Discogram - Follow Up

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I had my discogram done Monday, what a relief it is to have it over

with!

I did have it done with the pain management doctor and he did a

fantastic job. I told him I was very nervous as my pain level at

it's worst is intolerable. He told me not to worry that he would

take good care of me and have narcotics ready to put in my IV as soon

as he pressurized the disc.

They put me completely out and the next thing I knew the nurse

anesthetist was saying my name. She kept talking to me for a few

seconds (I was too groggy to keep track of time) and then all of a

sudden it felt like a bee had stung me on the back, only much more

intense, this spread down my right hip. I think I hollered OOWW,

that hurts and then I kind of went back to sleep. The next thing I

knew there was another sting and it felt like I had been punched in

the back, this went all the way down my right leg and I think I

raised my head up and told them to stop doing that. The nurse gently

pressed my head back down and the doctor said give her 50 of demorol.

They said they were taking the needles out, but I didn't even feel it

and kept asking them if they were out yet. They were so nice, they

just smiled and said yes. I was so relieved when it was over that I

talked up a storm in my drug induced state. I think they were all

having a few laughs at my expense.

After my CT scan I got more drugs and nausea meds and got to go home

in 30 minutes.

Overall, I would rate this experience only slightly worse than my

myelogram (which I was fully conscious for). If you have to have one

of these I strongly recommend a PM doc.

Yesterday, was my worst day after the procedure, but I got through

nicely with ice pack and pain meds. I have a fairly high pain

tolerance so everyones experience may not be like mine. I don't use

pain meds on a regular basis - just a muscle relaxer at night to help

with sleep.

I don't know yet if I have 2 bad levels or just one. I don't know if

the first time I felt pain and the second time I felt pain were all

one disc or 2 separate ones, but I follow up with my surgeon tomorrow

so I should know what he recommends then.

It seems all I can find on the internet are bad fusion stories. Does

anyone have a good fusion outcome?

This is for L5-S1 and possibly L4-L5

Thanks,

Dana