Not Yet Recovered

[cbflores10]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Chris and I had a discectomy at the end of 2009 right before Christmas. It was deemed an emergency due to numbness that slowly started taking over my leg. The injury came about while I was trying to break up a fight that my friends got into and in the process I was assaulted and kicked in my back. I had previous back problems before from a nasty car accident so I thought the pain would go away but it didn't.

I gave it two days before I went to the emergency room and they did an x-ray and told me that I just had a muscle strain and prescribed me vicodin and muscle relaxes. Obviously the pain got worse due to the moving around and I became bed ridden. The next day my foot started to get numb and I just thought it was a side effect from taking too many pain meds. Then I realized it wasn't normal as the numbness crept up my leg and went to my waist. I was unable to drive so I had to wait for a ride to back to the emergency room. When I got back there I told them what happened with numbness and they immediately did an MRI and told me I had a slipped disc. Since the numbness was so severe they immediately did the surgery. Almost four hours later they were done and I woke up in horrible pain but the problem had been fixed. I was in the hospital for five days and it took me over a month to even walk decently with a walker.

It was been almost two years since my surgery and I still have issues in regards to it. I still have a lot of numbness throughout my leg, foot, butt, and other private areas. The doctors said that it is a grey area on the recovery of sensation because nerve damage is hard to gauge and that it grow back in millimeters. Since I have an HMO health plan I have trouble getting referrals and I still have many questions that need to be answered. Like will this numbness ever go away or do I just live with it? Will I ever be able to have children since this injury greatly affected that area as well.

I just recently started going to the gym as well because I was gaining weight and I can feel it putting pressure on my back. I am down 13 pounds now and I am feeling better but the harder I try, it seems like the less I feel normal. I can barely stand on my tippie toes and I cramp really bad all the time. I have tried taking vitamin supplements to help with the cramping but it hasn't helped.

I am glad that I found this community and I hope I can learn from everyone on here and I hope that maybe some of my questions can be answered or at least pointed in the right direction to find answers.

[ajj1001]

Hi and welcome Chris, sounds like you could do with a fresh medical assessment and some answers. Hope you are successful in getting a referral.

Alison x

[Katie]

Welcome from Canada as well Chris. I'm sorry you are still suffering and hope you can get this resolved soon. What levels of your spine are affected and where did you have surgery, city wise, if you don't mind answering?

Some of the best advice coming from here includes getting more opinions, including from international surgeons. You don't necessarily have to plan on traveling, but they can give you new eyes on your issues and enable you to tap into some of the best in the world, and some don't charge a cent for their consult. You can find their contact information in the International forum here. I had to travel to Brazil last year for three levels, and am extremely happy with the outcome.

Hope to chat again soon, and if you need any help, feel free to 'bug' as much as you like That's what we're here for, especially those of us who have already had relief...we are 'paying it forward' for all the help we received when we needed it the most.

[cbflores10]

Katie,

What do you mean by what levels of my spine are affected? My surgery was done in California at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, CA. I had a few follow ups after the surgery but the answers I got all seemed a bit vague.

It's nice to know that I can communicate with others that have had spine issues because it's hard sometimes to get family and friends to understand. I am thankful for the help that I have already received from the replies and I will definitely be looking into getting different opinions and seeking out the international forum as well.

[KanRunMo]

Welcome to SPS, Chris. I'm sorry to hear about your accident and following surgery. First, talk with your primary care doctor about some of the issues you mentioned. Write down your questions and don't let them get out of the room until you get some answers or at least a referral to an orthopedic doctor. If you can find an orthopedic doctor who specializes in spines and spine injuries they probably could help you the most.

[Pbchoclovr]

Chris,

Welcome!Like everyone else, sorry to hear about the troubles you're having. The others have given great advice. Since you're having numbness related to possible nerve issues, another option you could consider is seeking out a referral to a neurosurgeon who does back issues. An orthopedic surgeon, as suggested by the others, is also a good option. I actually had referrals to both and ended up going with the neurosurgeon. Whichever route you go, keep asking questions until you feel comfortable with the doctor. Don't be afraid to seek out multiple opinions or switch doctors if you're not satisfied. Hope you're able to get some answers.

Linda