how can this be??

[grammy2008]

just got my MRI results and low and behold i have another herniation in the L4 L5 disc that I just had repaired 7 weeks ago, dr thinks that is why my motor skills (foot drop, ect) arent  improving like it should , what is the luck of that seeing nuerosurgeon again on tuesday, what do they do now?? anyone with any experience with this and yes I got hurt at work and am scared as to what will happen next!

[minughman]

I was just reading one of your entries and you described the numbness and extreme burning pain i'm having in my L thigh to a tee.  It wakes me up several times per night and now when i walk, i have this pain behind my knee like i've torn something down there.  My MRI showed mild degenertive changes in the lower lumbar spine resulting in mild bilateral foraminal stenosis at L4-5 and L5-s1.  Is this close to how your first MRI was and exactly what did they do to help you.  Thanks for any advice you could give me.  Thanks

[bigdonkey1]

Good luck on the first. short term pain for long term gain. I see the DR on the 1st to see if I have to have yet another fusion. L2, minimally invasive hopefully, couple months and I should be able to get off pain meds finally.
Let us know how you did on the 1st or when you come home. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[noneck]

Grammy --- good luck on the first, lets hope it helps and will be thinking of you. I think you will go through this with a breeze. I also think they just reherniate by them self because I couldn't figure out what I did wwrong. Yes comp. is still responsible you haven't been cleard by the Dr. to go back to work so this is just a continuatuion of the same injury.

Big donkey --- I also smoke and ya they say it's better to quit because the nicotine constricts blood flow???? I have sucessfully fused and I'm thinking the success of surgery is more of how well the graft for fusion fits and the skill of the Dr. I'm also in construction or was until I was disabled from being a electrician. They also used a bone groth stimulator on my last surgeries and don't even know if it works because some of my 2004 surgery fused and some didn't!!

noneck

[grammy2008]

ok, so surgery is now scheduled for monday 6-1-09 wish me luck, work is absolutely not impressed that was the worst thing ever to have to tell them, but hopefully this will take care of the problem, when I asked surgeon how this could happen he said,  just a sign of a really bad back.... GREAT! what will the future hold? i dunno . keep in touch

[bigdonkey1]

PT possibly could cause some issues if not done correctly. I was seeing a PT that was having me do exercises that were absolutely not good for my back, i realize after seeing the DR that i really trust now. Good neurosurgeon that I have now has his own special stabilization program that is completely neutral to the spine but strengthens the muscles and soft tissue.  My education of the back since my injuries have indicated that your recurrence is certainly possible.
Just stay the fight. Comp has to take care of it since its all the original injury that started to begin with.

[grammy2008]

I dont have to many other problems a disc bulge L5 S1, and some arthritis in 2 areas, I guess my question is did I do something to cause the reherniation this soon, all that I have done is PT, or is it just something that can happen, and is my comp still responsible or can they say that it didnt happen at work cause I am out post op? Ive never had to deal with this, oh yea and by the way, by the sound of what you guys have been through I must sound like a real wimp, SORRY!

[bigdonkey1]

Well lets see, where do i start? Basically I have fused L3-L5 2 levels. Now L2 is compromised. all along the MRi stated early DDD of the L2, but it was ok after the fusion. In march I started having tons of leg pain again, numbness the whole shimbang in the upper leg thight area. After multiple tests, 3 epidurals which brought some relief but not enough, he decided I needed decompression. Did a microforaminotomy and minor discetomy on L2 on 4/28/09. But after a couple weeks I still had tons of symptoms. I have had 2 epidurals and tons of rest and I am only slightly better. The MRI shows the foramina open now, but I am still wildly uncomfortable. Like the Surgery did little to relieve the pain. The vertebrae is twisted and angled which he thinks is my problem. Saw it before the micro and the DR did express much concern about it but did not want to do fusion then.
So, I am in the waiting period. I see him on 6/1/09 to see if I am any better. If I am still the same as before then he may, I hope do the minimally invasive fusion of that level to stabilize the bone structure. Its probably attributed to my over activty level. I do not want another fusion, however living in pain is not something i can live with for the rest of my life. I am an active, (have to lower that!) 48 yr old in shape athletic man. Pain pills and laying in bed for the rest of my life would really suck!
Question, If i stop my half pack a day cigs the day i go in, would be alright to fuse the one level? I am thinking about massive calcium to augment the bone growth.
Any help with education of the success of micro fusion would be helpful. It appears to be a really good option to the carving i have had to undergo so far.
I revovered from the micro decompression in about 1.5 weeks this time, as opposed to the 3 weeks from previous carvings.
How are you now?
Gary, I use donkey since i am in construction, (no manual labor any more for me though) and we feel like a donkey out there most days.
Have a great pain free holidays.

[noneck]

Thanks for the confidence of what I am saying. Because of the many surgeries they told me that I couldn't have minimaly invasive surgeries. If you look at my x-ray thats not minimally invasive anything. hahaha.  Bigdonkey1 what are your levels and in which order was your 5 surgeries performed. Been there done that with the stupidy also. Grammy- Google is great for reaserch. Like I said Do you have other levels involved? If not thats so good.  

Thanks
noneck

[bigdonkey1]

Wow, 10 surgeries. I thought my 5 so far was alot. and now I am facing another possibly and feel like something is so wrong with me. So glad to hear that I am not alone in this continuing saga recurring problems with my poor wretched back. I had conservative surgeries that did some good but the laminectomy was the main problem. finally I did the 2 level fusion in 2007 and it did take me a few months to recover, but it changed my life. So much so that I overdid the last 2 yrs and did injure the level above as I always feared. but i felt so good after the fusion that I thought my back was well. Stupid me.
Don't be to afraid of fusion if the suggest it. My DR is not rushing my in to the op room but, now they have minimally invasive techniques that allow you to go home the next day. compared to the 5 days i stayed in the hospital last time.
Grammy, your story is very normal. do not feel afraid or alone. here are 2 people that have had good pain relief from this. Be smarter than me though, take it easy after and know that we still have bad backs, just not in pain.
Do a web search and you will see that there are minimally invasive Fusion widely done.
Good luck with your pain free search.

[noneck]

Yes it fixed the drop foot. Out of all ten surgeries my back surgery after they fused it came out much better than any of them at the time. I had my first surgery at 36 was disabled by 38 after my third surgery. Now I'm 53 and ten surgeries later I finally feel better. So if this can happen to me you should be a breeze if that's all you have wrong. Like no further degeneration of the disc's at the adjacent levels, below or above. If the Dr's suggest a fusion I would seriously consider it. They are so much better at this than they were ten years ago, they may even be able to do it minimally invasive. Keep in touch!!

Hope I'm Helping
noneck

[grammy2008]

yes they did a laminectomy and discsectomy , did your foot drop improve? Just looking for something positive, Id really like to go back to work  at some point, I was feelin pretty good until this happened, what a let down Im only 42 and plan on alot of good years ahead,  Thanks a bunch!!

[noneck]

When they operated on my low back L5/S1 the first time they did a laminectomy and it reruptured, three months later, they fused it the next time and it was fixed. That was ten years ago and it is still holding, but do have some occasional pain but nothing to worry about, after all they did surgery and will never be the same. I had the same drop foot problem. If you do need surgery again ask about a fusion, I'm thinking they didn't fuse it the first time thats why it rerupured. But a fusion surgery requires much more healing time and is more painful but it will get better. Am I correct the type of surgery they did on you was a laminectomy not a fusion? Get back to me, you can still be fixed.

Hope I Help, noneck