[Spinal Fusion / Lumbar] Anterior lumbar corpectomy on L2 using harvested rib bone

[Beth]

Hi, I'm a 50 year old female whose horse decided to lose her mind. Not only did she lose her mind, she didn't want me going with her. She began bucking ande running like a crazy horse. Of course, eventually I ended up on the ground.
Now, all the problems caused by this incident are listed below. I was so glad to come upon this site, everyone here seems very sane, empathetic, knowledgeable, and willing to share. I just don't have anyone to talk to that can understand how I feel, and I worry, even now, that they think I am being a "wimp".. i guess some of ya'll know that feeling also.

8/16/08 - Accidental fall from horse crushed L2, fractured L3, L4, L5, and 6 ribs. Ambulance transported to hospital without pain meds.
8/21/08 - Anterior lumbar corpectomy on L2 using harvested rib bone.
8/31/08 - Still in the hospital,a posterior lumbar fusion was done.
9/2008 - Finally released from hospital. Chronic caudal equina syndrome made urinary retention a problem, as well as numbness in the saddle area. I finally relearned to urinate and was able to get rid of the "hated" bag. Released with fentanyl patches AND percocet 10.
9/20/08 - Stopped using the Fentanyl patches.
10/2008 - Laid off from my 30+ year job (I had been working from home).
1/2009 - Death of my beloved father.
3/2009 - Back to work !!!
4/2009 - Unbearable pain begins, requiring a myleogram, physical therapy (no help), and a Pain Management physician. This pain is partially nerve related and some of it from the surgery site.
5/2009 - present - Continuing pain, numbness in expanding areas on thighs, Electric streaks of pain through my legs, pain in soles of feet, bending over is horrible. oxycontin 10's 2 x a day, with 3.5 percocet 1x a day for breakthrough. Have tried the tens unit (what a joke), physical therapy (no help). and several different injections. The injections help with the nerve pain in the buttocks.
Began taking cymbalta, and this did help with the depression, not so much the nerve pain. Did begin using Lyrica, which helped a lot for the nerve pain. However, never reached the dosage they wanted me to take. Could not function mentally, lost my words, gained 25 pounds. This drug, at least for me, is not worth the side affects. I've never stopped wearing my brace, and now if I go without it one day I suffer for 3 days.
At the last visit my neurosurgeon is going to do a CAT scan, then another myleogram to find out what is going on. A lot of the diagnostic possibilities he talked about will
require surgery, which of course, I'm not excited about.
I've come to a place of hopelessness, at least in regards to a return to a normal existence, without pain and narcotics. I had expected, having been a person who was
never sick, to be healed back to normal, even if it took time. I now feel like I will never be normal again.
I did see some hopeful posts.
I'm worried about surgery again, what if it causes worse problems??

[Moni]

Hello Beth...
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I read your introduction story. It sounds so very familiar with a detail or two modified a bit from another life I know.
What is it with many of us that makes us think we are being wimpy and complainers when we are actually in serious pain and need help.???
This site is awesome.
The sharing people help make sense of what seemed to me, to be a huge pot of pain filled mumbo jumbo....
As everyones story is just a little different( we are all customized units) there aren't always definitive answers to some of my questions ...BUT there sure is a wealth of input from personal experiences of others that you can draw on.
Just having had my first MRI ( odd experience!) and the possibility of a discogram( ?sp?) looming I found the detailed description of the procedure from Alaska VERY helpful.
Katie's recent surgery experience in Brazil makes a cold surgical procedure have a human face....extremely helpful to someone who is in the diagnosis part of their journey.
Seeing what others have had done and hearing about how they are faring and dealing with issues that crop up is for me much like a "reality movie" look at what may be in store for me and gives me first hand input on how I might be able to prepare myself or take action to avoid certain undesireable consequences.
For me it is extremely helpful in "knowing" what to expect. Makes a confusing sort of reality a whole lot less scarey.
Thanks everyone for the open honest reality sharing .
Beth I wish you all the very best and dr's that are empathetic and actually SEE you .

[ajj1001]

I've come to a place of hopelessness, at least in regards to a return to a normal existence, without pain and narcotics. I had expected, having been a person who was never sick, to be healed back to normal, even if it took time. I now feel like I will never be normal again. I did see some hopeful posts.
I'm worried about surgery again, what if it causes worse problems??

Hi Beth and sorry that you are having such an awful time. Surgery is always a worry but the right surgery could put you in such a place where you get some of you life back and a little bit of normal. I'm settling for that at the moment as its all I can have.

Hope your tests and consults go well and you get some good advice.

alison x

[scduggan]

Dear Beth,
Welcome! I am so sorry for your situation. I just had surgery eight weeks ago, but my spine issue was from degenerative problems. I think spine problems from an injury must be HORRIBLE. DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE!
There is something out there for you and I wish you luck in your search. Keep us posted!

CD

[Katie]

Hi Beth,

Just to give you a bit of hope and faith, I know of a number of horsewomen who have picked themselves up out of the dirt and started riding again, thanks to Stenum Hospital. Those are just the few that I know that have gone there.

I'm waiting patiently to get back behind my horses and start driving again in a few months, a year at the latest. This is thanks to yet another great surgeon in a different part of the world. Whether you ever get on a horse again or not, I am praying that you will at least have the pleasure of waking up pain free some day soon. Keep searching...the answer is out there, honest. I started with complete ignorance about my condition and the treatments available about five years ago.

With the help of numerous friends both on here and from Stenum patients who first started me on my journey, I have gotten through Government medical appeals and denials, and had consults with some of the best and worst surgeons on the planet. It's been an interesting journey, and like everyone else here, I'd be pleased to help you on yours.

[Justin]

Hi Beth,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society.

My gosh...you have quite a spine history. We are here for you and we can definitely empathize with some of the physical and emotional challenges you have been through living with spine issues.

What do your current films show and what kind of surgical options have been mentioned?

There are many great people here to listen and support you along the way. I'm glad that you found us. :thumpup:

[Beth]

Wow, all of have really had some problems and a lot of procedures. I'm impressed that you are all hanging in there! I just get depressed at all the limitations, and the pain. Thanks so much for your welcoming and concern.

I do want to ride my mule (the horse belonged to someone else). I can't until we have resolution of the pain problem and we make sure it has fused. We also drive the mules (we have 5 mules and 1 horse)
and I can do that. I'm teaching my riding mule to drive, and he is doing very well. Of course I can't harness them or saddle the because of the weight, so I have to depend on others. My husband told me yesterday, "Don't use so much hay - you're not the one who had to load it" My answer to him, and it shut him up, was... I WISH I COULD LOAD IT.. That's just an example of what all of us go through. My husband has been a wonderful help during all this, and I couldn't ask for a sweeter man. He just made a normal statement without thinking. I used to load all the hay and all the feed. No more..

Almost all the optoins mentionted involved surgery through th back to revise the metal, take it out, or tighten it or etc etc..

I was hoping that all I would have is the 2 initial surgeries and eveything would go well. My surgeon wants to start with a CAT scan and go forward from there. As of right now, I've had one other consult. His answer was to complain that I didn't come to him for the surgery and to send me to Pain Management. My surgeon is very committed to help me, no matter what the tests show. The last myleogram I had did not show any large problems, but it was done at a place that didn't have quality machines (low resolution). The next few tests will be done at my surgeon's hospital in Georgia. So, we'll see. I just want confirmation of the problem so we can go from there. I know you understand that

[linda]

Dear Beth,
Welcome to the site and I am so sorry that you are having so many spine problems. I have a lot of the same symptoms as you such as pain in the feet, top of thighs (not always), bending over hurts like crazy and both sides of my butt hurt all the time. I'm having a hard time committing to surgery - ADR or fusion because I fear I may be worse off. I rode horses in my younger days and was thrown off a time or two. I keep trying to pinpoint how my last disc collapsed but can't seem to put my finger on it. I do know that after my father passed away 5 years ago and I moved into a new place my back started hurting more and more. I often enter into a state of hoplessness also. However, we have to hang in there and all we can do is hope that one day we will be better. I've been trying to have a better attitude at work and reaching out to old friends and my spirit has lifted a little lately.

I hope your test results come back better than expected and that you can find a solution to end all you pain. I'm glad you found this site. Everybody is so helpful.
Linda