Facing a Fusion :(

Hi brittney SNAP

i should have had my fusion last month,but hospital in a mess no beds so it's now 24/2

i strongly think you should get a fusion as you have the same (unstable vertebrae)and this will only worsen.

i was nursing,fell off high chair onto my back on a night shift in July,I'm now officially out of the NHS as contract was terminated on grounds of ill health.

This site is so supportive,I hope you come to a decision,and keep in contact,all the bestxellen

Hi Brittney! I hadfusion fromL2 to S1 June 9, 2015. I had spondy on 3 levels, lots of pain, leg issues, cauda Equina issues, the whole 9 yards! My symptoms escalated quickly after a certain point. My quality of life was horrible, just couldn't take it any more. I am glad I had the surgery, my life has improved A LOT!! Everyone is different, I hope you can get relief! Keep us posted on your progress! All the best to you!

Hi Brit Get the surgery done the sooner the better!!!!!!your back will only get worse! Im 63 and I just had my L2 L3 L4 L5 fussed on October 23rd now I'm up and walking after only five weeks of Therphy,both p t and o t!!

Hi Brittney,

Boy, you have almost all the same stuff I've been through.  I was hurt in a car accident 12 years ago, but thought I was okay until a couple of weeks later, I bent over to get a tub of butter out of the refrigerator - and I felt a RIPPPPPP go all the way up my back.  Same feeling yuou had.  That's when you blew the discs.

The right leg is definitely from pinched nerves - it's called neuropathy. It's from a pinched nerve around L4-L5-S1. The pain in your thigh is from a pinched nerve at L2-L3.  I have that too, but in my case it's from a damaged femoral nerve - one of my surgeons damaged the femoral nerve when he did a lateral fusion (from the left side) and put in a cage.  I was bent 40 degrees to the left is why he did a lateral fusion.  They will probably want to fuse you first from the front (they take out all of your innards, fuse your spine from the front and then put all your innards back in).  I had that done, and had no problems from that.  Then they'll fuse you from the back L3-S1.  Then you'll have to wear a back brace for several months, and a thing called a bone stimulator for about an hour a day for about 5-6 months.  I think mine was actually 9 months.  It is very difficult for L5-S1 to heal.  Mine has failed TWICE.  None of the surgery I had relieve the neuropathy in my leg, and in fact, I didn't have the pain in my thigh before the surgery.  

So, have they tried other things - like a sympathetic nerve block?  I just had one at L4 and it helped with my neuropathy in my right foot, but didn't help my left thigh. I'm getting an RFA now to help with the neuropathy, and they are going to try a different level to help with my left leg.  Then there's another option that's supposed to help with leg pain and back pain, and there's a lot of promise.  It's called the Nevro Sensa HF10.  It's a spinal cord stimulator.  (I've had two spinal cord stimualtors in the past - the first one helped, they had to take it out when I had the major back surgery, and the 2nd one didn't help because the surgeon put it in the wrong place - I had Medtronics).  So there's a lead - a wire sort of - that they put in your spine that sends high frequency waves to your pain receptors and blocks the pain.  It covers the symptoms only  it is not a cure. The problem is that there is a battery that has to be implanted under your skin - usually in your buttocks.  I've had 2 batteries implanted, and no problems with either.  But on the Nevro, you have to recharge the battery every day for about 20-30 minutes.  I've read from some people that the battery heats up quite a bit when you charge it, and it burns your skin.  Supposedly they have corrected it so that if it reaches 101 degrees, it shuts off.  Well, yeah, but what about the charging?  My neurosurgeon is encouraging me to get the Nevro, but my pain management doctor that I've known for years, and trust, says to wait for improvements - although that could be a while.

Either way, I think you need to do something now.  You should ask about gapapentin and/or lyrica for the numbness and pins and needles.  There are good things and bad things bout taking these meds, so check it out.  I have been lucky enough not to have the creepy crawly feeling, but I do have meralgia paresthetica - it hurts to have anything touch my skin on my thigh.  It feels like they are touching a bad burn.  That's from the damaged femoral nerve.

It's a lot to go through to get the Nevro.  You should talk to a neurologist about it - sounds like you have a good ortho, but maybe you should see a neurosurgeon.

Good luck to you.  I'm sorry to say you are in it for the long haul. Don't get discouraged.

Please keep writing and letting us know how you are.

Linda

 Brittany ,everyones condition is different ,mine was left too long before the surgery was done probably the reason it didnt work ,so maybe waiting is the wrong thing to do ,my fusion was done in Santry Sports Clinic but it was too late as the nerve endings where already damaged ,so maybe the sooner the better as it will definitley get worse ,Loss of bladder ,bowel control and excruciating pain is whats ahead if not treated , talk with the surgeon ,he wont offer it unless he deems it nessessary ,it is a last resort ,my opinion is maybe it works better if caught early , the NHS had lost me in admin for 4yrs (unbelieveable ) during which time i had become practically housebound ,i often wonder if this hadnt been the case ,would it have turned out better after the 1st bulging disk removal which gave me instant relief but then a yr later it returned and the fusion was required ,now since 2014 when the op was done ,i'm left with pain and spasams in BOTH legs ,beforehand it was only the left leg ,so in hindsight i might err on the side of caution and get done asap . Some of the guys on here have better results than others ,its all down to how quick you are diagnosed imo ,but good luck with it ,the pain beats everyone in the end .

Thank you everyone for the input!! I got a 2nd opinion last week, and I will be scheudling my L4-S1 fusion for hopefully in the next couple months! Not looking forward to the pain after, but PRAYING it helps! I can't take this back pain anymore!