severe cervical & lumbar stenosis

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red64

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Does anyone out there suffer from severe cervical and or lurabar stenosis ?
I am scheduled for surgery for the cervical stenosis Oct.16th, 08 but I have just now reach full bladder incontinence and my doctor hasn't moved the surgery up and I am concerned about this.

Will I regain bladder control after surgery ? I am currently in an electric wheel chair because my legs give out and I have nurabness and weakness ( mostly right sided ) I'm scared that the surgery won't help and I am looking for someone who has been through this who might give me some hope.
 
Everything I have ever read or been told by my spinal specialists (of which there were several) was that loss of bladder or bowel control was the one reason they would do emergency surgery. There is a big risk that when there is that degree of neurologic compression, the nerve damage could be permanent. I would get it checked out. Maybe call another doctor to ask about it or even go to the ER of the best hospital in your area.

Oct. 16th is a long ways away!!

I would think this problem would be caused by your lurabar stenosis. The cervical stenosis shouldn't have anything to do with it...I wouldn't think....

MORE OPINIONS, PLEASE!!!!!!
 
do you have anything else notable in your MRI report besides just the severe stenosis? this just 'sounRAB' like their is much more there than just the stenosis given your symptoms,thats all. do you have your own copy of your MRI report in your posession? if not,get one,and any of your other medical recorRAB and testing results just for your own recorRAB. if you could possibly post here the summary part of your report,it would really help. what you are experiencing could be from actually any level within your spine,not just the lurabar alone. it all depenRAB on what you have going on and what areas are being affected. do you have any cord contact at any level or heriations?

just knowing what your full report(summary) states would help alot here. but having loss of bladder or bowel control is a very ominous sign of much deeper involvement within your spinal areas. this neeRAB attention much sooner vs later. does your surgeon know about this sudden change in symptoms? he at the very least here,neeRAB to find out if this is indeed spinal related or it could have just happeed to you at this same time too and be from other causes. it can happen without spinal involvement too ya know? but he NEERAB to better define this for you and possibly move up your surgery if this IS stemming from your spinal problems. the sooner this gets relived when it is stemming from spianal involvement,the better. knowing what is listed in the report as your bigger issues would just help alot,both cervical and lumabr. you just can have that symptom from a severe cervical issue too. it all comes doen to just what is casuing the issue and where it is. any more info you can provide about specific issues(besides the severe stenosis,just how severe IS that anyway?) would help alot in helping you. marcia
 
Hi red,
I had severe cervical and lurabar stenosis and had surgery for both in April and May this year (neck,which was much more serious, first). I have bladder problems, but not as severe as full incontinece. I was told, after urodynamic testing post-operatively, that my bladder issues stem from my cervical stenosis, not my lurabar, but I think it can be caused by either, depending on where the stenosis is impinging nerves.
I would definitely contact your neurosurgeon to move your surgery date up and also contact a urologist (urogynecologist if you are female). Even if surgery does not improve your bladder situation, there are other things than may be able to improve it, depending on your situation. I have also been told, like marcia, that when you have something severe (like full incontinence) show up, you need to be taken care of promptly so as to increase the chances of avoiding permanent damage. Don't be afraid to be the 'squeaky wheel' here and get that surgery moved up. And, don't forget that your bladder problems may have another way of being resolved or at least aided, if surgery does not help.
As for your electric wheelchair. I wasn't as 24/7 with my walking problems, but I was using a seated walker before my surgeries. I could walk very short distances on my own, but pushed my walker or used a cane for that. I would use my walker as a wheelchair when I couldn't walk anymore (hubby pushed me in it). I do not need it anymore, although I use my son's wheelchair if I am going to be out for a long outing (my son doesn't need it all the time, same as me). I have used a wheelchair only twice since my back surgery in May, once for a 6hour day at the state fair where I would walk a long stretch, then sit and rest in the chair -and once for a friend's son's bar mitzvah (to have softer seating and my legs extended since the seating provided was not going to be something I could manage longer than 15 minutes or so).
I didn't get 'the old me' back after my surgeries, but I am MUCH improved from where I was and I was 'saved' from further problems I was heading toward. I have very much benefitted from both surgeries and am muuuuch more mobile than I was (and believe I'll continue to improve with this even more as I move further into 'long-term' recovery).
I wish you only the very best outcomes possible! Take care.
Meghan
 
Oh my gosh, yes, I am in total agreement with everyone else that posted so far...if you've gotten to the point of total incontinence it is considered an emergency situation. If your doctor is not concerned about that (plus the fact you can't even walk anymore...then you need to find another doctor. I urge you to speak to your doc about this quickly or try to find another one quickly. It is possible that you could end up with permanent damage. And all of this is not to scare you...it is just to let you know the truth. And please remeraber...it is your body and you need to get the best care for yourself.

I had severe lurabar stenosis, and I was pretty close to not being able to walk anymore. I was able to make it about 20 to 30 feet and then I would have to try to plop down no matter where I was. As you know, the pain is unreal. The first thing my surgeon asked me was if I had lost control of my bowel or bladder, though he did not ask if I had any other bladder issues. I am sure that my condition did affect my bladder, though I had not lost control. I had problems emptying mine and then I felt like I always had to go, sometimes I was going, though only dribbling, every 15 to 20 minutes. After my surgery, it was suddenly better. But then I've had more bouts of severe sciatica where ...what do you know, I got bladder issues again, until the sciatica was treated. Even after that, I was always having to go at night...but i've noticed since I've been on Lyrica and a muscle relaxer for several months now, I hardly have to go at all. I can even drink coffee at night now and I never wake up to use the bathroom.

But anyway, again, I urge you to contact your doc ASAP and actully you should get a second opinion.
 
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