Question about surgery

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shannonjord08

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When you are faced with the possibility of having surgery what should you do? I haven't been to see my surgeon yet, but I know he/she will suggest it. Then what? Do I listen to the doctor and have the surgery or do I look for other alternatives to relieve pain. I don't want to be on pain meRAB the rest of m life. But, I don't want to be worse off if I have the surgery. My Mom had back surgery as a result of falling off a horse. She broke her back. She was worse off after the surgery. Fastforward 20 years later and she is on numerous medications(too many for me to count) and hardly ever gets out of the house. She is depressed all the time. I don't want to end up like her.
I try to look at the positives of surgery, but it seems like the negatives out weigh the positives. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here a bit, but I'm just looking ahead and preparing myself.
 
There are many alternatives to surgery. It all depenRAB on your quality of life I think. If you are able to get around, go to work/school etc, I would say put off surgery as long as you can and try some alternatives such as physical therapy, accupuncture etc.

I would definately get more than one surgeon's opinion.

Just because that happened to your mom does not mean it would happen to you, so if you really do need the surgery go ahead and take it.

Remeraber, ultimately, it is your body and your choice.

Hope you feel better soon!
Jen
 
Hi,I'm no doc,but I'm in same boat,I have DDD,I had a back surgery in 95 to relieve some of the juice from disc at L5S1.it helped for 9 years,but fell and reinjured myself,I now have L5S1 narrowing,some bones rubbing,upper levels are herniated and I know once they do fusion those others will go for sure,I put off surgery since 2006,WC wants me to have it,I trying to keep at pain management as long as I can.It helps somewhat,there is no cure for the problem I to feel it will worsen if I go surgery.I can get to bathroom okay and care a little for myself which I'm content.So I'm at the point should I do it or just hope to stay where I"m at.My aunt had 3 surgeries and no better,a friend I know too is no better,constantly on pills.funny they tell ya at pain management not to be on many pills yet after surgery you on more than ever.No counting the harm its doing to your organs.too many steroiRAB causes breaking down of immune system.
 
Well, you are really the only one who can say if you want to have surgery or not. No one can make you. You will know yourself when or if you want to go ahead with it. The docs can tell you their opinions but it's still an elective surgery unless for some reason it becomes life threatening. It all depenRAB on your quality of life and how can deal with it. If you can no longer do things you once loved, or can no longer do day to day activities of normal living, or if the pain becomes too much, and if you get very depressed, or if you've exhausted all other options, etc...then maybe you will decide to have surgery. But it is completely up to you. Surgery is a big decision and has alot of risks, including the possibility of not helping you at all or making things worse. But of course it can also make you feel alot better. So it probably is best to try everythign else possible first & if none of that works enough to your satisfaction, then maybe you will opt for surgeyr. But the doctors cannot force it on you. If you can live with the pain you're having and are resistant towarRAB surgery, then don't do it. You will know in your gut when it's time.
 
Hi! I understand how you feel! My first surgery in 10/04 was a microdiskectomy and was unavoidable as the pain was a 10 and I didnt want to start on pain management because I am a recovering person with 12 years clean/sober at that time. A year ago, my disc reherniated and I saw a neurosurgeon and he recommended surgery. It was NOT an option as I had a 14 month old and another on the way! I HAD to keep working. I went on pain management and just befor my surgery 13 days ago, I was up to Percocet 7.5 4 times a day, Lyrica and Skelaxin. I did my best to make it, go to work, go to meetings, and help my wife. I went until I crashed and could no longer work. I am now tapering down on my meRAB, I walked a half mie today without a cane. I will make it, because I believe if I don't, my other disease will kill me. The point here is everyone's situation is so different and age, job, responsibilities like kiRAB, etc, make a huge difference. I prepared a letter to my neurosurgeon a month ago to give him on my 1st visit that basically outline all the things I had tried and why I need to get surgery asap. He looked at my MRI and agreed. Thank God it is over with and I am recovering. My 25 month old knows daddy has a big boo boo on his back and is very careful. He doesnt ask me to carry him any more, but I hope I can again someday. And I hope to be able to carry my 6 month old and he never has to know. Not to be melodramatic, but this is some heavy stuff for us and we all enter into this realm in different ways. My accident was on my honeymoon and I know my wife sometimes hates the in sickness and health part of our vows. It's normal, but it hurts me so bad. Just had to vent.
 
I am sorry you have to go through this, but we never know what waits for us just around the corner, is in it?
#1 - the most important what you MUST do is to go for second, third and if needed more opinions. This is the most important thing you have to do.
It has nothing to do with how much you love and trust your DR. Drs are humans and make mistakes too.
Spinal surgeries are not a walk in a park and it's so important to know that you have no other alternatives but surgery. They do have a lot of things in their arsenal which they can try before they do surgery. Spinal surgeries have to the last resort, when nothing else is working.
My girlfriend was told by 2 Dr at different Hospitals that she nees spinal fusion and that they have nothing else for her to offer; she had numerous steroid spinal shots, PT, etc.
Well, she went to HSS in NYC and DR ther suggested her to try accupancture. After 2 month of treatments she went back to play tennis, went back to the gym and she is doing great since. Now if she feels a little pain, she goes back for preventive treatment of accupancture for about 10 sessions and she is doing so nicely. She is looking how much I suffer after my 2 fusions and prays to God that she did not go and have this done.
So please, honey, make sure you go and see other good DRs; this is good for your piece of mind to make a final decision.
I wish you all the best!:angel:
 
I know that it is my decision to have surgery. I just don't want to make the wrong choice. If I decide not to have it then what? What if every other alternative doesn't work. I really don't want to be on pills the rest of my life. I have 2 beautiful children and a wonderful husband. The quality of life, if on meRAB, isn't what I want. I've seen what it has done to my Mom. She has been on these meRAB ever since I can remeraber. My hubby is very supportive of me and doesn't want me to have the surgery unless that is the last resort.
I keep thinking back, trying to remeraber what it was that I did for my back to be like this. I used to move the furniture around in my house at least every 3 months(including the fridge), I was a waitress for over 5 years. Was it something I did then or is it just my luck that I'm cursed with this? I've already had 4 surgeries in the last 3 years(female) and I had a hard time healing from those.
I just want to say thank you to all of those who have replied to my rarabling on and on. I'm just scared and don't know what to do. They haven't called yet to let me know when my appt. is to see the surgeon. On top of all of this, me and my 6 year old daughter have the flu and it's making my back ache even more. It seems like the pain meRAB don't work as well since I've been sick.
 
I know for me surgery was the last resort. I got to the point where I could barely function anymore, couldnt walk more than 20 - 30 feet, my old life was over as I knew it. I had all my docs and PT telling me surgery would be my best bet but I still waited a while. In my case, though, I was only getting worse no matter what I tried. Even the pain meRAB werent really helping and I took nothing for a while up until I did have surgery. I had never had any surgery before so I was scared of doing it. But for me, the time came when the possible benefits outweighed the risks for me. I couldnt imagine how much worse I could get. I also started thinking that even if surgery didnt help much, maybe it would at least help me some & Id still be better off than before. If you dont want surgery and dont want medications, then definitely at least try all other alternatives.
 
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