another diagnosis

[Mep]

I think I mentioned here before about my car accidents at the end of last year... but not sure I mentioned I just found out I have 3 bulging discs in my back and one in particular is protruding and leaning on my S1 nerve sheath. This has been sending pain down both legs and also I've been getting numbness on and off in my left ankle and foot. Great. It only started after my 2nd accident. The spine MRI I had last year for my bladder and prior to accidents was clear so my guess is the accidents caused it or at least contributed. Doc says I now have sciatica to add to my list. He reckons the discs don't get better, but the pain may be able to be managed better. I'm not supposed to bend or lift heavy things. I'm still getting physio treatment at the moment. In a way I wish they'd checked my back a lot earlier because I complained about my lower back, neck, and shoulders right from the start... the focus of treatment has only been on my neck and shoulders mostly. I feel like I'm a case of "putting out spot fires" with health professionals now as I've got a bit too much going on. I'm trying to stay off the anti-inflammatories though but this pain isn't helping anything else.

 

[Bluetit1802]

You have all my sympathies.

I had similar 30 years ago. I had months of physio, painkillers and then I had 2 spinal cortisone injections (right in to the spinal cord area) that were no fun at all and only worked for a week. I declined the invitation to go for the 3rd. It had ruptured and all the bits were clinging to the sciatic nerve. In the end I had the disc removed surgically. That was 30 years ago. Absolutely no problems since.

I hope you find a way of managing the pain.

 

[Mep]

You have all my sympathies.

I had similar 30 years ago. I had months of physio, painkillers and then I had 2 spinal cortisone injections (right in to the spinal cord area) that were no fun at all and only worked for a week. I declined the invitation to go for the 3rd. It had ruptured and all the bits were clinging to the sciatic nerve. In the end I had the disc removed surgically. That was 30 years ago. Absolutely no problems since.

I hope you find a way of managing the pain.

Thank you

Thanks for letting me know about the cortisone injections. I know they can help some. My doc said it's a case of taking anti-inflammatories for goodness knows how long... but I don't want to do that as I have severe GI problems. What I'm doing at the moment is just taking the anti-inflammatory he's prescribed as needed for 2 days at the most then I have a break even though I may still be in pain. My physio has been doing massage, ultrasound, acupuncture, heat, and has given me stretch exercises to do. But quite often I leave physio and I'm feeling bruised. I was there yesterday and today I actually do have bruises. She tapes my back sometimes. She is telling me she is concerned about my rotator cuff on my right shoulder too as she thinks it's not improving quick enough and wonders if I have a tear. ugh. I should've just told them to get a full body scan and figure it out instead. I'm also having to go through state government insurance here for my medical treatment because the accidents were not my fault.

 

[Lamont D]

The wife is disabled through the same thing two crumbling discs with the nerve bundle, sciatica nerve, trapped, constant pain, not allowed to work, can't get comfortable, on all sorts of meds to offset the pain, twitches, rash and menopause to boot! Doing anything is so difficult and tiring.
Won't operate because of really high chance of permanent irreversible damage.
She is on a large morphine dosage.
She has some reasonable control of her diabetes!

Another battle! Another day!

Best wishes

 

[Bluetit1802]

The wife is disabled through the same thing two crumbling discs with the nerve bundle, sciatica nerve, trapped, constant pain, not allowed to work, can't get comfortable, on all sorts of meds to offset the pain, twitches, rash and menopause to boot! Doing anything is so difficult and tiring.
Won't operate because of really high chance of permanent irreversible damage.
She is on a large morphine dosage.
She has some reasonable control of her diabetes!

Another battle! Another day!

Best wishes

Has she has second opinions on the operation? Many years ago it was very dangerous and operations were refused. 30 years ago I was warned it could go wrong and I could end up in a wheelchair permanently unable to walk, or worse. I think the chances of success were 50/50 if I remember correctly. The surgeon's knife is very close to the spinal cord. I took the risk because I was totally debilitated by it and only in my 30's.
However, medical science and surgery is so much more advanced these day the risks are a great deal less and once all other options have been tried, many people do have the operation.
It is worth checking again.

 

[Mep]

The wife is disabled through the same thing two crumbling discs with the nerve bundle, sciatica nerve, trapped, constant pain, not allowed to work, can't get comfortable, on all sorts of meds to offset the pain, twitches, rash and menopause to boot! Doing anything is so difficult and tiring.
Won't operate because of really high chance of permanent irreversible damage.
She is on a large morphine dosage.
She has some reasonable control of her diabetes!

Another battle! Another day!

Best wishes

Thank you

Your poor wife... she has my sympathy. This pain sometimes feels like I'm having electric shocks. It's not good when driving when it does that as it goes from my back to my left foot. I also get a lot of heel pain in my left foot mainly and my doc said this is from the sciatic nerve as well. ugh. I have a few other painful conditions too and it just adds to my overall pain. I don't like taking too many meds and feel I'm on enough as it is. But fact is docs have to keep changing my meds on me because I've been getting worse and now I'm getting more problems. Part of me is mad that 2 people rear ended my car... I wish I could turn back the clock... but what is done is done. I was in awful pain after both accidents as all my medical conditions flared up from the shock and impact I suppose. I hope your wife can find some relief.... also agree with @Bluetit1802 that it may be worth investigating surgery again. I thought I read somewhere recently about minimum invasive spinal surgery.... I've done a bit of reading over the last few weeks since I found out. Apparently if things get real bad there is spinal fusion.

 

[Lamont D]

Thanks to both of you!
But at her last assessment, there was no good news!
Maybe in a few years eh!

I'd go private but well out of our range. And apparently the same surgeon, go figure!