will my back ever get better?

[lizzie01]

Hi, am having third surgery (discectomy) on my Lumber L4 L5.  I have numbness in my  right foot and leg up to calf.
The neurosurgeon has said that I will have to live with this now, and am getting nowhere with answers.   He said that he has never known anyone that has had disc herniated 3 times in same place in all his career.  He also said that the disc does not grow back, so where will it go from there.  I am afraid that this is going to keep on happening to me.  I have been on medication now for approx 5 years.  The twice  I have had this done, I get to six months or so and it comes out again, sitting on the nerve which is unbelievably painfull.  please help?

[jaime1110]

Hi there I have suffeed with severe back and leg pains now for 4 yrs. I was stationary in my car when I got hit at approx 45-50 mph. After the intial " whiplash" that i was diagnosed with I basically began to think i was imagining the pain inmy back. Reasons being for 4 yrs my doctor just presribed me pain killers then anti- inflammatories and I began to feel like a Hypocondriac!!!!  I was visitng my doctor atleast 1 a fortnight if not more. Eventually he refered me to phsysio who said them selves after the intial assesment 'there is nothing we can do sheis too restricted, she needs to be xrayed. By this time i already had some numbness creeping from my lower back downwards. At last an xray appointment in which was found that i had schlorosis???!!!  and twisted bones in my neck. My Gp then decides to give Diazepam. After afew weeks of PAIN GETTING WORSE I returned to Gp and basically demanded an MRI. And hey presto Slipped Disc located. I was given a concoction of pills to ease pain but no physical help. I eventually started Pain Management. After 4 different procedures the last being a permanent EPIDURAL which DIDNOT WORK AT ALL!!!!!!     Now I have been refered to Nerosurgeon who basically checks me over listens to what pain I am and have been for a long time. He informs me that the nerve damage numbness inability to now sign my signature never the same twice will not get any better as it has been such a long time since the accident to this point that nerve damaged irreversable, I am booked in for surgery tomorrow being the 5/4/2010 to have microdiscectomy  surgery which hopefully mayease the unbareable pain in my leg but as for my back and other problems its too late to fix. Im 33 yrs old and I would really like to know whether anyone agrees with me to thinking that I am within my rights to Sue my Gp who basically caused this as he didnot believe me and took sooooo long to organise an MRI that I demanded. He has ruined my life. Im at present on 30mg Diazepam daily, but to no effect . 30mg Temazepam to help me sleep but pain is soo bad they dont work and also wearing morphine patches and take anti inflammatory/painkillers and I will never be able to ride horses run and play with my daughter oh and when people see someone younger with a Blue Disabilty Badge Please dont presume weve borrowed it that we can be classed as diabled.

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Dear Friend,
Even i am surprised to read this.
The only reason for the same can be -
1) Your disc re-grows (which has never been reported in the literature).
2) Your doctor was never able to remove the complete disc from that area, so the residual disc is causing the problem.

I would suggest you to take a second opinion for this condition. If you have all the MRI's then please collect the same and discuss with your other doctor (second opinion).

Since this problem has persisted for long, i will be also uncertain about the chances of recovery, and would give you the same suggestion as provided by the other doctor.
But please go for a second opinion.
Regards.

Please feel free to discuss, in case of slightest doubt.

[CompletelyConfused00]

I have a similar problem. Had a "herniated disc" ...saw one doctor who did surgery (discectomy) and until he did that, he didn't know that my disc was crushed, and kept oozing out everywhere. so he just closed me up.
Went to another doctor, he fused L4-5...still after a year in excrusiating pain. Trying to wean off pain meds, put pain is only worse.
Worst thing is the leg pain. starts in the butt...works its way to my foot and then the whole thing goes numb.  THEY HAVE NO ANSWER FOR ME!
I have done the whole second opinion thing....maybe 25 different doctors. NONE of them know what to do. They just want to use me as a guinea pig! or atleast, i feel as such.
if you ever get a diagnosis of your leg...or anyone out there...please let me know what they found in you! I am taking things in my own hands now...I have learned not to trust doctors. Seems to be working better for me!
Good Luck Lizzie

[hollydolly85]

Please be careful when it comes to this. I had the same surgery that you are and have had along with a fusion after failed attempt of lim. surgery in 2006. I had fusion surgery in 2008 and then right after corrective fusion sugery. For about 4 years I literally felt as if I had 4 legs instead of 2. I really don't understand why any neuro doc would be doing a 3RD surgery of that sort if the first two didn't work. My Lim. surgery on L/5-S/1 failed so we did fusion surgery which was succesful but after one year post op. I tell you to be careful because if you have insurence and keep complaining of great pain the one and only doctor that you have will keep cutting you. You might run into more trouble than you think. I know how hard it is not to take the pain meds but there are other ways for pain relief. Good luck.

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Can't you go to some other hospital and take a second opinion? As i am very confident that the disc doesn't grows...

[lizzie01]

Hi, no, we are not allowed to do things like that here.  get second opionion is out of question.  There is only one nuerosuregeon in the hospital that I have to go to.  You have just got to do what they say.  Thanks for interest.  a have got severe agony at the moment. x

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Dear Friend,
So did you took any second opinion.
Regards

[lizzie01]

Hello you.  a hope u off your back now?  it is awful.  a dont know how you manage day to day.  Life wasnt meant to be easy they say.  Thanks for your message,  makes me feel like there nothing wrong wi me.  Hope your good days make up for the bad ones.  Tthats wat a do.  Im  hoping so much, you get some pain relief.  Take care  x

[TONIGREENJEANS]

hi lizzie
tell your dr. you have found someone with 3 herniated disc at same time! i had lamnectomy((spelling?)at 4-5 & 5-6 in 1989. i had fusion at 4-5 & 5-6 in 1992.
my body rejected the donor bone and 3-4 herniated so all had to be fused again in 1992! i know what you are going through! the pain is unbearable and you fell like know one is listening to you!  right! it took years before my pain went away from all the  surgeries! now i have to watch what i do or it will start again.i have been on ssi since 1993. i saw your post while i am lying in bed flat on my back with lower back pain w/siatica! oh my god the pain is horrible! i had mri yesterday and i am now waiting for results. i am 51 years old and my medical history is unbeleiveable. i have had those three neck surgeries, hystorectomy, knee surgery, pylops removed from my colon, bladder and throat. i have arthris in just about all my joints,have high hdl,copd, and seizure disorder. i am on 13 different medications! and now i am waiting to see what is going on with my lower back! i am also under the care of 6 wonderful doctors! now i have told you this so you will understand that when i tell you this! if you are not getting the answers you need fire your doctor! they work for you! i went throughthe same thing when i had a stroke. my doctor did not believe i had a stroke because i was only 45 at the time. so for a year i had mini stroke headaches and then the big one! i had to go through it all alone because my dr was a idiot! if you are on hmo... switch. you keep going until you find a dr. that will take the time to explain to you what is going on. i had to move to another part of the state before i found good drs i am sorry for what you are going through ...but hang in there it will get better! hopefully you will stay better. even though i am flat on my back now...i do know that this to will pass!
good luck to you...toni