Lumber decompression surgery

I am sorry for such a discomfort after your surgery - as I can  see this is usual following a back op like yours. I know it does not make  you feel any better though.

For sure you will get replies from experienced patients with the same after surgery pain as you describe.

As we interact with other patients we feel we are not alone and this is a great thing, too.

Take care.

 

Hoping, hoping in a near  futur to get  here good news from you regarding the pain you are having now!!

Steven , it is so sad to hear of your pain that you describe, surgeries and "fixes" that don't go well, high hopes (sometimes promised) , disappointment after disappointment after disappointment, and the few people in the medical field who really don't give a rip. I hear you, we all hear you and I wish you a resolve. Kilee

Sorry Stephen, but what your going through is very similiar to what happen to me. 

I had my op June, I had a severe nerve impingement and disc bulge of the L2/3 and L3/4.  So i had the op for lumbar discectomy and decompression.  I am worst than ever and cannot walk i use crutches but the pain is so severe from my left buttock; hip, upper and lower leg and foot.  I was very bad before surgery Feb and would have done anything in the hope that i would have improved, so i felt surgery was the only option that i had.

I deterioted after surgery and currently on MST (morphine\) Gabapetin; naproxen; baclofen; diazepam and other tablet for anti sickness and stomach acid).  I have seen the spinal consultant and i am waiting for fluroscopy-guided lumbar nerve root injections to relief the pain and must importantly try to freeze the nerve to allow the inflammation to reduce .  The consultant believes that the pain is due to nerve damage and inflammation.  The pain is unbearable from left leg weakness; numbness; lower back pain and spasms which radiate from lower back, left buttock into hip and then the leg to my left foot.  I have been seeing and speaking with one particular GP from  the health centre and i have lost all confidence that i have arranged an appointment with a different GP this thursday to see if it makes any difference.

I have become totally isolated and dependent on my husband for everything.  The only time that i leave home is GP, Hospital; Hydro Pool Physio; NHS Acupucture appointments.  So 2016 resolution is to put pressure on my GP; Consultant and Hospital.

I am sorry that i havent any good news but what i did find was that the GP just kept prescribing me more medication so i have been trying to reduce the morphine based medication by using sevredol as break through pain relief when i needed it.

| would suggest that you go back to your GP and ask for a referral back to the consultant who carried out your spinal review and surgery as you may have other spinal issues that need to be addressed.

Good Luck and keep in touch

Bernadette

Stephen

Sorry but I cannot give you can good news. Over the past 2.5 yesrs I have had 3 neck fusions and 1 back fusion. The only positive is the back fusion did work but it took around 9 months. I just had my 3rd neck fusion october 16th, and I am in way more pain now than before surgery number 2. My neural suegeon has sent me for yet another MRI as he thinks the fusion did not take and now the the two discs below do not look good. I was only 48 when this began and it forced me into retirement and disibility. I will tell you its not easy getting disibility and now that I have been on for two years they are requiring me to apple for social sec. disibility which is even more of a pain. Not only am i on all my pain meds but i am now seeing a psychiatrist for the depression snd i am on drugs for this. I have a loving family and husband but they do not want to hear me bitch all the time. It def. helps to have a person to talk to. Because of all the neck surgeries i csnnot drive which adds to the depression. Cheers to a better 2016 for both of us 😀

Stephen22480,

Ive been going through pain for almost 20 years, I was 26 when I had my first discetomy and one year later had a fusion I had burning sensation down my left leg and foot but now I have no feeling in that leg or foot but hard to describe the pain in that leg is unbelievable, had the SCS nervo senza put in September and that didn't help, so I'm looking for my Dr to take it out, I'm so sick of pain and pills running my life, cold is the worse, my bones hurt so bad its hard to get comfortable, there are very many sleepless nights I'm in pain management which means there is nothing they can do for me, but put me on meds and go on your way, I wish something would help, SCS was a waste and I was taking more meds than ever, so my unit is off and I'm just taking my meds, I feel like they just do what they think you need and walk away and when u tell them its not working they say you didn't give it long enough, so what 3 months in bed isn't enough?!? I will not turn this back on, I rather be in pain than to be a guinea pig for the reps of these companies telling you it still needs tweaking, no ,3 months in bed is good enough for me, at least I'm in pain and I can do a little bit than nothing, hang in there hopefully its just because you are healing, don't go crazy do what you can, you don't want to do more damage.

Hope you feel better take it slow

Cindy

Thanks for all responses , my leg pain,seems a lot worse on standing up, after laying down, and sitting, which imo suggests that when weight or pressure is applied to my lower spine, something is hitting the nerve , and setting it off.

surgeon called today, and wants me in for another Mri scan!!!!

 

Honestly, Stephen, you need to go to a pain management doctor that will give you an opiod.  Tramadol is one step above ibuprofen. Paracetomol is ibuprofen.  Gabapentin is for nerve pain - like in your feet........  So sorry you are going through this - I know it gets very depressing.  They tell you that you will be up and back to work in a couple of weeks and then say you are acting like a baby if you don't.  Typically, you won't recover completely for a  year.  I'm worried about the pain in your legs.  You might want to go see a neurosurgeon and start talking about getting a Medtronic Neurostimulator.  It's a long process to get it approved, and you need a brief psych eval (who knows why). I had one that helped a lot with my legs but they had to take it out when it got in the way of my next surgery, and then when the next surgeon put the neurostimulator back in, he put it in the wrong place, so it's basically ineffective.  Also, mistake I made - I did not look up reviews abou tthe doctors I went to.  I wish I had.  Like I have a doctor now that I went to about getting the Nevro - also something you could consider, but I looked up his revews, and 9 out of 11 people  hated him.  Good luck to you.