pain seems worse now after epidural

Hi girls,

Sorry Jules to hear you have got some problems with your leg again. I hope you are not overdoing it back at work!?!? I know that I often get so stuck in at work I completely forget to take proper constructive time out, even if it is just to get up and walk about. What are you going to do? Has the Consultant signed you off now? Just take it easy.

It was interesting that you said about getting cramp too. I do worry, because last year as a result of the disc problems I lost some muscle in my left leg, so I sort of guessed this was connected either directly or indirectly. Also because my toes are all scrunched up and painful again since the second op I know that eventually the problems will damage the delicate bones and tendons etc. I am learning that a compressed nerve has a big knock on effect to other parts of the body in so many ways. I've often wondered how big the nerve is, the thought of it being so small and causing so many problems is amazing. I'm supposed to be seeing a new Consultant on 17 April that the Neurosureon referred me to. He specialises in Muscleoskeletal (???) stuff. I think he is just a very senior glorified physiotherapist, so I'll ask him. In the meantime, on top of everything else I need this like a hole in the head.

And I will keep my chin up Jess. I hope that you are too.

Best wishes

TFU

Hi Jess

I am really impressed that your Consultant is going to see you every four weeks. Wow!! That really is looking after you. Maybe I could nominate him to be my new Neurosurgeon!!!! What do you think??? You are supposed to be able to choose who you want now. The travelling would be a bit of a bore, but he certainly sounds worth it!!

And now you have a bad cold to add to your joy!!! Jees, girl you know how to pack it in don't you :roll: :lol: :roll: :lol:

Best wishes and take care

TFU

Hahahahahahahahaha

I sure do TFU. Had this rotten stinkin cold now since Thursday. I'm going to call it MAN FLU.

My consultant is great. Far better than the one at Walton couldnt even spend 5 mins at my bedside etc. Pah.

Must admit I was shocked when he said every 4 weeks - he seemed genuinly concerned about my problems, and listened to everything I said. Plus, he is quite funny too which helps cheer you up.

Yes, transfer to mine. He'll sort you out. Oh yeah, you have to do as he says or you;ve had it.

:D

Jessica

Oh me Oh my.

I'm bored, fed up need to do things and be active - getting a podge!!!!!

I have been really naughty so dint shout, I've heard enough from hubby.

I have spring cleaned my house top to bottom over 2 days. That is, I have cleaned every room, scrubbed every door and frame, emptied every cupboard, thrown away old junk, cleaned carpets and beds etc etc.

Get the picture?

Well I'm paying for it now. I seem to be getting hyper moments where I cannot lay down, or sit. I have to be doing stuff. I am worn out though, hurting and this cold has a big hold of me - yet I still do it!!!!

I dont understand whats going on. Wondering if it's the meds that have been upped. Last night was scary, I went all weird and the room was wobbling everywhere and my daughter was frightened. We went upstairs to bed early and she watched a film in my room but all I remember is wobbly stairs and then being awake at 6am and up and dressed cleaning again.

Am I going loopy? Anyone else had anything like this before?

Jessica the Tazmanian Devil!!!!!!!!! :D :shock: :D :shock:

Hi Jess

I havent been on here for a couple of weeks so only just seen your news.

I am so sorry to hear it, it cant be fun, and no matter what anyone says, each of us suffers differently with it.

Basically, until u have had it, there is no way of understanding how bad it can really get.......

[b:f1ea4ce663]

[color=red:f1ea4ce663]IVE HAD MAN FLU AND ITS NO JOKE[/color:f1ea4ce663][/b:f1ea4ce663] :twisted:

No regrets Russ x

hi all

as i say am the boyfriend of a lovely lady which is suffering from a prolapse disc which was found out in early may07 last year after a visit to hospital gramtham where a mri was done she was given phyo which was to painful to carry on so sent to qmc in nottingham to spinal unit in august 07 which the mri report was not forward to them so he did a test and said i will put you on waiting list for epidural that happen in mid november 07 which was ok for a couple of months with bearable pain then in end of feburay 08 it weared off and now in so much pain ( cant stop crying )

rang gp and was told qmc had lost me off there files and a would be put on waiting list to see a concultant not on waiting list for epidural ?

so see concultant in may 08 then wait another month for epidural

i just would like to know is this same as anyone. if not

how do you get to top of list

Any help would be very very grateful as you know its painful

i wish he could see her crying some thing may be done

thank you for reading this :cry:

Hi

Just keep on banging on doors. Your girlfriend has been suffering for a long time now, nearly a year. Clearly the problem is not going to resolve itself now. She may need surgery. If she does, the Consultant should be able to tell her that at the next appointment. As awful as surgery sounds, at least she will know where she stands. I'm guessing that right now she can't plan for anything.

On a practical note, once she gets the appointment letter, she could try calling to see if she can get a cancelled appointment, which may bring it forward. Maybe ring on clinic day, i.e. if the Consultant has his clinics on Wednesday afternoon, try ringing every Wednesday morning?? She could also ask her GP to ring. If the pain gets very bad, I would just turn up at A&E. That is the A&E, where she is to see the Consultant, not your local A&E. Another epidural may help with the pain but it is not going to cure the underlying problem. Unfortunately for a lot of people (including most of us here) the system is inadequate and treatment slow to obtain. For prolapsed discs the fact is that if they don't shrink back, within say three months, either with or without physiotherapy and there is no let up in the pain, then the chances are that surgery is needed, particularly if the pain is joined by progressive numbness in the leg/foot.

I hope this helps. I guess the two of you don't know if you are coming or going these days!!! Sounds to me like she is lucky to have someone like you to look after her.

Best wishes to you both.

TFU

Hi Jess,

As the main 'cleaner' in my home.....no make that the only 'cleaner' in my home, I know just what it is like to see the chores slide and how frustrating that can be. As any 'cleaner' will know, the chores need to be done regularly particularly if you have kids and pets. In my house, when I was out of action I'd have little spurts when I'd vacuum etc, but the hardcore stuff of washing down the paintwork, cleaning the cooker top etc., just never happened. And I hated it. I found it embarassing if people came to call and I hated the fact that it was building up week by week. Don't get me wrong Jess, I do not enjoy housework at all. But it was just the feeling that it needed to be done, I was the one who should be doing it, and I damn well couldn't!!!

So my dear, I can thoroughly understand your wish (or need) to have a good clean!!! Also, despite the after effects, it must have felt so good to know \"I did that\". But now it is done, your home is gleaming and it's time to take it easy!!!!

Re. the weird feelings from the meds...sounds a bit like my initial reaction to Tramadol. But I was allergic to that and ended up at a mental hospital!! Not that my experience involved cleaning, but just this feeling that I was being propelled, to keep going. Nothing else seemed to matter. I couldn't even tell you where I was going, but I got about a mile away from the house, was completely unreachable and the paramedic had to call out the police to restrain me. All because of the Tramadol. These types of drugs do have very powerful effects. The effect of being driven was nothing like I have ever experienced before!!! Have you spoken to your GP???

How's the man flu today???

TFU

Hi Jess

My heart goes out to you and I know EXACTLY what you mean about life passing you by. I know I'm one of the lucky ones in that I've been treated very well and very quickly (although still waiting for the date of my op) but it's been 4 months or so for me now and I'm stuck in all day with the kids (can't drive, can't push a pram for long) so these four walls have become all too familiar.

All credit to you though hon for having the energy and the strength to do the things you do, I wish I had your energy hon. I hope you're not in too much pain now that you've spring cleaned. The house gets me down too but I struggle. Try not to do too much though, take it easy when your body tells you too.

I'm probably not as spaced out on my tablets as you seem to be, but it's hard to think straight isn't it?

Do what you need to do hon to get through this very tough period in your life. I really hope you make steady improvements everyday, big hugs for a speedy recovery, you've been through so much.

Love n hugs

Jude xxx

Thanks girls

TFU, the man flu is fading, just a sore throat left and runny nose. I thinkI'll be fine hahahahaha.

Jude, yep, I cant think straight alright!! Dopey enough without these tabs.

Seeing doc next week.

I am trying to take it easy but I'm finding this whole thing really hard, and cleaning always takes my mind off things. Any way, I broke down last night in front of my hubby and kids. Uncontrollable crying. Awful it was.

Everything came out, the ops, the pain, the life changes, future etc.

Feel better for getting it out in the open now. But, you will never guess wot....my lovelly nan has had to go for an x-ray today for her spine, she has developed similar symptoms to me ( she has a crumbling spine ). She is worried poor love. Mad thing is, when I hurt my knee in a fall and had an op last year, so did she the week after, same knee. Shortly after that I fractured my wrist, and a week later so did she, same wrist!!!

We are very very alike in all ways. spooky.

Going bed now so ttfn.

Jessica

xxxx

Hi Jess

Glad to hear that you are now nearly a 'man flu' free zone!!!

I'm not surprised you had a major crying sesion last night. You have been through so much in the last few months. How could you not be feeling the stress of that? It's good it's out in the open, even in front of the kids. Little ones are so perceptive, you can't be going through these huge events without them noticing. Your family are your rock and they will get you through it. You will support them as much as they will support you. Some years ago I saw a therapist for the PTSD and I was quite proud of the fact that I [b:71bec89df0]THOUGHT [/b:71bec89df0] I had kept it all hidden from my kids. But she just looked at me like I was mad and said \"do you really believe that your children are deaf, blind and stupid!!!\" And that's the way it was Jess. I really didn't want what was happening to me to be seen by my kids, because I was their mummy and I was in charge of making sure that nothing interferred with their perfect little worlds. I particularly couldn't cope with me being the cause of their problems!!! Honesty is a much better way forward.

How strange about you and your Nan! I hope her tests go okay.

Best wishes

TFU

Hi, I had a car accident end of 2006, and was suffering with back pain and the doctor just kept palming me off with pain killers, the pain got gradually worse and starting affecting my walking with increased pain in my buttock and leg, still the doctor gave me pain killers telling me an xray would not show anything and would be a waste of time!! eventually i made him refer me, took over a year mind!!! and after x-rays and an MRI i have 2 prolapsed discs and trapped nerves.

I am going for traction now once a week, and seeing a physiotherapist who is working on realeasing the nerve, but i am getting conflicting advise from both of these people, one says i should only be in traction for 5 minutes max, and i am actually being left in it for 20 minutes, and i can honestly say its not doing me any good whatsoever, in fact today i had to ask to be taken out of it after 10minutes because i was feeling dizzy, and then i when i got out i had pins and needles in my foot which i havent had before. I am getting confused as to what is actually the best to do for this complaint, has anyone any advice/suggestions please.

hi thank you very much for your advice i went to the hospital and asked at desk for a nearer appiontment with worked abit its now half the time 14 days to wait now. Not 30 days as before.

the pain is still there. i have told her that we sould go to a&e at the spinal unit where her appointment if the pain gets as bad as before. The man on desk said ring each day to see if a cancelation turns up so thats my morning job to do.

Its hard watching her with all that pain i feel so helpless that why a i asked on here and thank you

You answer me

lets hope that they can help her this time or give her the injection to take the edge of the pain or a second mri scan to see if its getting better or worse.

thank you again TFU

Hi all, just a quick update, since having the epidural as i said previously, it lasted 2 weeks, visited my gp, and has given me pain killers, the last few weeks i have had really bad constipation, one day last week i was on the toilet all day trying to go, the straining was un bareable, its still goin on now i dread having to go to the toilet and am now scared when ever i feel like i need to go, i just interested to know if constipation, is normal woth prolapsed discs, or if it could be anything to do with the epidural, i hope someonr replys as i am really down as wat with having the prolapsed discs, artheritis, and now constipation, thanking you sharan

Hi Sharan

The constipation is probably caused by the meds. I would ask your pharmacist for some advice. Try Senna tablets at bedtime or else Lactulose (? spelling), or both. It will make a difference. It is a common problem and as you say on top of everything else it is the last thing you need!!!

TFU