Discectomy - After the Operation

[Arron O]

Hey! I keep tripping over and my shoes are always scraping along the ground, never heard of 'dropped foot' though. I swear people think I'm a drunk! Don't know about the pee thing either, I have a lot of nerve irritation (drives me crazy) but I don't think it affects my wee's. Although I do have to dash for the loo these days.

Jess, Orthopaedics deal with bones and only bones, Nuerosurgeons deal with problems involving the nervous system, best person for the job I think. The secretary told me a nuerosurgeon would be dealing with my upper back, maybe because it involves so many crucial nerves....I don't know. Upper or lower nervous system seems important to me. Very best of luck anyway.

Dreading the consultant appointment on Monday, haven't slept very well because of nerve irritation and worrying about seeing that awful man. Must stay calm and collected...really must!

 

[xeso G]

Ali

You must get yourself in fornt of a consultant now. The dropperd foot that I also had I is serious , the main nerve is being squashed. The peeing thing qualifies you for an instant operation. Get to see a surgeon immediately and emphasze these symptoms. Do not be fobbed of and make a huge fuss.

Good luck let me know how you get on

Rod

 

[Hol&Azz]

Jess

Ask your GP whos is the best private neourosurgeon in the area or ring the consultants' rooms and ask their shared secretary who is the best; my mate who is a gp does this... you will have to coax it out of them. I only know the good manchester ones. If you are going to be paying get the best.

Rod

 

[trix]

Dear all, I'm new to this site and wish I had found it before. I am 2 weeks post surgery and recovering slowly! This is the second disectomy of the L5/S1 that I have had. This time I suffered unbearable sciatica. I had to practically force my GP to do anything. Her opinion was to give it time. Eventually, after co-codomol, tramadol, morphine and an anaphylactic reaction after Diclofenac, a locum GP referred me for an MRI scan which showed a prolapsed disc, stenosis of the spine and arthritis. I had a spinal block first and like a lot of you, it didn't work. Luckily for me work paid just under 5K for the operation and I was in hospital over night and sent home the next day.
When I woke up the pain in my leg had gone immediately, although after a few days it has returned. My feet are very numb and this hasnt fully returned. I am now having physio which I think is helping.

I have a question in relation to exercising after this op, I am now driving and the physio has said I can go back to pilates in 4 - 6 weeks. I have my own horse who is a real plodder - can anybody give me an idea of when I should be able to do "normal" things again?

Just to say I am so pleased that there are people out there who can understand the pain and the emotions - its made me feel so much better!

Thank you

 

[Papermate]

Yay!

My original appointment has been brought forward by a week!
I see my surgeon on the 22nd of this month, big relief!

I never got the call back from my GP in regards to going onto oramorph, which i am glad about now, because i only ever had that post op last time and so if i went on it whilst waiting for this appointment, there was no time scale as to how long i would be on it.

I will tell him all about me falling over and being constipated with wee weeing!!! Oh the joyful embarrasing stuff that comes with spinal problems!!!

 

[Billy Goat]

Carolyn 4

I would be very careful about building up your stamina very slowly. I am now 11 weeks post op. I am now swimming half an hour a day and cycling there and doing fairly energetic DIY with lifting, in short I feel fully recovered. To get here has been a long haul. What I have learned is you have to take it in small steps and listen to your body. I have had setbacks, especially when I went back to work on week 3 after the op. Surgeons reccomend no real exercise before six weeks. I found the early physio didnot not help me.Basically if it doesnt feel right dont do it. I found acupuncture speeded my recovery. I would have thought horse riding might not be the first thing you should try and build muscles up first with things like Pilates swimming walking you know the gentle stuff.

Ali

Well done I am chuffed for you. It will all happen quickly now, good luck. The moral of the storey seems to be when you have a dropped foot and your bladder/bowels are affected you get right to the top of the list.

Rod

 

[Mary Miller]

I had a discectomy 18 months ago also had tissue removed around the nerves in both of my legs. After the opp i was walking around and feeling upto 80% better than i did before. I cant complain about this as my quality of life before was the same as a 90 year old person. Because of my job i do i now have the same problem with the same prolapsed disc, which the pain is awful. I take a huge cocktail of painkillers, nefepam, cocodamol, ametriptyline and arcoxia. I know OMG! I have got an appointment with my consultant tomoz and i am scared that he is going to tell me that he wont do anything about this. If i rest the pain is there, if i do bits round the house(as i am so board) the pain gets a lot worse. I dont know what i would do if he say he wont do anything coz i wont be able to go back to work as 85% of this i manual. I am getting a little stressed about this!

 

[Grey Raven]

I finally saw my consultant yesterday and he was completely unconcerned about my problems, although the lumbar discectomy has been arranged for Tuesday and he has allowed me to come in at 10am rather than 7.30am. I think the evil look in my eye helped with that one. And as for the results of the upper back scan, he described the scan results as a bit of wear and tear and advised an epidural. He doesn't know that I have also seen the scan results and he didn't once mention the 3 prolapsed discs, or the one that's distorting my spinal cord.

And you got all that just so that I can advise all patients to assert themselves, which is what I've had to do. I hate making a fuss but I think he should be referring me to a nuerologist and getting their opinion first...especially as he was the one to discover the reflex in my thumbs was non existent. He completely dismissed anything I said and was totally patronising...Can't stand the man!

So Kelbo, and Ali (you lucky girl, but don't forget your incontinence pads, for effect) you decide what you want out of the appointment before you go in....and don't get pushed into anything else. For some reason these people have a complete blank as far as other peoples pain is concerned, and after being pushed into various NHS departments for a whole year and one month, I'm going to fight back and make my needs chrystal clear. Enough already!

Good luck to those with an appointment looming.

 

[palicali]

kelbo you poor thing i totally know how you feel im in sort of the same situation..my surgery was just over year and half ago...and my old symptoms are back with a vengence!! i have an mri scan on friday aug 8th..eventually!! my surgeon did a series of reflex exams on both legs and feet with her wee hammer thing and my left leg shot up like whoahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! her face was shocked and she said we better get an mri sorted and soon i had my appointment for the next week .After months of complaining to my dr that the old tell tale signs are back.also numb left side foot 2 little toes numb thigh and calf cramps so bad you can actaully see the thigh muscle pretrude .but i was told be patient be patient...but in the mean time im in mortal agony trying to look after a 10 year old diabetic child etc im sure we all have our struggles...but my point is...no one takes it seriously enough i have nerve damage from the wait from the 1st surgery god knows how much i will have after this next one thats if they decide to operate at all!!...

my fingers are crossed for you x

 

[Greehtrdewqmi]

Good luck jess hope it goes well.

Sorry to hear some are in pain again after having the op. I am hearing that some of you were out after surgery quickly, driving around feeling normal, back to work and riding horses!
I was kept in hospital for four days and they checked me regularly even though I felt fine. They advised not to drive for six weeks, no lifting, no bending down, no twisting, no sitting for more than 20 mins at a time. Basically get plenty of rest regardless of how good I felt or what I thought I could do. Any of these things could push the remaining disc material out of the disc, then the disc will never heal or close the hole where it came out before, then your back to square one again. I was told only do the exercises given and walk three times a day for a few hundred yards gradually increasing the distance each week.
I see the surgeon and physio in 3 weeks for new instructions. I am 3 weeks post op. I know I must not lift anthing of any weight or play golf etc for at least 3 months.
I intend to follow these instructions to the letter to avoid going back to the pain etc and a second op.
Just a few extra weeks of discipline could make all the difference people. Don't get carried away with your new found abilities!!!
Listen to rod

 

[YANGA CHIVAS MEXICO]

Hi guys

I am finally going into hospital to have a discectomy on monday morning on my L5S1. Its been 19 months of daily pain for me, tried chiro,physio,pilates & injection to no avail.

I have to say I've got to the point where I don't actually care about the risks any more - when you can't lead a normal life and enjoy yourself its worth it.

I will keep you updated on the progress post op and my recovery.

Ben

 

[Brookie]

hey everyone!
so my op went ahead as planned on tues and all went well. i remember someone writing on here that as soon as they woke up, they wiggled their toes and felt great. same thing happened for me it is incredible how the leg pain disappears!

i was left with some tenderness around the wound, which has been glued rather than stitched (thank god cos i am the world's worst with stitches, needles and anything like that), but really that was all.

had pca morphine on demand overnight and until lunchtime the following day. the quality of care in the private hospital was great. even the food was good. it was so worth the money.

unfortunately due to a "prescription error" they reduced my opiate meds a bit quickly last night - went from 60mgs of codeine to 8mgs and i have never felt so awful. a whole other kind of pain. no sleep, constant hot and cold and felt so sick. plus my legs were twitching away like crazy.

i'm home now and still feel a bit rubbish, but that's cos of the drug withdrawal, not the op. have been all kinda crazy emotional today, but the physio told me this is normal - post-op blues apparently!

i have been given some gentle exercises to do over the next few weeks and plan to take it very easy. i live in a 3rd floor flat so probably won't make it out for a while, but it just is amazing not to have that awful pain any more.

thank you all again for helping to make this whole process so bearable. your stories have been so much more reassuring than anything any doctor could have told me and i know your support will continue to be invaluable...i plan to look back at previous posts about post-op exercises when i feel up to it.

thank you again!

jess xx

 

[Babes]

Hi Olli

Those were the exact questions I asked my surgeon today and he still discharged me. I have been doing a few classes since coming back from holiday and have got some back and leg twinges too. He said this is totally normal and will continue for another couple of months. This does not mean the op has failed. It's just the nerves have been trapped for a long time and now have to repair themselves. Any stretch or muscle movement in the legs, back or abs will have some effect on the nerve and so will give some pain. Remeber you haven't used those muscles properly for some time and probably have some imbalances in your back. Please dont worry, I think you would know if it hadn't worked or you had re-herniated. What you are feeling is not true sciatica. My physio has discharged me too after 1 visit!!

That's all!!

Fitbird
xx

Jess

Am please everything seems to have gone well, keep in touch when you can and remember lots of rest for now.
Fitbird
xx

 

[Pepsheale]

I am really pleased for you guys. Great news Jess and Fitbird about the op. It is all downhill from now. So nice to hear some positive vibes and success. The op really is miraculous when it works. No one understands how bad it all is until it happens to you. Take the recovery gently listen to your bodies.

Rod

 

[SupR]

Morning all
I have been reading all your threads for the last couple of weeks and have found them really useful. My story so far is.. Back in March I hurt my back , was off work for a week and then went back managed to struggle on until May when I virtually crawled into see my GP, fortunately for me she reffered me for an MRI which revealed that I have a L4/5 extruded disc herniation . If I hadn't experienced it myself I don't think I would have ever believed how painful it is. I have been off work for 12 weeks now and like most of you am on a cocotail of painkillers. Rather than wait months to see a consultant on the NHS I have decided to go private and I see him on Tuesday, I think my biggest fear at the moment is that he is going to send me away and tell me time will heal. Has that happened to any of you ?? I really sympathise with those of you who have had to wait months even years for surgery, I am counting down the days until Tuesday and if I don't get anywhere I may have to ask hubby to take an axe to my legs, I'm that desperate.
Best wishes to all of you who are post op for a speedy recovery, and for those who are still waiting for answers , keep banging on the door of our wonderfull NHS.

 

[Rachel Nguyen]

Hi Viv

If you have a prolapsed diisk that shown on MRI and is causing great pain and disability the surgeon will offer you the option of an op or 'conservative treatment' ie do bugger all and wait. I think it very unlikely that he wont offer surgery particularly as you are paying remember it is you that has all the choices in this situation. Don't waste time worrying about this potential outcome which is very very unlikely and focus on some objectives for after the op - say the first victory lap around the block! The key phrase to use with the surgeon is that your quality of life has been significantly diminshed and you are unable to undertake the vast majority of tasks you used to. Aslo emphasize how important exercise is to you and how being demobilise is affecting you badly.

Rod

 

[Giacomo]

hi viv..
hope your appointment goes well! i was in the same situation just over a week ago. i found it helpful going in with knowledge about my options and being upfront with the consultant about what i wanted to happen. like rod said, you are paying for the treatment so should have a say in what is happening. but i guess all consultants are different. don't leave til you get what you want though!! and you can realistically expect to be in surgery within a week of your appointment, so fight for that too!
good luck! keep us posted! xx

 

[Andrew Tegeler]

Jess/Rod

Thanks for that advise. It's true about quality of life , you don't realise how much you take it for granted until something like this happens and you can't even manage the basics. I will go to my appointment armed with a list of things I am unable to do and also stress the importance of my need to return to work not only for the money but for my sanity! I will keep you posted..Thanks again

 

[TheAsker]

Glad it went well jess. You will be surprised how quickly you improve but take it easy regardless.
I went out with my mates at the weekend for the first time in months and took it easy but had no probs so well happy.
Good luck viv.

 

[inaspahrs]

i am now 6 days post op and feeling really mixed... drug withdrawal is still a bit of a problem. still feeling sick most of the time and am awake ALL night with restless legs which is driving me insane!
i was feeling so positive about the leg/back pain until this morning, when i got a bit of a nerve-type ache in my leg and now have pins and needles in the sole of my foot. not really bad ones, but i am panicking about having done too much and caused a further prolapse. do you think i have?? or is it just inflammation on the nerve or something?
i am kind of an emotional headcase at the moment and am just so worried cos i can't go through this all again!! my husband just keeps telling me i need to be strong and it'll all be fine, but i am really worried....
have any of you been through this??

jess xx