{message # 1729,} New - Need Advice/Opinions

[Guest guest]

Hi All,I've been searching for a group w/ a large # of members dealing w/ spine issues in hopes of getting good feedback. I'll try not to make this too long and just hit the high points.Herniated Disc - 10/01 Led to surgery - 04/02 by an OrthoDefinite relief from hernation but still have serious back problems involving the sciatic nerve (not nearly as bad as the herniation) but it's still very painful and unpredictable.For the past 3 years, my Ortho has been treating my symptoms rather than treating the source of my pain. I've had cortisone injections targeting various areas - the most recent being the facet joints. The injections never provide long term relief. The facet injections caused a SIGNIFICANT amount of pain the next day - and I'd call her the next

day from the floor CRYING and BAWLING from the pain and she'd just say, "Hang in there - that means we've hit the right spot". Well after a couple of days, I did get some relief. I wait a week as I'm told - then go back to my PT and he tells me I'm the straightest he has ever seen me! I look great! The facets must have been good! So, he sends me home with 3 very simple, gentle excercises that don't even put strain on my lower back. BOOM! I wake up the next day and can barely walk.My ortho has had me on every kind of medication you can imagine. My current meds are {deleted by group moderator}- 4x daily, Valium 10 mg - 1x occassional daily, Wellbutrin SR (anti-depressant) 150 mg 2x a day, and Celebrex 500mg 1x a day, Lunesta for sleep at night. She's had me try and I quickly took myself off because I could feel the bad affect - Neurontin,

Flexeril, I forget the name of another drug but it was time-released{deleted by group moderator} Bextra, Ambien for sleep, XyREM (spell?) for sleep because she said Ambien wasn't giving me the "right kind" of sleep. For those of you that don't know - XyREM is not a drug you can get at your pharmacy - you have to go directly to the manufacturer w/ your presciption and it's very closely monitored - mailed to me out of Seattle. It has the GHB (?) ingredient in it - A.K.A. "the date rape drug" ... knocks you OUT! I could probably list a lot of other meds, but I think you get the point. My ortho is drugging me and treating my symptoms rather than the source of my pain.So, after being sick and tired of being sick and tired and feeling at risk for losing my job - I go to a neurosurgeon. They order another MRI and some flex

x-rays. I read the reports - and to me - it looked like I was a mess. It mentioned osteophytes up several lumbar levels that are pressing on my spine and narrowing the space in my spinal canal, disc degenerative disease,(I'm 36 yrs old), a lot of thinning in L4-L5/S1 which is where I had my surgery, spondylosis, osteoarthritis, and buldging discs from L1 all the way up to L5-S1.I go to the neuro and he tells me my MRI looks completely normal. I pretty much typed word for word above what the radiologist put on the report and this guy says he doesn't see anything that justifies surgery. It's interesting because on my 1st visit he mentioned a spinal stimulator, or I might be a candidate for a new disc, or a minimally invasive fusion, etc. But, he doesn't feel that way now after seeing my test results.I deal with chronic pain. My daily pain is - with medication - at about a level

3. But, once or twice a week - it's very unpredictable - I can wake up and be COMPLETELY immoble - pain level 10. I basically crawl downstairs to get my pain meds - I double my dose - and have to lay down until they kick in before I can move. And even then, I can barely get up off of the floor. I describe my pain as a "stuck" feeling - with radiating nerve pain. I can also just be standing and leaning on one leg and shift to the other leg and get the shooting nerve pain down either side of my butt. But this past week - it was the 1st time I felt the tingling all the way down to my ankle. It was VERY suttle - but I felt it none the less. I have episodes of when I sleep, I wake up at about 4a-6a and can't get comfortable. I can BARELY lift my legs to turn over on my other side due to the deep raw pain that is in my lower back. Again, these come and go as well. But, I

sit at a desk all day and I am CONSTANTLY shifting positions - I drive my coworker crazy because I can't sit still. I can't stay in 1 position for longer than 5 minutes.SO, the neuro is ordering a Electromiography test and a discogram. This will take place within the next 2 weeks.But, my main concern and the reason for joining and posting - is what does everyone think about the pain I describe and the MRI results? Is this neuro guy crazy (sorry if there are any docs out here) or what? Or is that truly a normal MRI? I highly doubt it.I'm rambling on .... any advice/insight/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.....REMEMBER ALL OF OUR MEN AND

WOMEN IN THE ARMED SERVICE OF OUR NATION

PRAY THAT THEY MAY BE SAFE

AND SOUND IN BODY AND MIND

[Guest guest]

This message was sent by kazak_ momI did her a disservice by not including her name when { I deleted the portions that related to pain meds.} I re posted her message ,after deleting the original.

This was also a big disservice to the group as a whole.For this I am sorry.

EVERYONE TAKE AS BEST CARE AS YOU CAN AND BE SAFE.

Larry,group moderator

Hi All,I've been searching for a group w/ a large # of members dealing w/ spine issues in hopes of getting good feedback. I'll try not to make this too long and just hit the high points.Herniated Disc - 10/01 Led to surgery - 04/02 by an OrthoDefinite relief from hernation but still have serious back problems involving the sciatic nerve (not nearly as bad as the herniation) but it's still very painful and unpredictable.For the past 3 years, my Ortho has been treating my symptoms rather than treating the source of my pain. I've had cortisone injections targeting various areas - the most recent being the facet joints. The injections never provide long term relief. The facet injections caused a SIGNIFICANT amount of pain the next day - and I'd call her the next day from the floor CRYING and BAWLING from the pain and she'd just say, "Hang in there -

that means we've hit the right spot". Well after a couple of days, I did get some relief. I wait a week as I'm told - then go back to my PT and he tells me I'm the straightest he has ever seen me! I look great! The facets must have been good! So, he sends me home with 3 very simple, gentle excercises that don't even put strain on my lower back. BOOM! I wake up the next day and can barely walk.My ortho has had me on every kind of medication you can imagine. My current meds are {deleted by group moderator}- 4x daily, Valium 10 mg - 1x occassional daily, Wellbutrin SR (anti-depressant) 150 mg 2x a day, and Celebrex 500mg 1x a day, Lunesta for sleep at night. She's had me try and I quickly took myself off because I could feel the bad affect - Neurontin, Flexeril, I forget the name of another drug but it was time-released{deleted by group moderator} Bextra, Ambien for sleep, XyREM (spell?) for sleep because she said Ambien wasn't giving me the "right kind" of sleep. For those of you that don't know - XyREM is not a drug you can get at your pharmacy - you have to go directly to the manufacturer w/ your presciption and it's very closely monitored - mailed to me out of Seattle. It has the GHB (?) ingredient in it - A.K.A. "the date rape drug" ... knocks you OUT! I could probably list a lot of other meds, but I think you get the point. My ortho is drugging me and treating my symptoms rather than the source of my pain.So, after being sick and tired of being sick and tired and feeling at risk for losing my job - I go to a neurosurgeon. They order another MRI and some flex x-rays. I read the reports - and to me - it looked like I was a mess. It

mentioned osteophytes up several lumbar levels that are pressing on my spine and narrowing the space in my spinal canal, disc degenerative disease,(I'm 36 yrs old), a lot of thinning in L4-L5/S1 which is where I had my surgery, spondylosis, osteoarthritis, and buldging discs from L1 all the way up to L5-S1.I go to the neuro and he tells me my MRI looks completely normal. I pretty much typed word for word above what the radiologist put on the report and this guy says he doesn't see anything that justifies surgery. It's interesting because on my 1st visit he mentioned a spinal stimulator, or I might be a candidate for a new disc, or a minimally invasive fusion, etc. But, he doesn't feel that way now after seeing my test results.I deal with chronic pain. My daily pain is - with medication - at about a level 3. But, once or twice a week - it's very unpredictable - I can wake up and be

COMPLETELY immoble - pain level 10. I basically crawl downstairs to get my pain meds - I double my dose - and have to lay down until they kick in before I can move. And even then, I can barely get up off of the floor. I describe my pain as a "stuck" feeling - with radiating nerve pain. I can also just be standing and leaning on one leg and shift to the other leg and get the shooting nerve pain down either side of my butt. But this past week - it was the 1st time I felt the tingling all the way down to my ankle. It was VERY suttle - but I felt it none the less. I have episodes of when I sleep, I wake up at about 4a-6a and can't get comfortable. I can BARELY lift my legs to turn over on my other side due to the deep raw pain that is in my lower back. Again, these come and go as well. But, I sit at a desk all day and I am CONSTANTLY shifting positions - I drive my coworker

crazy because I can't sit still. I can't stay in 1 position for longer than 5 minutes.SO, the neuro is ordering a Electromiography test and a discogram. This will take place within the next 2 weeks.But, my main concern and the reason for joining and posting - is what does everyone think about the pain I describe and the MRI results? Is this neuro guy crazy (sorry if there are any docs out here) or what? Or is that truly a normal MRI? I highly doubt it.I'm rambling on .... any advice/insight/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.....

REMEMBER ALL OF OUR MEN AND

WOMEN IN THE ARMED SERVICE OF OUR NATION

PRAY THAT THEY MAY BE SAFE

AND SOUND IN BODY AND MINDREMEMBER ALL OF OUR MEN AND

WOMEN IN THE ARMED SERVICE OF OUR NATION

PRAY THAT THEY MAY BE SAFE

AND SOUND IN BODY AND MIND