New member facing l4 s1 fusion

[Katie]

Chris, I was told by surgeons here at home that I had no nerve impingement too, but I then sent my images to Dr. Fabien Bitan in NYC, and he called, urging me to see him immediately. I was called on Friday and saw him on Monday!

While I was worried about severe lumbar pain, he was focused on my cervical levels, saying that I was at great danger with the compression going on there from the discs and spurs pressing on my cord. I had significant neurological problems that he explained at the office. Thankfully after surgery when I traveled to another surgeon because of several circumstances, the symptoms mostly disappeared.

So there are surgeons out there who can see you sooner, and I've been misdiagnosed many times. Perhaps sending your images out to more specialists will help discover the real issues going on in your spine. It took a dozen tries for me.

And I agree 100% about finding a GOOD pain management doctor. They save lives, literally. You should not be going through misery every day.

[Wishful Runner]

I hope you get things figured out soon. This is great place for support. I am also very new here and about to have my second fusion. My first fusion was a life-saver and I hope this one will be, too. Best of luck.

[runagain]

Hooch,

You have heard from a few on here. My first experience with significant back pain and a doc: He had me take Tylenol. I was telling him that it was not covering the pain. I had a muscle relaxant and all that, but when he put me on Tramadol, it was like wonderful.
Then I kept telling him I had sciatica and numbness in my legs. He just ignored it until it was determined that I needed surgery and then he gave me gabapentin. What a difference.
That was my first steps into severe, severe back pain and doctors.
I learned how many on here, learned how to approach their back pain, I went to a few doctors and picked their brains about what was wrong with me and then I researched and researched.
I only know about Matthew Scott Young on the Gold Coast as far as Aussie docs.
Mark, on here, is an Aussie and he can tell you much more. Plus I think there is another Aussie on here, that hasn't been mentioned.
In my case, there was no mention of surgery until facet and epidural injections failed to work. Then I had a discogram, and my lumbar disc was determined to be my pain generator.
I agree, you should be anticipating surgery if you have a discogram. The discs do not like discograms in my experience. As for the one doc saying he does not believe in discograms, I wholeheartedly believe in them..I have learned that you should not have pain in a normal disc.
But you can read up more about them.
I would not be in a rush to do surgery until you explore some options.
And a good pain management doctor is great, but yes, you have to be careful you get a good one.
I scratch my head about needing inflammation and endplate .... for a successful ADR. Rather, my doctor told me if I had too much degeneration, he might have to do fusion.
Good luck with your search.

R

[Hooch]

Well thanks for those responses, I'll just be kicking along here for a while and will update when I get some news.

Best of luck to all,
Chris.

[Hooch]

Thought I'd update and talk about meself for a tick.

I'm still kicking along, doing core work, swimming and facet blocks, just finished uni for the term. The pain has actually eased up in the past few days, and now I'm just real limited in what I can do. Thinking about applying for some jobs now that I've moved back home, but I just keep on holding off that until I see pain managment in a week or two, and some more improvement. I get all keen as mustard and want to go out and work and do stuff, but as soon as I start up pain slows me down. Typical ddd.

Also been getting pain in my knees, perhaps from some of the lunging and squatting in physio. Mind you I'm pretty well convinced that a large part of that is hypersensitivty and lack of confidence in my body. But until I can't start doing some serious and useful movement pain free I don't know how I'm going to regain confidence in the back. It's just completely load and flexion intolerant without generating pain.

So I think blow it, have the surgery, this is no life. But we'll see in a couple of month or so after the facet blocks.

Stenum sent me a piece of paper saying come on over 2 level lumbar M6, and surgery dates that were open. I thought it was pretty funny actually, for information on the procedure they linked to youtube! I've sent them some questions, but I doubt it will be the surgeon answering them. I've sent scans to (Mr!) Nick Boeree, and will have a phone consult and get his opinion if and when they get back to me. The only reason I'd even consider going overseas is the type of artificial disc, and realistically I'm very reluctant to do so.

Domestically facet blocks may give some info between hybrid or 2 level fusion, but I think my facets are a mess. I gonna quiz them pretty hard on it, as I'm pretty sure it's prodisc around here, and I'd hate to turn up in 5 or 10 years with pretty much untreatable facet pain (assuming the intial surgical outcome is good). I'll get a second (third, fourth) opinion in a week from the neuro, but as of now I'm convinved the willingness to operate depends entirely upon the doctor and not the symptons. Surgery for ddd is controversial and the outcomes highly variable, full stop. So we'll see what his attitude is, and I'll give him a tickle up about the facets. And who knows, he may have some other insight.

cyas