Back's out again-update-still in pain

[GreenheadJim]

I have a ruptured disc at my L4. I had a shot last year and it did the trick. I woke up this morning and couldn't get out of bed. My back is out again. I've got an appointment at Newsouth Neurospine with Dr Summers on Wed afternoon. Hopefully he will give me another shot. I'm in horrible pain and can't walk.

[Deadeye]

I feel your pain hoss. I have the same issue with L4 and L5, I have an injection with Dr Summers WEdnesday morning, hope it brings me relief. I've had atleast 10 injections, some work some do not. I just wish they could fix the damn thing once and for all.

Dead

[GreenheadJim]

I feel your pain hoss. I have the same issue with L4 and L5, I have an injection with Dr Summers WEdnesday morning, hope it brings me relief. I've had atleast 10 injections, some work some do not. I just wish they could fix the damn thing once and for all.

Dead

I just had the one and it worked. Hopefully this one will work too. If it doesn't, I'm going to let someone operate on it. What Dr. Are you using? One there at NS?

[Deadeye]

Yeah, I've seen Dr Davis in the orthopedic office and Dr Vohra in the Physical medicine dept. I've done physical therapy and chiropractor there.... I'm so looking forward to the injectin tomorrow, it's been since December since my last and I've been in bad shape since.

I'm also to the point I want the operation to fix the problem and stop the flair ups.

[Greenhead329]

My back was "out" this go around as well...everyday I woke up in a little more pain despite muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories..actually kept getting worse everytime I would lay down, and I was pulled to one side like when I first bulged it years ago

Went to my Doc to get my injections at the spine center...(worked previously)...he checked me over, had some neurological defects so he ordered an MRI.
Next day he called and asked which Neurosurgeon I wanted to go see, he was referring me himself, got me in next day, following morning I was on the operating table.
L3 /L4 ruptured and had dropped behind the vertebrae of L4.
In a weeks time I went from ..sore/ouch to..damn this hurts , to having trouble walking...to couldn't walk, to M*&^%^$ F&*(^% this is awful, to couldn't feel my leg

With the last three..not walking, to loosing feeling in my leg in a 24 hr period

[GreenheadJim]

I saw Dr. Amnundson but I didn't like him. I'm going to get this injection tomorrow hopefully. I want to see either Wood or Gazordica and get it fixed. I can't deal with this. It took me 30 min to get oit of bed. It hurts bad just trying to put a pair of shorts on. I'm miserable and no amount of pain meds will work.

[Roach]

Dr Woods fixed me up!
I had feathers sprouting out everywhere when he told me what they may have to do. Now, I have a plate in my neck that took the pressure off two disc that were crushed.
I'm no homo but I would hug him right now if he walked in.
You really don't know what pain you have until it is gone.

[Deadeye]

I know it's awful humbling to have your wife put on your socks and shoes every morning! Sleep is hard to come by cause you can't get comfortable and damn sure can't turn over. I spend hours on the floor each day, that's the only relief. What pisses me off is the doctors wanting to try everything but fix the problem. I've wasted alot of time and money on physical therapy only to find that is caused more of a problem.

Here's the kicker... I missed the entire turkey season cause I can't hardly walk... it's been over 25 years since I did not pull the trigger.... sad, sad, sad.

I ain't one to complain, but this crap has wore thin on me.
Dead

[Greenhead329]

Deadeye, Greenhead

When I bulged my disc 7 years ago the doc wanted me to try injections first due to my age at time of injury... And my ability to "cope" with pain for the time being. With all of my symptoms / prognosis weighed in... We both agreed surgery was as much a risk as a benefit... If injections didnt work then could always cut.

I have been very fortunate... I only had 3 injections and those worked wonderfully...
End of January I had my normal flare up, was a little slower to respond than normal..and I seemed to be more sensitive to aggravating it, and I never seemed to fully "recover" like normal.

About 2 weeks ago now I woke up stove up...my meds didn't really help.. Then progressively got worse.. Could only sleep in one position, taking 30-40 min to get out of bed...I was grouchy because I hurt all the time... Etc

I had numerous people tell me the same thing..."you know when you're ready to be cut"
Fellows when I had trouble pissing, and couldn't use my leg.... I knew was time before they rushed me to surgery...NO regrets here..but I waited til it was time for surgery ... Other than surgery site pain I feel great... Recovery has been a humbling experience, you definately will need someone's help

Feel free to pm me any questions

[uncleC]

Dr Woods fixed me up!
I had feathers sprouting out everywhere when he told me what they may have to do. Now, I have a plate in my neck that took the pressure off two disc that were crushed.
I'm no homo but I would hug him right now if he walked in.
You really don't know what pain you have until it is gone.

I'll give a second for Dr. Greg Woods.....he did my surgery in Sept. 2006...he took most of the left half of L5 out...I had problems with my back off and on for 25 years prior to the surgery.....he showed me on the MRI that the disc had a horseshoe pushed into the nerve that goes down my left leg....said I could do nothing , which really wasn't an option, shots, which he didn't think would help, or surgery.... after surgery he told me that the disc had been herniated so long(at least 20 years) that it had dried out and broken into pieces with one large piece causing all the pain..... I am 57 now and still work construction every day.....my back gets "tired" easier now but I haven't had what I consider severe pain in almost 8 years....if I were faced with the same problem tomorrow, Dr. Woods would be my "go to" man, again....

[Seymore]

Been there, done that, got the Tshirt. Unfortunately, I have had to ride that goat more times than I care to count.

[GreenheadJim]

I'm about to the point where I want the surgery. I can't pick my feet up more than a couple of inches without a shooting pain. I had one shot last year that did the trick, but I think I want it fixed.

[GreenheadJim]

I thought I would be smart and call and schedule with Dr Summers first, so I did. I get down there today and all he does is give me some steroids and pain pills. He said I should've went to my Dr first. If this doesn't help, he is going to order another MRI and prob do the shot. I'm pissed. I remember him telling me last year that since it was nerve pain, no pain medicine would work. And of course he doesn't want me to have surgery. I can barely walk and can't pick my feet up more than a couple of inches. All I know is that I'm hurting to the point of crying. I guess I have no choice but to take the meds and hope for the best.

[uncleC]

I know this is of little consolation to you, but I feel for you brother and pray that the meds will give you some relief.... a person who has never gone thru this can not understand because the pain is indescribable... the only thing that I have ever experienced that came close to it was passing a jagged 3mm kidney stone....hope you get some relief soon...

[4dawgma]

Lemme see yo pinky boy!