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T5 burst fracture with T2-T8 spinal fusion discussion
On November 14, 2007 I was in a horrific car accident. I was driving and I came to a T in the road and just kept going straight into a cow pasture. My car went into a farmer's trench and then flipped end over end several times before landing on it's roof. I do not remember my accident. I woke up about three days later in an ICU after one of my surgeries. I spent 14 days in the hospital. Six days in ICU and eight days in the trauma unit.
About my injuries: I experienced a T-5 burst fracture (I broke my back), I broke my left scapula, I broke several ribs, and my sternum. I ruptured my spleen, punctured my lung, and devascularized my left kidney (it does not function anymore, it died).
About my surgeries: I had a T-2 to T-8 spinal fusion, with 2 Harrington rods placed. They went three vertebraes up and three vertebraes down from my break to stableize my back. I also had surgery on my left shoulder where they put four plates with several screws to put my scapula back together.
I have two gnarly scars on my back~one is about 12 inches long that goes down the middle of my back and one looks like a giant "7" on my left shoulder blade. I also have a scar under my right breast that looks like an "H" where my chest tube was.
Well, I was sooo sick after my accident. I could not dress myself or shower. My grandma had to take care of me and my three children. I was taking 40mg of OxyContin everyday, 15mg of Oxycodone every three hours and 5mg of Valium every six hours. I vomitted all day long everyday. I lost 35 pounds in about two months. All I did for about four months is sit in a recliner and sleep. My grandma would wake me up for the numerous doctor appointments I had scheduled. I had severe social anxiety. I could not go anywhere for longer than 45 minutes without freaking out.
It has been eleven months since my accident. I am almost all of the way healed. I do have some residual pain and soreness in my shoulder (especially when I wake up in the morning), I get some pain and stiffness in my upper back near the top of my rods in the evening, and I do have a burning or shocking sensation right at T-5 where my vertebrae burst.
I feel like my accident really hurt me emotionally as well. I feel like I have lost everything that I had ever worked for, including my personallity and my self-esteem. My hair fell out and got very thin. My hair dresser said it was because of the anesthesia from my surgeries. I had to cut it very short.
Melissa
About my injuries: I experienced a T-5 burst fracture (I broke my back), I broke my left scapula, I broke several ribs, and my sternum. I ruptured my spleen, punctured my lung, and devascularized my left kidney (it does not function anymore, it died).
About my surgeries: I had a T-2 to T-8 spinal fusion, with 2 Harrington rods placed. They went three vertebraes up and three vertebraes down from my break to stableize my back. I also had surgery on my left shoulder where they put four plates with several screws to put my scapula back together.
I have two gnarly scars on my back~one is about 12 inches long that goes down the middle of my back and one looks like a giant "7" on my left shoulder blade. I also have a scar under my right breast that looks like an "H" where my chest tube was.
Well, I was sooo sick after my accident. I could not dress myself or shower. My grandma had to take care of me and my three children. I was taking 40mg of OxyContin everyday, 15mg of Oxycodone every three hours and 5mg of Valium every six hours. I vomitted all day long everyday. I lost 35 pounds in about two months. All I did for about four months is sit in a recliner and sleep. My grandma would wake me up for the numerous doctor appointments I had scheduled. I had severe social anxiety. I could not go anywhere for longer than 45 minutes without freaking out.
It has been eleven months since my accident. I am almost all of the way healed. I do have some residual pain and soreness in my shoulder (especially when I wake up in the morning), I get some pain and stiffness in my upper back near the top of my rods in the evening, and I do have a burning or shocking sensation right at T-5 where my vertebrae burst.
I feel like my accident really hurt me emotionally as well. I feel like I have lost everything that I had ever worked for, including my personallity and my self-esteem. My hair fell out and got very thin. My hair dresser said it was because of the anesthesia from my surgeries. I had to cut it very short.
Melissa
I had a l1 burst fracture in 2002. Basicaly the same as the other accidents, had fusion. I have been in chronic pain since and have been told it will get worst until I am debilitated. I am thankfull to walk. The upper half of my back is overcompensating for the lowers inability to move. This is causing severe arthritis and I am begining to look like a hunch back. I am 38 and very active, hiking and canoeing. I refuse to stop especialy because I am afraid my movement will end ): but the only way to keep going is pain meds ): No doctors know what to do and most wont even except me because they think I am drug seeking. However, I have heard success stories. Sound familair to anyone?
i was recently involved in a hit and run motorcycle accident June 1st of 2008. i was found on the side of the road hours later and was rushed to the hospital. 2wks had gone by in the hospital before i had even retained a solid memory of the incident. i had a c2 burst fracture, t4 burst fracture, left clavicle fracture , left humurus fracture, and multiple fractures in my left ankle- all resulting in surgery. i have a c1-c2 fusion, a t2-t8 fusion (2 rods running the length of the vertibrae) and rods and plates in the arm, shoulder, and ankle.
i spent a whopping 30 days in icu and another 20 in rehabilitation. a total of 6weeks in the most uncomfortable halo device, had no muscle control of my right leg (due to nerve damage). Being only a 20 year old male with no health insurance this was an overwhelming expirience.
thankfully my parents helped me apply to medicaid and i was approved. There was one load off of my shoulder, now i still had to deal with not being able to move one leg, not being able to bear weight on the other, not being able to move my arm, neck, shoulder, and being in constant pain.
So now i had been discharged and faced going home in my new mangled body. countless home visits by physical therapists helped me relearn how to use my leg and eventually led to walking!! well now on to residual... i going a physical rehab center three my leg seems to have peaked in performance 6 months post-op and i walk but with a profound limp. the screws holding my arm rod in came loose and i am awaiting another surgery :(. The biggest problem by far is my massive mid to upper back pain. it feels like someone is physically grabbing my spine tightly and pulling on it. i have gone up to taking 90mgs of oxycontin a day to cope and STILL i am in constant pain and cannot sleep without a high dose of ambein. all perscribed by my pcp because the pain managent center my neurolgist referred me to is "full" i was wondering if any of you have expirienced pains similar to this... i kind of want to know what i have to look forward to. dont get my wrong i am truly blessed to be alive but this pain is draining me both physically and mentally and i really dont think i could continue living life this way...
thanks for listening,
kris
i spent a whopping 30 days in icu and another 20 in rehabilitation. a total of 6weeks in the most uncomfortable halo device, had no muscle control of my right leg (due to nerve damage). Being only a 20 year old male with no health insurance this was an overwhelming expirience.
thankfully my parents helped me apply to medicaid and i was approved. There was one load off of my shoulder, now i still had to deal with not being able to move one leg, not being able to bear weight on the other, not being able to move my arm, neck, shoulder, and being in constant pain.
So now i had been discharged and faced going home in my new mangled body. countless home visits by physical therapists helped me relearn how to use my leg and eventually led to walking!! well now on to residual... i going a physical rehab center three my leg seems to have peaked in performance 6 months post-op and i walk but with a profound limp. the screws holding my arm rod in came loose and i am awaiting another surgery :(. The biggest problem by far is my massive mid to upper back pain. it feels like someone is physically grabbing my spine tightly and pulling on it. i have gone up to taking 90mgs of oxycontin a day to cope and STILL i am in constant pain and cannot sleep without a high dose of ambein. all perscribed by my pcp because the pain managent center my neurolgist referred me to is "full" i was wondering if any of you have expirienced pains similar to this... i kind of want to know what i have to look forward to. dont get my wrong i am truly blessed to be alive but this pain is draining me both physically and mentally and i really dont think i could continue living life this way...
thanks for listening,
kris
Good morning. I am sorry to hear about your accident. Like I said above, I had my accident on November 14, 2007. I am really thankful that you wrote to me, because I have had a really hard time finding people who have this sort of injury (burst fracture w/spinal fusion). Everyone heals differently and at different paces. I can tell you how it has gone for me, but until you wrote, I have only kinda talked to one other person who has our same injury.
So, I got in my accident in November. I was in the ICU for six days, and during that time, I had my back surgery. Prior to my back surgery, I have been told (as I do not remember, I think I was unconscious), I could not move or feel anything below my breasts. Which my injury is much higher than yours, so we may have different symptoms. When I got out of my surgery, I did finally "wake up" and I complained of itching all over my legs. My family was so happy because this meant that I could feel again. I had a lot more injuries than just a T-5 burst fracture. I also shattered my scapula and had to have reconstructive surgery there and I broke all of my ribs and my sternum. I punctured my lung, ruptured my spleen and devascularized my left kidney, which is dead now. After I was in the ICU for six days, I went to the TRACU for eight more days.
When I got home, I could not do anything for myself. I could not dress myself, shower myself, get out of bed myself or go to the bathroom. I was on a massive amount of pain killers...40mg of Oxycontin, 15mg of Oxycodone every 3 hours, and 5mg of Valium every six hours, (this was a massive amount for me anyway).
I basically did absolutely nothing for about five months. All I could do was sit in a recliner and basically only woke up long enough to eat occasionally and to take more medication. I could not even sign my own name. I also vomitted all of the time, basically every time I ate anything. I lost 35 pounds. Of course I would wake up long enough for my grandma to dress me and help me to the car where I would sleep in a reclined position until I got to my doctor's office.
At doctor appointments, I would freak out. I would freak out everytime I went anywhere. I had really bad social anxiety disorder. I could not leave my house for longer than 45 minutes without hyperventilating, crying, shaking and throwing up.
After those first five months, I started to go to physical therapy. I still could not dress myself because I could not move my left arm or shoulder at all, but I could shower myself by this time. The physical therapy gave me about 30% of my movement back and it got me out of the house three times per week which improved my social anxiety.
Sorry this is so long but I just really want to give you a really detailed explaination of my recovery, because I, like you, constantly wonder if I am okay, or if I will ever be better.
So, now it has been almost a year since my accident. I can walk now, however I do have "numb" areas through-out my body. My entire back is numb, the length of my scar (which is about 16 inches). My entire left shoulder is numb as well as the upper part of my left shoulder (everything above my elbow). My rib cage and stomach and under my breasts are numb. My knees are numb about up to my mid thigh. I can tell you, the numbness is the most horrible feeling ever~!
I do not take pain medication anymore. I haven't for about four months. But I have an appointment on Tuesday to get a pain management plan with my physician. They might refer me to a chronic pain clinic, because I still do have residual pain. My shoulder aches all of the time, I have a spot at the top of my right harrington rod (which goes to level T-2 on my body so it is pretty high), that is a sharp, burning type of pain. This pain is there mostly after about 6pm and lasts all night. I also have pain the length of my spine that hurts and feels really weak, like someone should but their hands on it to support me, whenever I walk more than three city blocks. I get killer massive headaches about three times a week that are debilitating. All of this pain, causes sleeplessness. I only sleep about three hours per night.
The good news is that I can leave my house now when I have to. I have a job. I am a registered nurse. Although I cannot do bedside nursing anymore, I was lucky enough to find a job where I am still a nurse and get paid like a nurse, but it is not physical. I ride the bus everywhere I go, because I do not have a car anymore, and because I am afraid to drive.
Even though I am well enough to come to work M-F, I do miss a lot of days due to being tired or having pain or just feeling sick. I have a constant feeling that I can only describe as a general "sick-ness", all of the time. I do not do anything else but go to work. I get up in the morning and go to work, and then I come home, eat dinner, and go lay in my bed until I fall asleep. I do not talk to my family, I isolate myself, I still do not want to go anywhere...like to a friends house or out on dates or to adventure the city...like shopping or to a restuarant. The only place that I feel safe and comfortable is within the four walls of my bedroom. It is a lonely life, but I just really do not have the energy to interact with other people except for what I have to do, like going to work.
But I do have to go to work. I am a single mom of three. My kids need me. I have to support them. But it is really hard. Luckily I live with my grandparents still and they totally take care of my children for me, because I really am not capable at this time. It is all I can do to make it to work four out of five days a week.
I don't know what the prognosis of this injury is. I constantly wonder that myself. I try to research it, but there are so few of us with a burst fracture that there is just no information out there for it. I asked my doctor if I would ever be better and his response was...at one year post-injury, one would expect to be 90% as better as they are going to get. The other 10% better comes over the rest of our lives. This made me really sad, because I am not back to where I was at all. I do not want to live my life confined to the four walls of my bedroom, but all I can do is...try and...pray and...have hope.
I hope I helped you. Please write me back. I really need to hear from people who have gone through this as well.
Take care, Melissa
So, I got in my accident in November. I was in the ICU for six days, and during that time, I had my back surgery. Prior to my back surgery, I have been told (as I do not remember, I think I was unconscious), I could not move or feel anything below my breasts. Which my injury is much higher than yours, so we may have different symptoms. When I got out of my surgery, I did finally "wake up" and I complained of itching all over my legs. My family was so happy because this meant that I could feel again. I had a lot more injuries than just a T-5 burst fracture. I also shattered my scapula and had to have reconstructive surgery there and I broke all of my ribs and my sternum. I punctured my lung, ruptured my spleen and devascularized my left kidney, which is dead now. After I was in the ICU for six days, I went to the TRACU for eight more days.
When I got home, I could not do anything for myself. I could not dress myself, shower myself, get out of bed myself or go to the bathroom. I was on a massive amount of pain killers...40mg of Oxycontin, 15mg of Oxycodone every 3 hours, and 5mg of Valium every six hours, (this was a massive amount for me anyway).
I basically did absolutely nothing for about five months. All I could do was sit in a recliner and basically only woke up long enough to eat occasionally and to take more medication. I could not even sign my own name. I also vomitted all of the time, basically every time I ate anything. I lost 35 pounds. Of course I would wake up long enough for my grandma to dress me and help me to the car where I would sleep in a reclined position until I got to my doctor's office.
At doctor appointments, I would freak out. I would freak out everytime I went anywhere. I had really bad social anxiety disorder. I could not leave my house for longer than 45 minutes without hyperventilating, crying, shaking and throwing up.
After those first five months, I started to go to physical therapy. I still could not dress myself because I could not move my left arm or shoulder at all, but I could shower myself by this time. The physical therapy gave me about 30% of my movement back and it got me out of the house three times per week which improved my social anxiety.
Sorry this is so long but I just really want to give you a really detailed explaination of my recovery, because I, like you, constantly wonder if I am okay, or if I will ever be better.
So, now it has been almost a year since my accident. I can walk now, however I do have "numb" areas through-out my body. My entire back is numb, the length of my scar (which is about 16 inches). My entire left shoulder is numb as well as the upper part of my left shoulder (everything above my elbow). My rib cage and stomach and under my breasts are numb. My knees are numb about up to my mid thigh. I can tell you, the numbness is the most horrible feeling ever~!
I do not take pain medication anymore. I haven't for about four months. But I have an appointment on Tuesday to get a pain management plan with my physician. They might refer me to a chronic pain clinic, because I still do have residual pain. My shoulder aches all of the time, I have a spot at the top of my right harrington rod (which goes to level T-2 on my body so it is pretty high), that is a sharp, burning type of pain. This pain is there mostly after about 6pm and lasts all night. I also have pain the length of my spine that hurts and feels really weak, like someone should but their hands on it to support me, whenever I walk more than three city blocks. I get killer massive headaches about three times a week that are debilitating. All of this pain, causes sleeplessness. I only sleep about three hours per night.
The good news is that I can leave my house now when I have to. I have a job. I am a registered nurse. Although I cannot do bedside nursing anymore, I was lucky enough to find a job where I am still a nurse and get paid like a nurse, but it is not physical. I ride the bus everywhere I go, because I do not have a car anymore, and because I am afraid to drive.
Even though I am well enough to come to work M-F, I do miss a lot of days due to being tired or having pain or just feeling sick. I have a constant feeling that I can only describe as a general "sick-ness", all of the time. I do not do anything else but go to work. I get up in the morning and go to work, and then I come home, eat dinner, and go lay in my bed until I fall asleep. I do not talk to my family, I isolate myself, I still do not want to go anywhere...like to a friends house or out on dates or to adventure the city...like shopping or to a restuarant. The only place that I feel safe and comfortable is within the four walls of my bedroom. It is a lonely life, but I just really do not have the energy to interact with other people except for what I have to do, like going to work.
But I do have to go to work. I am a single mom of three. My kids need me. I have to support them. But it is really hard. Luckily I live with my grandparents still and they totally take care of my children for me, because I really am not capable at this time. It is all I can do to make it to work four out of five days a week.
I don't know what the prognosis of this injury is. I constantly wonder that myself. I try to research it, but there are so few of us with a burst fracture that there is just no information out there for it. I asked my doctor if I would ever be better and his response was...at one year post-injury, one would expect to be 90% as better as they are going to get. The other 10% better comes over the rest of our lives. This made me really sad, because I am not back to where I was at all. I do not want to live my life confined to the four walls of my bedroom, but all I can do is...try and...pray and...have hope.
I hope I helped you. Please write me back. I really need to hear from people who have gone through this as well.
Take care, Melissa
i am trying to find info on recoveries for burst fractures i had a burst fracture at the L1 vertebrae back in january of 08 my back surgery is basically like yours burst at the l1 they went up 2 and down 3 so a total of six if u count the one that burst i would like to know what kind of recoveries are possible i was on my motorcycle and a car pulled out in front of me so i can walk fine just can't feel about half of my legs total i guess and cant go to the bathroom yet. so
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