Discectomy - After the Operation

[bqevounzidfiunetz]

Glad you're making some progress Ali, hopefully you will be leaping around like a five year old soon! We can dream. Saw my GP and told her that the surgeon booked me in for a cervical epidural (upper back, I tell you that because I didn't know the upper back was the cervical spine....as a female I thought they'd got it all badly wrong!). The GP was really sweet and immediately started my referral to Southampton, it's a puzzle that the consultant had made decisions about a problems that wasn't his area anyway...arrogant 'person'!

I have tried to book another surgery date but not heard back from them, but I'm secretly hoping the Southampton crew will do the discectomy for me as well. I really really don't want that awful consultant anywhere near me again, I'd rather put up with the pain and wait for someone else. How desperate is that?

Remember how desperate I was to see that consultant and note how desperate I am not to see him now, this is a funny business. Seems we are all finally making progress now, am I right? Can't they put in an artificial disc for you Ali?

Right, back to the drugs. Still thinking about my fellow sufferers, I spent months suffering with this on my own so I truly value you're presence.

Melza

 

[AgigesiliDulp]

Hey Melza,

Things here are still pretty much the same, they booked me in for my nerve block last night then promptly cancelled it less than half an hour later.
Still havent had physio, cant until i have had the nerve block and i had my morphine tablet increased yesterday. The thing is, i cant go home until all these things have been done and sorted out....i have already been here 10 days now!!!

Anyhow, moan over....how are you feeling today hun? I agree that this forum is really good for people in our situation, we are all in the same boat or have been and so have good advice and understanding of how the guys on here are feeling.
I found it when my disc prolapse was diagnosed and had been referred for surgery..i googled lumbar disc prolapse and discectomy and le voila! Up came massageplanet.net!

As for your question about the artificial disc, they are going to do 'fusion surgery'...which in short terms means, removing bone, mix with blood, pack into knackered disc to make it to the correct height (they kind of make it into an implant), then fuse my spine back together.
Its a major operation, but it is only a 'one level fusion' which is not so bad.

Got my outpatient appointment with my surgeon next friday which makes me giggle cos i am still an inpatient!!!!

Anyhow, i hope this post finds you well hun....you are, as always, in my thoughts and prayers

And the same for the rest of you guys...hang in there!

 

[ScorpioGirL]

Hi Ali and co, I don't know if I'm going 'off topic' when I mention the cervical spine problem, but I am hoping they do some fusion stuff with that area for me. Is it too much to hope they will reinforce it in some way? Feel like an old lady these days as I have problems with upper and lower back, 'they shoot horses don't they' comes to mind. Unfortunately I have had to take legal action against my employers which is extremely unpleasant! Not supposed to mention that though, but this back stuff really does tear peoples lives apart.

I was wondering how many of us have been dealing with back problems and whether only Ali and I are still waiting for the NHS to DO SOMETHING! I know a few people have gone private but don't know exactly how many....has anyone been keeping count?

Thinking about you all

Melza

 

[Yak Rider]

I finally had my nerve block (caudal epidural) this evening, i had specifically asked for sedation, as i have had one of these before and they are absolute AGONY and i got really distressed.

The anaesthetist did not want to give me any sedation....he gave me a tiny bit which did NOTHING! The last thing i remember was kicking up a stink because he tried again and hurt me....then that was all i remembered....cos after that i woke up in recovery!!!
The numbness is wearing off now and it hurts, i forgot how painful these flipping things are!!!

Now, its physio, an OT assessment, then hopefully home by the end of the week. Seeing my surgeon next friday (29th).

Melza, hope things start progressing a bit quicker for you too hun

 

[Brianna J]

Hi guys

Been reading this thread - guess I'm posting as I need a bit of encouragement!

Had a discectomy last Mon to remove a piece of disc from. L5 s1, herniated it in november 2006 and went ahead after 19 months of physio and injections.

Anyway, recovery is going well, having staples out today, been walking for half hour a day And stretching. However, 4 days post op started getting nerve pain again down the same leg as before, and now it's constant. Worse when I stretch the nerve. I'm really worried now! Can anyone tell me, is this normal post op? I figured 19 months of compression is gonna irritate the nerve, but a part of me thought I would have no nerve pain now.

Anyway would be good to hear other peoples recovery experiences.

Ben

 

[XxKarToonxX]

Hi Benny,

It can take a long time for a nerve to recover but i would check with your surgeon or Doctor to see if anything is normal.

I am 10 weeks post op and i to have a little pain in my right leg, i think everything takes a long time to settle down.

Olli

 

[voriRarabaM]

I am home! Came home yesterday following an assessment from OT and physio's, who showed me how to get up and down the stairs on my crutches.

Have an outpatients appointment to see my surgeon tomorrow morning...how cool, given that the appointment was arranged 2 weeks ago, and i thought they may cancel it because i saw him last week while i was in hospital.

Benny...it can take a long time for the nerve to repair itself, particularly as it has been squashed for quite some time. But absolutely, DO see your GP and/or surgeon, as your are obviously concerned.
I hope that your recovery is as it should be

Melza, how are you doing hun? Been thinking about you.

Viv....i know you are having your surgery today, as soon as you feel up to it, let us know how you are doing.

Love and prayers to all you guys who are still fighting to be taken notice of by GP's/surgeons...as hard as it is....just keep being persistent and you will get help. Its unfair that we have to push and push, but unfortunately, thats how it seems to be at this time. Take care

 

[Balzsweat]

Thanks guys for the encouragement!

I went to see my consultant yesterday to have the clips out - he said the nerve pain will be due to the space where the disc material was clotting with blood around the nerve. He said this would dissipate over time (weeks). So I just have to be patient I guess!

I'll keep u guys updated on my progress.

 

[Troll]

Dear All

So glad to have found this site. Had a microdiscectomy 28 July, at first brilliant no more pain, however by day 5 this had returned and still continues although not as quite bad as before op.

Have seen the consultant at 3 weeks post op and as I could do the leg raising thing he was not too concerned, but said it would take time due to major inflamation of nerve. Had stopped pills at week three but after reading all your helpful comments have started diclofenac again a few days ago.

Seem to be a bit better with pills except for spasms, but around about 3pm each day the buttock pain sets in and remains.

I am really worried that I could have prolapsed again as I have been sitting on a sofa- NHS didn't give me any advice not to- and sitting in bed.

Anyway off to try acupunture and look forward to reading future posting

grateful post discectomy still sufferer

 

[Walter M]

Howie,

Read my posts above, I am in exactly the same situation as you (op was 11 august) - mine came back after 5 days and my consultant said this is normal - its bloog clotting near your nerve. Mines not as bad either, its like a different sort of nerve pain, more bearable but I get spasms too. It can take weeks and weeks to clear up he said so really don't worry at the moment. If you think about it, a bit of your body was removed and whenever you injur something you get bleeding, inflammation etc.


Im off work for 6 weeks recovering so I'd give it at least 6 weeks before you start asking questions. Also, with regards to sitting, I dont sit too much on the sofa as you tend to slump, I sit fot maybe 15 mins on a chair every so often like to eat, and most of the time stay lying on the sofa or on the floor.

Also, do you do lots of walking? Consultant reckons the more you do the quicker you'll recover!

Ben

 

[qogzbzir]

i am now 2 weeks and 2 days post op and progressing well.... i too have an ache in my right leg. don't always notice it, but i think it is always there. obviously nowhere near as bad as it was before the op but it still scares me a bit. i had some pins and needles in my foot too, but the consultant said (over the phone...the wonder of private health care!!) that this was the nerve coming back to life. so i guess it is totally normal to have some twinges and aches.

i came off my painkillers way too soon....ali please be careful on the morphine and reduce as slowly as you can bear to once this is all over. i still feel sick most of the time and haven't had a natural night's sleep since sometime in april!! my gp prescribed me temazepam and despite protesting i wouild never take another drug in my life, three nights and three tablets later, i am very grateful for the sleep i have finally had!

i think people really underestimate the emotional impact of a chronic back condition and of serious surgery. my husband and friends expect me to be jumping with the excitement of being pain free, but i am still an emotional headcase...crying lots and generally worrying myself silly about the pain coming back. hopefully this too will pass with time.

i have been managing either one 30 min or 2 shorter walks every day and even spent about 30mins in john lewis yesterday...it's amazing what you take for granted!!

as always, my thoughts are with you all. can anyone advise when to start swimming or pilates type activity??

jess xx

 

[Above Normal]

Hi jess,

Swiming now and pilates in another week or so. Are you doing lots of stretching. Try and and get your hamstring and bum stretched 2/3 times a day.

Swimming: 10 lengths to start. 1 length swim and 1 length walk.

Olli

 

[PachPrealphor]

Went back to see my surgeon today....and my disc has indeed prolapsed again....worse than last time, so its another microdiscectomy

And really annoyed cos he told me last week, when i was in hospital, that my disc had degenerated and needed to be fused. I reminded hi of this and he apologised for having said this.....i wonder if he looked at my scan properly?

I have been put on the waiting list as an urgent case and so i my be operated on in 3 months, hopefully sooner.

He said he is confident that it will work this time but who knows eh? At the moment, i have been signed off work indefinetely, am on a constant supply of morphine (tablets and liquid) and on crutches.

Good times!

Hope the rest of you are doing ok...

 

[Edna Mode]

I’m so glad that I found this forum. I have been following it for the last few days; it’s a relieve to find some people that have experienced this sort of back problem, although I must say that I am very sorry that you have all had such a horrid time going thought this pain and stress. People don’t understand how traumatic it all is. So I just want to say that I admire you all and think you are all brave and special people.

Hi Jess just wanted to say that the anathetic stays in the body for about 6 months after an opp, it will make you feel very tired sometimes and tearful this is natual. So don’t worry!!!!

I am in need of some addvice and wisdom from you all. If you can bear with me I will tell you my story. I had a discectomy on 31st of October 2007. After the op I was left with numbness in the right foot, calf and around my buttocks and in-between my legs. The surgeon said it could take up to 2 yrs to get better as the nerve takes ages to heal. They could not tell me whether the numbness would go completly or not. I was told not to do anything much for 6 weeks. I went back to work on the 14th of Jan 2008 and also started an intense 2 hrs a week back exercise class up at the Hospital, which involved a mixture of Pilate’s type and cardiovascular exercises. This was hard but really helped. When I finished at end of April for different reasons I did not keep the exercises up.

The same symptoms occurred again durin the 2nd week in July. My symptoms got progressively worse the pain in the right leg intense numbness I started to collapse every 2-3 mins, and I started to have funny sensation in my water works so I went up to straight up to A&E. They addmitted me that night and I was in hospital for the only hot week we had this summer. I had an MRI scan the next day and they said that the same disc had prolapsed again, not as big as the first prolaspe but the nerve was very inflamed. The surgeon decided to give me a nerve block which|3 days later. The Idea behind this was to bring down the swelling of the nerve while putting a pain relive in there, and they hoped that the disc will either go back into the disc and or it will shrivel up and be absorbed. My leg was numb for 2 days and wore off. I had funny sensations stinging ache pain. But that wore of after a while.

Today 4 weeks on from the nerve block, although the pain has gone in my leg, I have achieness in both legs sometimes my lower back is very tender to touch and very sore all the time since last Sunday. My back feels so weak and unstable feeling and I still get cramp in my calf and of course the numbness is still there. every little twing or ache i get i panick as tp whether it will stat up again. Do you think all these symptoms are normal???, they never tell you what to expect after an opp or the nerve block. I am supposed to go back to work on the 15th Sept (about 3 weeks away) but at the moment I don’t think I could, as I cannot sit for long. I am worried that I might never get back to work. They said if it prolapsed again they would have to operate. I am so scarred can any one offer me some hope as I feel very depressed at the moment.

Best Wishes to you all
Cas08

 

[xMissEllex]

hi all, I had a discectomy on L5/S1 in 1991, I was in the military at the time and post op, spent 2 years on and off at Headly Court having rehabiltation before being medically discharged. I spent nearly a month in hospital pre/post op, how things have changed surgically.

Anyway the good news is I've basically not been that bad, pain and restricted movement has mostly been improved and overtime you get to know what to do and what not to. I get diazepam on repeat prescriptions, but only need them a few times a year, usually after sneezing or something silly does me in, bed rest and diazepam usually sorts it out fine.

The bad news, I'm now 43, have trouble getting a job as most employers run a mile when they hear you have had a back injury and sadly it looks like the discectomy has eventually failed as for the last two months I've had all the original problems and am now waiting for an MRI Scan.

Looks like a fusion will be my only option.

Main reason for this post though is to reassure people, I had this operation when it was quiet major surgery, the scar is six inch long, have the operation, but MAKE SURE YOU DO ALL THE EXCERCISE's that the physios give you and keep the weight down and hopefully, as long as you are realistic about your limitations (your back will never be perfect) you should still be able to have a great life.

Andy

 

[yourgirl]

Hi Ali
Just to let you know that I had my op on Thursday and am now home. No leg pain at the moment (what bliss) Just a very sore back. My surgeon was pleased with the way the op went and the level of care was great ,thank god for health insurance. I managed to sleep in my bed last night which is the first time for over a month and am only having to take co-codomal now for pain relief.
Glad to hear you are finally getting somewhere although another 3 months sounds like an awful long time for you so fingers crossed they can operate sooner. Am thinking of you xx

 

[RWPossum]

Hi Viv!

So pleased that your sugery went well and you are pleased with the result! Have been thinking of you!
Thanks for your message, i'm not sure, but it seemed that my surgeon made a thinly veiled dig at one of his consultants who did my last op, because he said that he is going to do it himself this time (he is the main man in the spinal surgery area)...he did not want to accept that th first op did not work tho, because he pointed out that i was pain free for 7/8 weeks.
I replied that it obviously did not work cos i am back to square one, and much worse off. He said nothing in response to this!!!
Ho hum...just sittin', waitin' wishin' the op date will hurry through. He is keen to get me operated on ASAP.

I hope your recovery will continue to be comfortable for you, and that this is the start of a pain free life for you. Especially after having suffered for such a long time.

Keep me posted on how you are getting on hun xx

 

[?h??? ???? h???]

Congratulations on this great opportunity of living a normal life at long last Viv, how I envy you!

Ali, are you sure we haven't got the same surgeon? And do these people really know what they're doing? For many, many months we are forced to take god knows how many drugs (what are they doing to our internal organs I wonder!) given dodgy injections into the spine.....and have they ever worked? Unlikely! I think we all live active and productive lives (if we could) yet these 'medical professionals' are happy to spend months tinkering around before they allow a half hearted attempt at surgery. It chills my blood to think there's every chance I could go through all this again even after surgery...it doesn't bear thinking about! Ali, I'm sorry you have to go through this again, and I hope you checked whether they really will do this one properly.

Could have gone on for ever there, but feel better now. I was just reading through the latest posts and can see what desperate people we all are, just wanting some reassurance. I think we can all agree that you have to chase doctors or consultants and pester the hell out of them . And remember your GP can be very helpful if you tell them how much you are struggling, or find another GP in the practice. I've been through most of mine. Now go and give them hell!

I'm still waiting for appointments by the way.

 

[probablygraham]

Ben

Thanks for the helpful reassurance.

Just thought I'd let you all know that acupunture seemed to work. I was pain free immediately and even drove home, 40 mins plus. This lasted all night, but by the next afternoon the pain started in my buttock again. The next day, yesterday was great, a whole day virtually pain free, just a bit of tingling. Unfortunately today I'm back to the usual lunch time buttock pain setting in.

I wasn't given any stretches or exercises to do, but told just to walk, which I am for at least 40 mins per day. The consultant has said wait until next week when I can start physio, this seems quite different to others and I have started to use Olli's exercises a bit ( I rang the spinal practice manager at hospital and she said OK, stop if any pain) and these seem OK. Was anyone else told not to stretch or exercise for first 6 weeks?

Also in relation to lifting children, does anyone have any advice please, my one year old weighs around 23 pounds? The consultant has said from 6 weeks, but I'm really scared I might set everything back.

Really helpful to read this site, it just makes me feel so much less alone, my family and friends are great, but I think everyone is getting fed up with me and it is so difficult to keep explaining.

Good luck to you all, wishing everyone pain free lives.

Howie

 

[Gooner]

Hi Howie,

Might give the accupuncture a try.

With reagards to physio, im starting a week monday (3 weeks post op) on my physio program.

Im still getting really bad sciatic pain down my leg - finding it so hard to be positive as it really feels like it did before (although a bit different). I cant do the leg raises at all as as soon as I lift my leg it pulls the nerve. I can only pray that the nerve is just irritated and healing like my consultant said it would - I guess I expected a bit more progress after nearly 2 weeks of resting... anyway I'll just carry on as hes told me!

Anyway i'll keep u updated and howie would be good to hear how ur getting on.

Cheers
Ben