Discectomy - After the Operation

[Marge]

Hi All

Tracy so sorry to hear you are in so much pain. Have you asked for another MRI. No you should not be in more pain 6 months after the op. Get hold of your surgeon asap and ask for another scan so you know what is going on!

Jess glad the pilates is going well. Stick with it it really will help your core and back strength.

Olli. Glad you are stretching and it's helping you. My flexibility is not back to what it was but i'm a retired aerobic gymnastic champion and am used to putting my legs around my ears which I can't do yet! It's not my back but my leg that stops me. Maybe I'm expecting a little too much here!!

Melza
Not sure about Pilates for your upper back. I teach Pilates and continued to do so prior to my surgery. I just left some exercises out that were not suitable for me at the time. Lots of lower back and core exercises would be fine. If you find a class make sure the teacher knows more than the average about backs etc or just do what is comfortable for you.No pain when you do Pilates but muscle fatigue is ok.

Amitryptiline is def an anti-depressant. I was put on a very high dose 2 months before my op as I was depressed. They did help and with the pain.

Anyway bye for now and take care my dear friends
Fitbird
xxxxx

 

[Buk]

Hey fitbird, hows the swelling?
I haven't started any pilates as yet, am doing lots of walking and concentrating on my leg raises as my back has good mobility but my physio wasn't too happy that i still can't raise my leg up too much.

Tracey....I agree with fitbird, get back onto your surgeon asap. It can take a long time before you get to see him/her and the sooner you get seen the better. That, plus an MRI scan should give you the info you need.
I have been in your situation about 15 months ago when i was 8 weeks post op, my symptoms returned with a vengeance, with me needing several hospital admissions. Im my case though, i did require another op which i had 2 and a half months ago. Things are much better now.
This may or may not be the case for you, and don't want to make you panic, but just want you to know i can totally sympathise with your situation. The key is getting in to see your surgeon as quick as you can. I didn't get to see my surgeon until 5 months after my symptoms returned, which if i was seen quicker, i may not have needed further surgery.

In the meantime though, its a case of trying to keep as mobile as you can if your pain allows you to. I also find that heat therapy is wonderful (baths, hot water bottles, self heating patches)....I didn't appreciate just how much they do help until i was in a really bad way.
I hope that you get seen as soon as possible hun and they can fix you up.

Just a word of warning though, you say you are on morphine for the pain, is that oramorph?
If so, have they told you that there is a risk of dependence with oramorph?
I speak from personal experience that once your body becomes dependent on it, that its a terrible thing to try to get off of. I wasn't told that this would happen to me, they were happy to keep giving it to me though!!
Its ok if you take it absolutely when necessary, but my pain meant that i needed the full dose 4 times a day and this was for about 4 months, hence me becoming addicted.
I apologise in advance if i panic you in any way, its just that i try to warn everyone who says they take it as I wouldn't want anyone to go through what i did.

All the very best hun, and keep us posted on how you are doing.

Lots of luv, Ali xx

 

[lvgeno]

Dear Tracey R, I'm really sorry you're still suffering so much pain and I agree with Ali, get on that phone! ( Hi Ali!) Your GP could put in some added pressure for you too, hopefully you have a nice understanding one. And, in case you missed the last thousand times I mentioned this.....have a go with a Tens machine. I was a complete sceptic about that one but it really does make a difference, and its drug free. Lloyds pharmacy have them on offer, if you have one nearby.

Today I have stretched and exercised like crazy, I really went for bust this time and seem to have benefitted from it. But I know I shall wake up in the early hours with burning painful legs, and it's too damned cold and miserable to be getting out of bed!
Something Subi doesn't need to worry about, are you in Adelaide by any chance? Over here we freeze to death, over there you get roasted to death....can't seem to find an option I prefer.

Still waiting to hear from Southampton, I really pinned my hopes on this being a much more organised and efficient hospital. Dream on....

PS I seem to be suffering from dyslexia now, could it be the drugs?

 

[ak47ren]

@Fitbird. Wow you are struggling with the stretching, I had my legs over my head by week 3

It can be very frustrating i used to play rugby every week and train with the team about 3 nights a week. Now all i do is watch from the side line. There is no way i could play anymore

Hope eeveryone is having a pain free day

Olli

 

[badd302]

Melza, thank you for your reply to my message, hubby has got me a tens machine was not sure about using it but will start now you have said that it helps, will be nice to have some pain relief that does'nt require taking loads of pills, thanks again for the advice will let you know how i get on
with the tens, tracy x



Ali, thanks for your message, i had another mri and a bone scan at the end of last year, consultant said he could not find anything on there that could be causing the pain, made me feel like i was lying about the pain, but it has been unbearable, the physio helped me more than the dr by saying it could be nerve damage, tried hydrotherapy but just made the pain worse, had massage therapy to try and relax the muscles, but that did'nt do much good either. Dr put me on zomorph tablets in the end and diazepam for the muscles, now on anti depressants because the pain just gets to you in the end, as i am sure you know. GP wanted me to come of the zomorph tablets at the beginning of january because he was worried about me getting addicted, cut down for just one day and the pain came back twice as bad, could not walk again. dont want to rely on the morphine but it is the only thing that lets me have any pain relief at the moment, still does not get rid of the pain though. i am just hoping and praying that the physio was right, that it is nerve damage and that even though it can take a year or more to heal, it will eventually. hope you are feeling better after your latest op, and are recovering well. best wishes, tracy x

 

[My boys are my world]

hey Tracey, sounds like you are having a really terrible time with your pain. Have you looked at possibly getting a 2nd opinion? Its a long time since your op to still be in awful pain.
I know what you are saying about the zomorph. I was on that too and found it didn't do anything at all in terms of pain relief. I was on 120mg a day for 2/3 months along with 40mg a day of oramorph, and was weaned off the zomorph, but didn't suffer any withdrawals from that, it was the oramorph that i had problems with. It mad isn't it? I was 160mg of morphine a day for months and got no relief from the pain! I just thought of that, i am shocked!!
Are you still being followed up by your surgeon? If i were you, i would badger him because something is obviously not right here.
When i was pre-op, i found tramadol did not help at all, but now i am post op it does. I had really bad pain following my op and my GP gave it to me, i am still using it and its been really good with helping me to keep mobile.
I really hope they can sort something quick for you hun

 

[Warren]

Want to know how Little Miss Optimistic has been getting on? This little treasure felt so positive that she decided she could cope with clearing out the bedroom of her two sons ( one went to uni in September). I made a profit of nearly £5 in loose change but really upset my upper back in the process, damn and blast it! I really think a lot of the stuff in my legs is coming from my upper back problems, but then, what do I know. I'm not going to increase the Diazepam though, I'll see how much I can cope first.

Tracey, another bit of info. When I saw the neurosurgeon about my upper back I proudly placed the MRI results on his desk, he said that wasn't any good as it didn't tell him exactly what he wanted to know. That was why I had to go for a CT scan and XRay, it gives a more detailed picture apparently. Now it seems he has all the information he needs but is keeping it to himself! Have they offered the CT to you?
I was worried about that as I found the MRI got me into a bit of a panic, but when the young chap put a strap over my stomach and arms and then fixed a strap across the top of my head I told him it was starting to feel really sinister. Not all that funny I suppose but he had a lot of trouble explaining everything to me without a little chuckle after thatl. God! I am so funny!!!

Still going ahead with exercise and stretching anyway.

 

[Emanuel E]

Hiya...been a while since i posted in here!

I had microdiscectomy in November..did the whole recovery period thing. Then just after i started back at work i noticed pain in my leg with rather severe swelling...turned out i had developed DVT. Told to stop all exercises (including ones for my back) until they got my blood levels stable or something...which has now caused my back to go into spasm!

Im soooo down today. Physcially in pain...but today its just all really got me down. Being at work all day teaching and doing my best not to break down in tears. Im just so fed up with it all! It just seems to be one thing after another.

Sorry i just needed a rant. Somebody feel free to slap me out of it!!!!!!

Monkey x

(P.S. Hope all the people i used to chat to in here are doing well!!!)

 

[Igggy]

Monkey Waffle, so sorry to hear about the problems you have been having. I'm not goint slap you out of it for ranting, as i can totally relate to how you are feeling. Although I havn't had the DVT i had my second discectomy in November & although it seemed okay at first alas its not!! I'm now on a walking stick, regular medication & can't even get into the bath. Plus I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss my career. So yes I know that 1 thing after another feeling only too well & regularly rant on here.

Have they given any idea when you will be able to return to physio & can they not give you any other medication for the pain?
Tracey x

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hi Everyone, This is my first time to this thread and to this website. I came on today after being disheartened after seeing my private specialist today at a "is this my lot?" appointment.

I am 35yrs and 8 years ago, I prolapsed my disc L2/L3 whilst sitting on a beautiful beach in south africa New Years Eve 1999! After very little pain relief I had to fly 16 hrs home and be wheelchaired out to my shocked parents. MRI scan showed the prolapse and I was given an epidural, physio and hydro therapy which eased things. HOwever, I was inactive and soon I found it hard to walk more than 15 mins or carry shopping. After 2 years of weekly oestopath appointments and continued pain, I realised that must be something else I could do. So tried pilates, after my second one to one, I was in so much pain I never returned. Then I tried Alexander techinque which has changed my life and brought me to a managable level. Maybe some good stretches of months with very little pain. After my first daughter in 2004, I had a relapsed. A second MRI showed the prolapse again. Painkillers and movement prescribed. After 6 mths things returned to the norm (almost painless). After my second daughter and a c section which took the last bit of stomach muscles I had left. I relapsed again in July 2008 and have had pain since. I am not big on pain killers, although always have nurophen plus in my bag and deep heat patches. But I find it very hard lifting my 15 mth baby and sometimes cannot look after her on my own as the pain is bad. I have learnt that movement is best but I am in a visicous circle, In that everytime I try and exercise to build strength my back goes. Yoga, was my last attempt and I couldn't pick up my baby for over a week.

My scan today showed the bulge still prominent, a slight tear in the disc and the disc pushing on a nerve, hence leg pain and pins and needles and the joints are swollen and rubbing. He said it is bad but not that bad and prescribed more epidurals and more physio. Is this my lot? Am I sitting here waiting for it to get worse? From the sounds of some of your experiences, should I just grin and bear it, but miss out on these great years with my girls? My flexibility is going, my muscle strength is going and my moral.

 

[My Puppet Hands]

Hi Bradford, welcome to the thread.

HOW have you not yet been put forward for surgery?
My disc problems began in 2006, when i had a L4/5 prolapse. I too had all the epidurals, exhausted every medication, and my rheumatologist then reluctantly referred me for surgery (purely because of my age, i was 26 at the time) after all these things didn't work.
The general rule is, if a disc problem doesn't rectify itself within 6 months, then its not likely to do so, so medical/surgical intervention likely to be necessary.
I had an op in october 2007, and relapsed 8 weeks later and had further surgery about 11 weeks ago.
Things are better now though i have to say, in between the relapse and 2nd op, i was in and out of hospital, had all kinds of medications, couldn't walk without crutches and had no quality of life.
All that andI also have a daughter that i raise by myself.
I was an unlucky one though, as the procedure i had tends to have a very successful recovery rate. There are lots of people on here that have been ok after the first op.
I was one of the unlucky percentage where it didn't happen for me first time, but as i say, i am much better now. I have been back at work for 4 weeks now, can look after my daughter myself, i can get on with my life, but at a slower pace!!!
I am still undergoing physio, and need painkillers still, but have a bit of my life back, and my daughter has her mummy back. She has found this hard as I haven't been able to do anything remotely fun with her, but she has been so good.

Have you discussed surgery with your consultant? I am sure there is something they can do for you, I told my consultant that my daughter was also suffering as a result of my back problems, so if it is an option for you, then persue it.
I wish you all the very best and keep us updated on how you are getting on ,
Love Ali xxx

 

[Billy bob]

Good luck with your job discussion tracey-1. Being back at work is such an important step in feeling 'back to normal'. Hope it goes well for you.

Hi and welcome Bradford. It sounds like you're in a difficult situation. Your question "is this my lot?" rings in my ears. After my discectomy, at my follow up appt with my Neurosurgeon I told him my leg pain had improved immensely but I still had a lot of back pain. His exact words were "that is your lot" (due to the other, mainly degenerative back problems I have). The other issues with my back are not yet at the stage where I need more surgery - it is a case of just waiting until it gets worse it seems. Not ideal, but I think sometimes there is no easy answer for us. I hope the epidurals and physio do make a difference for you. Perhaps if they do not, your specialist will look at the next options for you.

Monkeywaffle - good to see you on the forum again and sorry to hear things have taken a step backwards. I hope things improve for you soon.

I find when I am having a bad couple of days, I try and keep exercising/stretching but reduce the timeframe (eg, I will only walk for a third of the time I walk on my good days, and reduce my expectations on the stretching). But some days things are so bad all I can do is lie down with the TENS machine. Sometimes bad days just come out of nowhere, for no apparent physical reason.

On a happy sporting note, there was a Tennis player in the finals of the Australian Open (held here last week) who'd had a discectomy in October 08... Wow. Perhaps not a benchmark to set our recoveries against, but a positive story nonetheless.

Hope those of you in the UK are getting to enjoy some snow ball throwing. It's still very hot here - Sorry!! Melza, I'm in Melbourne, but yes, Adelaide has also been hot hot hot too.

 

[hello.]

Thank Ali and Subi for your replies. When I first prolapsed age was the main factor for no surgery, but I am 35 now and missed 9 years of prime adulthood! From what I am researching it seems that it you should recover after 6 weeks or so. I have spoken to people who have prolapses and are totally fine now and so I have felt like maybe I have been a moaner or not done something I should to make it better. Day to day is manageable and I would say about 15% painless (but I am not even sure how to measure pain anymore), and I am just waiting for the next time it goes again. When i said I wanted to be able to do physical activites with my girls, he suggested swimming (well one is 4 and the other 15 mths..so swimming involves armbands etc and me standing in the water! which I can do now!) I would like to learn to play tennis with them or horse ride again, I am too scared to go on rollacosters with them (although I also have had 3 whiplashes too!!) I am trying to go for a second opinion but don't really know where to go. As I can go private, my GP tends to open her directory of the local private hospital and pick a selection of names.

 

[inHaphiva]

Subi I think you've described exactly how it is for me too....good days when everything is wonderful and then a big step backwards. I think this 6 week recovery is very misleading as it raises our expectations too much. Maybe we're medically fit then but I expect its a long road to full recovery, as Olli has demostrated, he's back at work and living a 'normal' life, but still has to accept his limits. I hope I got that right Olli. It's all very frustrating but even when I'm having a 'bad' spell I carry on with the stretching exercises......I think they've been a real benefit. I've just had two days of misery but now feeling much better...its a mystery.

Like Bradford we've all had a chunk taken out of our lives, for me there was separation and divorce in 2000. I was ready to live a happier life after that. Then raising my children who have now almost left home, definitely ready for a peaceful life then. And then this all started 18 months ago...say no more. Now aged a youthful 51 I'm thinking I shall be a pensioner by the time this is all sorted out and too knackered to do anything!

I don't know if anyone else heard this quote 'if you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, get up and put it on yourself'. Loose women I think. I'm trying to keep that in mind.

 

[carjug]

melza

I hear what you are saying with the steps forward and then backwards. I find it so hard sometimes and when I feel good I always seems to overdo it becuase I feel good and then end up in pain again! I just can't seem to get a happy medium. I am just a bit older than you but I don't feel like I am ready to give up my activities yet and feel the need to do what I used to be able to do. My surgeon takled me into op by saying i'd be back playing tennis 4 months after it!!! I don't quite know where he was coming from with that as I can't even run yet.

I am not doing very much at the moment and am tryinh to rest and get rid of pain and stiffnes in left hip and lower back.Still stretching but go on hols in 3 weeks and I really want ot feel as good as poss for then.

Hope everyone has some more 'forward steps' this week.

pennylane

 

[MyLILJohhny]

hello ,
I had the same operation only in a different spot , My L2+3 were operated on june 2003. I didnt have leg sciatica but after the operation I did have numbness in my left leg and some tingling for about 6months so for me yea I would agree its normal. Please follow what your Dr tells you I cannot stress how important it is no matter how good you feel to let your self heal ! I wouldnt of shared this because what you are about to read isnt good but you did ask for shared experiences and i am the FLIP SIDE to back surgery. Mine failed badly. I knew it 6 weeks after the case as I still needed more and more pain pills . I was 33 yrs old and left disabled the rest of my life to put it honestly . Im also on pain pills for the rest of my life . The operation you had does help ppl and I know of ppl who it helped a lot . Being in pain stinks and we all just want to be OUT of pain and will do whatever it takes to live a "normal" life . My life was changed forever for having that surgery and if I could I would turn the clock back . Thats my one and only wish. It was a gamble I took and I lost. But No matter what it brings you .. Always stay strong . do what you can and dont over do it . when you are able exercise and keep your back strong . I wish you well and hope that everything turns out well . No matter what also keep in mind if should it ever come down to it a 2nd surgery the odds are always much lower . I didnt qualify for a 2nd surgery I was hoping a fusion would help me but afantastic Dr told me NO the odds are massively against me and do not find anyone willing to do it so this is it. im 39 now but you know what? It can always be worse! take care and gl . let me know how things go .. Snake

 

[Auchenreoch]

Hi Ali, i have made an appointment to go back to the hospital for next tuesday, getting so fed up with this pain, had a bad day yesterday, pain was unbearable again, need to get some answers as to why it seems to be taking so long to heal, just want to be able to get back to some sort of a normal life. dr didnt say it would be this bad, he told me i would be back to normal 2 weeks after the op, what a joke!! i told him at the time that i was due to go on holiday 4 weeks after the op and he said i would be fine, went to butlins and ended up staying in the room for the whole week, in agonising pain, then had to cancel our holiday to spain, because i could not walk when we came back from butlins. hopefully will get the answers i want on tuesday, hope you are having a good day, take care, tracy x x



Hi Melza, glad to hear you are feeling better, after your couple of bad days. i have not had a ct scan or any x rays on my lower back, but going back to hospital on tuesday, so will have a chat with dr. been using my tens machine on my legs and have found that it has helped to ease the pain, except for yesterday, was in terrible pain again, even upped my morphine tablets, it was just unbearable. what makes it worse is i didnt even over do things, cant understand why the pain comes on like that. hopefully will find out more on tuesday. take care, tracy x x

 

[Tinkerbella19]

Hi everyone havent been on for a while back really playing up mostly due to the cold weather ,have also had both my boys ill with the flu (they are so in training for man flu!!)and now they have decided to share and give it to me my whole body is aching more than normal and everytime i cough my god the pain in my back is unbearable but enough of my moaning.
Tracey-1 really pleased your work meeting went well and that you are starting to feel some pain relief.xx
Tracey r hope you are make some progress when you go back to the hospital its awful when you are in so much pain, i always say i don't ask for much just to be normal for a change and to be able to manage to do things x x
Bradford good luck with the second opinion ,i have 2 children an 8 yr old and an 18 month and i can't pick him up and have to rely on others all the time it gets me so upset x x
Ali ,Subi, Melza and all the others that are on the board that i havent mentioned hope you are all ok take care claire x x

 

[Godfather]

Hi Claire, thank you for your message, hope you start to feel better soon, i know what you mean about the cold weather, it really does affect your back, roll on summer. hopefully will find out more info from hospital on tuesday, as you said just to have a pain free normal life is all we want, just to be healthy and happy is not much to ask for. take care, tracy x x

 

[affedywhare]

I took the time today that I didnt have yesterday and read theu more of these posts . I can see some of you are waiting for back surgery . Please be sure this is what you want. I posted a on this page up a few slots and you can see what happened to me . someone wrote on an earlier post ....Dr. told them the surgery.. most ppl walk away after the surgery ( I APOLOGIZE I DONT KNOW WHO SAID IT ). I was told same thing and I didnt . I stayed in the hospital for a few days and left with a walker . I didnt mention in above post as I was just trying to make a point as I was flip side to back surgery the bad end , That after my surgery for 8months my knee's buckled whenever i tried to bend down to get something . I fell down several times MONTHS after my surgery from my legs just giving out from under me . I had a Discectomy L2+3. I did NOT have leg pain prior to surgery and having known what I know now and what I live with the rest of my life I would NEVER have gotten that surgery. I understand why anyone would consider that surgery but they DONT tell you the flip side . I am 5yrs post that surgery and I am dead serious when I tell you my only wish is If I could tuen the clock pain and live with the original pain I had I would do so in new york minute! I wish you all well who has already had the surgery but please take into consideration the gamble. Im not trying to scare anyone im just telling you the truth. I live on Narcotic pain pills and have no quality of life I could brag of . I do try my best with what I have ,but i can no longer work and have a hard time doing most things I did normally before surgery. also a mention.... Im not sure how far up the totem pole so to speak some of you are on pain medications for your current problem but I have been on everything from Oxycontin to morphine . 2Years ago i made a change with medications . I changed to Methadone (yes same drug they use for heroin addictions) but what most ppl do not know is thats one of the ebst pain relievers out there . It was the best move I ever made . I am in less pain than any other drug I have been on before . I dont get tired but i could be that rare person and I just swear by that drug . Of course Narcotics are NOT the way to go unless its absolutely needed and that drug indeed is on top of chart. Im also not sure how available it is in UK for private use. Here in states its not easy to get but it is used for pain. I exhausted other medications and read up on it before I even asked about it . Its also been around for a very very long time . Im sorry for babbling on and on I just wanted to touch both basis as I know I live it everyday. If I can also help anyone or just need to talk Im more than willing . Take care to you all and god bless .. Snake