Hi there
I've been reading so much helpful advice on previous posts, I thought I'd ask for some advice from people who really understand!
I have been suffering with prolapsed disc L5/S1 as a result of giving birth to a big baby (9lb2oz) in may this year. I had siatica and back pain about 2months prior to the birth but was told this was normal in pregnancy and would pass when the baby was born. Never have I been more mid-guided! For 4months now I have severe leg pain on my right side. It was initally both legs but has since improved to one leg! I have been on amitriptaline, diclofenic, co-drydamol and now on tramadol which seems to work best though only a little relief!
I have had an MRI back in June and have had one epidural injection but it showed no improvement at all. I have now changed from seeing an orthopaedic specialist to a neurosurgeon as I have been advised it is better.
I am stuggling hugely to keep going with the amount of pain I'm in. I have to have help every day from my mother in law to look after my 4month old baby boy and after all the physio, painkillers and positive encouragement from well meaning family, I have hit rock bottom and feel a discectomy is the only way forward now.
I would really appreciate any advise from anyone because to make matters worse the hospital I was referred to for the neurosurgeon lost my referral, so for a month I was left waiting for an appointment that wasn't happening! When I found out about their error last week, I made a fuss and the earliest appointment they could give me was 1st Oct but not with the specialist the Gp asked for but with a newly qualified surgeon. I was in bits so my kind mother in law is paying for me to see the specialist privately this fri (he is also nhs). I'm ever so grateful and glad to be seeing him but worried where this will leave me if needing operation on nhs (as cant afford private and not for insurance). Does anyone have experience with this? I'm desparate to be a normal mum and function so I can take care of my baby. What is crazy is that my referal was 'urgent' and 4 months down the line still in tons of pain. Can hardly bear to be in along waiting list if surgery is needed.
Sorry for long post. Any advice or guidance is massively appreciated!
Thanks
Sali 🙂
Anyone???!!!
Hi from one Sally to another
if you DO need surgery there is no need to be worried. I had similar surgery done 15 years . You need to be clear what the other options are tho. YOU need to make an informed decision about what is bets for YOU. It is YOUR body and you have the right to decide what it done to it.
A neurosurgeon is definitely better than an orthopaedic surgeon imo. I had a neurosurgeon - at the time I worked for the nhs and had more choice than normal people. Plus I had access to ore information too.
But have tried an osteopath? They can get extraordinary results sometimes and you can get a referral on the NHS. But if you need surgery don't worry. It can have a magical effect
Hi Sali
I will be thinking of you this afternoon and send you some absent healing, I hope that you find it helpful... do hope things work out for you very soon, whatever choices you need to make... off to work on you and hope it helps, T 🙂
I have just had the op L5-S1 Disectomy
Hi Sali, I had the op Wednesday 19th Sept, back home 20th Sept, Mr McLaren Surgeon QA, Portsmouth, Leg pain gone, slight numbness to right leg and little toe, able to do all the excercises given by physio and walking 15 mins each day. my verdict is the right choice was to have the op, my pain was constant and nothing helped. I have read too much contradicting reports, seems the people it failed for write more than the sucess stories, credit where credit due, my care was excellent, advice accurate and helpful. NHS route took too long but that is my only critism. hope this helps. Malc
Great to hear some reassuring replies. I think that what is scary is the amount of negative stuff on the net about discectomies but there are success stories out there. I have come to the end of my tether and after seeing neurosurgeon last Friday, have decided to go ahead with surgery. He told me waiting list was 4-6 weeks, which was surprisingly pleasing considering how much I've been messed about with nhs so far. I think he ultimately decides who he sees and when, so I hope to have a date soon and not get messed around with annoying call centres and booking systems that the nhs seem to constantly screw up for me!! I have faith in the NHS but in my experience to date, it seems to fall down on the administration side!
MalcMc - how long were you suffering with leg pain befor you had the op? I hope things aren't too late for me and 4 and half months isn't too long to make a recovery after surgery. any advice for recovery post op? You sound like you're making great progress as only 5 days ago. I hope this continues for you.
Sali 🙂
)))Sorry for long post. Any advice or guidance is massively appreciated!
Thanks
Sali 🙂
(((
Hello SalliMali
And welcome to the world of back pain!
A world of lies, deciept, eneptitude, dis-informormation and broken promises!
Dont get me wrong, as you will see from some of the more recent threads, there is hope, some Surgeons are as good as their word, but trust me they are in the minority and other posts showing this, are also to be found on this site, in abundance. So please take a few days looking deeper at the HP back pain section.
First up Salimali, Please, Please, Please, do not consider invasive and destructive open back surgical procedures, as you first choice treatment plan!!
Consult with an Osteopath, Chiropractor or other non-invasive Therapists such as Bowens and Alexander practitioners?
Please do it now!!
If this episode is your first back pain experience, you must realise that a lot of early onset back pain will, in time, resolve itself. So dont be to keen for surgery. moreover, there is still a chance that your condition is baby related, and will subside with time, so dont be hasty. Get a therapists advice first!
I know it seems a long time to wait, but the time frame you have been given seems quite quick for Spinal Consultants! Im still waiting after 7 years +.
In my experience (3 nerve root block injections and 1 epidural) if a first epidural or nerve root bock does not work, it usually means that it was injected in to the wrong target area, which in turn suggests to me, that the diagnosis is not quite right! This is not as unusual as it sounds SaliMali, for example, I have also had 6 standard tunnel type MRI scans in the last 8 years, during this time, 6 Radiologists, 2 Orthpeadic Surgeons and 3 Spinal Surgeons failed to correctly diagnose my condition! This meant that for7 years I went untreated, mistreatment and was refused treatment, as my health deteriorated.
Please dont by the fooled by the old Neurosurgeon vs Orthopaedicsurgeon soft shoe shuffle. Some people will tell you that Nueros do the nerves and the Orthpaeds do the bones, but trust me, when it comes to Spinal work they pretty much always do the same work (barring specific complications). You see SaliMali Spinal Surgery in the UK does not have its own faculty or hospitals. Spinal work is
carved up almost as a sideline by these 2 types of Surgeons.
In addition SaliMali, there is no available information (for patients) from the NHS, regarding the safety, complications or effectiveness of any open back procedures such as microdiscectomy, Laminectomy and Fusion. So you must be very careful about the information you receive and research them to see if they are factual.
Kind regards and best of luck
SPINELF
Sail, Malc Mc reply
Hi Sali, I was in pain for just over a year and walking with a stick in the end, I had tried various different options, Physio (got worse) Accupuncture while this gave me relief it was no cure and very expensive, my progress has been remarkable, I now walk upright again, I am not 100% painfree but getting there the numbness is going, I was advised this was likely to take time to heal, staples out 1.10.2012, I am then hopful to get back to work (office based) which if all go's to plan will be under two weeks from op, I consider that a sucess, I never listened to the doom and gloom just focused on the positives. ps I was told 4-6 weeks in and out in 4 weeks, once I got to the end of the queue the system worked. Best of luck whatever you chose, all I am doing is following the laid down excercise plan, please let me know how you get on. best regards Malc.
Thank you so much for replies.
Spinelf - thank you for encouraging me to try all conservative and other therapies before surgery. You are very knowledgeable I can see and thank you for your support. I have too tried acupunture, seen an osteopath, had physio for 5months and been on tons of painkillers, one failed epidural, so I have taken the leap and going for the surgery.
I am aware of the differing opinions and stories regarding disectomies but can't take the pain any longer and want to have a chance of being an active new mum that I am unable to be at the moment. I am also scared of leaving it any longer and suffering with permanent nerve damage, which feels me with dread. I have read about the procedures at the spinal foundation but unfortunately on the wage of a teacher or maternity leave, I could never afford it.
MalcMc - thanks for giving me more details on your recovery and I'm glad to hear things are going well for you. I hope you start work ok soon.
I have a date for my op - 9th October, so like you, after being somewhat stuck in the nhs database, I'm now being taken seriously and being viewed as the 'urgent' case I was referred as originally.
I am nervous but feel it is the route for me now. I'll let you know how I get on.
Sali 🙂
I am also scared of leaving it any longer and suffering with permanent nerve damage, which feels me with dread. I have read about the procedures at the spinal foundation but unfortunately on the wage of a teacher or maternity leave, I could never afford it.
Hiya SaliMali
I am so glad to see that you have done your home work, calculated your experiences and arrived at a decision you understand and accept. Because of the way the UK spinal care system is set up and where the decision making powers lay 'you could do no more'
I sincerely wish you the very best of success with your Surgery on the 9th.
Please keep in touch with updates, we are all here in support.
Kind regards
SPINELF
Thank you for your well wishes Spinelf. Although very nervous, I do indeed feel like this is the only avenue available for me to go down. I will post how I get on. Thank you for the support.
Sali