My Consultation with Dr. Hu

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone:

I took your advice and had a consultation with Dr. Hu at the UCSF Spine Clinic.

I also got to meet Racine, , it was a pleasure to meet you in person!

I had a total spinal fusion in 1981 from T4 to L4. I have a Harrington rod which

served me well for nearly thirty years. I started having problems a few years

ago (I'm 42).

Dr. Hu said pretty much the exact same thing as Dr. Tay. She said that surgery

for me is inevitable based on the results of my ct myelogram. The myelogram

showed that I have stenosis, arthritis, a fracture that never healed and a cyst.

I used to have terrible nerve pain that started in my lower back, went out to

my right hip and down my right leg and ended with numbness in two or three of my

toes. I am really fortunate because the pain is almost entirely controlled by my

combination of Cymbalta and Neurontin. I'm able to walk 3 miles a day and I'm

able to avoid taking opiate except for on the occasional bad pain day.

Dr. Hu said what's likely to happen next is the stenosis will narrow further, or

the arthritis will worsen, adding pressure to the nerve. At that point, the meds

may not push through the pain.

She also said that the neck and shoulder pain could be treated by physical

therapy. I've had physical therapy for my upper back and neck and I'm terrible

about doing the exercises! I don't know what it is. I still have all of them in

a little workbook I made and I know how to do them, I just have to push myself.

She said it's better for me to have the surgery before menopause because women

tend to heal better before menopause.

Anyway, I came away from the appointment feeling pretty encouraged overall. I'm

going to follow up with Dr. Tay in another few months.

I'm so glad to have an forum to share what I'm going through with people who

understand!! Thank you!