Buldging lower lumbar disc - Page 3

Russ · 07-03-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP owner

The injections help to decrease the inflammation, as well as numbing the pain. The hope is that the joint can heal itself in the mean time. it sounds as though the joint is still damaged, or is being damaged, hence the continuation of the symptoms. You may need a sacroiliac support belt to hold the pelvis together, preventing excessive movements of the region, which allows you to continue with your daily activities while getting better.
The biggest issue we find with the injections is that because you do not feel pain when you use the damaged region, you can continue to injure it without any awareness of it.

That's why I strongly suggested he take it easy and avoid lifting, bending and twisting as much as possible but still try to do light exercises.

04redxr8 · 09-03-2008, 05:20 PM

I had the same thing approx 1.5 years ago. I actually couldn't walk, sit or stand, and even ended up in an ambulance ride to the E.R. I had 2 doctors say my only choice was surgery.

Most Doctors only focus on the problem (i.e. disc) and not the cause. I found a naturopath on the Gold Coast who actually explained that my muscles were lacking in magnesium and therefore contracting my whole spine and crushing my disc causing it to bulge on my sciatic nerve. The lack of magnesium was caused by smoking and drinking coffee.

This dr told me all this by massaging my back, not looking at xrays. The treatment he started me on was giving me magnesium injections directly into my muscles, massage and manipulation. I started being able to walk within about 1 week, and started returning to work in about 2 weeks. (only an hour or so at first, and gradually increasing) Within a month a was working 8-9 hours a day. I am a wall and floor tiler so a very strenous back breaking job. within about 2 months the was all but gone and have had absolutely no pain since. I can work all day, play golf sit stand run, do anything and feel like i have never had any problems.

The good DR also put me on some natural products that are available at most health food stores. They are BIOCEUTICALS Muscleze (magnesium powder to drink.) and NUTRIMEDICINE Joint support, and Flavonoid biocomplex 500 capsules. I was seeing the doc for about 2 months (daily at first, then weekly) and at first after I stopped seeing him whenever I felt discomfort, I would take these products and within a few days all pain would stop. I also still drink coffee and smoke.

Sorry for the essay, but I felt I had to give you all this info, as I felt ur pain reading this thread. If you can find a naturopath where you are who may be able to help but is unsure of this therapy, send me a pm and i wll pass on my guys details. He is extemely helpful and I'm sure he would be willing to pass on info.

Good luck.

04redxr8 · 09-03-2008, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

Thats where i have my buldging disc. But its not what is causing the pain apparently as its my very LOWest back which is where all the pain is.. down around my waist is where the pain comes from.. i had my injection of cortisone and a local mixed in with it but its wearing off, yesterday i could barely walk after seeing a movie in an uncomfy seat(10,000 BC Is mad!!)

i will be going back for more injections soon

Read this after I posted, forget the cortisone injections, they do squat. I had that done by a socalled professional, who didn't even listen to what was wrong, just told me the fix and charged me $160for the pleasure. 1 week later, back to where I started.

normxb · 10-03-2008, 12:40 AM

L5-S1 prolapsed disc , Yep know it well . My GP does acupuncture and used it while there was pain , not useful once the pain is gone . Neurosurgeon in Canberra , recommended massage or "the rack" at physio , the "rack" works for some people but not for others , worked great for me .

THEN I saw my Neurologist in Melbourne last March (2007) and gave me some pills called " LYRICA " ...........DO NOT TOUCH IT ...... ( supposed to be for damaged Nerves in Diabetics , but some Dr's are handing it out for all sorts of things) . I took it for 23 days and am still suffering from the Side Effects 12 months later and it did Zip , Nada , Zilch ..... thats why I haven't posted much for a while .

Most common Side Effects =
Dry Mouth
Lack of concentration
Confusion (stop conversation mid sentence , can’t remember what you’re talking about ?)
Unexplained Bruising
Feeling “Foggy” all the time
Turned aggressive and abusive
Can’t stay awake , (short sleeps 24 hrs a day) or can’t sleep
Severe Depression A couple of patients contemplated Suicide (close call here , the Mrs caught me in the shed ? ?)
Eyesight problems, I still can't see well enough to drive
Instead of “pain peaks” , constant pain at lower level
Short term memory loss . (couldn't even remember my kids NAMES for a while ! Spooky)
Can’t remember “simple” words
Don’t know what time or what day it is
Balance problems ..Most describe as being “Drunk” , I was falling 5-6 times a day .
“Flu like” symptoms .
Wheezing
Distended Belly , Fluid retention (swollen feet & Legs)
Massive weight gain .. I went from 54Kg's to 76Kg's in 6 weeks . still there.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
These are only some of them . Just Google "Lyrica Side Effects" or "Lyrica Forums"

It Affects you Physically AND Mentally

Stick to conventional "Well Known" medicine , this has buggered my life , there's No sign of it "going away"

This has been my personal experience , "might work for others"

Norm

Fev · 10-03-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 04redxr8

Read this after I posted, forget the cortisone injections, they do squat. I had that done by a socalled professional, who didn't even listen to what was wrong, just told me the fix and charged me $160for the pleasure. 1 week later, back to where I started.

my local GP did my cortisone injection.. the specialist i saw didnt say a thing about it.. told me nothing.. and of course, charged $160 for the privledge

Fev · 10-03-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by normxb

L5-S1 prolapsed disc , Yep know it well . My GP does acupuncture and used it while there was pain , not useful once the pain is gone . Neurosurgeon in Canberra , recommended massage or "the rack" at physio , the "rack" works for some people but not for others , worked great for me .

THEN I saw my Neurologist in Melbourne last March (2007) and gave me some pills called " LYRICA " ...........DO NOT TOUCH IT ...... ( supposed to be for damaged Nerves in Diabetics , but some Dr's are handing it out for all sorts of things) . I took it for 23 days and am still suffering from the Side Effects 12 months later and it did Zip , Nada , Zilch ..... thats why I haven't posted much for a while .

Most common Side Effects =
Dry Mouth
Lack of concentration
Confusion (stop conversation mid sentence , can’t remember what you’re talking about ?)
Unexplained Bruising
Feeling “Foggy” all the time
Turned aggressive and abusive
Can’t stay awake , (short sleeps 24 hrs a day) or can’t sleep
Severe Depression A couple of patients contemplated Suicide (close call here , the Mrs caught me in the shed ? ?)
Eyesight problems, I still can't see well enough to drive
Instead of “pain peaks” , constant pain at lower level
Short term memory loss . (couldn't even remember my kids NAMES for a while ! Spooky)
Can’t remember “simple” words
Don’t know what time or what day it is
Balance problems ..Most describe as being “Drunk” , I was falling 5-6 times a day .
“Flu like” symptoms .
Wheezing
Distended Belly , Fluid retention (swollen feet & Legs)
Massive weight gain .. I went from 54Kg's to 76Kg's in 6 weeks . still there.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
These are only some of them . Just Google "Lyrica Side Effects" or "Lyrica Forums"

It Affects you Physically AND Mentally

Stick to conventional "Well Known" medicine , this has buggered my life , there's No sign of it "going away"

This has been my personal experience , "might work for others"

Norm

christ, your a small bloke!! im 115kg's! lol and im only 19, not that fat.. just a real big dude which is really half the problem. reading those side effects, i fell sorry for ya mate. if i was on somthing like that for more then a month and it wasnt doing anything i would have stopped, i usually do on medicines though.

well now im unemployed i have some time to go and get this stuff sorted out so ill get around to seeing an accupuncture place and see the others aswell

normxb · 11-03-2008, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

if i was on something like that for more then a month and it wasn't doing anything i would have stopped,

Yep Fev , I did . I was only on them from 16/3/07 to 8/4/07 !

Another one of my mates was on them Sept-Oct 2006 for back pain & pinched nerves , & he's still "Off in the land of the Fairies" . If I'd have known I'd NEVER have touched them .

(This is Norms wife . I just told him we went to the Dr's today & had a blood test , he sort of remembers going to the Dr's , but dosen't remember the blood test ? bad day today , I had to tell him what to type . Some days he's better than others)

Fev · 11-03-2008, 04:21 PM

jeez, is there some sort of legal action you can take for somthing like that?! that is a bit.. i dunno, that sort of drug shouldnt even be legal!

Fev · 01-05-2008, 08:34 PM

Hey guys! it hasnt gone away.. ofcourse.. ive started goin to physio again though, hasnt started workin yet although ive only been twice(started last week before work and yesterday it hurt so bad i didnt go to work)

Anyway i have finally received(after about a year) a report on my MRI or CT. whichever it was i cant remember, from The San radiology dept on sydneys north shore. This is what the report says.

Quote:

FINDINGS:
There is a Grade 1 degenerative retrolisthesis of L5 on S1. The L5/S1 disc is slightly narrowed and moderately dessicated with a small transverse peripheral annular tear. There is a central broadbased disc protrusion at the L5/S1 level which together with the slight degenerative slip and some ligamentum flavum hypertrophy is causing marked bilateral later recess stenosis but only mild central stenosis. no associated foraminal stenosis is present. this protrusion would appear to be compressing on the S1 nerve roots bilaterally in the lateral recesses.

Mild diffuse disc buldges are present at the other lumbar disc levels but are not associated with focal disc protrusions or any impingement on neural pathways. No sign of any other central, lateral recess or or foraminal stenosis is identified.

The cauda equina terminates at the superior endplate of L2

Translation(?)

Quote:

There is a central broadbased focal disc protrusion at the L5/S1 level which together with a minor degenerative retrolisthesis and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy is causing marked lateral recess stenosis and compressing on the S1 nerve roots within the lateral recesses. This is almost certainly likely to be accounting for the right sided sciatica. If clinically appropriate a CT guided nerve block of the right S1 nerve root could be performed for symptomatic relief

All i have to say is..great.. bloody great....
Ive already had that procedure done and it helped for about 1 day and then it came back just as painful but more accute and sharp.

PS: i still havent gotten around to accupuncture. im too busy workin 9-6pm every day and i dont have time any more, and i cant do this casual cuz its a temp job and they would just find someone else and i really need the money

Oh woe is me!

Electric XY · 01-05-2008, 09:13 PM

i tore a disc in my lower back 2 weeks ago ,i could not walk properly for about a week and a half and the pain was very uncomfortable,i saw a chiropractor who does a lot of massage therapy who massaged me and gave me light excercises,now i feel great.if you are intrested he is at waitara excells in what he does and he is my cousin.if you want the number pm me, give him a call and see if he can help you he is excellent . good luck

Russ · 02-05-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

Hey guys! it hasnt gone away.. ofcourse.. ive started goin to physio again though, hasnt started workin yet although ive only been twice(started last week before work and yesterday it hurt so bad i didnt go to work)

Anyway i have finally received(after about a year) a report on my MRI or CT. whichever it was i cant remember, from The San radiology dept on sydneys north shore. This is what the report says.

Translation(?)

All i have to say is..great.. bloody great....
Ive already had that procedure done and it helped for about 1 day and then it came back just as painful but more accute and sharp.

PS: i still havent gotten around to accupuncture. im too busy workin 9-6pm every day and i dont have time any more, and i cant do this casual cuz its a temp job and they would just find someone else and i really need the money

Oh woe is me!

Hey Fev,

I had much the same diagnosis from my MRI. I will try not to waffle on about anything to you but first off, did you do this injury at work?? If you did, then be prepared for some real sh!t to hit the fan, because most insurance companies will make your life a total misery throughout this ordeal. If it's not work related and you are able to afford to get something done about it, I would suggest you do it ASAP. I had disc replacement surgery at L5 / S1 although I am not saying that is what would be best for you, I also have permanent nerve damage which is causing me quite a bit of trouble with my legs, the surgeon had nerve testing done which confirmed this and unfortunately I am stuck with it (this is more than likely caused by the time factor and the Workers Comp. process of nearly 3 years before surgery was approved). Just make sure that you weigh up your options before making a decision, but don't allow it time to heal on it's own because according to all the specialists I saw it never will. You can probably live with it if you take it easy but you will have to make some pretty dramatic lifestyle changes. However, as time progresses and the natural aging process takes it course your condition will more than likely deteriorate, I know mine did. I still have a constant dull ache in the lower back, have tried all sorts of therapy to get relief but nothing really helps. I even had steroidal injections into the area just before Xmas last year in the hope of reducing inflammation but it did bugger all I'm afraid. On my last visit to the surgeon all he could suggest due to the nerve problems was to take anti seizure medication on a daily basis - end result was I would end up walking around like a total zombie and tired all the time. I told him I would put up with the symptoms that I have for now and only if or when it becomes too much to handle would I even consider medication like that. No doubt you will get all sorts of advice on what direction to take, just make sure it is what's in your best interest. I visited this website http://forum.badbacks.com.au and the info available did help me decide which way to go, ie - surgery, there is some good reading here which may help answer some of your questions and help you with your decision.

Good luck
Russ

**ebxr8240** · 02-05-2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ

That's why I strongly suggested he take it easy and avoid lifting, bending and twisting as much as possible but still try to do light exercises.

Exactly I am a Lineworker and had heaps of injections in shoulder area ...
Kept working as I loved the work, overtime and the sense of helping the public when there power was off..
But am I paying for it now !!! Is it C6 in my neck ?? This was part of the problem through being electrocuted through no fault of my own..
I kept damaging this area...Don't like talking about it as most people think you are bludging, so I keep it to myself...The comments like Lebbo back etc...

L.T.D · 02-05-2008, 01:03 PM

Try Hunter Pain Clinic
Newcastle NSW

02 4940 0555

my dad broke his back 10 years ago and always suffered from back pain
his GP sent him to the Hunter Pain Clinic
they ended up burning the nerve ending which numbed the pain was ment to last 1 - 2
years it helped him alot

Fev · 02-05-2008, 07:50 PM

i dont want a bandaid. this is my back which is probably the 2nd most used part of my body hehe. as ive said in earlier posts i dont want somthing which just covers the pain, this is a serious problem, if the pain is just masked then the disc will deteriorate further causing permanent and very serious trouble.

And as for the lifting/twisiting and bending. We'll if you mean by doing manual labour - i dont do any. all this pain is just through the course of my day. i wake up completely stiff(put on pants foot at a time with 1 hand as i cant bend - bit of a struggle). it takes a min to get into the seat of my falcon as the legs dont want to lift up without feeling of paint like my spinal cord is gonna snap in half.. etc etc.. im even havin trouble wipin my own ***!!! but enough of the whinging.

I'm going to see a surgeon about this again. ive had injects which do NOTHING useful.. MRI injection didnt work at all and cost almost $600(private health took almost $400 out of that though). im still seeing physio once a week(i cant do it any more as i need to work) and i may go see a accupuncturist on sunday

14-05-2008, 03:25 PM

Fev ...I sympathise with you.

After 9 months of lower back pain I finally have been diagnosed with a bulging disc (L5/S1)!

After 1 Physio and 3 (THREE) Chiropractors, 1 GP and 1 Specialist (sports injury managment)...finally after a CT scan it showed up. Xrays didnt. All three chiropractors had a different technique. The first one (TOTALLY USELESS) was the crack and manipulating type. I was getting worse. The second was extremly gentle, something to do with neuro messages to my brain through my big toe. This guy I must say took a little bit of pressure off, but at this point I'm looking for 100% total cure. The third one (who came highly recommended to me) was into this hand held gadget which by light force send again messages to the brain to do its adjustments. 2 out of the 3 chiropractors were a thirsty money making business. But I cant blame them, I was desperate and hanging by their every word, so turning up 3 times a week, week after week after week was my fault. Sorry, but I am bitter to say the least, with the last chiro saying to me after I requested that I only go there once a week..." no way, how you going to get better?". Clearly, I wasnt getting better anyway...just poorer (health fund runs out very quickly at 3 times a week). I'm not saying there isnt a need for them what if a patient is clearly not getting any better, and they clearly cant treat them, dont keep leading them on....15 visits later. I was in tears from pain and frustrated to say the least.

I am now doing pilates and chinese pressure point message. My chinese doc gives me exercises to do and I find these alot more helpful, as I do applying hot water on the sides of my legs where the pain is. The pain some days "radiates" to the side of my hips and throbs all day long, as it does down the sides of my legs...dont walk because of it. I'm also irratable and my memory is playing up on me ...they say this is also a result of my bulging disc.

If it helps, the specialist did say to me that after some time, a bulging disc can flatten by itself and that way it doesnt hit nerves so the pressure is gone. I did ask how can I flatten my bulge and he said there's no magic formula. Also, by taking omega 3 (fish or salmon oil) it can only help. I also have a little bit of ostio athritis in my lower pack apparently, but the specialist said it was common as you get older and quite normal (I'm 46).

best of luck!

Fev · 19-06-2008, 12:06 PM

Bebi, ive got the same problem(same disc - L5/S1) and i can sympathise with you about the "In tears" part - After a night out in the city + lots of walking a lil while ago i almost broke down before finally getting in a cab and that was at 12:30 - so it wasnt a big night really..

Today, at 2pm im finally getting to see a specialist(fingers crossed he doesnt cancell like the other one) but i cant wait. I just want some sort of "closure" on whats going to happen to me. I cant imagine the disc flattening and taking pressure off the nerves as that guy said, if its compressed the stuff has to go somewhere(ie pushing outwards into the nerve's which causes the pain in the first place). But depending on how old you are the 'gel' inside the disc which acts as a shock absorber is 80% water and it deteriorates as you get older, thats why old people get hunched and shorter so im assuming if your fine with waiting until your 75 for the pain to go away that isn't a choice.

from my understanding of the research ive been doing that would only make it worse and create very bad problems in the future for you. But its good to see that you've found some sort of solution. My problem with exercises and stuff like that is i'm as stiff as a board(i think its genetic, im very tall, got very tall very quickly(no joke, i had stretch marks across my back, looked like a visited some bondage parlours regularly for a good whipping.) so the muscles are stretched to their limit and wont go any further and bending is just a No No.

From what ive gathered from the net and my report from the last scans i will need surgery. as my disc is torn, no, shredded there are pieces of the disc floating around in there causing more pain by putting more pressure on the nerves..
In a nutshell i would do anything to have this surgery done right this moment, although im started to get a little nervous about any problems that could arise from spinal surgery(ie paralysis, mega nerve damage, loss of feeling etc etc.. although im probably being paranoid)

Anyways, when i get back from the specialist this arvo ill give a run down for anyone who is curious(and can't spend $230 to see someone or is waiting another couple of months til their appointment.) what he has said and reccomended. BUT you still must see a specialist.

what i dont reccomend is cortezone(sp) injections, im not saying dont get them done but i wont reccomend them as they did nothing for me except cost about $700(for the CT injection which they do while scanning you with a 8 inch needle :( ) In fact the injections my local GP(since i was born ive seen him, trust him with my life basicly) did more to help me which cost about $45 then the $685 injection by a so called specialist injector person pfft. atleast private health care paid back bout $400 of it..

disclaimer:

i thought id write a disclaimer:
I am NOT a surgeon, doctor or anything else, i have NO experience in these fields WHAT SO EVER. The comments i have made in this thread are purely from my own experiences and research. Always see a doctor first!
I just dont want someone seeing any of these and choosing the wrong thing for them as everyone is different. i only created this thread to find out if anyone else has had a similar problem and could share their experiences and what sort of choices you may be prescribed by a medical proffesional

ttyl! wish me luck!

Fev · 19-06-2008, 04:45 PM

Ok well im back. I went to see a Dr Cam at The San(sydneys north shore adventist private hospital - he is also at Westmead Private)

My options are
1. Leave it alone and deal with it until you cannot any more(NOT an option for me)
2. Surgery
the surgery procedures include( i dont have specific terms, just what he described)

removal of the disc and fusion of the 2 vertebrae's(sp) which involves 2 ways of doing it.

the first way is coming in from the back, making 2 incisions about 4 inches long or so, cutting through the muscle etc to get to the disc, removing it and literally screwing the 2 vertebraes together allowing no movement what so ever.
coming in from the front(yes through your guts!). He would push or move all of your stomach cavity , dodge the blood vessels and do basicly the same thing but from the front(apparently its more popular then the first choice : BUT the risks are higher, the blood vessels can be damaged and that can result in bleeding out on the table.. the other thing is theres a 5% chance tiny, invisible to the naked eye nerves are near where he would be working on, which control the valves for the prostate - which can lead to sperm being ejected into your bladder, instead of out your (but you just pee it out) so no babies - semen still comes out the willy but no sperm, bad if you want kids

Now neither of these options were for me. i dont want my back to be frozen solid at the bottom, nor do i wanna lose the ability to have a child or 2..

Then there is Disc replacement procedures where they go in through the front, like the second fusion technique(hah dragonBall z for u nerds) or from the back. BUT these are mechanical discs with moving parts that after a certain period, like all moving parts wear out - and i dont want that to happen, too many things can do wrong.

Then there is also -

This

Its called Dynesys

See exact details of the procedure at
http://www.zimmer.com/z/ctl/op/globa...rcat/P6/prod/y

They cut back the protruding part of the disc, cut it so it doesnt compress the nerves any longer and then drill into both vertebrae's and insert screws which will hold an either solid titanium or some other sort of metal rod, with no flexibility to hold it in place. it will also wear out, but instead of bending it might just SNAP. Not good.
OR there is the same procedure but using a plastic rod which will allow bending and movement between the bones which may also wear out, it wont snap, it will just get softer and softer ie bendier and bendier(like gumby ya know?), there is no know period of when it will wear out but they have been doing it for over 10 years now so nothing has come up so far

im leaning more towards the latter with the plastic rod - It is in my opinion the safest, less complicated procedure of the bunch(they all have their risks though) and when the plastic wears out which eventually it will, like the metal rod, It is far easier to replace(just cut, slide out, slide in, stitch up) then putting a whole new prosthetic disc in...

He also said if i were his son he would reccomend leaving it for as long as possible and just pump up the drug intake and i quote "without getting addicted of course" but i dont want to pump myself full of drugs while it gets worse.. as ive said before.

So - I will be choosing the surgery with the plastic rod. i dont know what it will cost, i know it will take about 3-4 hours, require 5 days in the hospital and about a 6 week recovery period(which means ill lose my job - i really dont care though) but unfortunantly my father has been out of work for quite some time now so we cant do it until he gets one(as i dont have much cash and ill have to support myself whilst im out of work for around 2 months.

I cant say im happy, but im relieved that i have finally seen a doctor and gotten a definitive answer to my problem and what can be done since ive been in the dark for so long. i can get it done as quickly as 2 weeks but as i said, gotta wait for dad to get a job an all that. especially since my mum just had eye surgery to remove a cataract(she's only 54!!)

daniel_rossy · 19-06-2008, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

yeah the stretching feels like somthing shoving one of those huge novelty pens right into my pressure point..

just standing normally it just feels like there is a pen just squeezed into the pressure point, not shoved lol.. im really getting to the point where i dont want to go out anymore cuz it hurts so bad.. main reason why i quit working at maccas, although i think working there made it worse

that was the main reason for quitting maccas? Thought that would of been the least of your worries! (coming from a maccas employee) -sarcasm-

Fev · 20-06-2008, 09:23 AM

I used to love working at maccas, i had a lot fo fun there - made alot of friends and worked with a few other friends(i worked at head office maccas, it had over 150 emlpoyees so lots and lots of people)

Fev · 20-06-2008, 12:41 PM

Hey if anyone is interested i found with video, a 3D video of what Dynesys actually does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSZPi...eature=related

very interesting

muppet · 20-06-2008, 05:20 PM

I wouldn't go rushing off to have surgery just yet if I was you. I had the same thing as you , bludging disc with a tear and some of my disc floating around. I could not stand up for longer than about 10 min without it starting to cause me more pain (I could do it but it hurt). I had troubles even putting my shoes on and doing things that most people take for granted. This lasted for about a year , then for a year and a half after that I was a bit better , I could do more and get around better. Now 4 years after I hurt it I am pretty good , that means I have no pain unless I do too much and strain myself. I now have worked out what I can and cant do and I don't do stupid things that will hurt it again.
I was given the same advice as you , like just take drugs and you will be right. Yeah right just take morphine for 2 or 3 years and see how addicted you are. Plus if you take morphine and drive and kill someone you will be in a whole pile of trouble (they wanted me to take it and drive to work) I was told by a neuro surgeon that they did a study and worked out that after 3 years there was no difference between the people that had the operation and the people that didn't.
Now you might be worse than I was but my advice to you is put it off for as long as you can because 1 operation will lead to another and in the end you will end up with a spinal fusion and you will still be in pain. You have to work out what is best for you but even if you have the operation youre back will still hurt , just less. And the 6 week recovery time is crap it will take a lot longer than that.
ps: the part about you're knob not working scared me out of having the operation lol.

Fev · 22-06-2008, 12:46 PM

lol the part about the knob not working is a risk in one/2 of the operations(the ones which come in through the front) and those ones are the operations where they either replace the disc with a mechanical one or remove it and fuse the vertebrae's together - the one im looking at- well if you watch the video i posted you'll understand. its already been 4 years for me, this pain has basicly ruined the quality of life i have, the surgery i have opted for(i haven't booked anything but what i have chosen to eventually do) has less risks, less recovery time and no chance my prostrate is gonna go haywire lol

the doctor actually reccomended that if i chose for the Front in surgery that i go hit up a sperm back and get a few containers worth just in case it happens(5% chance it will happen but hey! better safe then sorry) then if everything is good donate them or throw em out

Fev · 01-07-2008, 02:57 PM

Okaaaay... Right now.. today.. last night.. yesterday.. ive been in the worst pain i have ever been subjected to in my life. I couldnt sleep, every time i moved i was racked with incredible pain down my spine.. yesterday i had to leave work - my right leg down to the foot went numb from the pain and my back was shaking from it..

I have organised to get the Dynesys implants on monday next week. im kinda scared but it needs to be done - id rather be a paraplegic then have this sort of pain for any longer then i need..

It has been rushed ahead as the government is no longer going to subsidise it as its "too costly". the cut off date is the 8th of july so im very very lucky i got in

so the procedure itself will cost around $3000. If it wasnt subsidised it would be more like $10,000(inc the 2k doctors fee - therefore the cost of 4 screws and 2 rods is $8000!!!!)

This week. starting on thursday i have to get myself to Westmead private to get the preadmission tests, another MRI or cat scan or whatever done and then All Systems GO!.. i just cannot wait to be pumped full of morphine - right now i just want something to numb me..

anyway - been a great birthday week huh!!! i turned 20 on the 29th so looks like for my birthday(kinda) i get my life back.. hopefully.. now i know its my own fault its so bad today - on saturday i took my girlfriend horse riding in the hunter valley - wasnt too bad, a bit uncomfy but i was fine after - calm before the storm me thinks.. and then on saturday night went into the city with mates for my birthday - probably shouldnt have walked to the cross..

Wish me luck!!!

King Nothing · 01-07-2008, 03:27 PM

Bugger mate, good luck!