Re: More Questions from a NewBee...

[Guest guest]

Hi Ken – I’m Lorrie and my

surgery is set for Nov. 8th.

I

haven’t lost mobility prior to revision surgery (I’m fused

from T6-L2) – but I lean a little forward and I’m in a lot of

annoying pain. I’m on Mobic and Tramadol and without those drugs I’m

in tears. Mobic works pretty good but I have to lie down during the day a

lot to alleviate pain. I’m not limited to the types of chairs or

cars I ride in right now.

I

haven’t had a disketomy or laminectomy surgery.

I

had a Facet Rhizotomy – where they try to deaden the nerves of my

lower back to reduce pain. I had that this past January and it did not

work. I didn’t get any relief.

I’ve

a bone density test – which is a bone scan but I didn’t have

any cortisone shots.

Hope this helps you.

Lorrie

Ellicott City, MD

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Ken Leonard

Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005

1:20 PM

Subject: [ ] More

Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please

answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for

medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I

have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post

mine very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to

revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in

they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain

car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further

Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed

Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between

surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you

corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see

if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he

wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I

misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Dear Ken,

!.I could only walk a very short distance without pain, and then had to sit down to resolve my pain. I could only stand about five minutes, like when cooking dinner, and then I had to sit down. I had no trouble with chairs, or cars. Long drives were painful, we pretty routinely drive 15 hours to Idaho, and I was a mess when I got there. Cars are an issue with me after revision, nothing low to the ground,Mini vans and SUV's are great, send a Honda Accord my way and I won't even try. I'm fused from T-1 to the sacrum, so the majority of my spine is fused, so shape of car seats also is a problem, too much of a curve isn't comfortable, my husbands Ford Taurus is just awful for me. People in the group have raved about the Toyota Rav4 as the best car for post revision bodies.

2. I did a Decompression/ Lami first, and it only gave me about a year till I needed to be fused to the sacrum. During my decompression/ Lami I had my entire Harrington Rod removed. This surgery did give me a year for my kids to get older before the BIG surgery, and ended my horrible leg pain. I did still have the Flatback pain though,and after a year we went onto full on Revision. Decompression/Lami is on it's best day only a stop gap proceedure, but it served a purpose for me, having time to get the family ready and older, and lightening up the load of work needing to be done during the revision. It is an " Extra" surgery, since most will go onto revision in a year or two, it doesn't resolve Flat Back pain.

3. My Facet joints were a mess, that was addressed during revision, and since I'm painfree now, no longer an issue.

4. I had cortizone shots, got zero help from them. I had a bone scan prior to surgery. I think my doc was looking for overall bone quality in my spine since my revision meant the placement of 25 screws, 3 rods and bolts. Decent bone is a must. I have mild osteoporosis, which my doc is treating very aggessively since I have so much hardware.

Hope this helps!

Colorado Springs

[ ] More Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post mine very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Hi Lorrie - thanks for responding...

Are you having surgery for (Flat Back?), If so, Is this going to be fusion to the sacrum and are you going to be having disketomy or laminectomy surgery at the same time? Which Dr will be doing your surgery?

As for the facet joint, have you done anything thats helped?

I hope your surgery is a success!!!

Lorrie Snyder <lorriesnyder@...> wrote:

Hi Ken – I’m Lorrie and my surgery is set for Nov. 8th.

I haven’t lost mobility prior to revision surgery (I’m fused from T6-L2) – but I lean a little forward and I’m in a lot of annoying pain. I’m on Mobic and Tramadol and without those drugs I’m in tears. Mobic works pretty good but I have to lie down during the day a lot to alleviate pain. I’m not limited to the types of chairs or cars I ride in right now.

I haven’t had a disketomy or laminectomy surgery.

I had a Facet Rhizotomy – where they try to deaden the nerves of my lower back to reduce pain. I had that this past January and it did not work. I didn’t get any relief.

I’ve a bone density test – which is a bone scan but I didn’t have any cortisone shots.

Hope this helps you.

Lorrie

Ellicott City, MD

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Ken LeonardSent: Monday, October 24, 2005 1:20 PM Subject: [ ] More Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post mine very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

Ken Leonard

Branch Manager - Sr. Mortgage Planner - Realtor

Direct Line: 562-355-2954

Richmond Home Loan 10531 Humbolt St. Los Alamitos, Ca 90720

office: 562-799-9303

fax: 562-799-9304

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks for responding...

I have also heard that the Rav is a good car, and the CRV - I personally drive a GMC Jimmy - it's great!! The Power driver seat adjusts in one movement and tilts back far enough to take the pressure off my low back... ahhhh!!! I have been known to take drives in to to GET back relief!! It has 231,000 miles and has original motor and tranny - ok, you get the picture =)

I wonder if anyone knows Why when having Decompression/ Lami surgery - a person only gets a year or two before needing total revision surgery?

I seem to have more disc problems than I do with Flat Back - but that is Still being reviewed!!!

Facet Joints were addressed during revision?? I thought that was part of Decompression/ Lami surgery?

Thanks again for responding!!! Have a great day!!! I'm very glad to hear you are pain free!!

I am also very thankful to have found this group!! - Ken. Kirkaldie <.Kirkaldie@...> wrote:

Dear Ken,

!.I could only walk a very short distance without pain, and then had to sit down to resolve my pain. I could only stand about five minutes, like when cooking dinner, and then I had to sit down. I had no trouble with chairs, or cars. Long drives were painful, we pretty routinely drive 15 hours to Idaho, and I was a mess when I got there. Cars are an issue with me after revision, nothing low to the ground,Mini vans and SUV's are great, send a Honda Accord my way and I won't even try. I'm fused from T-1 to the sacrum, so the majority of my spine is fused, so shape of car seats also is a problem, too much of a curve isn't comfortable, my husbands Ford Taurus is just awful for me. People in the group have raved about the Toyota Rav4 as the best car for post revision bodies.

2. I did a Decompression/ Lami first, and it only gave me about a year till I needed to be fused to the sacrum. During my decompression/ Lami I had my entire Harrington Rod removed. This surgery did give me a year for my kids to get older before the BIG surgery, and ended my horrible leg pain. I did still have the Flatback pain though,and after a year we went onto full on Revision. Decompression/Lami is on it's best day only a stop gap proceedure, but it served a purpose for me, having time to get the family ready and older, and lightening up the load of work needing to be done during the revision. It is an " Extra" surgery, since most will go onto revision in a year or two, it doesn't resolve Flat Back pain.

3. My Facet joints were a mess, that was addressed during revision, and since I'm painfree now, no longer an issue.

4. I had cortizone shots, got zero help from them. I had a bone scan prior to surgery. I think my doc was looking for overall bone quality in my spine since my revision meant the placement of 25 screws, 3 rods and bolts. Decent bone is a must. I have mild osteoporosis, which my doc is treating very aggessively since I have so much hardware.

Hope this helps!

Colorado Springs

[ ] More Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post mine very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Yes – my on November 8th is

for flatback.  I am going to be fused to L5 anteriorally and posterially.   He

is leaving L5/S1 still free.  Dr. Boachie did say I may need another surgery

when I’m in my 60’s (I’m 44) to fuse me to my sacrum –

but the last disc looks fine now.  I’m hoping for the best on that. 

No I haven’t done anything that has

helped the pain except the medication.  I do go for deep tissues massages (I

have one this evening!) and it feels great – it helps the muscles around

my lower back and my upper back and neck muscles.  They feel good for the

evening – but it doesn’t correct anything.  I just like the fact

that I can lie there for an hour with no one bothering me (I have a 19 month

old)!

Thanks for your best wishes!

Lorrie

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Ken Leonard

Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005

2:31 PM

Subject: RE: [ ]

More Questions from a NewBee...

Hi Lorrie - thanks for responding...

Are you

having surgery for (Flat Back?), If so, Is this going to be fusion to the

sacrum and are you going to be having disketomy or laminectomy surgery at the

same time? Which Dr will be doing your surgery?

As for

the facet joint, have you done anything thats helped?

I hope

your surgery is a success!!!

Lorrie Snyder

<lorriesnyder@...> wrote:

Hi Ken – I’m

Lorrie and my surgery is set for Nov. 8th.

I

haven’t lost mobility prior to revision surgery

(I’m fused from T6-L2) – but I lean a little

forward and I’m in a lot of annoying pain.

I’m on Mobic and Tramadol and without those drugs

I’m in tears. Mobic works pretty good but I have to lie

down during the day a lot to alleviate pain. I’m not

limited to the types of chairs or cars I ride in right now.

I

haven’t had a disketomy or laminectomy surgery.

I

had a Facet Rhizotomy – where they try to deaden the nerves

of my lower back to reduce pain. I had that this past January and it

did not work. I didn’t get any relief.

I’ve

a bone density test – which is a bone scan but I

didn’t have any cortisone shots.

Hope this helps you.

Lorrie

Ellicott City, MD

From:

[mailto: ]

On Behalf Of Ken Leonard

Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005

1:20 PM

Subject: [ ] More

Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please

answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for

medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I

have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post mine

very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to

revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in

they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain

car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further

Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed

Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between

surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you

corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see

if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he

wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I

misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

Ken Leonard

Branch Manager - Sr. Mortgage Planner - Realtor

Direct Line: 562-355-2954

Richmond Home Loan

10531 Humbolt St.

Los Alamitos, Ca 90720

office: 562-799-9303

fax: 562-799-9304

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Dear Ken,

The decompression Lami surgery only addressed the pain associated with the stenosis, a horrible pain in my leg and hip. This pain really prevented me from doing much of anything. Flatback pain for me was in my low back, something I didn't notice much until I didn't have the steniosis pain anymore. Read my story in the files section, it gives a blow by blow. I'm from Colorado.

If you truly have flatback, and don't trust a regular ortho to even diagnosis it, get to a revision specialist, many listed on the site. If you have flatback, and even if you have the Lami you will need revision down the road. Fusion to the sacrum is the only thing that truly stablizes the spine. If you are looking for a stop gap and pain relief from steniosis, a lami/ decompression will do it for that pain, but DOESN'T address flatback pain. Not many in the group have gone the route I did, and most revision specialists warn against the Lami/ decompression route for flatback, as it leaves the spine unstable. My doc didn't want to fuse me to the sacrum till absolutely necessary, since I was only 41 at the time and he wanted me to be able to bend for as long as possible. Fusion to the sacrum has left me unable to bend, many in the group do have bending abilities, but because how high and low I'm fused, and the amount of hardware, I'm unable. I get around it with grabbers, not fun, but I'd rather not be able to bend than have that terrible pain. While I'm in the minority of members of the group that had the lami first, from everything I've read, and others, you get a year or two tops from it before you need revision. Ask Kam or Cam, they and their doc's have strong opinions on it. If you get a flatback diagnosis, or if you are unsure about what you are hearing from your local guy, get to a revision specialist pronto. Don't be like me, I was messed up for 15 years, begging doc's to find out why I was in so much pain, and got the " learn to live with it montra". I saw twenty doc's in 4 states with no results. Finally when I got to Denver and my spine guy, I had a name for it, Flatback, and a plan to help me. I wasn't crazy, there was a real reason I hurt so bad! I'm still angry to this day that I had to go so many years in pain and getting pooh-poohed off. I cried all the way home from my first visit with Dr. Kumar, such a relief to know what it was and to have a plan to fix me. I had the decompression and two revisions, but thankfully I'm now painfree, level and can stand upright. Even if you love your local guy, it never hurts to get a least two more opinions, and if your Doc is a stand up guy he won't be offended by it, This is your spine afterall!

Just my two cents! Hope it helps!

Colorado Springs

[ ] More Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post mine very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

HI Ken,

In order:

1. Yes. Could only sit for so long, stand for so long, etc. The particular chair was very important. Not every wood chair worked and not every upholstered chair worked. It depended on how much of me did not rest hard right on the base of my spine.

2. Had revision surgery 20 years after Harrington Rod surgery. In NYC, Dr. Boachie. A wonderful physician, in skills and temperament.

3. Have had facet joint injections, before my revision surgery, to get me through the months before my son's wedding. It helped, but not by much.

4. Bone Scan would probably not be clear enough to get a diagnosis because of the metal in your back But, I am not a doctor.

I wish you well, but you have me confused. You said "my Dr wants me to have a bone scan...." Ken, the best piece of advice you have gotten here is that you need to see a scoliosis specialist who deals with post-Harrington Rod patients. That's crucial. No matter what they may say, the other docs do not have a clue. In the time since you joined this list, you could not possibly have already seen one of these docs. Thus, I am confused about what you mean by "My Dr." You should not be taking any advice from any Dr other than a scoli specialist!!!!! And then you need to see at least one more of them for a second opinion. OK, I will now get off my soapbox. :-)

Bonnie

[ ] More Questions from a NewBee...

Hello everyone - I have some questions for the group (please answer any that you feel comfortable with answering) - I'm not looking for medical advice, just what your personal experience is/was... On the website, I have read the personal stories and thought they were great & plan to post mine very soon... so my questions are:

1) Did you find yourself losing any mobility/functionality prior to revision surgery? Specifically, I am wondering if there were any changes in they types of chairs you could sit in or if you were limited to a certain car you could ride in, etc...

2) Have you had Disketomy or Laminectomy surgery (without further Fusion?) - If you tried Disketomy or Laninectomy surgery and then needed Fusion, how long did you make it (without pain).. Did the time between surgeries give you the ability to get in better physical shape?

3) Have you had any problems with your Facet Joints? If so, have you corrected it? How?

4) Have you had a Bone Scan? My Dr wants me to have a Bone Scan to see if I have a bad Facet Joint - He says if the test shows inflammation - then he wants to give me a cortisone shot.. (has this helped you??)

Sorry so many questions - Feel Free to respond Privately - I know I misspelled some of these words... LOL - sorry bout that!!! =)

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Ken,

My experience with facet injections was quite different from Bonnie's. I had many, many injections, and the reason why I continued to have them is that they gave me relief from just awful pain. Others know that I also had a cryogenic nerve block, where they literally froze a nerve bundle and, although it was quite a procedure, it worked wonderfully. This was all done in a real Pain Clinic at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

Carole M.

[Guest guest]

Ken,

They were facet injections, and they helped me in all ways. I did not have a bone scan first. The cryogenic treatment was done with fluoroscopy and, I think, a few others may have also. I had even started with injections in my neck (above the fusion) with good success, but had to stop because it had fused and there was no space for the injection. I cope with that pain with ice and use a soft collar sometimes at home.

The pain clinic was just great. They treated everyone with empathy, compassion, and even humor. Many of the doctors are anesthesiologists. The thing that didn't work for me was acupuncture. I had geared up for great relief, had to pay out of my own pocket back then, and got nothing from it. Maybe someone else has had good results. As much as we all are quite alike, we also are very different!

Hang in there, and do find a good specialist to see?

Carole M.

[Guest guest]

Hi Carole ~ Thanks for letting me know that.. Was this the epidural injections that you were having? Did you get a bone scan prior to getting the injections? Other than pain relief did they help you to gain some mobility / flexibility? Thanks again!! =)scolioly2@... wrote:

Ken,

My experience with facet injections was quite different from Bonnie's. I had many, many injections, and the reason why I continued to have them is that they gave me relief from just awful pain. Others know that I also had a cryogenic nerve block, where they literally froze a nerve bundle and, although it was quite a procedure, it worked wonderfully. This was all done in a real Pain Clinic at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.

Carole M.

FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.