Injection or surgery?
Posted , 9 users are following.
I have a 'notable' disc bulge at C6 C7, plus a minor bulge above, which is trapping a nerve root and causing impingement on the spinal cord. I have been in extreme pain for over 12 weeks and have been prescribed numerous medications which, apart from OxyContin, have provided little relief. I have had physio but they've said there's nothing more they can do for me. Arm pain is especially bad, pins/needles and thumb & 1st two fingers numb. My urine flow is compromised as it is very slow, esp in the morning / at night. I have now developed 'heavy' legs with pain in the left one (affected side) and occasional bad headaches with visual disturbance. The neck itself has become more painful at late and there is also more noticeable pain in the centre of my back which feels like someone is sticking a knife in. I am generally very tired as the meds affect my sleep - getting no more than 4 hours a night.
Been off work sick for about 8 weeks now but am on an absence monitoring procedure, so if I have any more time off following this long term absence my teaching job is at risk - this is causing much anxiety.
Been referred 'urgently' by my doctor to a consultant and am awaiting an appt any time.
Has anyone had similar symptoms and, if so, What treatment is likely to be recommended?
If injection, it worries me that it may not work for long then I'm off work again and will probably lose it. However, surgery carries it's own risks too.
I just can't go on like this. The pain is really affecting my quality of life now.
Sorry for the long post. I'm a newbie and wanted to provide as much background info as possible in the hope that someone else may have had a similar experience. What treatment was offered and how effective was it please?
Thank you x
1 like, 21 replies
Shelleymccuk
Posted
It's 3:12am and I'm nil by mouth! Things have progressed very quickly indeed and here I am, will be having surgery in a matter of hours. Eeeek!
Meant to be having the injection on Tuesday (after numerous phone calls and much mithering, I might add!) Symptoms got much worse after Xmas but it was nigh on impossible to speak to the consultant's secretary. I ended up in A&E but they did nothing and sent me home, advising me to speak to my Consultant. DUR!
Just by chance I tried again the next morning and she actually answered. Got appt same day, was examined and swiftly sent for MRI scan straight away. Had just arrived home in taxi when the consultant phoned me to say he'd looked at the scans and would arrange surgery immediately!!!
So here I am, worrying myself silly. I'm sure everything will be fine. I'll keep you posted!!!
Shelleymccuk
Posted
Don't get me started on what happened!
1) No meds from 9:30pm Sunday til 5pm Monday
2) No water from midnight til 5pm (17 hours!)
3) No food from 8pm Sunday til 5pm Monday (21 hours)
4) 2 panic attacks
Needless to say, when the hospital told me to have 40mg of morphine at 5pm it overloaded my system. Got home, was sick then started to shake from head to toe before becoming unresponsive. Ambulance called. Sat in a cold corridor on a trolley for 4 hours zoning in and out. Finally seen by a doctor 6 hours later who concluded severe withdrawal effects from medication, dehydration and anxiety.
Sent home at 4am. Spent next couple of days trying to get back on an even keel.
To be continued......,
Sarah68430 Shelleymccuk
Posted
Just interested. Any news?
Shelleymccuk Sarah68430
Posted
Got a call at 1:30pm on the Thursday after Monday's cancellation asking if I could go for a pre-op at 4pm (bearing in mind I'd have to leave at 3pm to get there in a taxi at a cost of around £50!) I went and was told my op was the following morning and I would be the only one on the surgeon's list! I asked about medication and was told to stop eating at 1am but could drink clear fluids til 6am and to take all medication as normal that morning - completely different advice than the first time!
Arrived at 7 the following morning, was prepped straight away and went down for op at 8:30am. The surgeon was the main nan above everyone else in the department (makes me wonder if they were covering their backs due to what happened on Monday and the incorrect info I'd been given??)
Op went well. Spent 2 nights in hospital. It's usually 1 but was told that my surgeon/consultant wanted to check my condition before I returned home and, as he wasn't in on the Saturday I stayed in until Sunday. I was discharged having been seen by doctors then my surgeon.
Recovering well, although I have just started to experience a fair amount of pain in my left shoulder blade and arm (I believe this is quite though). Swallowing is uncomfortable but improving, however my voice is still very hoarse and soon 'runs out' if I talk excessively. Hoping this will improve quickly as it will have repercussions on my return to work as a teacher!
Yet to see doctor to have pain meds reduced and waiting to hear about an appt with spinal nurse which should take place at 3-4 weeks - heard nothing yet. Will see surgeon at 6-8 weeks for X-ray to check on metal plate, etc. He will also decide on my return to work I presume.
So, there you go. I got my op at last! Need to continue resting as, to be honest, I've been doing a little bit too much and end up paying for it the next day! Using the computer is a complete no-no at the moment, which I discovered to my detriment today lol. Just hoping the voice issue resolves itself quickly so I can return to work sooner rather than later.
Will provide another update next week xx
Sarah68430 Shelleymccuk
Posted
heather64526 Shelleymccuk
Posted
So glad everything seems to have gone well, one of the side effects of the op is a hoarse vocie for a while. lets hope your follow up appointments go better than your first few pre-op ones
wishing you a speedy recovery, keep us posted
Heatherx