Sorry more advice

Hi Donna

In my first 6 weeks after my microd where it was going to plan I found did almost nothing compared to you. I walked maybe 2 hours per day after 5-6 weeks. Absolutely no bending lifting or twisting and no more than 15 mins sitting at a time and less if I could help it. The first time I was driven was 35 mins x2 after 6 weeks and that was not comfortable at all.

I would stick to the letter of what you have been told to do. NO bending lifting or twisting. Limited sitting.all that stuff can irritate the nerve more meaning more pain.

I am not a doctor but here is my advice. Walk 15 mins at a time every couple of hours until you are comfortable doing more. Ask your doctor for oral steroids to help the nerve inflammation go down and take as much Ibuprofen and paracetamol as you need to be reasonably comfortable - up to 1800mg ibuprofen and 2000mg paracetamol, spaced over the day. If you are taking lots of ibuprofen then you will also need something like pantoprazole to protect your stomach. But just because the painkillers are working doesn't mean start bending etc. Painkillers are not fixing anything apart from the pain itself.

So don't stop activity but really do zero, nothing, nada that puts any demands on your back. Log roll to get out of bed. If you have to get down, bend at the knees only, like you have a broom up your backside. Going down on one knee is ok if you feel ok doing it but don't do it unless you have to.

I imagine you will be having a followup in a week or so. Your surgeon can advise you then. If you are not improving options are

- nothing, just wait for it to calm down on its own

- steroid injection to reduce inflammation of the nerve

- revision of the microdiscectomy (i.e. They go in a clear up and reherniation, if there is one). You would have another MRI before that. Given you have had pain the whole time there is no special reason to expect a reherniation though. When mine went wrong, it went from near zero pain to loads of pain overnight. I got both tons of leg pain back and all new back pain. But I had massively overdone it. I went hiking up a big mountain for 100 minutes. Psychotic. I almost certainly did reherniate, albeit subtly so my rather inexperienced surgeon did not spot it.

BTW pain in the back can have a few causes but that includes the same nerve complaining. The nerve pain can be felt anywhere down the course of the whole nerve, right from where it exits the spine. So while it's scary, it does not necessarily mean anything has actually changed much.

One thing you just will have to get used to though, believe me here, don't rush to judgment and don't expect anything to improve quickly. Think in fortnights, not even weeks. Some people do get back to vigorous activity pretty quickly. But Lots more have to take it much more carefully, especially if you have not been very active before, as all your muscles are weak and all your tendons and ligaments are stiff. The whole joint area is just disfunctional and takes AGES to come back to good working order.

So take your foot off the gas in terms of general activity, though keep doing the things your surgeon/physio told you to do. Take painkillers to remain sane. Try to get steroids to deal with the inflammation of the nerve.

And don't despair. You are 5 weeks out. There is plenty of time and there are lots of options before you need to consider any really daunting prospects like more intrusive surgery.

I am getting leg and back pain still but believe it mainly from the surgery site your body has to adapt and grow into the new instruments in ur back. If I do a little more than my body allows I feel ill. Every one is different and heals different. I definitely believe u need to give it more time . Use a grabber stick rather than bending also a tall dust pan and brush things like theses will . Take extra strain of ur body

Hi Donna,

Sorry to hear you are struggling & low, things will get better.

You have to remember and accept a few points:

1. Your back has compressed the nerves & pinching them for some time, the nerves are still traumatised & squashed down, they will slowly recover some of their original shape and the signals they send will lessen. (& hopefully will go or become bearable)

2. You have been through an invasive procedure, your immune system & subconscious will be reacting to that & will be over sensitised to the changes that have suddenly occurred.

There will be an increase in internal swelling/ pressure & unusual movement. All will antagonise the original issues for a while, until they settle down, be patient.

3. You have been in pain a long time & your brain is programed to expect that pain, it will look for what is missing, (like tinnitus is a loss of a specific range of sound & the brain creates a white noise while attempting to find what is missing)

The pain level will probably be lower, but your brain will amplify this to try & recreate the habitual nerve signals in your the previously known state, your brain is almost addicted to the pain.  - It will take time for your brain to reprogram to the new you.

4. It’s been 5 weeks, you are going to have to completely start again on regaining core stability, mobility, & stamina, the surgery has reset everything to your lowest base line.

It is going to hurt, to do things you did before, possible even for things that didn’t hurt before, but slowly, little steps, patience & rebuild.

Take the meds & do the hot / cold/ supported position, all the things you know work to elevate your symptoms post activity.

5. Your meds will affect your outlook, expect it & in your ‘up moments’ do something’s that makes you laugh, take the p**s out of your partner, watch films that make YOU LAUGH TOGETHER - humour is the key to a positive mental state, & you need to extend that state of mind to heal as quickly as possible.

6. You have the rest of your life to rebuild & set the bench mark you are going to live by, no need to sprint to the finish line. Try jogging, you see more of the scenery on the way… :-)

You are now bionic: Jamie Sommers, welcome to the club…

Love & luck

Steve Austin’s short, fat, limping, ugly twin brother