fdorgham

Hello everyone, I need some advice. I have congenital spinal stenosis in multiple areas throughout my spine which was discovered in 2010 because I was losing sensation in my hands and they would feel like pins and needles as if they were asleep. I have permanent nerve damage to both of my legs and have to get nerve root blocks every 6 months to a year to ease the pain because I refuse to live on pain pills. It has affected my balance as well, causing instability with turning/pivoting. This last time I went to my spinal specialist, they told me again that I need surgery on my lower lumbar due to severe breakdown at L3-S1 which was causing inflammation and as a result, speeding up the stenosis (which is a progressive issue). They said, "We will do the nerve root blocks again but if it doesn't last this time, you are gonna have to have this surgery." Here's my thing.... I've cared for many patients who've had the surgery and suffered from very severe nerve damage as a result of the surgery and I am SCARED!!!! I've seen two specialists and they both said that with my diagnosis, I will wind up in a wheelchair but they don't know how long it will be, roughly. Hell, having this surgery could very well PUT me there quicker than I would make it there myself. I was told that I needed to change my career because pushing a med cart around was tearing me apart, so to speak. I've since gotten a much better, lower impact job working night shift and the med pass is such that I do not push a cart around anymore. I'm just flat out SCARED!!! I know the spinal specialist can't MAKE me get the surgery. They'd just decide not to treat me anymore, probably. Should I have the surgery or should I hold off? I should also mention that I've begun a weight-loss journey which I know will positively impact my health. Do any of you have experience with spinal patients? Can you give me an idea of how good or bad they came through the procedure? Any information or advice would be appreciated. Thank you all!

I've been through similar problems. I was actually put in speech therapy a few years because of it. The wonderful thing is that you succeeded despite it all and are now a nurse. And true to nursing, you wish to protect and care for your patients. If that means taking meds to help center and focus your mind, so be it! Kudos to you for facing the stigma and taking care of YOU and your PATIENTS!

I've had this feeling before that lasted for periods of time. I was diagnosed with congenital spinal stenosis. Could be related.

***In addition to the ones listed, I find myself using RRR (regular rate & rhythm) fairly often.***

Oh my goodness... All that pain... All that suffering... All of it d/t the fact that we have such a hard time letting go... In that moment, I don't want to suffer and I don't want my loved ones to suffer with me. That is so heartbreakingly sad.

Hah! I love this!! If there are any job openings, let me in on it! What a way to keep things interesting!

One of the CNA's I work with compared the smell to formaldehyde.

I've got to throw my two-cents in here. Yes, there is a smell. It is certainly not something imagined. It is so strong and sweet and overpowering to the point where it gets in your clothes! I've had the smell in my clothes and it wouldn't wash out. We had a pt who seemed to be taking a turn for the better. She wanted to get out of bed and was wheeled around the facility by staff and family but walking behind her, you could smell it. It was sad because you KNEW it was coming. She died 2 days later. Another oddity... It seems that a cat (never the same one) shows up at the front or back door about 3 or 4 days before someone dies and no matter how hard we try to keep it out, it makes its way in and curls around staffs legs and loves on everyone. The last two times it happened, we had 2 pts die the first time and 3 pts die the second time! We never thought to let it wander down the hallway and see where it ended up. I think that would be a little too much for me! Any similar happenings?