Pins and needles

Hi everyone,

Well I've been back at work for 2 whole weeks :D So far, it's going well, I'm working on half my workload and when I return to work after half term I should be back on my full duties.

I have had some backache for a couple of days this week and have resorted to taking some co-codamol at night, (which now makes me feel really woozy and it's the lowest strength co-codamol too..just cant handle 'em any more..lol). I was expecting some aching as I've increased activity and movement.

So there it is....so far so good, and hopefully it'll stay that way..

Take care,

Jules xx :D :D

wooohoooo :D :D

I was actually going to put a post up to see how you were doing :lol: That's great news hon and it's great that you can ease your way into it.

A positive story to spur us all on to get better (although secretly I'm still bricking it about going under the knife :lol

Glad all is going so well, hope you continue to get better and better

Take care

Love

Jude xxx

Hi 'No Regrets' Russ

Like Jules has said, you're an inspiration to us all in staying positive through it all. I have to say my consultant's oppo (lovely female doctor who saw me initially when admitted to hospital and then again 2 weeks after I came out of hospital) said that although she doesn't deny my pain or my physical condition, a lot of getting better is psychological. I think your a prime example Russ of how to deal with things that are thrown your way, I wish I had your strength.

Lets hope the injection works and there's no need for another op, but if there is, I know you'll take it all in your stride :D :D

Take care

love

Jude x

hi jules

gosh hasnt the time gone fast! so glad things are getting back to normal for you,i guessed that you,d have some aches and pains but im sure thats to be expected, i experience some too when im doing \"normal\" things like vacuuming the bedrooms, i havent been able to do such a lot for too long so now im trying to get back to usual household tasks. i,ll be back at work in 13 days, i,ve spoken to my physio who contacted morriston neuro physios to ask about me returning before i see my surgeon and to be honest they were,nt much help just that none of them can advise me to go back to work, thats down to my gp and surgeon, but as im adamant that i need to go back, to make sure i follow moveing and handling procedures and not to do heavy work, errrrrrr my work involves double handling calls!! so see what my occupational health doc has to say on tue, thing is i havent had an appointment yet for my follow up after surgery!im not chasing around after doctors again im too fed up with that.

anyway just to say well done take it easy(fine one to talk lol) keep in touch. gail

Hi Girls,

Well....I'm still aching and my back's stiff...I think it may be a combi of both work and driving yesterday to a Uni tutorial, 1 hour 15mins each way..I thought it would have been OK, but shooting pains down the leg and this aching and stiffness since..bit frustrating..a bit like in the early days when you think you're ready to do something, you do it, and your body says (I'm not ready)..so 3 and a half months down the line and it's still telling me this, but that's OK as I know what's happening (or at least I think I do). :D It would be so easy to be downhearted about it but it has to be put into perspective and looked at in the overall picture....6 months ago, I was in a dreadful state, and now things are so much better...at least I have a week off this week, so I'm going to take it easy.. :D :D

Jude..how are things for you.....keep hanging on in there...wont be long hun and you'll be on the road to recovery :D

Gail...omg...not long now til you're back at work....please BE CAREFUL!! Your health is soooo much more important than work, make sure they dont put on you...it's easy for them to forget that you're still recovering...what I'm finding is that it is quite hard to put all the back care guidance into practice with the time frame given..so when I go back to work after half term I shall be far more assertive with what I need to do for my back.

Take care girlies,

Love

Jules xx :D :D

PS are any of you on Facebook?

Well done on your first/ second week back at work.

My L4 is bulging considerably but consultant just said to me they were operating on the L5 S1 and dont worry about the L4 disc?!!

Same as you, I'm asking my physio next week what it means for future, but If you feel well now, keep up with good posture etc as been taught and fingers crossed you won't have more trouble. :D :D :D

Hi Jules

It's a real credit to you re: your outlook on your progress, on life really :D I'm sorry that you're still experiencing aches and pains but I hope this is a temporary thing and you'll just continue to get better and better. Take easy though, I'm sure you will, and you're right, your back comes first, not work :D

Jules is right Gail, take good care of yourself, work can wait. I know how frustrating it can feel, I go stir crazy stuck in the house all the time even with my entertaining kids, but I know even when I'm over the operation, I won't be rushing back too soon :D

I'm doing okay thanks Jules, there's still no improvement but I guess that's about right however there's no worsening either which is good. My back's started to ache a bit more (like muscle ache across the bottom) but guess I've been doing a bit more (I've not had back ache since coming out of hospital in mid Nov, the pain is in my buttock/leg/foot although as I always say, Gabapentin is a wonder drug as far as I'm concerned).

Enjoy your week off Jules, chill out. Oh and yes, I'm on Facebook (only just gone on it cos my best mate has just emmigrated to Oz so she wanted me to be able to share photos :D). What's your name on it and I'll send a Friends request.

Take care, see you around :D

Love

Jude xxx

Hi Russ,

I was just wondering how you got on last week with your MRI Scan, any news yet?

Angela

Hi All,

It's been over 6 weeks now since I had my PLIF Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Operation, but I'm finding that I can't do very much without my back hurting it's ridiculous I hoover for about 10 mins or try to iron and I'm in agony for the rest of the day. I went into town last week for an hour by the time I got back home I was nearly in tears with the pain :cry: . I have pain when I try to do my Physio so I've not done very many exercises.

My Mortgage Protection Plan stops paying out at the end of the month and I was hoping to get back to work, but I don't think looking at it realistically that I'll be back at work for a good few weeks yet. I'm so fed up when is it all going to end. I'm worrying that I might never be able to work again what would I do then, I live on my own (been divorced) with my 2 teenaged children and it's a bloody struggle.

Does anyone have any ideas or have they experienced the same situation, I just want to know that I'm not the only one going through this. I'm still on all of my painkillers and my Doctor said that I should start to decrease the amount that I take but I can't cope with the pain. I know that the PLIF Op I had was slightly different from a normal Prolapse Op, as I have had Pins, Rods and 2 metal cages put into where my disc once was but surely I should be starting to feel better by now.

Please can anyone help me?

Angela

Hi Angela

Just wanted to let you know that Russ did a separate post called MRI results Feb 2008 :D :D

Love

Jude x

hi angela

i would have thought you should start to feel the benefit of the op by now, although i didnt start ironong etc until after my 6 wks, maybe your expecting too much from yourself, my physio told me to protect myself up to 6 wks , maybe a trip to the gp or contact your surgeon to see if this is too be expected, as with russ not everyone gets fast results.

i know it can be a worry about finances my pay stopped in dec so been trying to manage on ib (not easy) ask the benefits office if you could be entitiled to some other help financially, i know its hard when you know you cant go back to work yet and the financal side of things gets worrying, a time when you can do without the extra stress! i ask myself how people manage whos been on benefit for years cope? when i go back to work feb 29, i have to go to apr 28 before i get my first pay, but i should be entitled to £300 back to work bonus when i sign off WOW like thats going to last 6 wks, i have to find petrol money as well as i work in the community, but at least knowing i will get a wage is helping, im sure you wont be too long in going back, i really hope your pain eases soon , and you too can join the \" back to work\" posts. gail

Hi Angela i'm so sorry to hear that your in such a bad way, regarding your pain meds you can only come off them when your ready and you sound a long way off that yet. The other point , your morgage protection , have you rung them to see if they can offer any alternate ideas if you can explain to them your situation maybe you have a holiday break available in your morgage plan, also its worth giving your local welfare office a call you may be entitled to some short term disability living allowance or something along those lines .keep trying with the physio slowly without over doing it a little at a time are you still going to the physio or is it exercises you have been given to do at home?

Are you allowed to get into the swimming baths sounds a bit daft i know but just wondered if you are, try doing your exercises in water as your body weight is supported by the water do you know what i mean just an idea hope it dosen't sound to daft. Keep your chin up we're hear to try and help and listen. Take care keep in touch hope things start to improve soon x x x Julie

Hi Angela,

It sounds like you are about ready to scream!!!! And who can blame you.

I'm so sorry that you are having so many problems. As far as your mortgage is concerned you may be entitled to state support. In order to qualify I think you need to be getting income support, even if it is just 1p, to top up other benefits. It has got to be worth a shot. If I were you though I wouldn't bother asking one of the Customer Services personnel at DSS who I have always found to be as useful as a chocolate teapot, as they won't know the ins and outs of what you may be entitled to. It's probably best to fill in the form, to do it officially. I think you will probably be entitled if you have been on benefits for 9 months regardless of the fact that your payments have previously been made by mortgage protection insurance. It always seemed so unfair to me that if you are on benefits you can get help with your rent from day 1 but you have to wait at least 9 months for any help if you have a mortgage, and then it's only to cover the interest element. I think they should at least give an accomodation allowance equal to the average rent.

It must be awful being in so much pain after 6 weeks, but it was a big op and maybe a slow recovery is the norm. When are you due to go back to see the consultant?? I was told after my second op that it does take longer to recover after second surgery because of the amount of surgical damage that happens internally from the additional cutting and scarring at the same site. In my case because the two operations were within 4 weeks of each other it was sort of worse, because there had been no meaningful time to recover from the internal damage from the first op. Just a thought, but maybe the pain is from the cages/screws. Could they need tweaking/adjusting slightly???

I know how frustrating it is not to be making progress. I went back to work on 11 February, but I can't say I feel much better. I needed the money. I was off for 11 weeks in all and 9 were unpaid. And with SSP, you don't even get free meds!!! Which incidentally are the same now as before I had the operations!! Most days I find it hard to see how things are any better, on any level.......pain, numbness, function, outlook. So I totally understand where you are coming from. Working during the day and getting hardly any sleep at night is a killer. But such are the realities of life that I had to return to work. Like you I am a divorced mum. If I hadn't returned to work then I would have lost the house.

Even though it can take 12-18 months to fully see the benefits of surgery, the fact is that after 6 weeks there should be significant improvement. I had my second surgery 3 days before yours, and although I didn't have the same op, mine was fairly complicated as it was another discectomy (apparently the herniated disc was HUGE) and a repair to the dura which is the membrane surrounding the spinal cord. I also had the added complication of a CSF leak, pseudomeningocele and suspected Bacterial Meningitis. But even with all that, six/seven weeks on I still think I should be if not symptom free at least symptom improved!!! I am seeing the Consultant again on Thursday, so I'll see what she says. She was quite happy though, at the point when I left hospital, of going back to work when I did.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. i feel like screaming too!! In a postive way of course. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hi Julie, Gail and Tfu,

Thanks for the replies you've all been a great help.

I've been to see my Consultant and Nurse Practitioner today, they said that it's still early days yet, as I had Major Back Surgery with complications, it could take months instead of weeks to get back to normal, they told me not to carry anything and to keep up with the Physio easier said than done (the pain's unbearable when I exercise). I do have slight improvement as the Sciatica has stopped, so I must be getting better it's just taking longer than I thought, well it could be the Summer before I get back to work.

They told me that because I'm worried about my Mortgage, getting back to work and my finances it's making my recovery even slower. I'm going to my Bank as my Mortgage is through Lloyds TSB, they've said that I can freeze my Mortgage and pay interest only, and I've been told at the Job Centre that I should get some help to pay the interest. This would take a huge weight off my shoulders. I can't understand why Mortgage Protection only pays out for 12 months, looking on the dark side, what if I couldn't work again, what would happen, I'd probably loose my home through no fault of my own. I hope this doesn't happen!

I'm putting looking for another job on hold, until I feel NORMAL :? whatever that is, it's been that long since I was NORMAL.

Thanks again fellow back/neck sufferers.

Angela

Ok I give in. Had to call the GP out today AGAIN.

Started with severe pain again near wound, into right hip and in the lower right leg that has severe nerve damage. Can hardly move again.

Doctor says I have to stop my physio exercises for a few weeks as they have made my back go again and I am on complete bed rest!!!!!!!!!

It nevers rains - it pours.

Miserable and high as a kite on Tramacet, which I have never had before. When is this all going to stop??? Dont think I can cope with much more. Not sleeping as pain is so bad and cannot relax at all. GP says these tablets should help me sleep so I'll see. I'm 2 weeks post op now. Anyone else out there had such a bad time like this?

Jessica :shock: