L-5 broken 2 places - would slippage cause nerve problems?

[AZJAN]

My L5 was broken (in two places causing it to slip putting pressure on spine) when I had a horse rare up and go over backwards landing on me in 1979.  The horse was unconscious and I was pinned under her for approximately 15 minutes.  My right leg was badly bruised and I had pain in my back.  Have seen Neurosurgeon 2 times and he said it is too dangerous to operate on, he could cause me to be paralyzed.  He would only operate if I did become paralyzed or if I lost bodily functions.

I gained about 20 lbs since November 2008.  I don’t feel I changed my eating habits or exercise habits, but I put on a lot of weight in a short time.  I now weigh 150 lbs.  I was 130 lbs.  Daily I have heaviness in both arms, both legs, heavy head and neck.  Pain behind left eye.  Pain in head.  Constant ringing in ears.  Fatigue.  Not able to eat regular meals.  Vertigo & nausea.   Heaviness in diaphragm.  Unsteady when walking.  Feel like falling all the time (even when sitting).  All over flu like feeling, achy, discomfort but not flu. Dry eyes.

January - February 2009- sharp intense pain above left eyebrow.  It felt like an ice pick was shoved into my head.  Also felt sharp pain in left carotid just under jaw.  Frequency 2-3 times a day for approximately 2 months.  I notice the pain in my carotid seems to radiate up through my tooth to behind my left eye.  The left carotid pain just reoccurred today 5/1.  I felt the pain continuously all day.

March 2009-April 2009.  Numbness and tingling in face and left arm.  Some in right arm.  On one occasion left side of face and eye drooped causing my ex-husband to remark he thought it looked like I was having stroke symptoms.  Visual drooping only lasted about 5-10 minutes.  I also had numbness  feeling like I had gotten nova cane in left side of face.  Numbness lasted for most of the day.  This happened daily with some days being more severe than other days.  Intense pressure in left eye (behind eye), dry eyes.  Eye felt like it was bulging. Left eye squinting not able to fully open.  Continuous pressure in brow mostly on left.  My brow felt so much pressure, it seemed like it was protruding.  

I had shingles about 20 years ago (& chicken pox as child).  My pain from shingles has reoccurred when stressed, but not in initial blisters.  Just the pain and redness.  

April 2009- reoccurring feeling of heaviness in both arms and legs, pain in brow, behind left eye, back of neck, bottom of back of head.  Feeling that it is hard to hold my head up.  Heaviness in chest, hard to breathe.

I have been to the hospital 3 times in last 2 months.  All tests come back fine for heart, EKG, Stress test, thyroid, blood work, MRI, MRA, CAT scan of head, oxygen levels.  They did find a meningioma of brain (1.5 cm heavily calcified extra axial lesion overlying parasagittal left parietal lobe) which is incidental and not causing any of the symptoms.    Neurologist said I am fine.  My primary care physician is at a loss, she thinks it might be stress related.  I last saw the neurosurgeon at Barrows Institute 4/08.  He said my back was hardly slipping at that time and to come see him again as needed.  My symptoms don't really point to my back issues, but I am at a loss as to where to turn.  I have had a lot of stress in the last year but I feel I handle it well.  I am not anxious.  My symptoms come when I am calm and nothing triggers them that I can see.  It is very frustrating to go through all this with no idea where to look for help.  I would appreciate any suggestions.  

Today driving to work my arms were tingling, my shingles feeling was in my face, my chest felt like I had two 40 lb blocks on it and I couldn't breathe well.  But I was getting air, just a very heaviness feeling in my diaphragm and chest.  I felt light headed.  I wanted to go to the hospital, but I didn't because I knew they wouldn't find anything wrong with me.  My life is better than ever stress wise.  I have a good job.  My family is great.  I am very happy.  There is nothing I am worrying about to cause me anxiety.  But as I say, I did have tremendous stress this last year. I live in a remote area.  No traffic.  No stress at work.  No stress at home.  Vertigo is not as bad as it was 2 wks ago.  

[1_sister]

my sister was diagnosed with shingles at age 37 she suffered from fatique and stress move from tx to ky. she tried to help her husband carry something large up the stairs tightquarters she felt pain in her back/ next morning symptoms of shingles started showing. this past summer she med for shingles when symptoms first came. now symptoms are back but worse diffculty breathing fatique loss of balance,etc. she seems to be getting worse husband woke up one am thought she was dead faint pulse and not breathing.  did you evwer find out if yours was from shingles.  concerned sister my mother is having to take care of her.