some questions

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hearts4120

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Hi all,
Awhile back, in January I had an MRI done because I had and continue to have problems with my legs after my ALIF in Deceraber. When I saw my surgeon a couple weeks later he told me the MRI was totally normal. My mistake was forgetting to get a copy of the MRI. Fast forward to last week (the 14th) I went to see my pm doctor, he also obtained a copy of the MRI report and told me and gave me a copy of it, it shows some fluid of the disc and say it cannont be ruled out that there is infection, furthermore shows somethings like flavum, and hypertrophy, things I have never heard of. Why would my surgeon tell me it was all totally normal?
Should I be worried, or belive the surgeon? I see him again the first week of March. I have some questions for him thats for sure. My legs get very fatigued with minimal amount of walking, and then I have severe pain in them. I would just like some answers for a doctor. The best so far is... if the nerves are irritated and it takes time for them to calm down. No one can tell me how much time, to what extent etc.... thanks for letting me vent.
p.s. i am thinking of asking for a temp. handicap sticker until my legs are better, does anyone else have this? Good idea, bad idea, thoughts?

Lori
 
I think it's awfully early to be speculating on too much of what is or isnt going on back there right now. You are in the very beginning stages of healing at this point. Of course, there are some things that can go wrong and need to be remedied right off if discovered, but maybe your surgeon was thinking that whatever he saw was not out of the ordinary so early on after surgery. To him it may be "normal" to see those things in some patients so shortly after surgery.

PM's and Surgeons operate in a different plain and prairie and often collide when it comes to patients treatments and diagnosis as well. I learned this a few years back when I got a PMs take on how they view spine surgeons and vice versa. They both agree it can sometimes be a weird relationship. Some respect the work more than others.

It's normal that they can't give you a timetable on the nerves calming down as we are all wired differently and your body will respond when it's good and ready like the rest of us. I wish we had a switch we could just flip on and off for pain control! lol. I would duct tape mine in the off position (as this stuff works for everything it seems! lol)

My doctors REFUSED to give me any sticker EVER. They said they wanted me to walk and if that meant I could only get to the door and had to go home, so be it. In stereotyping a tad, how many do you know shop at the super walmart? You can tell in my personality both here in especially in person, that I am not a couch potato by trade, but a mover. You would think that would have been taken more seriously that I was hoping to make my shopping more productive so I wouldnt have to make endless short trips, but not. Oh well.

I say, ASK, the worst you will hear is no. Hang in there. It does get easier as time passes.
 
Hi Lori ~

I got a handicapped parking sticker right away, even before I had my surgery...so I guess each doc is different.;)

Otherwise I agree with everything Justoneofus said. It is too early to really know what's going on. From your surgeon's point of view, I'm willing to bet everything is perfectly within the "range" of normal.

I had a PLIF on Jan. 7th and have a little pool of fluid. I was told it would reabsorb "in time." He also said nerves come back very slowly...and they start at the surgical site and go out from there. I believe they say that healing can continue to take place for up to two years. Guess we have a bit of a wait in front of us! :(
 
Thanks for the advice. I think maybe I am just impatient and want clear consice answers, and in this surgery there just is not a magic wand that can be waved and tell me exactly when I will feel better.
My pm doctor was cautious not to step on the toes of my surgeon, he did tell me to speak with my surgeon about the clarification of the MRI, he did show me the MRI results but sent me to the surgeon for further evaluation.

Lori
 
Hi Lori,

I had an ALIF on January 4th for a herniated disk, L5, S1, that I had suffered from for 20 yrs. My pain was always in my lower back, never in my legs. Since the surgery I too have issues with my legs, mostly the right leg. I get burning pain down the top of the front of the leg. When I came out of the surgery the fronts of both legs, down to my knees, were nurab. The left leg pain has subsided. My doctor prescribed Neurotin (IC GABAPENTIN) 600 MG, 3 times a day and it makes a big difference. He said I could even go 2400 MG a day. My doctor said that the nerves may have been stretched and that the pain should subside in a few months. I'm only 6 weeks post op and have been walking and using the elliptical quite a bit. I had an x-ray last week and the spacer and screws are holding together quite well, so I'm optimistic for a fusion. On the handicapped sticker, I got one and use it occassionally. Every bit helps in terms of convenience.

Good luck with your recovery and I hope the pain in your legs subsides soon.
 
I was looking up some of the "big worRAB" :) on my MRI I had done in January. It looks like it shows some Spinal Stenosis, I never had that show up on an MRI before. How odd. More questions for the surgeon.

Lori:)
 
Lori, go ahead and ask your doctor about the handicapped placard. I have a temporary one, my second since the surgery. My doc was quick to approve the first one, a tiny bit hesitant on the second but said that I have a lot going on right now, so gave me another temp. As I told him, the issue for me isn't the distance to walk, it's being able to open the car door wide enough to get in and out with this unbending body (14 fused vertebrae) and pushing a cart up a parking lot --- very hard! I will try to get a permanent one eventually. I think I qualify!

Take care,
Emily
 
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