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New here, had 2 slipped discs for over a year, i am depressed and struggling.

Posted , 5 users are following.

Andyfreemanuk1
Andyfreemanuk1

I have 2 prolapsed discs at L4/L5 and L5/S1 along with trapped nerves in-between, I have had back problems since 2009 and because of working for my family ( i have 5 kids) i pushed myself and ended up injuring myself at home last year in feb 2016, chair broke and i slammed my back into the floor, i got up and went to work and made it worse. A few months later, the pain was unbearable ( i was on tramadol for an on going chest problem which ive had since 2011 Chronice Costocondritis, or Treyze syndrome is known as) it had flaired up and i was off work with that, then one day i couldnt walk properly, and i was in so much pain, i went back to the docs repeatadily, eventually had to write a complaint to the GMC to get a MRI in July. Thats when i had discovered problems with my back. I actually thought it was all in my head and i was going mad. Since then, I have had a short physio session (only 3 weeks), i had actupuncture but it made it worse (because the physio didnt know what he was doing) I had an injection into my back, and I have never experienced pain like that in my life, it got so much worse after that. I have always been a big guy, I was just over 17 stone and i am 6ft. Now i have put on nearly 2 stone because i cant even walk properly, stand for longer than 10 mins , cant walk more than 30 seconds without stopping in pain. So i use crutches to help me go out when i can. I am on 40 mg of zoromorph (slow realse morphine) , paracetamol x 8 tablets a day, Iprobufen x 3 400mg a day, Fluxotine 30mg a day x 1 tab. Omeprezol x 2 tabs a day. Pregabalin x 2 tabs a day at 75mg. I am currently waiting for a surgeon appointment (reffered 1st of march). I just dont know how to cope with my energy levels, the pain even with all these tablets, i even have to take Oromorph (liquid morphine) for extreme pain episodes. That with my chest spasims and constant pins and needles in my arms and legs, numb feeling in my ankles and feet, solid cold numb pain in my waste and around my hips. Pains in hands, I often drop stuff, i cant pick anything up. I am drowning in all this misery, and my wife and kids do the best for me, but i am struggling. I have no friends, my other family have there own lives, i only get support from my dad and mum who are unwell and old themselves. I am 34. I have 5 kids. 14 year old boy, 13 year old girl, 10 year old girl, 8 year old boy and 17 months boy. I just want to know what i should be doing to try and get better, because i have no treatment plan, the docs are okay with me just sitting around and doing nothing and when i complain im just given more tablets. Is this normal? IF anyone has a plan to follow to try and get sorted then please let me know, because i dont know how much longer i can cope with all this pain, sleepless nights, drowsyness, not being myself, and not being able to do anything with my children is driving me insane. If anyone can help me, that be great, i just dont know what to do. Thanks in advance. Andy.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Sineadsmith90
    Sineadsmith90 Andyfreemanuk1

    Posted

    I am sorry to hear of your struggle. I too have damaged discs, 3 in fact. I also experience all the pain your speak of. I have already had 1 operation last year, which was great for a while (before the op due to the pain I was immobile, standing made my cry in agony as did even sitting). I am back in pain, not as bad as before, but it's horrible. I can't donating either, and feel useless. I have 3 children aged 8, 5, 3. I am due another operation this year some time. Don't give up, push for surgery, it may help. I know I can't give you answers but I can support you along the way.

    I am trying to lose weight also, since I gave gained 3 stone since my back went. Swimming is the best option, but only on your back. Swimming in your front pinches the nerve more.

    Remember you are a strong person, you have children and a wife who love you. Make them your motivation to get better.

    • Andyfreemanuk1
      Andyfreemanuk1 Sineadsmith90

      Posted

      Thank you Sinead, its nice to get some support from people who understand. I am sorry to hear about 3 damaged discs, that must be so painful. Gaining weight is horrible, i hate it, i hope surgery helps me and i can get back to normal, i am going mad being house bound all the time. I am so weak now from not doing anything i dont even know if i have the strength to go swimming, but its something ive wanted to do for sometime, but situation for me at the moment, its hard to do or orginise anything, we I have no support network in terms of baby or house sitting. My family does love me, but sometimes the stress of everything gets on top of me, and i can be a right miserable so and so, all have good days and bad, and lately its nothing but bad. I dont want to throw all my eggs in one basket, but i honestly hope surgery will help, i dont know how to sort myself out otherwise. Thanks again for replying, it means alot. smile
  • jessica_78456
    jessica_78456 Andyfreemanuk1

    Posted

    Get yr self a good neurosurgeon and see what he say s I have a great one dr Wynn jones Rvi north east . Iam due for surgery may. After yrs of been fobed of by other consultant s physo and acupuncture and hydro,spinal injection s that didn't work . Hopefully this next operation will

    • Andyfreemanuk1
      Andyfreemanuk1 jessica_78456

      Posted

      I hope your surgery goes well Jessica, its great you have a good doctor, they are so hard to find, particuarly on the NHS, usually like you have been, fobbed off, around and too DR. Nobody who dont give a monkeys, just want you in and out asap to boost there numbers of seen patents each day. Its horrendous, its not the first time ive been off long term, but its the first time ive been in so much pain and on so many tablets, and nothing is being down other than me counting the days down one by one slowerly slipping into the madness of my prediciment. I wish you luck for your surgery and your future. smile
  • debbie26682
    debbie26682 Andyfreemanuk1

    Posted

    Hi Andy, I am so sorry to hear what your going through, I also have a prolapsed disc at L5/S1. I know how painful and depressing it can be but am just writing to let you know you can get better from this as I have and have seen on here that so many other people have to after thinking they are stuck with this, please do not rush into an operation if you don't have to as I have also seen on here that so many people have to go on and have more than the one operation after they've had one. Also you probably know that putting more weight on is going to make it worse and I know how hard it is as obviously if you can't move then you can't exercise. Do you do stretches? as this is what has pretty much cured me. You just need to find the ones that help you. Just simple stretches to open up your spine which will take the pressure off what is pressing on your nerves. Please look up the standing lumbar extension stretch, which is just a leaning back exercise, just try this for a couple of minutes throughout the day, just lean back as far as comfortable and see if this helps it changed my life after doing this for a couple of weeks, you've just got to stick at it as long of course this is causing pain then obviously don't, Google stretches for your condition and just do gentle ones, the other one I did was just gentle leaning over to the sides (not forward) and I am now pain free. Good luck please keep us updated on how your getting on, Debbie

    • Andyfreemanuk1
      Andyfreemanuk1 debbie26682

      Posted

      I have tried to do the stretches, the self help things online, spoken to other phyisos, and nothing works, its just too painful, i have a slipped disc in the left and right of my back and trapped nerves in the middle, its just nigh on impossible for me to do anything and i just cant cope with the pain. Its turning me into a miserable person, i am a laid back funny guy, and me and my other half have done nohting but argue lately over money problems, and how i cant do anything, she does support me to a degree, but i dont get as much help as i need. My mum is seriously ill in hosptial atm, so my only outlet, my dad whos my only best friend in the world, is caring for mum 24/7 shes in hosptial awating major surgery right now. I am going mad talking to the walls, theres only so many times you can have the same converstation with someone, and over the same things before it gets stale. With all my meds im not exactly great company, i spend all day stairing into space, not enjoying anything anymore, i am a gamer and i hardly play anything, i make music, and make hardly anything, i write stories and poems, and not written in over a year. I also fight sleep 24/7 and spent all day tired, and all night not being able to sleep, even with the meds it is almost impossible some nights to sleep at all, and other times i can manage a few hours. I dont help thou, that my partner is deaf, and dont hear my 1 year old wake up at night, something that i get up and deal with every single night. Even when he wakes up for hours , i see to him, then i dont get to sleep during the day the next day, i struggle on, in this never ending cycle of no sleep, constant pain, no help. We have good days too, but few and far between i am at breaking point, all my so called mates have abandoned me or straight up ignore my calls, messages, and e-mails. I am starting to wonder what i did in my life that made so many people just give up on me. I know this forum is not for this sort of thing, and i do need help dealing with everything, but whenever i get refered for appointments they never seem to come through for me. I am hoping that i make friends on here, or at least people that can help me get through this. Anyway Debbie thank you for your message, i will try to keep you all updated of course.
  • rick03247
    rick03247 Andyfreemanuk1

    Posted

    Hi Andy, i can sympathize with you all the way mate. I had my first prolapse in the same region L4/L5  and the pain was unbearable to the point i was suicidal. Nobody will know the pain you are in unless its happened to them. I was 33 and my back has never been the same since, i am now 49 and i have had another MRI scan recently and awaiting results. By the sounds of it mate you defo need surgery to correct this as it sounds like your getting nerve damage from the prolaspes and i know how much it effects you physically and mentally. I dragged my right leg for months and months because of nerve damage, but do not be dis heartened about your experience with your physio. Get a good physio and the results will be much better. Its a slow process but it does work and i have only a slight limp in my leg now. I never had surgery because at the time they said they could cure the problem but not the pain, but techniques are much better now and successess are higher. See whay your nuerosurgeon suggests or recomends and hope you get well soon mate
    • Andyfreemanuk1
      Andyfreemanuk1 rick03247

      Posted

      Thanks Rick!, yeah it is a struggle, there is not many that understand what you go through unless they unforunately went through it themselves. Its a hard road with 5 kids and a wife that is supportive, but even at times the stress overwelms us both, i feel i am constantly sinking in the river, just coming up for air now and again just to stay alive. NHS takes forever to do anything, i wish i had the money to go private, but i only earned just above minimum wage, and never had any savings for anything like this. Once i get fixed , i will make sure i get a better job and save up just incase this happens again, then i can get it sorted quickly, over a year now with this crap and proberly gonna be another year before i can work again. I am chasing my doc this week for the referal for the surgeon, hopefully i can get them to get a wiggle on, as the pain is getting worse at night and i am getting more and more pain in my hips particuarly my right one. I can barely walk without aid around the house, and if i do go out, i have to use a walking stick or 2 crutches as i cant even make 10 yards without being in absolute pain. I shall keep you updated. Thanks again for the support, it means alot to me, particuarly when i dont have any friends to call upon.
  • Andyfreemanuk1
    Andyfreemanuk1

    Posted

    *update*

    I have yet to recieve my surgeon referal, and the pains are getting worse in my back. I am getting really nasty cramps and numbing in my right thigh and hip area, it gets worse when i walk up and down stairs or if i stand on my feet and try to weight bare on one side, because its usually my left side that hurts more, now they are hurting the same and the same pain is on both sides, with an increase in pins and needles in my arms and hands, and legs if i bend forward, almost immediately i get painful pins and needles all over my legs, hips, waste, and arms and hands after about 5 secs. Eg: leaning over my sons cot to sush him to sleep, it is agony.

    I am going crazy? its getting worse, and is this normal? should i just keep taking increase volumes of pain killers, more morphine and pregabalin, or should i go to the hopstial? I dont know what to do, i dont have confidence in my local hosptial ive heard so many horror stories about botched back operations and 2 of my friends had the wrong bone fused in there back there, and had to go back 4 times to get sorted. resulting in about 12 months rehab after surgeries. Any advice would be appreicated. Thanks all.

    • jessica_78456
      jessica_78456 Andyfreemanuk1

      Posted

      Speak to yr GP ask him to refer u to a private hospital via the nhs to see a neurosurgeon, I waited 2 wks for my appointment and my neurosurgeon has been great. Due spinal fusion in 4 wks. Bricking it as hear so many horror stories but have also heard and seen positive results one been my cousin. She paid for her surgery £20g and iam the nhs are paying for mine. Due to my life long condition s I could not get private health care nor do I have 20 g spare. But have worked most of my life as has my hubby. We've paid plenty in taxs ect over 20 years so that's my contribution. Good luck

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