New member facing l4 s1 fusion

[Hooch]

Hey guys, thanks for your posts.

I suppose I'm just antsy cos I lost the ability to manage this. I'll see the specialist in a few weeks and will hopefully a better idea of where I stand. But there doesn't seem to be any one single pain generator in there, but a whole bunch of degeneration. I hope most of the pain isn't from just the facets as I don't think they can do much for that apart from an ablation. Personally I think the medical professions ability to identify the pain generators in the back isn't well developed at all, except in obvious neurological impingement.

Anyway we'll see how this all goes. Think I'm gonna have to live in a friggin caravan for a bit. Awesome stuff!

Hope things are going well for yas.

Chris.

[KBear]

Have you had a discogram? What about facet injections to rule that out as a pain generator? It is not an exact science by any means, but better to utilize what we do have for diagnostics, than to do surgery and then find out it wasn't your pain generator.

[Hooch]

Yeah I'll certainly be bringing up facet injections in the consult. I won't have a disco unless the fusion is on the table, since they're pretty invasive. The specialist I'm seeing doesn't rate discograms, which is fair enuff, they're hit and miss too, so we'll see.

I better ask about metal allergy at some stage too.

[KBear]

Yeah I'll certainly be bringing up facet injections in the consult. I won't have a disco unless the fusion is on the table, since they're pretty invasive. The specialist I'm seeing doesn't rate discograms, which is fair enuff, they're hit and miss too, so we'll see.

I better ask about metal allergy at some stage too.

Even though a discogram is painful, most of the time, though I did have one where they sedated me, put the needles in, woke me, did the dye, and knocked me back out; I would still get one. It could rule out disc pain, which would help in finding your pain generator or it may show that the disc(s) are causing the pain. I would also do the facets, even if just for diagnostic

[Hooch]

Hi,

I saw the surgeon down here with the new scans and he doesn't want to operate. He is of the opinion that unless he sees end plate degeneration and inflammation fusion and disc replacement have lower chances of success. He freely admits you wont find this in the literature. I am unimpressed, but it just goes to show that each surgeon goes off gut feel. So I've seen one surgeon a year and a half ago who was basically sharpening his scalpel when I walked in the door, and another who won't go near me.

At the moment I still have severe episodes of grinding pain when I do normal things. Just speaking realistically, for a moment, I can't work. I'm good for an hour or two at a slower pace then I start to sieze up. If I go at a high pace, I'm gone even quicker. I just can't see a way out of that. I've been given a referral for pain management. I get the impression they look at me, see a relatively healthy 28 year old man, and assume things can't be too bad and I'll be able to adjust with lifestyle modifications.

Watched my younger bro play soccer today, a great game, and he went real well. The entire thing hurt like bloody hell. I'm devastated. Just seeing how bad this injury has become.

I've lined up a referral to a neuro the physio recommended (won't operate, he's not quick to jump to surgery, I suffer no obvious nerve impingement), I will line up appointments with two surgeons in this country known for doing disc replacement and are probably more surgically aggressive. If they won't help I'm **** outta luck and I'll send scans to stenum. Hope for the best, this whole process will take months, I'm unemployed, have watched this god-awful thing suck my life and career away from me.

I really don't know how I'll go with this, and just have to hope that some of these docs are willing to have a shot at me. I'm certainly unimpressed with the surgeon I just saw, as that whole end plate degeneration needing to be there before fusion etc, well I think that's bollocks basically.

Anyway I've got to go now, I think I'll gradually update this post as changes in the story happen.

Thanks for listening to me.
Chris.

[KBear]

Chris, I'm so sorry that he didn't want to help you. Reading this reminded me of where I was 2 years ago. I was 28 years old and went to see the doctor I had been seeing, who was in a practice that was supposed to be top notch, and I was told that "there was nothing else they could do for me." I cried, make that wailed, bawled, lost it. I begged this dr. to do a fusion, anything to help me. I told her I could not live like that and asked for anything (desperate is an understatement as to what I was). She sent me for chronic pain management. I asked her if she ever thought I would be able to work again or have more children, she said no. This truly felt like a death sentence to me at the time and I honestly wanted to die.

I can tell you now, that her sending me away was the BEST thing that ever happened to me. In my search for a pain management doctor I found Texas Back Institute. It was on my first visit that the dr. asked if I would be willing to have surgery. I told him that I would stand on my head for 18 hours a day if it had a chance of helping, that I was up for anything. He then told me about ADR and said I was a great candidate. I scheduled a consult with a surgeon in the practice and began my online researching (and found these forums). After deciding that I would have ADR, I called the practice that I used to go to and asked them why they didn't tell me about ADR. Their reply was that they don't believe it is proven technology. They had refused to fuse me because of my age, saying I was too young. So, basically it was their opinion on what was best for me, which was live in pain.

I then fought my insurance, gave up and went into a clinical trial. I'm now proving that dr. wrong, feeling great with my ADR, expecting a baby and living my life; all things I thought would never be possible. If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would be here, I wouldn't have believed you. My situation felt hopeless and I was beyond depressed. But here I am, beating the odds. Don't give up, you WILL get better and get your life back. You don't want someone like that operating on you anyway. I'm thinking about you and praying for you. I know it's a hard time for you and I hate that anyone has to go through this, but it will get better.
Kathy

[Hooch]

Thanks for the reply Kathy, I'm glad things are going well with you. Congrats on your pregnancy! It's a horrible feeling to feel as if your future is dependant on one medical specialist. I've been down this path as a younger man, suffered a fair bit at the hands of bad doctors actually, but I got myself out of it luckily. I know what to expect this time around, but it doesn't make it any easier. Last place on earth I wanted to find myself in.

On the upside I just rang the other practice and got an appointment in a week, which is a load off my mind. The other mob was a two month wait and the other adr surgeon is interstate. Not that I'm pre-empting their response to surgery or otherwise, but at least I don't have to sit here and wait for months. Hopefully they can pass me to their pain management dude and I get something to provide a bit of relief when the pain flares at least.

Anyway, hopefully I will have a better idea of where I stand with this, and what road lies ahead, sooner rather than later.

Best of luck to all,
Chris.

[Metalneck07]

Hang in there Chris I know at times the road seems long and you feel like your moving at a snail pace.In 07 I had my 1st surgery on my cervical 5-6 which was fusion surgery.My pain levels ,my arm pain,and finger numbness after surgery got worse.At 2 months post surgery I decided it was time to see the surgeon. I was told the entire practice was closing.I immediately found another Surgeon who did xrays which discovered I had screws backing out.He told me he couldn't help me and to go back to my surgeon. I spent the next 2 years going to doctor after doctor most would not help,others suggested any other advice other than surgery I would do the injections or others no help. I traveled all over the states but no relief from my horrible pain. Finally in 09 I met with a new doctor who offered to do revision surgery. I had 3 backed out screws,damaging scar connective tissue,fluid build up inside the cage system installed and zero fusion. Now a year later I'm fused and slowly my pain is getting better.
So I know your probably thinking where's the point to this horribly long story. What I'm trying to say is leave no stone unturned, seek out as many opinions that you possibly can,research,talk to others. The answers you need will come in time.I hope for you that you will be able to find answers sooner than me but keep the faith that the answers are out there. Best of luck. I'm having surgery on my Lumbar at the end of September ADR at 4-5 and Fusion at 5-S1. If you have any questions at all I would be happy to help you. Take care.
Caitlin aka Metalneck07

[Jack-of-all-trades]

Before surgery and while in pain management and taking opioids, I saw two neuro and 2 ortho surgeons who do spines. The first I saw, a neuro sad he would not operate unless I was off all opiates pre-op with spit flying out his mouth. Needless to say the door didn't hit me in the butt on the way out. The second, an ortho, spent a lot of time with me, but wanted to do and anterior and posterior approach (a 360 fusion) The third and the one I went with was doing minimally invasive posterior with titanium fixation. The fourth wanted to do an anterior approach using either cadaver bone or my hip bone. Harvesting bone from the hip can hurt longer than the back surgery so I passed on this surgeon.

[Carmen]

Welcome new member,
There is a lot of new research out there at this time. Try You Tube as one of your search parameters. What you have to remember is you have to be a candidate for the new research. I agree with Katie, because there is a lot more out there, you have to be doubly careful to make sure that is really what you need. When I was getting my surgery, nu-vasive was almost the new kid on the block. I don't think I did my body a disservice because whenever I mentioned a new device or technique, my surgeon replied I was not a candidate. Take it slow and get many opinions. We will wait to hear from you regarding what you decided on. Carmen