Sciatica and sacroiliac joint

hi there, im 21 and have a prolapsed disc, it has caused me massive pain and alot of time off of my job. I'm covered under health insurance which is just a blessing, i saw my doctor and the next week first consultation by the next week my private consultant had done the mri scan and i had seen him very quickly, everything is so easy and so quick, i really couldnt give a big indication with cost due to it being ran through my dads work health scheme, i know my consultant is roughly 150 everytime i see him, not sure about the op i know its alot i have heard the 10k figure but i cant be certain, it may depend on what surgeon and hosp your at. I am at the rivers which is in sawbridgeworth just on boarders with hertfordshire and essex, they have always been brilliant, having had consultations there before. I am now under my own insurance its near £60 a month, with bupa knowing my condition, and i wouldnt go back, not that the nhs have done me wrong. But the care, attention and quick appointments can not be matched by the nhs and never will be now that the system is way too over-loaded. I do think its very bad that we pay our taxes yet we cant even get a fast service with the condition that we all have. Another massive bonus with private is that you can keep changing the op date, and no one gets annoyed and i like the fact that the service is about you not the hundred that could be on a very lond list.

I have made improvements, and have recently seen my consultant whom has noticed improvement which im very pleased about, im not getting carried away with it, just taking each day as it comes. But i was booked for the op in april then we moved it to mid-may but now i feel i want to see how much more improvement i can make i've cancelled it and am back to see him in june, i have returned to work for short hours and office based-(as im police officer) and am taking it steady, i feel at 21 i maybe able to cope a little better, altho i had the epidural and that nearly finished me off after a bad reaction to it! Fancy being a cripple at 21 not goods! But i tell you now the pain i just could not have coped with the nhs system, even if i was insured i know i would have had to have found the money from somewhere, not saying that is always poss but you no the pain i mean so there does get to a point where enough is enough. Its your health the most important thing ever. Good luck in what ever you decide, hope you get better, sarah :-)

sorry another quick thing, i'm not quite sure how far down the road you are, after my mri scan i had an epidural booked for two weeks after i had to fit around my surgeon to a degree, but i felt that was quick enough, then i was in alot of pain and the hosp took me straight back into a private room, given plenty of drugs and my consultant-surgeon phoned me the next day- due to it being a sunday- cant say you'd get that from the nhs, he was great and explained what he feels has happened and reassured me, i stayed in for few days with great care and then rested up at home. the end of that week i saw him again he left it 3 days just to see if things would calm down. Things got a bit better but then rapidly down hill again, so appx two weeks after epidural i had another mri and then he saw me a few days after my scan, and said there had been no improvement. Thats when he booked my op with him. I have always been kept informed fully, letters always explaining everything and he has always made me feel very confident in his ability... he said i can see him anytime i like if the pain worsens and there is a dramatic change. I suppose what im trying to say is things happen quicker with private med- so if your in lots of pain and can afford to really do you will wonder why you ever considered waiting on an nhs list. Best wishes Sarah :-)

thank you faye

i went to my doctor and he told me to get her more to a pratices that cares for there patient. He gave me leads on what to do abit like yours faye

i rang them and was told 12 june to see the concultant of our choice

as he good £180 first appoinment £100 each after

as girl friend in pain tried bmi the nearist was 12 may that was a package where they see you then mri and report finding in same day three stages

£650 for that

so i look uk wide and and found vista which dos same package in london

its open 15 hours a day and 12 hours a day at weekends so rang on friday they took all details rang back monday and in to see them at 5pm today for the package

we know she had a prolapse disc in august 07 L5 S1 lets see if better or worst and what he recomends

what a let down the n h s is

i will say what happens tomorrow

hi going to see private doctor later today so i will ask as girlfriend mite need one

you can send an enquire to bmi hospital and ask them. its on there web site

we are going to london and having a package where a consultant see her and confirms she needs mri scan as it and see him again for report of scan and what treatment can be done and where to go ?

its £200 for consultant and £250 for mri scan one area and you seen in days

wish a looked earlier

as still waiting for nhs to get back to us for scan that was 3 weeks ago

bye for now

mick

I have suffered from prolapsed disc since i was 18, 8 years ago, the disc was pushing against a nerve giving me sciatic pain down my left side. After about 18 months and 2 MRI's I had the operation to remove it, and for at least 18 months after the op everything was fine. Then the back spasms started. They come and go, I can be fine for weeks on end then all of a sudden they're back! (no pun)Over the past 6 months I have felt the pain get worse. I take dyihydracodine, diclofenac, diazepam (sorry for the spelling), I've also tried what i call back doctors, massages, exercise and NOTHING helps. For the past month I've noticed the sciatic pain again, this time in my right leg and I'm angry. I've never been 'down' about my back before but I'm irritable, short tempered with loved ones and just not much fun to be around. The doc put me on amitriptyline today which apparently started life out as an anti-depressant but due to better drugs being out their for depression it's now used as a pain killer too. I'm 26, and due to my back i've never been able to have a full time job or continue education and I'm still living at home. I'm lucky as my parents live in a large house and can support me, but i want to get on with my life. Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or am I in the traffic jam of life and will be [u:387ed77eef]backed[/u:387ed77eef] up for years?

Hi Steve,

I can well understand you being totally fed up. If you have new symptoms in your right leg now then maybe your GP could send you for an MRI?? It seems a bit pointless just doling out the meds, without anybody taking the time out to check on what is going on inside.

The Amtripyline has apparently got qualities that help with back pain. It is given in a very much lower dose than if it was given for depression and if your GP has chosen this for you it doesn't mean that you are depressed. Last year I was prescribed Nortripyline, which is a sister drug to Amitripyline, but it is generally only prescribed as an anti depressant to people over 80 years of age!! Like you I was given this for back pain. I was well stunned as I was only 47 at the time!! It did send out some very mixed messages. At the time I certainly felt over 80!!

It seems to me that it is time to start banging on some doors. Get an MRI scan and see a Consultant. There are probably many things that can be done to help you, including pain blocker injections etc. But first things first, you and they need to know definitively what is wrong. You could possibly even have new prolapse. All too often you hear of people suffering dreadful pain for so long, simply because nobody could be bothered to take the time out to properly investigate what is going on. A lot of people get despondent, me included. If you read the posts here you will see that it can often take a very long time. But put it this way, the sooner you set off on the journey the sooner you'll reach the end.

And btw you should not write yourself off at 26. Sure you may feel that life has dealt you a crap hand thus far, but you have a long way to go yet and we are all able to learn and grow from our experiences. Getting proper medical help would be a real boost and even if it takes ages, it will be a good point of focus. Don't assume you are just stuck with this now, get an MRI and a referral. Go for it!!! Let us know how you get on!!!

Hi well the consultant has graded me urgent and he will see me wait for it 17 june can you beleive that so went back to Dr she is trying to speed things along and i wont know until friday if they can.

If not i can see same consultant for £250 in about 2 weeks time then go back to nhs for the op it just means i will be on the list 5 weeks in advance and when your in this much pain i think its worth it.

Iam going to wait for friday if no joy i will pay the money got to.

I have just got back from taking daughter to nursury have to walk right round playground when i got back in car just cried my eyes out i cant even look after kids, i would have kept her home but its her birthday tomorrow and she wanted to hand her sweets out i diddnt want to let her down.

Sorry for going on and do let us know how your girlfriend gets on and how much op is .

Thanks for lisening

Stacey

Hi Steve

Sorry to hear of your pain.

I have had mood swings and have been generally irritable whilst taking dihydracodeine. It does give many of those types of symptoms as a side effect.

I'm not taking as many now and have seem the difference!

Chase your GP for a new referral and maybe a change of painkillers

HTH

Donna

Hi All

Well tomorrow is \"D\" day lol :D

A bit apprehensive about the whole thing but know I am doing the right thing. The thing that has panicked me is the mention of maybe doing the op under local I guess they mean epidural?

Will talk to anesthetist and demand they put me to sleep :x

They have also said I will be in for a shorter stay which is good

Will let you know how it goes.

Keep well all

Donna

Hi Stacey,

Try not to get too despondent. At least you know where you stand now, so far as the NHS and your likely appointment date with them is concerned. Did they tell you how much it would be to have the op done privately too?? But the system is totally ridiculous when so many patients have to dip in and out of private care alongside the NHS care, just to get anywhere. I suppose the next big decision will be if the surgeon tells you the operation will be 2 weeks private or 6-8 weeks on the NHS.

I doubt your GP will be able to push things along any quicker, but it will be good if she can.

This won't last forever. Once you have the op you'll be back to normal. Don't worry about your kids, I'm sure you are doing just fine. You, your hubby and the kids are a family unit and if that means that you do less and they do more for a while then there is no harm in that. Maybe you could get the children involved by helping out with the chores, such as they are able. Even your little 4 year old (tomorrow) can help by picking things up off the floor and saving you the pain of bending over. You could even turn it into a game.

For now, just be kind to yourself!!!

TFU

Hi Donna,

Good luck for the op!! They will discuss everything with you beforehand and won't do anything you are not happy with. You'll be up and about in no time!!!

I'll be thinking of you.

Best wishes

TFU

Hey Donna,

All will be good, seriously there is nothing to worry about and just make sure u keep us all informed when u r out, and remember... take things slowly when u are out.

:bubbly:

Hope all goes well

No regrets Russ x

Hi Donna

Glad you got your op at last. Everything will be fine and just think, soon you will be pain free!! :D

Good luck hun all will be well. :wink:

Jessica

xxx

Hello all - sorry to moan again!!!!!

Im frustrated. I was supposed to see my consultant on Tuesday and when I got there no chairs were free it was that chocka. A nurse popped out and said that my consultant was in surgery and may not be back. There were people there who had been waiting since 9am - I got there at 11:30am. I went back to reception and re-booked my appointment to next week.

Thing is, I really need to see him as I am having difficulties.

Sharp pains are getting more frequent from spine to hips, now on both sides. They really hurt. My right arm is getting worse too, I get pins and needles often every day and drop things all the time when using my right hand. Im loosing feeling in hand too.

The other problem I have is a bit weird. I look 6 months pregnant!!!!!!!

I am not eating breakfast or dinner, only tea yet I am now 11 stone, and my stomach is very round like pregnancy (im not by the way). I have weighed 9 stone nearly all my life. What the hell is happening to me?

Jessica

hi stacy

went to concultant and asked

his london hospital charges between £4000 to £10000 pound with a 30 day garnteen

girl friend mri was not clear need to have a emg test first before concider operation

plus nhs rang and told us mri scan on saturday morning

after paying for one on tuesday

hope this helps

mike