My Story- Again:Anyone Heard of MRN?

[janiee08]

I am almost a year out of a T9 to L5 spinal fusion, and in much more pain than I ever was before surgery. I can bearly walk, and when I do, I limp. My pain is a million times worse now than before surgery. My surgeon says everything looks good-instumentation is in place,etc. He would not order an MRI, so, eventually my PCP did-but only of the thoracic area. I don't understand why they didn't do a full MRI. An x-ray tech said either the doc ordered it that way,or your insurance wouldn't pay for a full MRI. Anyways, this MRI was "o.k.". My PCP never returns my phone calls, and my surgeon has refused to see me anymore because I'm so "far out" from my surgery. My mother finally called the surgeon and demanded an appt. It's tomorrow and I am bringing my husband and my parents. (I'm 46 yrs. old with two children)I had hoped the pain was due to a cervical polyp-but that was removed on Monday-and I have the same pain. The docs just want to throw me into PM, but I want to know why I have this much pain I have been doing some research on MRI's and came across a new sort of MRI called MR Neurography. Has anyone heard of this, or had one? It seems it gives a much more defined picture of the spinal nerves. Also, anyone have any ideas as to what I should ask my surgeon tomorrow? I've confronted him in May as to why I had so much more pain after surgery, and he just points to the x-rays, and says "everythings in place-go to PM". I feel like I'm in a bad dream. I'm on Vicodin, Zanaflex, Zoloft, Neurontin( since a month ago)and Arabien CR. My surgeon is affiliated with a well-known Clinic in the Cleveland area-he was supposed to be the best-I don't know what went wrong--Janiee

 

[Justoneofus]

Hi there. Wow you certainly have a lot fused there. Unfortunately, the more levels fused, the odRAB of success go way down. Plus, there never is a guarantee it's going to solve the problem of removing the pain.

Nerves are the last to respond in the healing process, and sometimes they just dont heal or can even get more damaged by the surgery.

I've not heard of the new MR imaging you mention, but it sounRAB quite promising as another new tool to help us discovery wise.

Regardless of being the best of the best, docs are human and they can only do so much. My surgeon told me that he could only do the very best he can surgery wise on me, and the rest of it is up to how my body heals and what ever other powers that be. Very true statement.

PM is not just a place to medicate you. PM does treat your pain of course, but they also work toward trying to find the source of that pain, and treat it. Plus they teach you ways to learn to better cope with it all too. None of us want to go there, as it seems its the end of line. But it's not.

I was sent to PM due to my fusion not ridding of my pain, but the fusion took like a charm and looked really good and solid. I am so improved through lots of patience and exercise, that I really dont need PM anymore, unless I have new problems.

I suggest that you get your images and get an appointment with another spine surgeon to see if they concur with your current docs ideas or otherwise.

At least then you will have a second opinion with which to make some better decisions on how you go forward in your treatment for wellness.

I only had one level fused (l4/l5) and I normally snap back quickly from anything and go on. Not with this. I am almost 2.5 years post op and I kid you not, I continue to improve and feel better, even this long post op. While it could change in a second, I am doing fantastic and back to doing some body sculpting again.

So dont give up and allow your body to take whatever time it neeRAB and keep fighting even when you take a few steps back. Eventually you get to 3 steps forward.

You hang in there.