update

  • Thread starter Thread starter lisa3451
  • Start date Start date
L

lisa3451

Guest
Hey everyone,

well last time I posted, I was getting my hardware removed. Well it was removed 2months ago and my pain is still with me. My surgeon says there is nothing wlse he can do, I have a lot of scar tissue and my fusion is "lacking" at best. He is refering me to pain management and I guess is finished with me. Im really upset, I thought that I would get through this eventually and regain my life back, what do I do now????
Thanks for listening,
Lisa:angel:
 
Lisa, my heart goes out to you and I am sitting here torn about posting to you. I don't know what you know about my story but here is the condensed version of it.

Feb 1982 S1/S2 fusion without hardware
May 2006 L5/s1 Laminectomy
Feb 2007 L5/S1 fusion with Hardware
April 2007 L4 Herninated
Nov 2007 Hardware removed left side, Laminectomy L3 and L4, nerve decompression L5/s1, added bmp to fusion

Current Status: Old surgeon diagnosed me with Failed Laminectomy Syndrome and Failed Back Syndrome (layman's version I still have pain) and sent me to pain mgmt. I sat miserable for over the last 4 months trying to accept that this is the best it will get. Recently I hurt my back sliding something in the oven. Primary care doctor sent me to a new surgeon and his initial impression from xrays is that I have zero fusion. I am also leaning to the left causing balance issues. Because of the non-union of the vertebrae everything is moving on one side and the other side is being held up by hardware therefore the there is little chance of fusion being able to complete and he believes the fusion fell apart. He has ordered an mylegram to confirm everything and it looks like I may be fixable. I should know by the end of the week.

Please, please I beg you please don't sit and be miserable like I did. I felt very, very alone and don't wish that on anyone. Consider getting a 2nd or 3rd opinon. This new surgeon feels that there is HOPE that I can be fixed and I pray that the same can happen to you.

These surgeon are not always right, they are human beings like you and I, they do make mistakes or wrong decisions. I hope I have not scared you but only given you encouragement to move forward and hang on to hope that the next guy just might be able to repair everything.

If you have any questions or want further information, I would be more than happy to help you as much as possible as I am sure many others on this board would too. Keep posting, we are here for you.
 
Lisa,
this is what usually happens: when surgeon is done with you, they send you to PM. When you go for surgery it's not garantees that you will be perfectly fine after.
This is what exactly happened to me after my 2 fusions and I am under PM care and I pray for him every day.
Good PM Dr can help you with your pain a lot. Unfortunatelly if surgery did not work, more surgery can do more harm due to scar tissue and a possibility of more nerve damages - who wants that.
I think you should look for a good PM (I go to see mine for almost 2 hours away). He will work with you on keeping your pain under control, changing meRAB, adjusting them...
Please, no matter what, sweeite, you can't give up, you have to fight and see what else is out there to be able to have some quality of life.
Just because your back is not perfect, is not the way you would like it to be, doesn't mean you should give up. Absolutely not! I am sure you have so much to leave for, so try to do the best you can.

Best of luck to you, sweet heart.
My heart goes out to you...
hugs and blessings...:angel:
 
Lisa, I agree 100% with Pepper. Don't give up and don't lose hope. I saw a reputable spine surgeon for my unusual back problem which was causing me more and more pain. He sent me for tests, PT, etc., but when nothing helped and push came to shove, he admitted that he was not able to help me. He did refer me to another spine surgeon, though, who turned out to be my hero. He did the best anyone could have done for me, and I'm so grateful! But sometimes I think how bad off I'd be by now if I hadn't respectfully persisted when the first doc told me there was nothing more he could do. I would have walked out of there with no hope and have continued deteriorating!

And why would he remove hardware if you weren't solidly fused yet? That makes no sense to me.

Lisa, I hope you can find another doctor who can help you. Keep calling until you find your hero!

I wish you the best, sweetie!
Emily
 
Hi Lisa, My surgeon saw me for 1 1/2 years after my last fusion and at that point he said there really was no surgery left to do, becasue my spine was in perfect shape. The pain I was having was from permanent nerve damage and scar tissue, which both were not operatable. So, he sent me to a pain management Dr. who I have loved. I know I have heard stories of those PM Drs. that only give meRAB. and send the pt. out the door, but there are some great pain centers where they use all the conservative therapies to treat your pain. When I have had new problems come up, my PM senRAB me to either my surgeon or another specialist, to be dx. and to see if there is any cure for the new symptoms. So, at least with my PM, I have never felt like my Dr. was giving up on me, even though it felt scarry when my surgeon said that he had done all that he could. So, if you do end up at a pain management Dr. look into several of them and I would recommend a pain center over a clinic. They tend to have multiple types of Drs. at the centers, who all specialize in different therapies.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Lorie:angel:
 
Justoneofus has made a good point-if your fusion was not fused, they should not have taken the hardware out. What is holding your spine in place now? Regardless which type of Dr. you see next, I would get your recorRAB from the surgeon as well as those from the hospital stays. You need to know what exactly has been done to you and what the outcomes are. If your hardware was removed and there is little to no fusion, your next Dr. neeRAB to be aware of this...as do you. Both of my fusions failed, but not only do I have my hardware in...but when the surgeon realized that my fusions failed, he went back in and replaced my screws with really large ones. He was afraid that if left with the initial screws, that are typically used to support the fusion, they woud break off in my spine. So, he took them out and put larger ones in. Now, even though I have failed back syndrome, I don't have to be extra careful to not break off the screws.

Please keep us posted.

Lorie:angel:
 
I completely agree with the others. Never give up and continue your fight for wellness.

It sounded to me in your post that your fusion didn't take fully. And as Blue mentioned.. removal of hardware when full fusion is not present.. makes no sense. Possible revision surgery should have been discussed.

Having said that, I strongly urge you to start researching and seeing another spine surgeon. If that means you have to travel outside your area.. do it. It's worth the extra mileage and expense doing so, for HOPE of trying to get your back into a better managed place.

Don't take the opinion of one doctor before you rest on "that's it". Even then.. things change over time and there is always renewed hope for tomorrow.

You hang in there and keep us posted. :)
 
Thanks for all of you encouraging worRAB....
My nuerosurgeon said that I am fused "as good as it will ever be". My fusion is at L4-L5 the L4 side is "solid" and the posterior "bridge" is solid, but there is a gap at the bottom L-5 side. bmp was used, he took out the hardware because of the continual pain, and said that It was as good as it would get. He is not the original surgeon i "fired" my first one when he wanted to remove my hardware after only 3months post-op. I am under WC with all of this and I do have an attorney he is sending me to his "expert" surgeon next week, maybe he will have a better outlook. I have always had a sinkning feeling that they operated on the wrong level. Back when I had my discogram they tested levels L-3,4,5,and S1 all three were injured. i remeraber thr Dr, (not my surgeon) talking to his asst stating that l5-s1 was the disc that was messed up, basically, not verbatim ofcourse. When I went to see the surgeon afterwarRAB he said it was my L4-L5 that required the fusion. I questioned him and told him about the conversation i heard, but he assured me and read the report again. Im propably just paranoid, hopefully they operated on the right disc. I would hate to have a secong discogram but I feel that it maybe needed.
Blessings,
Lisa:angel:
 
I am sorry for all of this pain. I agree that a discogram might be your best bet at this point. I know its not the easiest test, but as you know from the past, it does get to the pain quickly. Just in case you do have it done again, and perhaps you already know this, but you can ask for a concious sedation and you won't remeraber much of it at all (even though they say you have to be awake for it).

I am glad that you did not have the hardware removed at 3 months, you definately would not have had the fusion that you have today. I know you must have been suffering all of this time, if you wanted it all out that soon, and for that I am truly sorry for you having to go through that.

Please keep us updated on anything new that you find out. I will keep you in my prayers.

Lorie:angel:
 
Hi, Lori -

Just wanted to thank you for the encouraging worRAB on PM drs - I'm 5 days post op - had a two level decompression but had the left leg sciatica for several years and I know there's a chance the surgery didn't fix that. I have been so limited by my bilateral leg pain and have had to stop doing so many of the things I love - Do you mind if I ask whether you've had success with non-surgical treatment of nerve pain? I would describe it as a stabbing pain down the outside of my left leg and more of an aching down the back of my right leg - I would welcome any insights and suggestions you and the others can offer. Am new to this site and haven't had any responses to my postings thus far - Hello out there!:confused:
 
Back
Top