pain seems worse now after epidural

Hi Stacey,

I'm no expert but your MRI rsults are pretty much the same as mine last year. Basically your main problem is at L5/S1 and this is causing significant nerve root compression. The left paracentral bit means that if you were looking down on it the disc is herniated (poking out) at approximately 7 to 8 o'clock, with the spinal cord at 6 o'clock. L4/5 is bulging but not herniated. Loss of lordosis is normal, it just means that through wear and tear (and dare I say age!!!) the disc has lost some height.

All this does seem to indicate that you probably need to see a neurosurgeon. I certainly wouldn't be fobbed off, with \"well we'll try phsyiotherapy to see how that goes\". If your GP wants to go that way, try to get him to do the referral to the neurosurgeon anyway. That way if physio works you have lost nothing, but if it doesn't at least you are moving up the queue to see the neurosurgeon. Now like many others before you, you wait and wonder!!!

Let us know what your GP says tomorrow!!!

TFU

Hi im having the same problems regarding prolapsed disk, my back and leg pain started 12 weeks ago i took myself to my gp were i was given an appointment to go to physio but after id had my physio i was in complete agony this continued for 3 weeks until i stopped going and took myself to hospital i was then took for an mri and given an appointment to see the neurosurgeon with my results by the time i saw him i was doped up on morphine as the pain was unbareable were i was shown the scan on a screen, i could clearly see a massive balloon popping out the disk pressing into my spinal nerves, i was then told that i will need surgery to remove the disk but told that there was a 2 month waiting list, today is my 18th week and i have received a letter from walton neuro which is were im having the op, and they say in the letter that all procedures are undertaken within 6 months and i will be phoned with the date and time 3 weeks before the op which means im going to be in pain for another couple of months im a bit worried as my bowel isnt doing what it should (sorry) and im in agony with it, i have told the docs in case it was cauda equine but they said if i can pass urine im ok ,.but if my bowel is like this now by the time i have the op will i have permanent nerve damage im only 27 and feel 50 iv been told that after the op iv got a 90% chance of the leg pain dissappearing and 60% back pain going il keep you informed of the results of the op providing i wake up lol take care everytone

Mark

Hi Thanks for the reply i went to the Dr he looks at results and said i need surgry and that it will be in a matter of weeks not months and that i proberly wont be able to go on my hols in June so at least there sorting me out.

I also had phiso booked today i went there not much help but they were pleased that i havent stopped work and still doing some things around house i must add that i only work 12 hours a week not full time so thats ok.

So i should get a letter soon from hospital but how long the wait is i really dont know if anyone can shed some light on waiting times i would be very pleased thank you.

Take care every one

Stacey

Hi All,

I've been to the Doctors today as my back doesn't seem to be getting any better, he's put me on Oramorph to take in between my Morphine Tablets and all the others, he was reluctant to do this but as I've been in so much pain he said to try this for 2 weeks. I told him that I feel so low and fed up, he said it could take another few months to see any improvements if any. I asked him what if I never get better, he told me to deal with this if it happens. I'm worried that I might not be able to go back to work and have a normal life again. I went shopping with my kids yesterday and when I got home my back was agony, I'm still in pain today, I can't even walk now without my back hurting, how the hell am I supposed to do any exercises. My sister has had the same Op as me (4 years ago) and she's been fine, never had any trouble with her back since. I suppose I'm just the unlucky one, no wonder I keep seeing 1 Magpie on it's own, it's a sign of sorrow and I've had plenty of that over the last 16 months. And on top of my back I have another bout of Tonsillitus this must be the 16th time I've had it since last January.

I'm so sick of being ill, I really could cry but if I do I don't think I'd stop!

Sorry for moaning but there's only so much a person can take. :cry:

Angela

Hi Angela

I'm so sorry to hear you are in so much pain and then to top that you have to deal with tonsilitis too. :oops:

Anyone in your situation would feel like crying and having a good moad too. (I know I would)

Do you think a TENs Machine might help with the pain?

We also have a chatroom (temporary) you would need to register (free) here so that I could send you a link - I know it won't shift the pain but at least you could have a good chat and moan with other people.

Melbi x

Hi Stacey

Now the fun begins!!!! Don't be fooled into thinking that surgery will be quick....it probably won't. Most of us here fell for that one!! But at least you know where you stand. This is what I was talking about earlier when I said about it being difficult to plan for anything, e.g holidays. You've been thinking you probably won't be able to go on holiday in June, I'd be stunned if you got your op in the next three months!!! Basically you won't know until you see the surgeon, but unless things get dramatically worse, I wouldn't hold your breath for early surgery! First of all your GP needs to contact the surgeon, you then get the appointment through, he'll tell you if he thinks you need an operation, assuming he puts you on the list that day (decision to treat date) it will be a few weeks at least until you get the pre-op assessment (to check you are fit for surgery), the results of that take 7-10 days to come through to th admissions team, then they would allocate you a date, but it will most probably be a 'reasonable date' which means three weeks notice at least!!! Days become weeks become months!!! It can be quite frustrating. You could be lucky and get a cancellation though. I was apparently an 'urgent case' last May. I finally had surgery in December!! Admittedly, part of the problem was that they forgot about me.

So just don't get your hopes up for an early surgery date. The system just doesn't have the capacity. It's awful really, particularly when people are in such pain. Personally I would have rather that the hospital(s) had just been honest with me, instead of having to sit around for months waiting for something to happen.

I hope you don't mind me being so honest, but it is a big black hole!! Like you I had no idea what to expect. It's a bit like when you move house and you tell your solicitor \"we want to complete as soon as possible\". He nods, agrees and says \"yes of course\", but he knows it will take as long as it takes and will follow it's natural course. The truth is you will have very little input into the process.

Good luck!!!

TFU

Oh Angela, your always there to support others and for you to post a message like this must mean you've just had enough and who can blame you. 16 months is such a long time to be suffering. Sounds like your body's resistance to infection is at rock bottom too.

I don't have any words of wisdom but I just wanted you to know that we're all here for you. It's easy to say try to think positive but much harder to do. As my GP said to me, daily chronic pain quite often goes hand in hand with feeling fed up at best and depression at worst.

Try to take it easy if you can hon, difficult with kids and I know how that is.

Lots of gentle hugs, see how it goes on the new tablets, you can but try and if it doesn't get any better then maybe speak to your consultant.

Jude xxx

Thanks for the response TFU, maybe Im feeling paranoid but you are one of the only people who reply to my posts these days. Whats wrong with me? Do I moan too much? my husband says I do.

On about that sharp pain in your back and the pressure build up, I have been having it too, but the new combination of tablets that I started yesterday has made everything go numbish. (thank god a little relief).

Cant believe you haven't had your MRI results yet! Get on that phone and pester like hell. I would. How has it gone today with the MUscularskeletal guy? Any good? Hope he hasn't done what my consultant did on Tuesday - put you in every position nown to man so you scream out in agony.

Funny you know, but as my bad leg has gotten worse with pain, my toes too have curled up and I cant un curl them. I also get sharp stabbing pain every now and then into my bits and it really gets me.

The answer to your question is yes - I too if raising my bad leg get it turning a little on its own, it then shakes and then the pain hits badly. I also cannot have my bad leg at a 90 degree angle to my body staright. This is because the sciatic nerve is so badly damaged that certain moves cause extreme pain, this being one of them.

As I said earlier, I have started on my new meds. He has put me on 20mg BD Oxicontin and Diazepam on top of all my other tablets. The Diazepam is to help stop my muscle spasms whic h are getting worse. I feel well out of it. Last night I went out with my family to cellebrate my sister getting engaged. I had taken my new meds a few hours earlier and when I sat there with everyone I went all dopey and weird. I haven't got a clue what they were taking about, or how long we were there for. I just remember my dad sitting taking to me making sure I was ok. I went to the loo and my sister came in sometime later shouting for me. I came out the cubicle and she asked if I was ok. I said yes, but apparently I had been asleep on the toilet for 15 mins!!!! hahahahaha.

Not too bad today, but its when I take my other ones later, the combination is mind blowing and I sleep.

Hi Jessica on another planet,

You're on quite a little cocktail of drugs now!! I think if your house was burgled the little scroats would left your cash and nick your drugs!!!

Yep, I saw the Muscleo-Skeltal consultant today. On his side of things.....the muscles in my lumbar spine area, buttock and thighs are in his words \"very, very tight\" as he put it because things have been \"left so long\". That means pre op as well as post op apparently. It is all now beyond normal physiotherapy help and he says I need some sort of electric therapy and/or accupuncture. I am seeing him in two weeks time when he is going to do some 'needling', I assume that means accupuncture. He asked me to do some exercises for my upper spine. He is hoping that if he can sort out the muscles it will help with the neurological problems. I won't hold my breath!!! He asked if I had seen the neurosurgeon to get my MRI results. I explained that I had asked to change surgeons, so I didn't know them yet. He pulled them up on the computer and didn't want to interpret them as he is not a neurosurgeon, but I could quickly read on the screen that I have severe compression at L4 (which I assume means L4/L5 rather than L3/L4), apparently both sides but worse on the left, but I couldn't read what was causing it. I don't think it was a disc. She has already had L5/S1 and L4/L5 out. He pointed out a bulge at L3/L4, which is why I'm interested if the reference to severe compression at L4 is L3/L4 (i.e a whole new problem) or L4/L5 (i.e an ongoing problem there albeit that I have already had a discectomy at that level). I'll need to find out for sure and also what it means in terms of treatment. I really don't want another operation. Nor do I want electrodes strapped to me to be zapped, or a load of needles stuck into me. I just want to be okay. I'm sick to death of being 'treated'. I knew I wasn't getting better and all the new numbness from my knee up to my thigh was a sure sign. I want to say that I'm lucky because despite everything, I don't have much pain, but the fact is that I actually prefer the pain to numbness. So now I just wait to hear formally about the MRI results and what it all means in terms of possible surgery. Looks like this is all going to be dragging on for months, as always. And I still have the neurologist and urologist to see too. It's going to be a really fun summer!!!

Best wishes my little spaced out friend!

TFU

Hi Melbi,

Hi and welcome to this site. I'd like it if you could send me a link to the chatroom you told me about, I think it helps chatting to other sufferers. I was actually thinking of trying a TENS Machine my Doctor thought it was a good idea too. Thank you.

[b:818aa50e2e]Hi Jude,[/b:818aa50e2e]

Thanks it's good to know I've got fellow sufferers to chat to who understand what I'm going through, I'd be lost without this site. You're right my Immune System is at rock bottom, I seem to be catching everything that goes.

So far the Oramorph hasn't done anything for me, I suppose it'll take a while to get into my system. I just keep thinking that with my luck, I'll probably never recover from this and I don't think I can cope with staying like this for the rest of my life. :cry:

Hi Jess,

It seems to be you, Tfu and myself that aren't getting any better. I'm so fed up being in so much pain 24-7. I've been off work now 16 months and I don't see myself getting back any time soon. I seem to be getting more pain as the days go by. My Doctor suggested I try a TENS Machine for the pain. He's put me on Oramorph to take in between my Morphine, Fluoxetine, Tramadol, Amytriptlyn & Diclofenac Tablets. Some days I'm like a zombie. I just want to get back to NORMAL. I can't even walk very far now before my back starts to ache like hell.

How are things with you now? What happened yesterday with the Muscular Skeletal person? It's pointless telling you to stay positive as I know by myself that you can't be positive when everything around you is falling apart.

Keep us posted, take care.

Angela

Hey guys,

I know this may sound wrong but Im glad to hear you have the sharp pain, I dont mean Im glad u got it but Im glad its not just me then, I ice it, stretch it even use the TENS machine, nothing much helps and Im not aon any meds now.

Havent posted much on here coz I think it gets to a point where in my head, everything seemed to be me going on about this ache or that pain that sometimes I guess I was thinking I was just being a pain with it all, when reading everyone elses it seemed I had it alot easier than most but maybe its just in my head...especially as I had the op and then the pains came back....but i do still check in everyday.

Anyway, enough about me :-) I bore myself sometimes.

Sorry to hear u guys are still suffering but just so u know, u aint alone and if u want to moan and people say u moan too much, moan to me, Im always checking in and I will be more than happty to listen

Take care

Russ x

Hi Russ

Good to hear from you. I'm sorry that you are still in pain. I had hoped that it was just some sort of blip for you and that you would continue in your post op recovery. So what is happening??? Are you getting/waiting for professional care/treatment, or are you struggling along on your own?? Are you still able to drive to work??

Pain is totally insiduous. People think I'm a bit odd I'm sure because I actually prefer pain to numbness. My whole left leg is numb now, but I do remember times when I have had extruciating pain and I certainly wouldn't want that back!!!

We're here for you Russ. You can moan as much as you like to us.

Best wishes

TFU

Hey TFU,

Im managing to drive to work two days a week, sometimes three then I know I have two to three days of pain to look forward too straight after, so sometimes work form home sometimes drive in...on that score at the mo Im lucky but coz IM sueing (sp) them as its a work related accident, they dont really have much choice.

I've had 2 Nerve root injections, and the pain in the leg is near as gone, BUT that means I am feeling the pain in the back, thats now the sharop pain that feels like a thousand needles being dug into me, ioits very weird.

Like u I would rather have the pain than the ache, I dont really get too much numbness but I do get the aches but I do not want the pain I had pre op, that was excruciating and would not wish on anyone.

Anyway, see now Ive started moaning :-)

Will seriously try to NOT MOAN, I promise :oops: