Aa
severe problems after lumbar spine fusion
sir, i am 26. I got tuberculosis of spine(Potts's spine) 2 years ago. I developed very very severe pain shooting down my legs. At the time of my surgery my right leg was completely paralyzed and my left leg was partially paralyzed.After two surgeries involving draining of pus, stabilizing my lumbar spine(L1-L3) by fusion with steel rods& screws and finally illiac bone grafting I was advised 3 months complete bed rest. doctors also gave me "solumedral" injection. Since then my legs started working slowly .Now i am able to walk around 1 mile a day. but i am still unable to get a job because i am unable to climb stairs. whenever i try to use stairs i develop immense pain & numbness reminding me of my earlier "legs paralyzed" days. Also I regularly experience pain in my lower back as well as in my entire legs. Also i have a doubt that, what happens if i accidentally fall down because of my rude job trials, Will i have to undergo back surgery again? I just can't stand another one. I just can't experience that pain & struggle again. So sir, please help me clearing my doubts and also tell me what to do to enable me climbing stairs without pain&numbness. i also heard that "artificial disks" are in the market. Will they be useful for me in my future. please help me
Another type of nerve block like gabapentin is called Lyrica i was on it for 2 yrs and it helped me better than gaba. it is also a little stronger but it is very expensive
Wow, you have been through a lot but the outcome sounds positive (it could be worse). I too have many problems with my back arising from 5burst fractures and a compression fracture, and...well, you get the idea.
I find that one of the big issues which I always have t overcome [and sometimes I can't] is the fear of that terrible pain coming back; it is always in my head and it is very easy to become consumed by it. I take 60mg of Opiates for the bone pain per day but what has changed my whole outlook in the last two weeks is a drug called gabapentin which blocks nerve pain signals to the brain.
I was very pessimistic about this drug when it was first prescribed to me for I had tried many other prescriptions which did squat or made things worse for me; it was a godsend and has changed my life dramatically. I have been unable to work for a couple of years now but I have now begun the hunt. I know that I can no longer do the physical type of work which I love (army,logger,heavy duty mechanic are my past careers) so I am hunting for a job where I will be on my butt for most of the day. I have a very good chair with loads of support and this is something which you should get.
When you are looking for a job there is no reason that you have to tell the employer that you have all of these problems; just let them know that you had some back surgery and you are ready to get back to life because if we, you, dwell on what could happen and not what is actually happening the rest of your life is going to be pretty dissapointing.
I know that when my legs are numb to the point where I cannot feel it when I pinch them with my fingers I used to be terrified, but now I have made myself look at the positive side of it and enjoy the numbness instead of the pain which could be there.
Your question with the artificial discs is an important one but you have to realise that they can only be used once and I am told that they do not even last a decade. As a 26 year old I would wait for as long as possible (I have the same choices coming up) before doing this operation. Also, with all of the funding going into spinal injuries there seems to be new technology every couple of years so stay positive that something wonderful may just be around the corner.
Stay positive Dadyio, educate yourself on diet (for this is very important for healthy discs) and drink a lot of milk to keep your bones strong. OK, the last one is my belief and I don't know if it is true but I consume as much dairy as I can 'cause I am very worried about osteoporosis when I'm older. Try the gabapentin and hopefully it will help you as it has helped me...and if you have terrible moments of pain during the day (which I do) get your doctor to prescribe some Percocet or other Opiate because it is proven, without doubt, that a person using an Opiate for pain does not become addicted but his/her life is improved incredibly. It works for me!
Good luck (man, that was a long post)
I find that one of the big issues which I always have t overcome [and sometimes I can't] is the fear of that terrible pain coming back; it is always in my head and it is very easy to become consumed by it. I take 60mg of Opiates for the bone pain per day but what has changed my whole outlook in the last two weeks is a drug called gabapentin which blocks nerve pain signals to the brain.
I was very pessimistic about this drug when it was first prescribed to me for I had tried many other prescriptions which did squat or made things worse for me; it was a godsend and has changed my life dramatically. I have been unable to work for a couple of years now but I have now begun the hunt. I know that I can no longer do the physical type of work which I love (army,logger,heavy duty mechanic are my past careers) so I am hunting for a job where I will be on my butt for most of the day. I have a very good chair with loads of support and this is something which you should get.
When you are looking for a job there is no reason that you have to tell the employer that you have all of these problems; just let them know that you had some back surgery and you are ready to get back to life because if we, you, dwell on what could happen and not what is actually happening the rest of your life is going to be pretty dissapointing.
I know that when my legs are numb to the point where I cannot feel it when I pinch them with my fingers I used to be terrified, but now I have made myself look at the positive side of it and enjoy the numbness instead of the pain which could be there.
Your question with the artificial discs is an important one but you have to realise that they can only be used once and I am told that they do not even last a decade. As a 26 year old I would wait for as long as possible (I have the same choices coming up) before doing this operation. Also, with all of the funding going into spinal injuries there seems to be new technology every couple of years so stay positive that something wonderful may just be around the corner.
Stay positive Dadyio, educate yourself on diet (for this is very important for healthy discs) and drink a lot of milk to keep your bones strong. OK, the last one is my belief and I don't know if it is true but I consume as much dairy as I can 'cause I am very worried about osteoporosis when I'm older. Try the gabapentin and hopefully it will help you as it has helped me...and if you have terrible moments of pain during the day (which I do) get your doctor to prescribe some Percocet or other Opiate because it is proven, without doubt, that a person using an Opiate for pain does not become addicted but his/her life is improved incredibly. It works for me!
Good luck (man, that was a long post)
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