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Spinal Fusion at age 19

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yourstrulybri
yourstrulybri

Hey! Ive never written on a forum before, but I think now is as good as a time than ever. Long story short I had ruptured a disc in my back by lifting two 40 pound boxes of cat litter while I was a cashier at a wholesale club. I went to an urgent care several times and they told me nothing was wrong with me..basically they said I pulled a muscle. I got sent to an orthopedic doctor. He said yea I ruptured a disc L5-S1 ..they did an MRI and everything... got sent to physical therapy for a while and it did not do a thing, if anything made me hurt more.. At that point I am having chronic lower left back pain and sciatica going down from my butt to my thigh then into my calf (left leg). I have been in this pain since my injury which happened August of 2015. Usually ruptured discs cure themselves and dont last more than maybe a month. I got sent to a second ortho because the first one was not any help. This doctor is great! He suggested the micro disc surgery ( I dont remember the name) , but first he wanted to do spinal injections for diagnostic purposes not for a cure. So I got one spinal injection about three weeks ago. At first my leg was numb and felt heavy, but after the first day I had BAD pain in my left leg. It is so bad now that I cannot even walk for more than two minutes without having to go sit down because the pain is horrible. I can admit the injection got rid of the pain radiating down my leg, now the pain is ONLY in my left calf and it is bad. Yes I do still have my lower left back pain, but at this point my leg pain is much much worse. So I went to the ortho last week and he wants to schedule a nerve conduction test emg on my leg I guess to rule out other problems. Oh I forgot one thing, when I went to my second ortho he noticed I had mild Spondyloslisthesis and might need a fusion down the line. Okay so now to present day I am waiting on workers comp to approve the nerve test so they can schedule it. If that test goes how the doctor wants it to go then that means I will need a Spinal Fusion L5S1. I am so young and pretty scared about this surgery, BUT if it gets rid of my pain I will be SO happy because I am miserable. I am used to walking around the mall, going to amusement parks and everything now all I can pretty much do is sit on the couch and watch TV sad . So basically I am wondering first if anyone has had the nerve test done and is it bad? What is done? And secondly has anyone had a spinal fusion? I dont want to hear horror stories about it so please keep that to yourself. Since I am so young I just want to know everything there is about this surgery and want to know about the healing

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • myc1
    myc1 yourstrulybri

    Posted

    Hi Bri,

    Having had several nerve tests done as well as 2 discectomies and a spinal fusion, I can probably help you a bit. The nerve tests I had were for neuropathy (my left foot was numb in places) and consisted of a thin needle into my upper left thigh and an electric receptor taped on my foot. The lady in charge then sent a mild electric current thru the needle in my thigh and the time it took to register in my foot was recorded. She then increased the current and again recorded the time it took to reach my foot. I think she did three separate readings, then moved the needle to a different part of my thigh and did it all over again. It wasn't anywhere near as painful as I thought it would be. Just a little jolt is all. No worries there and if you don't like needles, look away and take a nice deep breath.

    "Slipped discs" should retract over about 12 weeks. If they don't, I'm pretty sure your surgeon will want to do a discectomy - under full anaethetic, they make a very small insision over top of the disc and cut away the protruding disc using a camera and scalpel. I think it takes about thirty minutes and, in Canada anyway, they send you home afterwards as it is considered day surgery. At your age (19) you should bounce back with no trouble. One question - do you consider yourself overweight? If so, losing weight will help take pressure of your lower back and might help reduce the sciatic pain in your calf muscle. Sciatica is a miserable pain that starts where the bulging disc hits the sciatic nerve as it exits your spinal column. Has you doctor suggested any specific exercises? My first bout of sciatica happened in my late tywenties and a chiropractor cured me after just two adjustments but I'm not sure a chiropractor can help much when you are needing a spinal fusion. I used to get good relief laying flat on my back, bending my left leg and holding it around the knee then gently pulling the knee toward my left shoulder. Hold for thirty seconds and then repeat with the other leg. If, after three stretches on each leg, you feel no relief then it probably won't help to continue that particulat stretch. Oh, and every specialist I went to, from physio to massage to traction only made the pain much worse. If this was wsork-related, I assume you are registered with Worker's Comp?

    Hope this helped, Bri. Don't hesitate to write back if you have anymore questions or concerned - there's a ton of great people on this site who sympathize with you and can be of tremendous help.

    myc       

    • yourstrulybri
      yourstrulybri myc1

      Posted

      Yes I am overweight and very aware I need to lose it. I have even gained more because all I can pretty much do is sit down on the couch now because of my pain. Whenever I get my nerve test that will determine if I need the spinal fusion, but the doctor said it is likely. The microdiscoctomy surgery was an option but since my pain is much much worse after the injections he has discovered that he doesnt think the disc is causing my pain , he believes it is the bones rubbing together so I need a fusion.
    • yourstrulybri
      yourstrulybri myc1

      Posted

      and yes workers comp is taking care of everything thank goodness
    • Enna1
      Enna1 myc1

      Posted

      Thanks for telling us about the nerve tests I can also relax a bit!!!!

    • myc1
      myc1 yourstrulybri

      Posted

      Eh, bones rubbing together doesn't sound very scientific. If your vertabrae rub together that means there is no disc left. What happened to it? It must have oozed out (discs resemble jelly donuts) in which case it probably ended up squeezing your sciatic nerve. Consider this - it you had an exposed nerve and someone touched it ever so lightly with a feather, you would feel it in spades. So it only needs to lightly brush against your sciatic nerve to create excruciating pain. I think I'd get a second opinion about just what is going on back there. Sorry, Bri but the idea of your bones rubbing together sounds a bit hokey.

      So glad works comp is takin g care of you.

      myc 

    • yourstrulybri
      yourstrulybri myc1

      Posted

      Well I am young and my mom goes with me to all my appointments, so my explination of things isnt going to be very scientific i apologize lol.  Its more than" my bones rubbing together" I know he mentioned Degenerative Disc DIsease and spondylolisthesis
    • myc1
      myc1 yourstrulybri

      Posted

      You have a good mum there. You might want to hang on to her.

      myc

    • Enna1
      Enna1 myc1

      Posted

      Really good posting myc1.  I realise I haven't had an injection to see where the pain is coming from, but do remember someone saying something about facet joints.  You can get replacement facet joints now but can't say I would like the op myself.  Too new.

      I think discectomy is the same as decompression - is it?   I had that 7 years ago but..... the dr I saw two weeks ago said it was only partial and I paid for a full.... no comment needed, I am working on that one.Arr you say exercises too, I was a bit afraid to tell bri this but I take tramadol and believe me those exercises help me a lot and yes I am overweight. I have a partner that cooks lol - thank goodness he misses out the cream now. But it takes time to lose weight. I have a smaller plate but yes I do like food. 

      Yes its true, a lot of people have a lot of experience and sciatic pain is terrible.   I know which exercise you are doing, but I just put my bended knee to my chest for 3, I do one where you have your knee bent and you (thats lying down ha ha) take the other foot to that knee. And then you press down onto the leg you have already placed. does it sound complicated.  Its a brilliant exercise, I do them before I get out of bed because we have tiles on the floor and my knees arn't too god so the cat I do on the bed.  I went for 20 years to yoga and miss it like hell.  Even the drs here in spain say I am very flexible for my age and I hope i stay that way albeit overweight.  There is a video on utube called the cat and dog (but I know it as the cat) I do that one too.  Basically I do the exercises that the English NHS recommend - really helps with the pain.  11 years having sciatica and other things have taught me to look after myself now. Am I cynical?  Yes I am - my partner comes with me to the drs and tells me to shut my mouth because what they are about to tell me I know all about, but having to pay 20,000€ for an op is out of the question. I won't spend my daughters inheritance.

      I used to belong to ADRSupport UK before I knew I was to old to have ADR - and Alastair on the site always says "Slowly wins the race" and its so true - so bri, slowly and look forward to the follow up.  Go and treat yourself after the injection....

    • Enna1
      Enna1 myc1

      Posted

      I suppose bones rubbing together isn't scientific but then, its all scientific isn't it for someone new to take in.  You are so good though at explaining.
    • Enna1
      Enna1

      Posted

      Just met a friend in Iceland. I asked him how his daughter as at 19 as training to be a vet a sheep kicked her in the back and has a back problem with her discs. We were chatting away and her dad used the same terminology, bones rubbing together. But what exactly is the word for this. Anyone know? ? I feel I should know but it escaspes me
  • Enna1
    Enna1 yourstrulybri

    Posted

     I hate this site, I wrote to you and there was an error, pop ups keep coming up and if someone replies to you, the box moves and I lose the site. Terribly badly designed this site.  Well thats my opinion.

    I just said I have had pain injections but can't remember  if I had diagnostic ones but I was bloody scared - and about 11 years down the line, i am still having another in July - I live in Spain and have to go through EVERYTHING I ever had in the Uk in Spain. Afterwards you think "well what a wozz" and your mother will be with you so you will feel more comfortable.  I expect they have seen it all so don't worry.  myc1 below gives you an excellent reply. 

    My daughter was like you, fell off her mountain bike on a mountain and she went the hospital I think they injected her with a pain killer but eventually went to a physio who taught her how to pick up things, walk etc. etc. she bides by what she was taught.She had a bout of sciatic once when she came to spain and the hospital injected her - she didn't know it was called sciatica.  But her job (checking video games)and her time at uni was always sitting down and it doesn't do much for your back but that was about 7 years ago and so long as she takes care she's OK. I am not saying she doesnt have pain, but she just takes it easy when she does.  Its not the same in the UK as the States, treatment and the length of time is so different as you will have private insurance - makes a lot of difference.  I myself have gone throughin 6 years 7 different drs.  

    I was scared when I went for the injection - don't be, you will think afterwards, cor was that IT???? but glad your Mum is going with you she will be a good support and you can tell her all about it.   I watched a girl the other day in Lidl doing the same thing as you, lifting boxes with fruit in them -  they should be told not to but there you are, all of us on this back lark have all done the same I expect. 

    I am suprised the dr hasn't given you painkillers though. Myc1 below I think sums it all up really good reply to you.  Sciatic pain is awful and no-one can experience that pain.    At my age 73,  they can't do anything for me except if I have 20,000€ which although I have, I shouldn't have to pay.  The UK give Spain £3,000 towards my health care, but for me it probably isn't enough.  

    Depending where the pain it, mine is my thigh. do you have a hot water bottle? Fill one with hot water and wrap it up and lay it on your pain - solves mine. I even do it sometimes when the temperature is 35 degrees. You could do it whilst watching the tv....

    i've just mucked up the computer but look on utube. There is an exercises called "The cat and the dog".  You kneel with your hands on the ground in front of you.  You drop your stomach and then arch your back. I will try and find it later and send you the link hoping that it doesn't get knocked off by the moderator. Don't strain yourself just do it gently    It really helps the pain because it stretches the discs in your back if you are scared to do it, don't.  I'm 73 and if I feel pain (sciatica) I do this exercise as its usually a nerve and I know all about that so I know what you are going through. I do take painkillers but apparently I take a low dose, a hot water bottle is near to hand - I'm lazy!!!  Maybe you forgot to tell us about your meds????  Just reading myc1 - take note....

    he has just said about being overweight.  The first time in all these years I was asked that last week, until then everyone said I was OK, so its good to lose some weight.  I try to do some exercise like walking every day but with you being at work its difficult.  My daughter walks to work and back 1/2 hr each way. Walking is a good form of exercise.  Even if its round the shops lol.  

    I'm just going to read mcy1's post now as I think it might apply to me too.

    Let us know how you get on..... All the best Anne

    • yourstrulybri
      yourstrulybri Enna1

      Posted

      Yea they gave me tramadol,meloxicam and something else I can't remember and none of it worked. I have been out of work since last November so basically all I am doing is sitting at home because the pain is so much
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