen? I'm in Richmond, too, and go to Dr. Van at Tuckahoe Orthopedics through St. Mary's hospital. I can't say enough good things about him! One of his associates, Dr. Simpson, has a background in both orthopedics and neurology, and he assisted with my surgery. Best of both worlRAB! Dr. Van is truly a gem of a doctor. Another orthopedic surgeon who was giving up on me because I'm an unusual case and he couldn't figure out what to do with me gave me Dr. Van's name.

Hope you get some good answers and are confident in your doctors and your decision.

Blessings,
Emily
 
There sure are a lot of people from Richmond on this board! :D

Is it something in the water?? :D
 
The James River? Gulp!!! Could be!

I prefer to think that we're just so computer savvy around here that more of us find our way to this board. :D

Emily :wave:
 
you don't all get your life back,even successful ones don't ,you can't go on roller coasters and all that stuff with hardware in your back,your not suppose to bowl or play golf with hardware in your back,even if its removed.sooner or later other things go wrong,its a normal.This was told to me by the neurologists
 
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