Discogram Scheduled This Week!

[WPKat]

My discogram is scheduled for this Thursday, April 8th. I am actually looking forward to it now ... not because I have a screw loose , I know it's going to hurt ... but I really need the information it will provide.

I have read and re-read my MRIs serveral times and I have spent countless hours researching all the terms and conditions noted, but I learned something new today from my pain specialist. Since my husband has asked a lot of questions regarding the discogram and my condition, I thought it would best if he came with me so he could ask my pain specialist the questions directly.

She told him that my L4/L5 disc is bulging posteriorily and is part of why I have severe lateral recess and foraminal stenosis at that level. Even more newsworthy ... my annular tear is located there as well. Among other things, the discogram will be able to determine if anything is leaking out of the tear and then whether or not it is leaking directly onto my spinal nerves. I knew I had a prominent annular tear at that level, but I didn't realize where it was located and what that could mean.

I also need to know which discs are the actual pain generators. Although the pain specialist is reasonably sure that L4/L5 is a big culprit, the real question is what other discs chime in as well.

I am looking forward to getting the results!

Cross your fingers for me!

K

[Katie]

Good luck, in spades!

I'm glad that you are moving forward with this, especially since you have so many questions needing answers. We brought a digital recorder into every appointment because I am always questioning what was really said a day or two later. Hubby has never missed an appointment either, as he is able to keep the emotions out of the meetings. He has a mind like a steel trap.....

I asked Dr. Pimenta about the good and bad points of the discogram, as I had one last year that said four discs were positive for pain, and he was only wanting to do two or three (depending on what he found when he went inside).

He said that discograms can quite often give a false positive by putting pressure on/inside the discs and on the nerves as the discs swell, especially if an excess of fluid is injected, even a tiny bit. Just something to ask your doctor.

Fingers crossed that you have very little pain and that it is over quickly.

[WPKat]

Good luck, in spades!

I'm glad that you are moving forward with this, especially since you have so many questions needing answers. We brought a digital recorder into every appointment because I am always questioning what was really said a day or two later. Hubby has never missed an appointment either, as he is able to keep the emotions out of the meetings. He has a mind like a steel trap.....

I asked Dr. Pimenta about the good and bad points of the discogram, as I had one last year that said four discs were positive for pain, and he was only wanting to do two or three (depending on what he found when he went inside).

He said that discograms can quite often give a false positive by putting pressure on/inside the discs and on the nerves as the discs swell, especially if an excess of fluid is injected, even a tiny bit. Just something to ask your doctor.

Fingers crossed that you have very little pain and that it is over quickly.

Thanks Katie!

My husband has to save his time off for my procedures and surgeries. He is taking Thursday off and will be home with me on Friday too. Today was actually the first time he officially met my pain specialist (out of her scrubs) and was able to sit and talk with her. He found her to be very patient and informative. She answered all of his questions to his satisfaction ... and ... he likes her as much as I do!

We talked about the results. She said that the radiologist who reads the cat scan, which is done immediately afterwards, will provide an objective, third party opinion. Between the two, the results are more reliable. Of course, nothing is perfect ... including an MRI. She said a disc can look really bad on an MRI, but not be a pain generator. In turn, a disc that doesn't look all that bad can be a big pain generator. The goal of the discogram is to essentially weed out the good from the bad and find the main pain generators. But again, it's not perfect.

And of course, let's not forget about my bad facets and severe stenosis.

My leg pain has increased dramatically over the past month. I am waking up numerous times and not sleeping well at all because of it. She bumped me up from 1300 MG to 2400 MG of Gabapentin (Neurontin) today. Of course, I will slowly increase my dosage until I reach a level that calms my leg pain down to a dull roar (per her instructions).

I am not letting any mold grow under my feet. I am tired of relentless back and leg pain. In order to move forward, I have been told that I absolutely must have the discogram done first. So, OK, I'm marking it off my list and moving on. Whatever it takes!

How are you doing Katie?

K

[ajj1001]

My discogram is scheduled for this Thursday, April 8th. I am actually looking forward to it now ... not because I have a screw loose , I know it's going to hurt ... but I really need the information it will provide.

Hope it goes well and isn't too painful. I know about the looking forward to it thing as I'm in the same boat. I'm still waiting for the resheduled date for mine. At least I'll get a fresh verdict on how it was from you first. Will be thinking of you.

[Justin]

Kathleen,

Good luck on Thursday! We will be thinking good thoughts for you.

[WPKat]

Hope it goes well and isn't too painful. I know about the looking forward to it thing as I'm in the same boat. I'm still waiting for the resheduled date for mine. At least I'll get a fresh verdict on how it was from you first. Will be thinking of you.

Thanks Alison!

I will report back and let you know what to expect.

I sure wish they would hurry up and schedule yours. It's hard to believe that it's taking them so long. I'm amazed and disgusted that you have to wait when you are in pain. I believe that should matter and make a difference in their scheduling priority.

Because I am now on Social Security Disability, I will automatically be enrolled in Medicaid in 24 months. I don't want it. There are very few doctors in Alaska that accept it. My Mom received a letter in the mail from her doctor on her birthday firing her as a patient because she was now on Medicaid. Although she has other medical insurance, Medicaid takes priority.

She cannot get in with my pain specialist because they are not accepting new Medicaid patients and has been referred to a physician assistant instead. I am appauled as she has a complicated spine problem and needs a doctor that specializes in pain management - not a PA. I'm not against seeing PA's, but not for highly specialized medical problems. I also feel like I better hurry up and fix my back problems now before I am forced into Medicaid and all my doctors off base fire me.

I am not making a political statement here either, simply making a real life observation about the harsh realities of being forced into Medicaid - at least here in Alaska.

I hope you get a date soon Alison, you've waited long enough!

K

[linda]

Hey K,
I hope your procedure goes well tomorrow and that you only have the one bad disc and not more. Can't wait to hear how it goes.
Good Luck!
Linda

[WPKat]

Hey K,
I hope your procedure goes well tomorrow and that you only have the one bad disc and not more. Can't wait to hear how it goes.
Good Luck!
Linda

Thanks Linda,

Just read a post about someone who had it done and didn't flinch when she said she screamed at the top of her lungs. Well ... I guess I am "emotionally ready to bite the bullet," before such comments made me sweet bullets and run for the hills - no kidding!

I know I have to have it done and I am at peace with it. Of course ... I have plenty of meds on hand for when the lidocane wears off. My pain specialist said I'm going to need it.

K

[scduggan]

Dear K,
Good luck tomorrow! You will do really well. It will be over before you know it....I'm not just saying that to make you feel better. I can say with complete honesty that the anticipation was the worst part. You have had so much junk to deal with already. This is a huge step in getting you better. Cannot wait to hear how it goes.
CD

[WPKat]

Reporting back ... fresh from the Discogram table:

80 AM: I filled out the usual paperwork, but this time around I was handed a badge containing my new nickname, "Lady Bug." Because of HIPAA laws, they avoid using our real first or last names. I got a good chuckle out of that one. I think I'll try it out for a while and see if it sticks

8:15 AM: Lady Bug is called into the prep area. I was excited to see Iva because she has a rare and unique ability to perfectly slide in an IV with zero pain. Now having been brutalized by people who just cannot for the life of them get the IV in without multiple pokes and rooting around to find a vain, I appreciate Iva's talents and praise her for once again doing a perfect, painless job.

8:20 AM: Iva said there was a change of protocol because of my fatal allergy to Ancef, a more powerful antibiotic had to be used. It is thick, needs a big vain and will sting going in. At least half of it has to be in my system before we can start. Okay, Iva, bring it on. As luck would have it, I never felt a thing. So now I feel I'm on a roll as the day is already starting off in my favor

As the minutes tick by, instead of growing increasingly more anxious, I thought about how many of you have been through this procedure. Honestly, I gained a lot of strength from it.

90ish: Alrighty then, time to get a move on. It took two folks to figure out how to unlock the special recliner chair and bring it back up to the seated position. Chad said we needed to be careful not to let it go into "lift off" mode - now that was quick witted and I laughed as they escorted me into the procedural room. It looks a lot like a surgical room, but has specialized equipment and is far less scarey looking.

I'm still not nervous ... amazing ... normally I would be trembling with anxiety, waiting in anticipation for what was to come ... my calmness is weird, but a welcomed relief.

They directed me to lie on my stomach with a pillow under my stomach. My face has a special spot of its own - a rectangular hole. I asked where the screen saver was that I requested last time because starring at the floor is just so incredibly boring. It was unanimous ... they agreed it was an excellent ideal! They took my glasses off, being blind as a bat without them, I can't even waste time counting the spots on the floor. Can I have a poster at least?

As they worked at connecting me to all the monitors, they iodined my entire back exactly 3 times (must be a magic number or OCD at work). They then draped special cloths ... virtually encasing my entire body in a tent to create a sterile environment of which I could not peek from down under. I talked to my new found friend, Claudia, who just so happens would be controlling all the pain medications for the day.

My pain specialist came into the room, although I was still starring at the floor and under my tent, I recognized her voice. I made sure to say a proper hello to Doctor B. She rubbed my back and asked if I was ready to get started. Yes, let's get this ball rolling.

Having done my research, I knew I was in for a special brand of pain, so I had a plan. I asked my new friend, Claudia, if she wouldn't mind holding my hand and talking to me while Dr. B worked her magic. Being a kind soul, she didn't hesitate to hold on to my hand. I start telling her about all the different folks I have communicated with on the Forum. She was quite impressed that one existed and was quite interested to hear individual stories. No worries, I didn't mentioned anyone's name ... just the basics on what each person I knew had been through.

So as I am talking away, given only enough pain medication to believe it might take the edge off, I suddenly yelped loudly as a bolt of lightening shot through my right leg. I stopped talking, focused all my efforts on forcing my body to relax, then remembered I was suppose to enhale and exhale. I then reported to Doctor B exactly what and where I felt pain. Doctor B knew she could continue her work when I began where I left off in telling a story. In retrospect, it's amazing that I remembered where I had left off, but I continued on with the story exactly where I had left off until another jolt stopped me in my tracks ... swear words popped out (which I promptly apologized for) and a fair amount of whimpering ... but I repeated my established routine ... yelp, focused relaxation, inhale/exhale, report exactly what I felt and where ... and start telling a story precisely where I left off.

I was a bit dismayed to learn that she had just finished inserting the needles. I thought we were a lot further along. Okay, my eyes filled with tears and I prayed that God would give me the strength to get through the rest. I asked Claudia for more (pain medication) and as long as 5 minutes had past, she honored my request. Now ... I never knew how long 5 minutes could be.

I took a deep breath and I began my story telling again and as Doctor B inserted the dye, I screamed this time around ... my right leg felt as if it had gone to war ... but being the determined, stubborn person that I am, I stuck to my strategy with all my might. I did a lot of apologizing for whatever popped out of my mouth, but thinking back on it now, it wasn't bad considering my situation. Claudia held firmly onto my hand and Doctor B said I was doing excellent ... really? I thought I was being a big fat baby

My strategy kept me sane and on the table. I told several stories and Claudia was so impressed with the struggles and stength of everyone on the Forum whose story I told. I want you all to know I am impressed and inspired as well.

Doctor B is one smart lady, she rotated which disc she worked on so there was little chance I knew where she was at (but I was too busy telling a story to know where she was at anyway). It turns out that the biggest pain generator is L3/L4 (not L4/L5). Although it did not appear on any of my 5 MRIs, L3/L4 has an annular tear leaking anteriorly. L4/L5 is not out of the equation, however, because the prominent posterior annular tear IS leaking directly onto my spinal nerves. Well, that sure explains a lot. I am not sure what is going on with L5/S1 because Doctor B had to do an additional disc at L2/L3 to find a normal disc. What a HUGE difference, night and day. There is no faking it in my opinion.

Doctor B finished by injecting Lidocane into my discs and Claudia gave me a generous shot of Toradol. I spent 15 minutes - give or take - in the recovery room. I then had to go downstairs for the Catscan. I spent more time waiting for the disc then the Catscan took. I was afraid the Lidocane would wear off before they got done.

I have to admit, it did smart a lot after the Toradol and Lidocane wore off, but I was prepared for that. I am fine and so glad that I bit the bullet and had it done. I know more about what's wrong with my back ... and knowledge is power !!!

Thanks for all the support, inspiration and strength that help me through this!

Kathleen