Cauda Equina Syndrome

Hi Rose I too was neglected by three doctors finally I had decompression back in Sept, 2013 I have not been able to walk

without a cane for 3 1/2 yrs after surgery lots of numbness is gone

Can move my leg a lettle more this is horrible song  I want to walk again some day .

Hi Rose, I can see it's been almost a year since you posted, but I guess CES is something that takes years to get used to...I had a prolapsed disc in 2005 when I was 33, which resulted in CES. Almost 10 years. I have saddle anasthesia, loss of muscle control and sensation down the left side of my left leg and to a lesser extent the right side of my right leg. I damaged all the nerves controlling the detrusor muscles, so I have to self catheterize to pee and number twos are rock solid (lol eugh). Over the years I gained a lot of weight as a result of the reduced mobility and a period of depression, and the side effect of anti depressants that saved me.. At that time, it felt like I was at the bottom of the ocean. You have to go through that process of denial, anger, depression, acceptant to reach a better place and I did. I started going to the gym again and using the crosstrainer which is great because there's no impact on the spine and it exercises the legs and arms. This last year I decided to control what I was eating, and took out all the sugary stuff and restricted myself to around 1800 calories per day. I've lost more than 7 stone in one year and weigh 14 stone 10 (I'm 5 ft 11). I'll reach my target of 11-12 stone by Christmas. Reducing the weight has made things easier: less pressure on my hip bones and spine, helped me avoid diabetes, and I look better, and feel more confident. CES is definitely weird as a kind of 'hidden disability' in that people don't necessarily see you as disabled, and certainly don't know unless you tell them what the nerve damage, numbness, electric shocks etc. feels like. But going to the gym, eating less and eating healthily does a huge amount of positive to counter the negative associated with CES 

In terms of prosecution for medical negligence, the sooner the better. There's a time limit of 3 years from the point at which the patient learns that the negligence was the cause. In my case, the injury occurred in January 2005. I went to the Western General Hospital (Edinburgh) accident and emergency but the receptionist  / nurse told me I'd have to see my GP. I made an emergency appointment with the GP who examined me, spoke to a consultant at the Western, and they agreed it was an emergency and I was scheduled for surgery that same day. They did an MRI scan, and found two discs had prolapsed, with inner disc material pressing into the spinal cord. They operated. Two days went by but there was no sign of improvement. They did another MRI and discovered that the surgeon, Mr Lee, had only operated on one of the prolapsed discs, and missed the other one, so they operated again. It was only four or five years later that I read that any delay in treatment of CES can worsen the damage. I spoke to my MP and she wrote to the hospital. They wrote back to me, detailing the surgery, the mistake that had been made, and apologized, though they denied that the mistake had caused the CES (which I'd never claimed had). But it did, I believe, worsen things. The hospital felt able to apologize etc. because they knew that the time limit had been passed. So it's business as usual for the hospital, and the surgeon carries on with his fantastic life with a £100k salary or whatever. My own life was put on hold for these last 10 years, like a prison sentence, and career was over before it began. But I'm not one for carrying negative feelings around with me, and I am my life and career off the ground again. Lost more than 7 stone this last year, Eurovalve will hopefully release their new discreet alternative to catheters next year, and I'll qualify as a librarian in a couple of years.  

Hi Rose, I had my op in August this year I have suffered with back pain for a long time but I had a colonoscopy on 28th June this year from then on it's all been down hill for me any way, I still struggle to walk so I do have walking stick it does help,I have noticed lately when I do walk I seem to breath so I have to slow down or take deep breaths, does anyone else suffer with this, I still do have back pain, when I walk sometimes it's like I have bad hips, hope this helps take care xx