Guest guest Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 Hi I'm sorry you needed the second surgery, that sounds really awful. At the moment I try not to take pain meds every day but some days I just can't manage without them. I've found that if I don't take meds, getting to sleep on a night time is really difficult, its then that I notice the pain more as my body is trying to relax. My GP has prescribed Garbepentin along with parecetamol and codeine,they do help, but I would prefer not to be taking them. If you could turn the clock back, would you have waited before having the first op? Thats the difficulty I am having because like you said, at the moment I feel if my symptoms remain as they are now I can manage okay, as long as I rest when I get the lightening like pains down my legs, and they only come on infrequently. My dr has asked me to let him know the next time I see him if I think my symptoms are worsening? Well some days I feel very definately they are and then on others I don't need pain meds and have only a slight pulling down the back of my right thigh, and discomfort and buzzing in my heel, it is so tricky. I don't want to leave surgery too late but at the same time I don't want to have it if I can avoid it safely. I think your experience shows that I do need to take my time and that my surgeon is being sensible in waiting to be sure there is progression of symptoms before deciding to operate. How has the TCS affected your working life? and home life? I really hope you continue to recover and your pain level continues to decrease after this latest surgery. 2 1/2 weeks is not a long time! I hope you are managing okay. Thank you for offering your support at a time when I am sure you need some TLC yourself. Please keep me posted as to how you are getting on. Best wishes. Jill Re:davidbrian In my opinion the fear is justified and real. Before surgery number 1 I had issues but none of them compromised my life in any real way. Surgery was represented in an overly positive way to me. Surgery number one instantly took away most of my nerve pains...and all of my back pain(this however took several months). I did gain a permanent loss of about 50% of my tactile sense in my right leg...thigh down but no loss of motor function. In my opinon it was a worthwhile sacrifice. That said I retethered one year later and had an onset of such horrific pains. I can only describe it as feeling like my waiste down was covering with gasoline and let ablaze. The feeling lasted every minute of every day of my life for 7 months. I chose second surgery mostly out of desperation. You see the pain was so bad at times that I felt that even in surgery put me in a wheelchair it would be worth it for a reduction in pain. Interestingly surgery number 2 did not make me worse in any way shape or form. I am currently 2.5 weeks post-op and the nerve pain was reduced 75% immeadiately after surgery, and I am confident that it will be completely abated. This was just my experience though and is no model for others just my story. All that said are you getting by without pain meds? in short surgery did remove the bulk of my symptoms but there is no way for me to know if it has been the permanent solution that I have been looking for. Others also have entirely different stories. > > > > hi db,i am posting this to you because you seem to have done your > > research. i was diagnosed with a lipoma which is tethering my > > cord ...does this mean that they have to go in to the cord itself > to > > release it or if you know where i could find the answer i would > > appreciate it... and exactly what kind of tcs did you have.. sorry > if > > i missed that on one of your previous posts...thanks and i know > any > > reply will not be considered medical advice > > > > > > Not Medical Advice. We Are Not Doctors. > Need help with the list? Email kathy@t...,michelle@t..., rick@t... > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 I do not regret having the first surgery. In retrospect since I retethered that was not so great. But, I was ok with the sacrifice after surgery number one. I held off for a year before having the surgery and during that year I clearly had worsened. I will not tell you whether it is a good idea or not. For me I stand by the decision I made 2 times. I kept my social life together fine. I have been out of work since May because of the pain, investigation and now recent surgery. I will be attending law-school this spring full-time. Do you still maintain a part-time or full-time job? If you inevitably do push for surgery ask the Surgeon if he/she uses a Yag laser Ask him/her what he thinks the chances are for causing arachnoiditis. Ask him/her what preventative measures, if any he/she is taking to reduce chances of retether. > > > > > > hi db,i am posting this to you because you seem to have done > your > > > research. i was diagnosed with a lipoma which is tethering my > > > cord ...does this mean that they have to go in to the cord > itself > > to > > > release it or if you know where i could find the answer i > would > > > appreciate it... and exactly what kind of tcs did you have.. > sorry > > if > > > i missed that on one of your previous posts...thanks and i > know > > any > > > reply will not be considered medical advice > > > > > > > > > > > > Not Medical Advice. We Are Not Doctors. > > Need help with the list? Email kathy@t...,michelle@t..., > rick@t... > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2004 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 I am at university at the moment studying to be a nurse. I can cope with the lectures okay but when I have to work long shifts in the hospital it can be more challenging, I really do get a lot of pain in my leg at the end of the day. I hadn't heard about arachnoiditis but next time I see him I will ask him thanks. Law school sounds exciting! Re: Thanks I do not regret having the first surgery. In retrospect since I retethered that was not so great. But, I was ok with the sacrifice after surgery number one. I held off for a year before having the surgery and during that year I clearly had worsened. I will not tell you whether it is a good idea or not. For me I stand by the decision I made 2 times. I kept my social life together fine. I have been out of work since May because of the pain, investigation and now recent surgery. I will be attending law-school this spring full-time. Do you still maintain a part-time or full-time job? If you inevitably do push for surgery ask the Surgeon if he/she uses a Yag laser Ask him/her what he thinks the chances are for causing arachnoiditis. Ask him/her what preventative measures, if any he/she is taking to reduce chances of retether. > > > > > > hi db,i am posting this to you because you seem to have done > your > > > research. i was diagnosed with a lipoma which is tethering my > > > cord ...does this mean that they have to go in to the cord > itself > > to > > > release it or if you know where i could find the answer i > would > > > appreciate it... and exactly what kind of tcs did you have.. > sorry > > if > > > i missed that on one of your previous posts...thanks and i > know > > any > > > reply will not be considered medical advice > > > > > > > > > > > > Not Medical Advice. We Are Not Doctors. > > Need help with the list? Email kathy@t...,michelle@t..., > rick@t... > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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