Friday, June 01, 2012

do not have back fusion surgery until you have exhusted every single option you have.

By dennisjibew Monday, October 13, 2008

i have been through two back surgeries from degenerative disc disease, the pain never went away it was greatly reduced and my life continued.as the years went by the pain,

the spasms started to become worst than ever before.i was told i needed back fusion

surgery.L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1. i wanted a second opinion and went to another surgeon and

was told the same thing.i know people who had back fusion and they all said don't let them do it, try everything you can before the back fusion.i went back to pain meds,had pain blockers injected into my spine.started physical therapy,three bilateral upidural spinal

steroid injections and the pain and spasms got so bad i could not get dressed without

screaming from the pain and my left leg could not handle my weight 148 lbs.and started limping.my pain meds were increased hrdrocodone 5mg to 10 mg plus oxycotin 20 mg and

i was still screaming in pain and could only sleep for 2-4 hours a night.then i read in the

rocky mountain news about a breakthrough in reducing back pain. it was called spinal

decompression an a machine called the drx 9000 and has worked wonders for some people.i went in and talked with the doctor and the people in there to see if it really works and was told it really has made a big difference in there lifes and they did not need

there pain meds anymore. so i gave it a try. let me tell you when i was straped in and

they started streching me the pain was reduced by 75% it lasted 4 hours and everything

started returning. i was told this is normal.i started dec.-4-06 three to four times a week

right up to april 2007 then i became deathly sick, fever 101,sweets, chills,hot and cold

whole body aches and very weak.they gave me antibiotics finished the whole bottle and

was getting worse, went back this time my head felt like i was hit with a baseball bat.

my doctor took seven big tubes of blood and i had to sign papers to have these tests

done three days latter the tests came back and was told i have acute west nile virus and

 there is no cure for it.we are now in may-2007. i felt like i was going to die. between the

 back pain and the west nile virus i could not sleep,could not walk,eat food or hold the food down.then in october 2007 not any better my left leg was getting numb pins and

 needles they took me for a mri with injection and a ct scan and was told i needed surgery right now, still sick from west nile virus they took me to the hospital and they did

the back fusion surgery. L3-L4-L4-L5,L5-S1. it is now october 13-2008 and the west nile

 virus or the effects of west nile virus is still driving me crazy and my back is still killing me twice as bad and now both of my legs are throbbing with pain, burning like they are on fire and spasms from my lower back down to my toes.they increased the oxycotin to

40mg twice a day they put me on lyrica which did nothing, then on requip which did nothing,then on mirapex same thing nothing. i have the tens unit external which helps a little. they want to cut me again to put in a temporay internal tens unit to see if it will help and if it does they cut me again to put it in permanent.one of my friends had that

10/23/08 8:28pm

I have a morphine pump that I absolutely love.  It has given me a relief from the oral medications that were making me ill, stomach upsetment, vomiting, and still didn't relieve my pain.  The morphine pump was put in August 2000.  Last February I had my second put in and still love it.  What a relief.  I still take break through pain meds but nothing like I was taking before.  It is a really good thing that might just give you some much needed relief from your agonizing pain and discomfort.  Good luck and God Bless.

Tena E.

10/30/08 3:29pm

thank you for posting a comment. i am allergic to morphine,it makes me very sick

vomiting,cannot go to the bathroom [pp]. i wish there were more people out there

like you to help me with my chronic pain.i am starting acupuncture monday nov-3-08

and i started radiation hormesis wed oct-29-08. i went through 3 back surgerys and

i cannot afford to get any worse than i am right now. i am scared to be cut

for the drug pump and the internal tens unit but in time if i get worse i may have to

do something to make life worth living again.

                          thank you very much

                          and god bless you

ps. i am very glad you found relief from your pain......

 

 

 

 

11/ 2/08 10:29pm

i hope you recieved my first reply. if you did not i am allergic to morphine it makes me vomit and cannot go to the bathroom[ pp ]i am starting acupuncture monday nov 3

and i have started radiation hormesis.if you want i will let you know if anything has helped.

 i wish there were more people out there like you who really want to try to help

people with chronic pain. i am very glad you found a way to get your life back

                                good luck and god bless

                                      dennisjibew

1/ 9/09 11:21am

I pray you find some relief. After watching my mother have 4 back surgurys thru the years. I won't ever have 1 if I can help it. All it ever did was make her worse.

 

As for myself I also have degenerative disc disease. It starts in my lumbar spine and goes all the way up. The orthopedic dr I was seeing said I needed surgury but also said no 1 surgury would help me. He talked like I would need several. There is no way I am going to do that. My neck they scared me into having it fused. They said out of 7 levels in my neck I had compressions on 6 of them. According to the dr if I fell the wrong way I could be paralized for the rest of my life. So I had to go ahead and do that 1. Since the surgury my neck grinds and pops at times. I was told by drs that i couldn't work anymore. I had to go on disability which I was approved on the 1st try with all the dr reports and mri's I submitted. I have fentenyl patchs for pain with oxycodone for break thru pain. I find myself being depressed alot since I worked all my life until this. I started working at 14 and worked up til I was 47. Feel worthless alot because of this. its just not natural for me not to work plus the last 12 years I worked on weatherization program working on low income and elderly peoples homes. I really enjoyed my job and helping the people and I think that is a part of what makes this so hard.

 

I will give people applying for disability some advice. If you are doing it yourself like they recommend  for the 1st time get all the info you can and turn it in. All dr reports,mri's,xrays and anything else you can get to show them. I hand carried everything to social security. Everytime I had another test done I took the reports in and turned them in

1/12/09 3:38pm

thank you for your advice and i did the same thing you did and was granted SSDI the first time. i am a licensed journeyman electrician.doing heavy duty industriral and commercial work and the doctors told me the same as you (NO MORE WORK)  i am held together with screws and rods. i don't know what is worse the chronic pain 24-7 or the feeling of being worthless at 56. i been working since high school 1970 and this disease has taken away everything i love doing. i know what you are going through because i am going through the same thing as you. will keep you in my prayers and god bless. dennis

7/18/09 12:53pm
I am a big man 6-8 310 lbs have been suffering with chronic back pain since I had my surgery L4L5 S1 posterior anterior fusion most miserable day of my ;ife. Now both levels are bad am on Oxy Contin for pain trying to live with it. Please hep me with your experience on how you got SSID I was denied first time. Got approved first time back in 2000 was on disability for several years decided to try working bad mis take. Any suggestions? Hope this E_mail finds you somewhat well. Godf Bless. Big J
8/ 2/09 12:29pm

sorry for taking so long getting back yo you.i hope you are getting some what better pain relief. i do not understand your question .you were approved for SSDI in 2000 and you wanted to try getting back to work and you found it to be to painfull and you lost your SSDI????????????? please get back to me and i will try to help you. i have been getting worse and i have not been online for some time it is to painfull to sit,walk or sleep and i have no money to get help. i have to wait untill november when medicare

kickes in 2 years after being approved for SSDI. i will try to help you the best i can if you get back to me. god bless---------------dennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anonymous
Regina
1/30/09 2:17pm

I am 24 and not in as bad of shape, but have a similar problem. My L3-4 congenital fusion, L4-5 spondylolisthesis, numerous disks bulging and enpinging on nerves. My legs feel tight, hot, stabbing, numb, and my back hurts sooo bad. I've been told to wait as long as I can to have surgery and the only way to fix it it a fusion. Is there a way to unfuse the disks causing the problem? Is there any other option?

1/30/09 3:53pm

i feel for you and i know what it is like to live in chronic pain. after my fusion i am in twice the lower back pain and now they damaged both my sciaticas in my legs throbbing burning pain from my lower back down to my toes 24-7 365. i was told to live with it. it seems there is nothing they can do for me except give me more drugs which i do not want. i feel very bad for you and will pray for you. please do not rush into anything. try everything you can before you let them fuse your back. i wish i have never let them fuse my back for i am worse now than ever before.try pain blockers,steriod injections. i am going to try radio frequency next. and i will let you know if it has helped. i wish i had a magic wand to help you with you pain and suffering.i wish you the best of luck and god bless you

 

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By dennisjibew— Last Modified: 05/16/11, First Published: 10/13/08