New to this forum and am sick of my LBP and sussing out surgical options for relief

[jencolemanstone]

Hi all,
I stumbled upon this forum whilst researching a way of getting myself out of this painful situation i am in and I was amazed that there are so many people out there goign thru the wsame stuff as me- and found out that i have a new title 'a spiney'! i read that someone wrote that you have to be a spiney to understand a spiney and I feel that this forum has so much to offer.

Lets get the boring bits/history out of the way - I have had lower back pain for 10years and have DDD, a major prolapse of L4-5 couple of yrs ago- the disc broke off and pushed on nerve giving excrutiating pain, entirely numb left leg, couldnt move so 3 y.o brought me the phone and i called the ambulance while 18 month old was screaming from cot- pretty traumatic stuff! it forced me to have a discectomy on that disc and post op i was able to lay flat for first time in years and sneeze/cough without too much pain! Post -op I took it slow, got a nanny to live in and help with kids for 3 months (hubby works away alot), did all the right things....but 1 yr later my L5S1 disc popped out, responded to cortizone injection for a bit but now both discs feel buggered...the only way i can get thru my days is not to do too much (i can manage hydrotherapy in heated pool with physio)- i used to exercise and be really fit but now a walk to the shops lays me out....this is frustrating with a 3 and 4 year old not being able to ever lift them or dive off the side of the pool or under a wave at the beach (as an Aussie this is unthinkable!!). SO, as a 37 yo i feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel as my discs look so buggered on MRI and i feel fusion or disc replacement is my only option to getting to a pain-free life and not being a cranky mum- oh and really want a 3rd baby but my poor body could not cope. so any advice on
- fusion vs disc replacement
- whether you can get pregnant after disc replacement?
- should i wait until newer technology comes to australia as only options here are fusion or disc replacement?

My dr is Tim Steel- top neuro at St Vincents Sydney- anyone know any other aust based neuro for 2nd opinion?

so, hi all, thanks for making me welcome and i hope you are all feeling ok today!
cheers, jen

[Justin]

Hi Jen,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society.

so any advice on
- fusion vs disc replacement
- whether you can get pregnant after disc replacement?
- should i wait until newer technology comes to australia as only options here are fusion or disc replacement?

There is a lot of great advice regarding spine surgery that can be found in the Spine Patient Society Forums, Patient Education Section (which includes literature to read and videos about everything spine), etc.

In regard to pregnancy after artificial disc replacement: one of our Moderators, kbear (her SPS Profile is here), just gave birth to a beautiful boy (Eli) after having an artificial disc placed in 2009. She is doing great and is such a great resource for Spine Patient around the world.

Once again, welcome and feel free to reach out to SPS Members--everyone is so very helpful here and truly understand what you are going through.