My Health

[Elisabetta]

Thanks everyone

[Elisabetta]

Hi all. Been a while since I've posted any updates in here so I'll do my best to update you with what's going on with me currently.

Three weeks ago I had issues with the sciatic nerve in my back. Since then the pain has traveled down the entire left side of my back down behind my left knee and into my ankle and feet. I can't stand more than 5 minutes unmedicated. If I have medication in my system I can make it 10-15 minutes. Currently I've been in a wheelchair except for when I'm at home. I've been upstairs in bed minus when I have to go downstairs to let our dog Rufus out.

Next week they have me seeing a doctor to get X-rays on my back and an MRI done as well for my left leg too as in July of 2006 I broke both bones in my left leg.

To describe the pain and how excruciating it is I was contemplating assisted suicide to kill the pain I'm having. Please don't take this out of context no am not wanting to die or plan to have it done I'm just explaining how bad the pain is.

Moon will have to take me to a lot of appointments. It has gotten to the point that I cry in agony from it. They are talking about sending me to a spine surgeon for possible back surgery. I'm not going to lie am actually terrified to have anyone touch my back. I've heard so many horror stories and have heard from my own sister in law that she lives in pain every day with her back. She has two 12 inch rods on each side of her spine with many screws. Like me his sister was born with a curved spine and had surgery to try and correct it some.

I asked Moon what if this is the new normal for me? What if I'm wheelchair bound for the rest of my life? While I know I have an amazing husband that will and has taken care of me it worries me with the burden he'd endure just having to take care of me for the rest of his life.

He enjoys pushing me in the wheelchair and we do make it into a fun time but I can't help what goes through my mind sometimes. We have this adorable little date we have at the hospital having a cheeseburger and fries while enjoying each other's company. I'll take it.

I will need to look into getting me a better wheelchair though. The one I currently have the break on one side doesn't lock and it has straps that go along the back of the chair that after awhile will hurt your back. The good side is that between my recliner and my wheelchair the wheelchair doesn't hurt my knee when I have to sit to rest. I can only sit maybe a split second in the recliner before I'm screaming in pain from the nerve throwing me in major muscle spasms and pain.

They think between my Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 2, my curved spine and my degenerative disc disease this is why I have a very servere pinched nerve in the sciatic area of my back.

In other news I do have an excellent bill of health other than this. I've lost a total of 42.2 pounds I'm just 7.4 pounds shy of a 50 pound weight loss. No surgery is needed either. I've done it completely on my own.

I thank God every day for Moon, Rufus, my dog and my friends and family. I don't know where I'd be without all of you. If Moon is willing I will try to get him to subscribe to this thread and give you all updates on me from time to time as he's on here more than I am.

[Skirt18220]

Elisabetta
As an encouragement my daughter has disk problems and has had two back surgeries both were very successful and relieved the back pain issues she was having associated with bulging disks pressing against the spinal nerves. we also heard the horror stories before her first one. Be encouraged that it is more that you just don't hear about the ones that are a success.
Wishing you all the best.
Dan

[Seb]

Oh that sounds excruciating! I'm sorry you have to go through this. I hope they figure it out and can set a treatment plan in action. I meet a lot of patients with back issues, I work with radiography, know that for every horror story there are also hundreds who have gotten better and they, for obvious reasons, tend not to make a lot of noise.

All the best wishes for a good recovery!

[Elisabetta]

Thank you both. I'm really hoping for a good outcome. It will be so nice to be able to have some relief and get back into doing the things that I've enjoyed doing before all of this.

[Grok]

Good luck, Elisabetta.

[Elisabetta]

Good luck, Elisabetta.

Thanks Grok

[crfriend]

I (re-)injured my back in the very early 2000s by tripping over one of our cats and very badly torquing my back as I tried to arrest the inevitable fall. Eventually I crashed to the ground, had the damnedest time getting up, and being in pain with foot-fall and weakness for weeks. I finally got it looked at, and it turns out I'd completely blown two lumbar discs. I have the MRI images to prove it -- as well as the interpretation for my doctor (who couldn't interpret MRI images. The damage was so bad I could see it on the film images.

The general opinion was surgery, but I demurred on that and opted to try physical therapy instead. It worked brilliantly. All the kinks got massaged out of my system and I was taught how to hold myself properly -- and it made all the difference.

I'm not saying that this is the correct path for you, I'm just saying that it worked the the trick for me.

Best wishes! You and Moon are in my thoughts fairly frequently.

[Elisabetta]

I (re-)injured my back in the very early 2000s by tripping over one of our cats and very badly torquing my back as I tried to arrest the inevitable fall. Eventually I crashed to the ground, had the damnedest time getting up, and being in pain with foot-fall and weakness for weeks. I finally got it looked at, and it turns out I'd completely blown two lumbar discs. I have the MRI images to prove it -- as well as the interpretation for my doctor (who couldn't interpret MRI images. The damage was so bad I could see it on the film images.

The general opinion was surgery, but I demurred on that and opted to try physical therapy instead. It worked brilliantly. All the kinks got massaged out of my system and I was taught how to hold myself properly -- and it made all the difference.

I'm not saying that this is the correct path for you, I'm just saying that it worked the the trick for me.

Best wishes! You and Moon are in my thoughts fairly frequently.

Thanks Carl. I'm not sure what the game plan is they have in store but whatever is in store I hope it will help me greatly. Tired of being in pain.

[crfriend]

Tired of being in pain.

Indeed. Nothing makes one contemplate the quality of life like chronic pain.

[Uncle Al]

From my own experience, laying on the floor, with my feet up in a chair/sofa,
watching TV upside down. This lasted 6 weeks. I could cough or sneeze and
it felt like I was sending 220Volts of electricity down my legs. Ended up having
a 60% discectomy, January 8, 1988. Now, I'm able to do almost anything I want.
I had to re-learn how to do several things but the re-education was worth it.

May your outcome be just as good, if not better

Uncle Al

[Elisabetta]

From my own experience, laying on the floor, with my feet up in a chair/sofa,
watching TV upside down. This lasted 6 weeks. I could cough or sneeze and
it felt like I was sending 220Volts of electricity down my legs. Ended up having
a 60% discectomy, January 8, 1988. Now, I'm able to do almost anything I want.
I had to re-learn how to do several things but the re-education was worth it.

May your outcome be just as good, if not better

Uncle Al

Thanks UA

[Faldaguy]

Like the guys taking the first steps toward wearing skirts, it is mostly the fear of the unknown; and back surgery like other "news" tends to focus on the problems not the successes. Both my brother and brother in law have had serious debilitating back issues, and both have come through remarkable well. The odds are pretty dang good; and congratulations on the weight loss discipline -- I suspect that too will work in your favor. Pura Vida!

[6ft3Aussie]

Good luck with all of this, and hoping for you that the light at the end of that tunnel is getting close.

I know all about lower back pain, as I've suffered from bouts of pretty bouts of pain that seems to come in waves lasting a few weeks at a time, it seems to be muscular, and it makes many activities pretty uncomfortable, and when you can't get comfortable standing or sitting it's a problem, and worse if the only comfortable position is lying down, and you just cannot get up once you're down.
Don't get me started on broken (snapped) collar bones, (I don't recommend flying while still healing from that) or type 6 tibial plateau fractures...(in have 2 plates and 13 screws), and I now am looking at having a large troublesome cyst removed from my wrist, I am seeing an orthopaedic specialist next week about that.

You'll get there, keep hanging in there.

[Ozdelights]

Congratulations on the weight loss. I do keep thinking of you and hoping it's going well.

Like most have said, it's nearly always the bad outcomes that get spread around. Wait for the diagnosis and then choose the best plan for you.

Best wishes to you both.

Barry