Herniated Disc L4 L5 update
Hi,
So it’s been over a month since the last post.
To summarise (well a verbose summary?):
I’ve waited 18 months and tried various different treatments for my herniated disc at L4-L5.
I’ve finally given up the wait, and the cost of trying to treat it without surgery.
I cracked the shits and booked in to see the surgeon (Gary Speck).
We agreed that this situation although not doing any nerve damage isn’t really a way of living.
I booked in a week later to have an MRI so that the surgeon could plan the operation from a current MRI.
The MRI goes fine, however the day after I notice some of the pain is starting to subside… and frankly it’s pissing me off.. because I just want it to be bad enough that I can justify the scary surgery.
Again the next day it’s getting better.
I go back a week later, and see the surgeon to discuss the MRI, and basically book in the operation.
I sit down, he asks how’s it going? and I say would you believe I think it’s getting better. After 18 months of no break throughs he kinda looks at me as if I’m getting nervous and trying to justify my way out of the operation.
Anyhow, we’re about a month out from that meeting, and my walking has returned to normal !!!!
I have gone from walking at most a few minutes and then having to squat or sit, to I just walked 5km down the beach without stopping or thinking about my back or leg pain… !
So, I know there will be people who read this and think is this a con job? or is he bullshitting? or gee that won’t work for me… and you maybe right on the last point.
However after 18 months, every specialist said I wouldn’t get better, and I should be operated on… holding on for 18 months seems to have paid off BIG time.
Anyhow, I’m basically pain free, and walking. I’ve got odd pains every now and then if I twist at a weird angle, or if I’m in a weird angled seat.. but other than that.. all good.
I’m not sure I’ll go back to snow skiing as the pain was so bad, I want to do avoid anything that will give me that sort of pain again.. but slowly but surely life is returning to normal.
For instance, I notice I’m reading magazines when I stand at the checkout counter at the supermarket because I’m not dieing with leg pain, and wanting to get back to my car asap so I can sit down.
Stuff like that.. it’s insane… in a good way, but it shows me how much I’d given up, how much suffering I’d gone through for 18 months.
So, I’ll continue to give updates on the blog, but expect them to be fewer and farther apart as I start to explore life again.
Thanks for all the support.
Cheers
Matt
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December 30th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Matt,
I have been checking out your blog once in a while during the last few months. The reason being, I too got a herniated disc and I appreciate your blog and the info that you have posted here.
I am going through some of the sufferings caused by herniated disc and believe me, I totally understand what those pain means.
Anyways, Good to know that you are getting better.
Life’s good and things will be back to normal. All the best !
January 6th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Thank you for your postings. I have had problems similiar to yours for the last 3 years. Its off and on, and right now, I am recovering from another “attack” which happened about 2 months ago. I can give you some of what I learned, which is BE CAREFUL. You don’t want your disc to screw up further. I went for a solid YEAR with zero pain, until I started a jogging program. I ran about 2 months, and the pain slowly but surely returned. This is just one example of something that I did wrong. Good luck, and I hope to see an update soon.
February 23rd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Hi,
Thanks for your blog. Really helps. Doctors too “busy,” most physical therapists and support staff too incurious, unobservant to provide solid info so far. Mild rear-end car accident, I was in passenger’s seat, xmas 2007. 1 or 2 days not too bad, then 2 weeks shrieking lumbar pain with sharper still blasts of pain, then specialist (orthopedist) in top east coast city practice, spontaneous “improvement” to just bad pain led doc to say here’s your home “PT” sheet (including damaging touch-your-toes stuff, it turned out), 1 1/2 mos. of PT, still in pain, staying the SAME for last month, level 2 always, w/level, say, 5 spikes. WHAT WORKS to help HEAL THE DAMN THING, in your belief? i have to sit for work, use support, get up, stretch, but not really “living” now… MRI shows “very” mild protrusion at L4/L5 into nerve area. obviously the culprit. that and/or associated annular tear (not visible on MRI). can’t take NSAIDS (allergy). refused steroid (a chiro told me it is “bad for healing of connective tissue”) your thoughts at this point? thank you — s.