22 yrs old with 5 herniated disc

In August of this year i had all sorts of test done on my legs because of pain, finally i get an MRI of lumbar spine and the result was 5 herniated disk, 2 minor and 3 causing all my pain. The neuro i seen told me to do physical therapy and pain management for 3 months and if no improvement come and see him again. When i first visited him, as we were talking he made me feel uncomfortable for staring at my breast. Im in the process of finding new one now. The physical therapy made me feel even worse after leaving and they released me after 7 meetings. I was also seeing my pain management specialist and he was doing epideral steriod injections, I couldnt walk right for 6-7 days, i was always walking with a limp. I feel as if all these things i've done have made me worse. Some days are better than others, but its getting to the point that bending down hurts, washing my own feet hurt, i have to have my boyfriend shave my legs. Its interupting 75% of my life. Im 22 years old and so scared that if i see the surgeon and they want to preform surgery, thats a scary thing. What are my chances of this pain going away, because each week it gets worse. Im scared but willing to do anything to get my life back. Not only do i have this problem, but Diabetes Type 2, TMJ, Endometrirosis, and migranes (migraines). Will i ever get better????

[Caliber2005]

Hi Blondie,
How are you feeling now?
Is Pain still hurting you? I feel sorry for you, that you have to undergo all this.
There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as “herniated disc”, “pinched nerve”, and “bulging disc”. The bones which form your spine are called as vertebrae. The space between two vertebras is cushioned with disc. When disc bulge or break open due to any reasons like ageing (aging), or trauma to spine, it is called as herniated disc. It can happen in any region, but more common at lower back in lumber region.
Yes the doctor was right in advising you physiotherapy for muscle strengthening of lower back, pain killers and pain management specialist for initial conservative management. But if this fails, the option left is surgery. You may want to consider surgery if you have had severe shooting pain in legs radiating down from hips for longer than a month. Only about 1 person in 10 still has enough pain after 6 weeks to think about surgery.
Discectomy, Laminotomy, Laminectomy or percutaneous laminectomy are usually considered surgeries.
Hope this helps you.
Bye.

[ggreg]

Dear Blondie,
The above post by Caliber is excellent information.  He always gives good advice.

I would suggest you see an orthopedist, either a female or a top man in his field, bring your MRI or have it forwarded to their office.  Since three of the five herniated disks are bad, and physical therapy made it worse, you may be a candidate for disk replacement or fusion, which is not that fearsome.  Last summer, Reader's Digest did an article about disk surgery, ask a librarian to find it for you, it will ease your mind.  However, Caliber is absolutely right, in time the back can sometimes recover itself from injury.

In meantime, simply pull in tight your tummy muscles for ten seconds, sets of three, three times a day.  Work your way up.  Tight tummy helps support back.  Walks, as long as you don't hurt, help too.  Get an Ace tummy support wrap, put it on when you go out of the house, for protection.  When you lay down to rest, put a couple pillows under your legs, to take pressure off low back.  Me, I broke my back in a wreck, I lay on the floor with my legs in a chair, takes away the pain.  Also, there are "nerve pain" drugs that can be prescribed as a bandaid.  

You have many difficulties, discomfort makes them harder to bear.  Those would be my thoughts.
GG

[beka11]

I am glad to know I am not the only young person experiencing this. I am 22 as well have they did an MRI in August of this year for me as well and found 2 herniated discs.  I've done it all.  PT, 3 injections in 3 months which prevents me from having anymore for 6 more months, exercises at home and pain killers.  Not even the heaviest of the pain pills touch my pain anymore.  The pain has started in my left leg and foot and there are some days i can't even walk.  The past 2 weeks my neck has started hurting and in between my shoulders in my upper back.  I have not had a period in 7 months since this has started and no desire to eat and have become severely depressed because of this.  I saw a surgeon last week and he does not think surgery is the answer for me but offered no other suggestions that were different from what I have already tried.  Basically he told me i may have to live with this and with time they will heal.  Which is great but there is no guarantee and i am at the point of losing all of my ability to do anything.  Sitting hurts, dressing and brushing my teeth hurts and no one seems to be able to help me through this.  I'm about to graduate college and what job am i going to find that i have call in or take off once or twice a week b/c i can't get out of bed? This isn't something anyone should live with and there has to be other options besides what we both have tried!

[ggreg]

Dear Beka,
The nerve to your leg is being impinged on by the disk, creating your leg pain.  Then you lean over to compensate, and that causes the neck and shoulder pain.  Since physical therapy and injections did not improve the pain, plus this has gone on for so long, plez see another doctor about surgery.

Since they have such good operations for this sort of thing, I don't see why you can't have one.  Do a chronology of when the pain began, where it hurt, when you had diff treatments, when the pain returned.  This should reveal that the "wait and see" approach time is over.  Also, go to a clinic and have a couple plane black & white X-rays done of your injured disk area.  Then take the pictures, your list, and the MRI to a sports injury doctor (a good choice), or an orthopedist or neurologist, depending on which one dismissed you.

Whatever the last surgeon suggested you try to do, go ahead with it, in case it does help in the meantime.  Schedule your surgery and do your schooling around it.  When you graduate, take some time off until you get this totally straight.  You need to take that time to lay in the sun, go on walks, begin eating again, and allow your hormones to settle back down.  GG

[blondiebnc]

Thank You so much for all of your answer's.

Monday i went to the TOP neurosurgeon i st.pete and dropped my films off, i know several people who have had surgery with this doctor and he has helped MUCHED with there back. My pain is increasing every day, its always some new "weird painful" feeling. Tonight i worked and i only work 3 nights out of the week and i work 9 hour shifts and my right leg gave out on me. I think my knee's hurts the most, feels like they could give out any minute, especially when im driving.

Here's another question. Im a bartender, i have to do all the work on my own, im by myself when i work, and i have people in the bar that help me with all this but i've been doing this for 3 yrs now.
Im worried because if i have a surgery i dont think i will be able to return to that type of work. Am i correct on this?
I cant get an office job that rely's on me for the simple fact that im in the doctor's office at least 6-10 times a month. What job will take me when i have these health problems?
Also insurance, will i ever be able to get insurance through companies or by myself again. I've probably spent over 500,000 in 3 yrs with all the surgies i've had.

I've been through 2 surgeons already, they keep wanting to jerk me around because of my age. No one wants to touch me, they keep telling me PT and Pain management. The first doctor i went and seen did nothing but stare at me ****, the second one didnt want to do anything for me as Beka said because my age, that i would have to live with it because those didnt work. Im taking a new approach with this doctor. IM DEMANDING something be done, i cant live like this anymore.

I was reading up on the recovery process with the open back surgery and im wondering how bad the process and recovery time is, these articles arent helping much.

Beka, i know its said to say but im glad im not the only one, the only people i hear about with my problems are people over 40, im 20 yrs younger than them going through this. I wish i could get back in school, but i cant with work and doctor's i have to pay for my education and its hard because you miss more than 3 days and your dropped. Some days are better than others, some days i dont even want to get out of bed as you said. I will get back into school when i get close to normal again. I havent been in 2 years due to surgies prior and health issue's. Its very depressing to be going through this and people not understanding how you feel when you just dont feel like going out and leaving the house for that fact, i never imagined i would be spending my 20's in miserable PAIN. The pain killers arent working anymore, they wont prescribe be anything stronger than a percocet or vikadon 7.5 he's say's im to young to get on anything stronger.

Im now going on 6 months of miserable PAIN, i count each day pretty much. Im waiting on this new surgeon to review my report and call me. Beka i wish you didnt have to go through this, i know the pain and depression this can due to someone our age. Its not fun and people think were crazy because they dont understand. I wish you the best of luck, support if the best way to get through this, especially with people who understand what were going.

Again thank you so much for all your info, it realy helps knowing that other people care and understand what were going through.

Brittany

[ggreg]

Dear Blondie,
On your question bout whether you can still do bartending after surgery, the answer is yes.  In that Reader's Digest article, a man came in for one of the newer disk surgeries, and the NEXT DAY he was walking down the hallway, when before he could not get out of bed.  So, go for it, girl.  That top neuro at St. Pete's, do what he says.  If he also says hang in, get ahold of some Lyrica for nerve pain from him.
GG

[blondiebnc]

I've never heard of lyrica, what is it and why hasnt any doctor told me about this. I've been on pain killers for 4 months, and its seriously messing me up more than it should with all my other medical problems. is it a narcotic? Im willing to try and do anything to take away the pain now.
Thanks for responding and giving good advice, its things i can talk with my doctor about when i go to see him.

[blondiebnc]

GGreg,
I just looked up lyrica. Im diabetic but i've only know about the diabetes for a few years. When i looked up the symptoms, i could check all but one off, but i also have endo too which causes my bladded and bowel problems as well, and so could the back problems i have. I'll mention it to my doctor though if it could be a possibility.
Also i've been having blurred vision and pain in elbow, the blurred vision and spots in my eyes worry me, could it be from the diabetes, someone told me it could be early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, could that be a possibility because it runs in my family history.
Thanks agian,
Brittany

[ggreg]

Lyrica, yes, is a controlled substance.  It is prescribed for people with NERVE pain, which includes those with fibromyalgia, diabetes, and any nerve pain.  I take it for my back, only thing that ever took that pain away, except for morphine and demerol, which is not practical for someone outside of the hospital.  However, Lyrica will wipe you out, so bedtime and low dose is best.

Your blurred vision and spots before your eyes might be from poor sleeping patterns, also the endometriosis could cause low blood pressure, and also medication (your pain killers) or needing glasses can cause your visual problems.  But with you, I'd say you're not sleeping well.  Alzheimers does not strike until middle age.  Sorry I didn't get back more quickly.  This forum is busy!
GG