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spondylolisthesis grade 1 l5 s1 please help absolutely terrified

Posted , 14 users are following.

carla28825
carla28825

Hello,

This is my first post so do forgive me if I am talking out of term in any way.

I am 40 and have grade 1 l5 s1 spondylolisthesis. When I read forums, all I see is people having to be on painkillers, fusion surgeries that don't work, people who can not work, have children (pregnancy) and so on because of this condition. I am so terrified I will end up in a wheelchair or without a social life. There is so little information about the condition online. Please, please, can someone give me some hope that you can live with this condition, perhaps by doing exercises, yoga, pilates etc? Please tell me I can avoid surgery, have a pregnancy to term without complications from spondy. I feel so alone. I hope all of you are having a good day.

 

2 likes, 57 replies

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  • dawnylou68
    dawnylou68 carla28825

    Posted

    Hi Carla

    i haven't got this but have had spinal fusion. Same disc as you. I have just put the name of your illness in the search bit on here and it brought up several discussions from others with this, hope that helps you xx

    • carla28825
      carla28825 dawnylou68

      Posted

      Hello,

      Thaank you ever so much for replying to me.  I think my problem is that I was given the diagnosis without any more information or a way forward apart from fusion surgery or painkillers. May I ask if you don't mind, are you okay after fusion? Can you lead an active life? I don't mean running or so on but just going out, socializing etc without having to think about back pain? Is it hard to recover from a fusion? I am sorry for asking so many questions but I feel completely lost. It amazes me that in 2014, people are still having fusions instead of stem cell treatments, or so on. It just seems so drastic and invasive. I am afraid of geting pregnant and making the condition worse. Thank you so much once again for being kind to reply. smile

       

    • dawnylou68
      dawnylou68 carla28825

      Posted

      Well it's early days still for me, I find mornings very hard and slow but between 12-5 after the Tramdol has kicked in its not sooo bad. I'm never pain free at all, sounds awful but. Far that's been the case. I find if I do go out for a lil while I suffer that nite and next day. I haven't really done any evening things coz I hurt too much and wouldn't wanna be in a busy place and get knocked or bumped into. I'm sorry I'm not painting a pretty picture here, but this is the blunt truth 5 mths after the op. However there are others who are doing very well too and I see some have answered you. You also have to bare in mind I had chemo 23 yrs ago so my immune system is awful and I lack B12 , but docs only seem to manage one illness at once so everyone has forgotten that for now grrrrrr!!

      with regard to pregnancy I knew an olleague who had back probd and she had what looked like a bump sized support bandage to me, not sure what the correct term is. I have also seen in then oval pharmacy a back support thing with Velcro to give a great fit and am console ring one of those tbh xxx

  • n8ster
    n8ster carla28825

    Posted

    Hi Carla , I 'm sorry you destressed but I think we all are and thats why we are here . Knowledge is power and the more you know the better decisions you can make .

    I do a lot of research by going to colledge websites and you can look at conditions and even see video anamations of the surgeries . I am in us so I look at the " mayo clinic" "stanford university" but you can look at any colledge medical scool website and be pretty informed on whats new, what can be done, new procedures and old ones you don't want. They can really give you piece of mind that you are making the right choice and also you can learn percentages of the people a particular operation success rate is and it's all free. I also suggest doing your homework on your surgon . In the us there is healthgrades and vitals that tell you all about a doctor if he is certified, where he went to medical school , how long he has been working and if he has had any law suits .

    • carla28825
      carla28825 n8ster

      Posted

      Hello,

      Thank you for geting back to me. Yes, I try to research all I can and although mine is only grade 1, I wish it could be fixed, without fusion before it got so bad it really has to be fused. I feel like the scientific community has decided that fusion would be the best option so they don't research other avenues. I really would be grateful if someone could tell me of a way to lead an active life and avoid surgery. For instance, someone with a 20 year spondylolisthesis grade 1 who could keep it at bay by exercising. I feel I am becoming completely obsessed with this, I keep being awake until 2 and 3 a.m. researching all the latest treatments I can, only to find the most invasive ones. I am afraid my relationship with my  husband ends because I will not be able to have an active life due to this condition. I wonder if I am being fair, keeping a marriage that could only bring distress to my husband. Wouldn't I be fairer letting him go and find someone whom he can be okay years down the line? Perhaps I am being too dramatic, but I would hate him to be with me for pitty.

      I keep waking up everyday and thinking that a miracle cure will apear for spinal problems, whatever they are. I think I will stop for now, I am only making people on the forum as bad as me and that is not fair either. I hope all of you can find inner peace and a light at the end of the tunnel.

       

    • dawnylou68
      dawnylou68 n8ster

      Posted

      Hey I don't think we have that kind of look up facility ive tried but you can't find out much. I'm assuming in US they are a lot more open and info more accessible. I found this especially when reading on forums on spine-health which is a US SITE but very informative 
    • dawnylou68
      dawnylou68 carla28825

      Posted

      Please don't think like that and I'm sure you will be able to have a baby hun there is stuff out there you can get to support your back. Tbh ive had some of the same thoughts and I felt so sorry for my son as he had so much on his plate at times and coped really well. My hubs has his own issues with health incl mobility issues, at one point m son was looking after both of us. We call ourselves the wonkys now it always creates a laugh! 

      I woulda advise maybe seeing the doc about your thoughts as im on anti depressants have been prior to this back trouble too so maybe you could benefit from some help or counselling. Is only natural to feel as you do and you are not alone hun xxx

    • n8ster
      n8ster carla28825

      Posted

      I see that vertibrate has slipped 25% . I just had a fusion and I did it so I can have an active life . Once they fuse it and it can't move , it should get better . I think fixing it before it gets worse is what I would be thinking about . It's not as bad as one may think . I am 52 and think if I were younger I might have better results .But hey , depression is normal when you feel hurt and aren't sure what to do , it's normal .
  • UK-Ven-medicate
    UK-Ven-medicate carla28825

    Posted

    Its early doors and I live with this for 18 years now and whilst I wont bother you with my story and how it is affecting me now. i can safely say I not in a wheel chair and i had Spina Bifida from birth. 

    If you wan to ask anything , by all means Private message me

  • carla28825
    carla28825

    Posted

    Hello, Thank you so muchfor answering once again. Dawnylou68, I think you are right, I am quite depressed. I am normally a very optimistic person who likes to see the light at the end of the tunnel and who has a positive attitude about everything. Perhaps winter has something to do with it, I feel more depressed on dark days. I hope I can have a child, because I lost one. I just would like to pick the baby normally, play and be a normal mother.

    Jimmy, I would be far too shy to ask anything, because I would be afraid of causing you distress with any silly question I may have asked. However, I would like to ask only if you can still lead a social life? Does pain impact much on your daily life? Did you avoid surgery so far? I hope I am not being too intrusive.

    Dawnylou68, I can not talk much about fusion but from what I have heard, it takes one year for everything to be fine again. The fact that your body is weak accounts for a lot of it too I guess. Don't lose faith, you will do fine. Just take one day at a time. Try to watch something on television that can distract you from everything or do something you love. smile 

     

    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate carla28825

      Posted

      My Social Life has been fine over the last 18 years. Its only recently been effected by divorce/depression.

      I have been to see a surgeon 2 week ago and the risk for me to be operated on is to high at the moment, but that due to complication from spina bifida at birth. I am on a strong pain killer they are called butran patches, and it took some time to get used to these but all is as best as it can be.

    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate

      Posted

      And dont be worried about asking anything ? I am general cool with most questions. I am a dad to 3 children all which me and my ex wife had while I had spondyliothesis so it doesn't have to mean the end. Listen to your body 
    • carla28825
      carla28825 UK-Ven-medicate

      Posted

      Hello Jimmy,

      Oh, so brilliant you have found some way to carry on despite everything else.  I think having children makes your life so worth it, you see a little child growing up and it was you who taught them all life values, to walk talk and so on. You see every milestone, every smile.

      Don't lose hope, medicine is advancing all the time, who knows that very soon there will be a permanent cure for your problem. But it is great you are doing so well.

      Now you see, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel for everyone else but I can't give myself the same advice. I guess I should look at Gloria estephan for inspiration, despite a fusion surgery, she is still fine smile

       

    • UK-Ven-medicate
      UK-Ven-medicate carla28825

      Posted

      As human being we always tend to be cautios and its natural to look at what could go wrong rather than look at how it could be right. Again I am on anti depressant for that problem
    • dawnylou68
      dawnylou68 carla28825

      Posted

      Hey get some counselling this is a very hard journey to endure as us fellow sufferers know only too well! Also u must never see yourself as a failure to ask for help from GP. I  can understand your worries about having a baby and why not as I said there are things available to help you 

      you WILL be ok huni, you seem very self aware and that's part of the battle. I wish you well xxx

    • n8ster
      n8ster carla28825

      Posted

      I just had a fusion on 3-4 on nov. 5th .I just came from my doctor. He tells me that I can be released to full work in 3 months . I know what your thinking. Is he out of his mind? I don't know but he is a pretty good doctor from a top school in the us . It has been 45 days and it hasn't fused yet, but looks like it is starting to .
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