For the full list of all my postings on my back problems, from when I was diagnosed, through treatment, and up to now here they are:
For the full list of all my postings on my back problems, from when I was diagnosed, through treatment, and up to now here they are:
I would appreciate any help. I ruptured a disc L4/L5 6 years ago. I also have stenosis, L5/S1 degenerative facet joint disease, neuropathy of r foot and radiculopathy in L foot. I have had epidurals, IDET, discogram, chiro, accupuncture, physical therapy & traction all to no lasting improvement. My feet go ice cold and turn blue when I bathe, I have severe nerve pains in feet and legs, muscle spasms, hot sensations in legs , back and feet, shooting nerve pain down my left leg, atrophy in my left leg and butt (lovely!), numbness, pins and needles. The disc rupture was relatively small but wrecked havoc like I cannot believe. Is there any hope? and where should I look as I am so tired! Thank You!
I responded to Jenner on email….
Do you have any suggestions for someone who is suffering from chronic backpain? I have been having ongoing trouble with my back for the last 4 or 5 years and I am desperate for relief.
My daughter confronted me today after the quaterback from UT got hurt in and complained about numbness in his arm. The first thing I thought was a herniated disc and it will be the start of pain for this young man.
In 1968 I was involved in a car accident which a young driver hit my car going about 40 MPH. i waled away from the accident however in about 4 hours I had this weird pain in my spine and felt like someone hit me with a bolt of lightning. Didn’t think anything of it and in a few months start getting these really bad back pains. Went to the doctor and they xrayed me and said I sprained my back. I thought but how???
3 months have passed and got better but again had much pain and again went to the docs. They gave me pain pills and told me to rest. Which I did and it seemed to get better.
6 months have passed and again pain started in my back and my left leg. Again went to the docs and he gave me pain pills and rest and again it got better.
However all this time the pain gets worse with each episode and people around me looking at me like all this pain is in my head. Someone please find out what is wrong with me. Went to a military doctor again and they tested me with needles and heat and they still did not come up with any ideaS. So again they send me home with pain pills and rest.
This is starting to get very old at this point.
Will continue this tomorrow.
12 months have gone by and still no one could tell me what was causing my pain. XRay after Xray showed nothing. Then one day the pain got so bad I crawled down the steps from my bedroom and layed on the couch so I didn’t wake up my husband. That morning he found me downstairs and told him the pain was unbearable. He said he is going to call an ambulance to take me to the emergency room and what hospital did I want to go to. I told him the only one we have not gone to was Bethesda Navel Hospital – so off they took me. Never have been so scared in my life as hearing those sirens go off. My body was so scared I went into shock as when they asked me my name I could not talk. After lying there for hours someone gave me a shot for the pain and of course another xray and sent me home.
I thought NO, not again. My husband took off to care for me and the only thing he knew how to make me was put a pot pie in the oven. I really got sick of pot pie for the next 5 days. On that fifth day I could not feel my left leg. It was gone. I remember my tail bone hurting also through all this pain. He informed the doctor and they told him to bring me in the Emergency Room at Bethesda.
The doctor to see me was a Neurologist. He layed me on my stomach and told me to tighten my buttocks. I could tighten my right one but the left buttock I could not control. Within 5 minutes he told me I had a herniated disc. I was so relieved that someone found my problem and all this pain was not in my head. All of you how experience a herniated disc know what I’m talking about – the pain is unbearable.
He also told me that a regular xray on some people will not show the herniated disc and that a myelography (putting dye in your spine) would have to be done. Thank God for MRI’s today as the Myelography is a xray you will never forget.
They take you into the xray room (bone naked) and they get this very long needle which holds a dye an insert it in your spine. Then the tale is rated up so you will be standing while they look at the xray. I could handle it so far. No tears – nothing – until they started to remove the dye from my body. Oh my God!!!! they hit nerves in my body – knee cap felt they it was going to fly out of my body – tail bone! ouch and yes the tears started down my cheeks. Did not yell but the tears did flow. I asked them to stop but they said the wanted to remove as much of the dye as they could. Today if I have a xray there is dye in the spot where #3 disc used to be.
Yes, they finally proved that #3 was ruptured into my hip causing much pain as the disc was not in one piece but in many pieces causing the numbness in my left side.
Have the operation or not that was the question they posed to me. If I leave the disc in my spine the pain would always be there and if they remove it and they make a mistake I could be paralyzed. Chances of a mistake was about 10% – so I decided to have it removed.
Surgery back then was about 4 hours and they went in from the back and opened me up and tried to remove most of the pieces left in my hip.
Surgery was at 11:00am and the next morning my doctor was standing by my bed and told me to get out of bed and start walking. I rolled out of bed and stood on my two feet and off I went. Wow! that was great. It was a neurosurgeon who operated on my and said I could live fine with at least 3 discs gone from my body and no fusion. Fusion is a year recovery at least. Thank God he as a Neurosurgeon and not a orthopedic doctor.
They informed me that the nerve damage in my hip was bad and they could not guarantee me ever feeling my left leg. However, in about 3 months from my operation I felt the bottom of my foot and so so excited I jumped over a 12″ fence and fell right on my face. The leg was still a little sluggish and realized I have to cool it for awhile.
Years passed 2 – 5 – 10 and I pretty much have feelings in my leg and leading a very normal life. I can bowl, tennis, swim, run, lift about 50 lbs. and still thank God and the hand of that doctor that allowed me to have a very normal life.
If anyone asked me today the same question pain or surgery? The answer would be the surgery. Again we all know the pain a disc would cause and if it does rupture – there is no other recourse but to get it out before it causes more damage.
This is terabox signing ofrf and hoping this helps someone to make the right decision.
terabox – austin tx
I have a L4-L5 disk herniation for about 4 months now. I just started
VAX-D decompression and it has been working wonders on me. For those who have never heard of it I urge you to please look into it and find a chiropractor who’s very knowledgeable with it. It is expensive, insurance does not cover it but it is still worth every penny.