I'm so stressed out. Six years ago I broke my back in a car accident- between L4-5 and L5-S1. Since then I have been doing everything possible to avoid back surgery. I've had massive amounts of steroids, manual realignments under fluoroscopy, three epidurals, over three dozen steroid disc injections... Nothing has worked and I am in pain every single day. I won't take pain meds when I work, only when I get home (otherwise I hurt too badly to sleep). I have been told that I have to have surgery. Pretty extensive surgery. I have four herniated discs two of which are stenotic, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease. The surgery they have proposed involves frontal and dorsal incisions, removal/replacement of the four discs, a plate, rod, and 12-18 screws. Guys, I am only 29 years old. I am so terrified that I am going to end up in worse pain or paralyzed. I have been desperately trying to put off the surgery, but lately the pain has increased dramatically, and I have large baseball-sized lumps in my lower back where the muscles are in permanent spasm. I am going to go to the Hughston Clinic in Columbus Georgia for an evaluation, and I am terrified. Has anyone had spinal surgery- and what was your experience like? Did it help? How about recovery time?
Lori - I had a laminectomy seven years ago - not as extensive as your surgery, but spinal surgery none the less. I had my surgery done as an emergency by a doctor I had never met because one too many doctors had told me that the pain was in my head. (I was on my third opinion) I woke up one morning unable to get out of bed-my legs wouldn't work. Had the surgery and am happy to report that I am just fine. I will have a day where I am achy, but for the most part am pain free. Get a second opinion from a neurosurgeon (not an ortho!), but don't wait too long if they all reccommend surgery!
Best of luck - you are in my prayers
Heather
I know what you mean about the inability to use your legs- after the car accident I did not know that I had broken my back- sounds silly, but even though my back was sore my neck whiplash hurt worse. Over the next couple of years my back would "go out on me" now and then and leave me bedbound for a day or two, but I figured I was using poor body mechanics. Then when I was doing dishes one day, my cat tripped me and I tried to catch myself on a barstool which flipped, and I fell across it. I was on my floor in excruciating pain for 14 hours, going in and out of consciousness d/t the pain. It took me three of those hours to inch my way to the phone jack so I could pull the phone down and call 911- I could not move my legs. I was in the hospital for over a week while the swelling in my spine went down, and gradually the feeling and movement came back. The MRI on my admit showed the fracture and herniated discs.
The thing that really p*ssed me off is that there is an egotistical orthopedic surgeon here in this little town who wanted to do surgery on my back. I had worked in surgery at the local hospital and KNEW him, and NO NO NO NO NO. The egotistical jack*ss got offended and accused me of drugseeking and not wanting to get better because I wanted to stay on drugs- when I had been refusing my pain medication routinely! *sigh*.
You all are so wonderful for sharing your stories with me. Yes, it will definately be a neurosurgeon, or at least a team that includes both a neuro and an ortho. I just wish I didn't have to go through with this. I guess in a sense I have been hoping that if I ignore it it will go away, but the pain is 8/10 about 75% of the time now.
I have to second (or third) the opinion that a neurosurgeon needs to be involved. And please, don't put this off any longer- yes, you're far too young to have all this bad stuff happening to you and to need extensive surgery, but you're WAY too young to end up paralyzed.
Do you have a surgeon who routinely does artificial disc replacements? I don't think they're that common yet; my neurosurgeon told me I'll need either an ADR or spinal fusion within the next few years- I'm going in for a discectomy next week, though, as I have severe nerve compression causing early stage paralysis in my right leg. (My herniation is actually L5-L6, and the NS thinks my unusual anatomy, combined with standing for 13 hours a day, caused the herniation and early stages of spondylolisthesis.)
I see by your sig that you work in LTC...have you thought about doing QA or Staff Development while you recover? I left my ICU job back in november before an unsuccessful hip surgery, and recently took a position as SDC at a rehab/sub-acute facility. Even with my relatively simple surgery next week, the NS said I would be out for 2-3 months if I still did bedside nursing.
I would encourage you to look at the neurology boards to ask posters for their opinions on the surgery that's been recommended to you- braintalk.org is one I visit frequently. And, as MarieLPN said, get a second (and third) opinion- I went through four ortho specialists before finally settling on an OS for my hip surgery last fall, which didn't fix half of my problems- then three more opinions that finally led me to my current NS. Especially if your surgeon is talking about ADRs for you- I'd want to make completely sure that he/she has adequate experience with this relatively new technology.
Please PM me if you ever need to talk- like I said, my surgery won't be as extensive as yours (unless they find I have no disc material at all when they get in- if that happens, I may wake up with a fusion), but I'll certainly give you my views on how recovery is going. And PLEASE take care of yourself! Had I taken my symptoms seriously last year when they started- and made the doctors LISTEN when I said I had extreme paresthesias in my right leg- I might not be facing the possibility of permanent disability. Do everything you have to do to get yourself fixed- I'll be thinking of you!
Oh wow- having it next week?!?! I will be praying for you!!! How do you manage the pain you are in? I have a TENS unit that is marginally effective, and I go through Advil and Aleve like candy (which is why my liver enzymes are 30% above normal). Narcotics tend to give me a seasick feeling, like I don't want to turn my head or move my eyes... hard to explain. I do have to take them before bed most of the time now though, or I would never sleep. Heating pads or ice packs don't work, neither do lidocaine patches.
I'm so stressed out. ... ... Guys, I am only 29 years old. I am so terrified that I am going to end up in worse pain or paralyzed. I have been desperately trying to put off the surgery, but lately the pain has increased dramatically, and I have large baseball-sized lumps in my lower back where the muscles are in permanent spasm. I am going to go to the Hughston Clinic in Columbus Georgia for an evaluation, and I am terrified. Has anyone had spinal surgery- and what was your experience like? Did it help? How about recovery time?
I have never been so frightened in my life.
Please pray for me.
Lori
Dear Lori,
You're in such a scary place, but many have been where you are, and survived, and even recovered. I wish I had referrals for you. The closest I can come up with is http://www.srs.org/locator/default.asp The procedures you're talking about are also done by scoliosis surgeons, which is why I mention this website. You might find a recommendation close to you, you could call the office and ask the nurse if they have a surgeon they can refer you to for your specific problem. You could contact this group directly and see if they have referrals: http://www.scoliosis.org/ The best spine specialists I know of are at UCSF by far. There's a specific MD in NYC who gets mentioned a lot on these websites. Look for the largest teaching hospital in your area and check out their services.
Others have already given you great advice -- get a second or third opinion -- and please try to find the best spine surgeon possible. That's why I reference the scoliosis website -- scoli surgery is pretty specialized and if not done right can lead to more pain and disability. Neurosurgeons, as others have mentioned, also do spine surgery, but there are orthopedists who specialize in the type you need (not just spinal deformities). You need the best surgeon possible because done correctly, your condition will improve and your life may even return to normal. You don't want to have to return for revision surgery in the future because the doc botched up this one.
You work in LTC? How do you do that with the lifting and moving of pts? I'm surprised your manager hasn't fired you for your back problem yet. You might have a future problem with employment if it is known that you've had back surgery. In the worst case scenario, you could potentially become unhireable into a pt care position. I'd suggest consulting with a labor attorney or specialist on labor law on how to handle your present job and future employment. You want to CYA in case of discrimination based on a perceived handicap ... I've had spinal surgery for scoliosis and have a few stories of employment physicals and one de-hire for it which really set me back ... I know you're in pain right now, but for the long term you must protect your present and future right to work, back and all. At least you weren't injured on the job or filed Workmen's Comp.
Please keep us updated. Sending good thoughts your way.
Lori, my DH had a lumbar laminectomy 3 years ago at age 41, and it was a success. His pain was better immediately after waking up, although it is a long recovery and the rehab takes a lot of patience.
He'd been having sciatica pain for several months. His doc ordered an MRI, stingy insurance company deemed it unnecessary and refused to pay. His doctor just kept prescribing Vicodin (which he rarely took -- he is very stoic) and stretching exercises.
One day, he woke up and the bed was wet. He'd lost bowel and bladder control and had numbness down his right leg with some paralysis in his foot. Finally got the MRI; turned out he had cauda equina syndrome. His doc got him hooked up with a neurosurgeon who took one look at him and admitted him for an emergent lumbar laminectomy.
The surgery was successful, but it was a long road. He was in rehab for over a year, and thanks to a wonderful incontinence center and some very patient and skilled nurses was able to regain enough bowel and bladder control to live a normal life, though with lots of bathroom breaks. He was in Depends for a few months and that was really devastating to him as a young, athletic man. In addition, his first urologist (who we promptly fired) told him he would never regain sexual function. Also, of course, devastating -- and DH proved him wrong.
He still has accidents, but they are rare, and he has some residual numbness in his foot. He still has some pain that is eased with stretching, water therapy, and occasionally steriod injections.
But he has always had a very positive attitude, refuses to sit around and feel sorry for himself. He works full time, plays golf, gardens, swims, and has a full life. The neurosurgeon later told him that in fact he'd had mild spina bifida that was never diagnosed, and the disk had been a ticking time bomb all his life.
As far as recovery time, he was back at work part-time six weeks after the surgery, but he has a desk job. He continued to have improvement in function over about a year, when things leveled off and remained what they are.
I wish you all the best with your surgery. It can help tremendously, and I will pray that yours does. {{{Hugs}}} to you. :flowersfo
I had a ruptured disc epaired in 1997, L5-S1. Surgeon (ortho) used a micro-surgery: 1 inch scar, walker out of the hospital 4 hours after the surgery (which took 45 minutes). 2 weeks bedrest, was back to work in 1 month. Best thing I ever did. I was in soooo much pain before the surgery that I was actually looking forward to it!
Try to find a doc in your area that does micro surgery.
You work in LTC? How do you do that with the lifting and moving of pts? I'm surprised your manager hasn't fired you for your back problem yet. You might have a future problem with employment if it is known that you've had back surgery. In the worst case scenario, you could potentially become unhireable into a pt care position. I'd suggest consulting with a labor attorney or specialist on labor law on how to handle your present job and future employment. You want to CYA in case of discrimination based on a perceived handicap ... I've had spinal surgery for scoliosis and have a few stories of employment physicals and one de-hire for it which really set me back ... I know you're in pain right now, but for the long term you must protect your present and future right to work, back and all. At least you weren't injured on the job or filed Workmen's Comp.
Please keep us updated. Sending good thoughts your way.
Thank you so much for your concern- I do work in LTC, I'm the night shift supervisor. I don't have to lift or transfer residents (thank goodness). When applying for the job I was very honest about my back problems, which they appreciated. I've also proven that I won't abuse worker's comp- a few months ago, a resident was falling and I automatically caught them and lowered them to the floor, injuring myself in the process. I was out of work for two nights while the swelling in my back went down, but I refused to file for worker's comp. I told them that I knew my limitations and I exceeded them, and I take full responsibility for that.
I want to thank everyone for sharing your stories with me and for your concern and prayers. I've really gotten some great advice. I hoep that my outcome is as good as the ones you've shared! I just want to stop hurting.
Way back in the begining I was told, back surgery isn't intended to cure back pain. It is done to reduce nerve/cord compression and provide structural stability. And in that regard I will say that every one of my back surgeries was successful. Following each surgery I had marked improvement in neuro function and a significant reduction in neuro pain. And I was able to go back to work.
However, my spine problems are congenital and progressive I've had to go back over and over again to have work done at new levels as they failed, so my repeated surgeries is not a reflection on the competence of my surgeons.
I last had surgery in January to clean up a couple disks abovethe fusion and to remove a screw & trim down a rod.
In 13 years since this all started I have always been able to change the direction of my career to areas that I was physically able to do. I was working full time despite spending most of my time in a wheelchair in the 2 years leading up to the 2004 surgery.
At this point, after 2 years off work I'm bored out of my mind.
So I'm giving the SSD return to work program a try and have been taking a bunch of 1-3 day cert/re-cert classes as resume builders. I plan to start looking for a job in earnest the end of May.
I do have pain and always will, I have a mild spinal cord injury that manifests itself as mild to moderate radicular pain and spasicity. Thanks to a really good pain management program I spend most of my time with only minor pain. If things get bad it's usually because I did to much and it is relieved with short acting meds, heat and rest.
...I've also proven that I won't abuse worker's comp- a few months ago, a resident was falling and I automatically caught them and lowered them to the floor, injuring myself in the process. I was out of work for two nights while the swelling in my back went down, but I refused to file for worker's comp. I told them that I knew my limitations and I exceeded them, and I take full responsibility for that.
These comments are a bit off your original topic, and I don't want to start another thread, but I have to say something ... this subject bothers me.
This is the kicker about Workmen's Comp -- its purpose is to compensate workers for workplace injuries, and be a red flag regarding worker's safety if an industry or place of employment has too many claims. But in real life, if you make a claim, it goes on a national database (I think) that is a permanent record, which HR depts, esp. in high injury/risk occupations like nursing, probably do search before offering a position to an applicant. (And this begs the question of how OSHA has been gutted in recent years, making enforcement of unsafe workplaces nonexistent ...) It is "safer" applying for workmen's comp is you work in a union hospital -- management has a harder time retaliating against those who file a claim -- but the incident is still on the permanent database which follows you if you change jobs.
Nursing is notorious for blaming the nurse/NA for injuries: "oh, you weren't using proper body mechanics!" And nurses will blame themselves for any injuries. Dinosaur nursing management mentality blames staff for their own injuries. This isn't good. In male dominated occupations you don't see this self-blame or reticence about filing claims, just nursing. There are states trying to get mandatory lift teams (CA is one, but I think their last attempt failed, I don't remember). Some more forward-thinking hospitals will get lift teams as a means to market themselves to nurses. I've noticed more articles in the mainstream nursing press about the need for more lift teams, &c, as the workforce ages. My response is, we've always needed them, maybe there wouldn't be so many permanently injured middle aged nurses out there, or so many RETIRED injured middle aged nurses out there who didn't have help available, they became injured, they filed claims, were terminated and blacklisted.
You are lucky to have management who let you work there in spite of your back problem, however. I hope you can continue to work after surgery, or maybe move into management yourself, so that you can stay employed. I've had back surgery and do this dance around HR preemployment physicals and nosy managers. I can't stand it but have no choice but to play it until I get out of grad school ....
i'm so stressed out. six years ago i broke my back in a car accident- between l4-5 and l5-s1. since then i have been doing everything possible to avoid back surgery. i've had massive amounts of steroids, manual realignments under fluoroscopy, three epidurals, over three dozen steroid disc injections... nothing has worked and i am in pain every single day. i won't take pain meds when i work, only when i get home (otherwise i hurt too badly to sleep). i have been told that i have to have surgery. pretty extensive surgery. i have four herniated discs two of which are stenotic, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease. the surgery they have proposed involves frontal and dorsal incisions, removal/replacement of the four discs, a plate, rod, and 12-18 screws. guys, i am only 29 years old. i am so terrified that i am going to end up in worse pain or paralyzed. i have been desperately trying to put off the surgery, but lately the pain has increased dramatically, and i have large baseball-sized lumps in my lower back where the muscles are in permanent spasm. i am going to go to the hughston clinic in columbus georgia for an evaluation, and i am terrified. has anyone had spinal surgery- and what was your experience like? did it help? how about recovery time?
i have never been so frightened in my life.
please pray for me.
lori
lori,
for 3 years i have been fighting just what you have been describing with my l5-s1.
on feb, 10, 2006 i had them fused together. after the 3 days of morifine, then change pain meds to pills and started moving in hospital 4 days. then on your back for another 2 at least. but could tell a big difference after 1 week.
i still had paid from the insision site and being sore with the muscles having to be cut.but you can tell it's a different kind of pain.
i started pt 3 weeks ago and am doing much better, have cut down on pain meds, wearing a back brace, still have very restricted orders. not unable to bend. need to make sure you have support you will need the help. but even though i still have to log roll and not bend, pick up anything heavy ect. all the things you have already avoiding anyways. i feel so much better.
if you would want to talk i have cingular free to cingular cust. or free min. after 7pm cst. send me a pm if you want to talk or have me call u back.
good luck and i wish the best for you, and totally understand all of your fears. btw i am 34 w/ a 2 1/2 yr. old. baby. it can be done.
angie
ps i know there are some spelling errors. sorry. pt really pushed me today pain is over coming me not to mention no sleep last noc.
i am in process of downloading the spell check for here but want to get this posted.
LoriAlabamaRN
955 Posts
I know what you mean about the inability to use your legs- after the car accident I did not know that I had broken my back- sounds silly, but even though my back was sore my neck whiplash hurt worse. Over the next couple of years my back would "go out on me" now and then and leave me bedbound for a day or two, but I figured I was using poor body mechanics. Then when I was doing dishes one day, my cat tripped me and I tried to catch myself on a barstool which flipped, and I fell across it. I was on my floor in excruciating pain for 14 hours, going in and out of consciousness d/t the pain. It took me three of those hours to inch my way to the phone jack so I could pull the phone down and call 911- I could not move my legs. I was in the hospital for over a week while the swelling in my spine went down, and gradually the feeling and movement came back. The MRI on my admit showed the fracture and herniated discs.
The thing that really p*ssed me off is that there is an egotistical orthopedic surgeon here in this little town who wanted to do surgery on my back. I had worked in surgery at the local hospital and KNEW him, and NO NO NO NO NO. The egotistical jack*ss got offended and accused me of drugseeking and not wanting to get better because I wanted to stay on drugs- when I had been refusing my pain medication routinely! *sigh*.
You all are so wonderful for sharing your stories with me. Yes, it will definately be a neurosurgeon, or at least a team that includes both a neuro and an ortho. I just wish I didn't have to go through with this. I guess in a sense I have been hoping that if I ignore it it will go away, but the pain is 8/10 about 75% of the time now.