Comments for The Back Surgery Site

Comment on Spinal Surgery by mike

mike — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:43:56 +0000

has anyone sued a doctor after a failed back surgery in texas and won my doc told me after surgery you will be able to go back to work that was 11 months ago and now im worst than before and have lost my job. Thanks for any information.

Comment on Sciatica by Linda S.

Linda S. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:30:37 +0000

I have a herniated disc that the doctor said did not require surgery. However, the pain has intensified over the past 6 years and I am in pain daily, especially if I experience even a tiny bit of stress or move to bend, etc. I have wondered whether Neurontin would help…I hate taking any drugs whatsoever but tylenol, etc are no longer effective and I have pain at night now laying on my sides.

Comment on What Is Spinal Stenosis by Jewel Kemp

Jewel Kemp — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:27:39 +0000

I had a long history of lower back pain and was diagnosed with: Spinal Stenosis. I had a herniated disc, Arthritis in the spine, curveture of the spine and siatica. I had lower back surgery on 11/2/09 and I do not experience back pain but the left leg is often numb especially if I walk a New York City block. Sometimes when I first awaken both legs have some tingling but mostly the left leg which always go numb. Any information will help. Thank you so much in advance.

Comment on Back Surgery by sarah cox

sarah cox — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:18:30 +0000

My name is sarah im 30yrs old&im from hutchinson,kansas.1st of all back problems run in my family on the entire side of my mothers.My mom,my grandma,uncle,aunts,my sister&brother.My 1st sugery was June 2006,i was 26 & that was for a herniated disk at L-3 L-4.(i dont know why but a week later i applied for disability)Come to find out3months later that disk was herniated again.By that time i no longer had insurance & drs were already talking about a fusion.i had no choice but to suffer & keep stuffing painpills down my throat,which most of you know w/chronic back pain”doesn’t cut it”.we just get more immune to them and they don’t work as well as time goes on.why do think we keep having to up our mgs even though they work great at 1st?am i right?dont get me wrong,i wouldn’t be able to move(ha or breathe)if i didn’t have my pain pills.1 of mine is every4hrs & i’ve tried to cut down but once6hrs hits,i don’t have a choice & i mean this when i say this,but to hurry&take1.we’re all told though not to wait til we’re in that”pain”to then take our pill,but to take them when we’re suppose to.if we wait til we’re really in pain & miss our pill time then that pill we’re takin isn’t going to do much cause it’ll be workin extra hard to try & relieve our pain instead of the regular pain we’re in when we’re takin it”on time”so i myself need to work on that,but the more i take them & keep”covering up”the pain,getting my body use to them,the more & more each time my body will think that it’ll need next time & the time after that.Moving on,i had a3level anterior interbody fusion feb2009 i was29.they opened me up from the front & ive got4plates16screws & 3fake disks.this was done since over the yrs my disks became degenerative.im worse off now than i ever was before&if i had a time machine i would go back & never of got it done.i cant even sit in a chair/furniture,i have to lay down or clear over at an angle.i take opana,oxycotins&cylobenzaprine.im sure that receipe will change before my time is up considering how many times its changed already.(hydrocodone-percocets-vallium)see what i mean?after this surgery i lost a bunch of weight & tons of my body muscle & still to this day no matter what i eat or the protein drinks i drink,i cant seem to gain weight.im6′ weighing 143lbs & thats not really good & all for me considering my normal weight was at least 180.i just never feel good most of the time.i finally got disability after a yr & half & bein denied twice but w/out disability ins i wouldnt be able to afford my rx’s w/out payin just a co-pay since my Opana is over$500a mth.im hoping over more time i’ll be in less pain & be able to sit in chairs like normal people & not have my body feel like im 80yrs old.i wanna run,exercise,go to the theater,road trips,long shopping,not have to worry about where i park, & not show up right on time at my appts since i cant sit so instead i have to stand right by a chair & look dumb,how embarrassing!im so sick&tired of living this way & no matter how much time goes by i still haven’t adjusted to it,coped w/it & each day its the same stuggle for me day in/day out.everyone else that doesn’t have back problems should honestly right now drop to their knees & thank GOD that they DO NOT.i would give my left arm or sacrafice something big that i need in place of me going through this back trouble that seems to never end.i do have hope & thats when i got that$250,000.00surgery which really let me down.i never hear anything good about back surgeries really,once in a great while but everbodys body is different, & all i know is i’ll never be the same again & it makes me so sad that my surgery cant be undone.maybe in the future they’ll come up w/something to make me normal,w/less pain,less pain pills or none at all hopefully but maybe i can sit in a chair & not feel so alone w/my problem.i hope that all of you can some day find relief or get insurance to get the medical procedures done that you need done because w/out insurance & serious back trouble(to where we’re typin on here)its gonna probably be the roughest road you’ve ever been down considering i have medicaid & medicare & thats not changing any outcome ive had on my back.it just pays for everything.i wish the best for you all,ive been through so much & i wish i could write a book about my experience.im in bed now stacked w/pillows all over,my backs killin me & its sad i cant just sit at a computer desk & chair like most people do.nope,this is how i’ll always have to be on the computer.on my side typin or on my lap, laid back,stacked w/pillows.it should’ve never have came to this.i wanna be off disability,i wanna work again someday & never let my back hold me back in my life again & im tryin to get there,i just cant.too much pain,im fused,so theres that unavailability feeling especially with movement.well i hope & i pray thats all i can do.i make sure not to do anything thats going to hurt my back any further as well.all of you too.take care of your backs,there might not be much of them left.i know they feel wore out but just hang in there.at least time is passin by & not standin still,right?plus in a way,theres nothin we can do about it or we’d be doin it right now & if any of us figure something out,maybe be a good(back)friend that we can all relate to & pass the secret along.pills,ice,heat,certain exercises,back rubs,resting…..i just dont know what else to do because the rest is up to our bodies & we cant just say”back heal”& we’re healed.w/that being said i think ive sat & typed plenty.im hurting & gotta go.i’ll pray for you all because i feel all of your pain.good luck,take care,dont give up&most of all GOD BLESS!!!!:)

Comment on Back Surgery by sarah cox

sarah cox — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:55:02 +0000

My name is sarah im 30yrs old.1st of all back problems run in my family on the entire side of my mothers.My mom,my grandma,uncle,aunts,my sister & brother.My1st sugery I was 26 & that was for a herniated disk

Comment on Spinal Surgery by Mary Mullins

Mary Mullins — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:27:29 +0000

What is the results for other people who have had this procedure done? No one ever tells me that.

Comment on Spinal Surgery by Mary

Mary — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:26:47 +0000

What is the results for other people who have had this procedure done?

Comment on Spinal Surgery by Mary

Mary — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:24:32 +0000

I have had a lot of back pain and after many epidural injections into my muscles and spine I decided to have the new XSTOP procedure which put a stop between the discs to open it up and free pinched nerves. After 12 weeks I am still in pain – the sciatic nerve is inflammed and it is creating pain across both sides of my buttocks and down the tail bone. It goes down the back of both legs to my knees and I hate to get out of bed or walk because it hurts so bad!! Even passing gas and having a bowel movement hurts but is a relief once they’ve passed. After injections, heat, cold, oxycodone, muscle relaxers every 6 hours, and
steroid packs of predisone I’m still very distressed and cry a lot. I’m told by the surgeon’s PA to be patient – my patience is wearing out. I ask how long before the pain goes away? “Be Patient, you’re half way there!” IF THE PAIN DOESN’T GO AWAY, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

Comment on Degenerative Disc Disease by jason

jason — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:50:54 +0000

I’m a 29 year old man who has DDD. Have had problems with this for about 5 years now. Trying everything besides surgery and still no results. Doctor has only given me muscle relaxers that do not work and won’t give me pain meds in fear of me becomming addicted to them. But taking a bottle of Advil a week is surely not good, I meen my liver can’t handle much more. Having 7 discs in all parts Lumbar, Thorasic and Cervical bulging I don’t know what to do anymore. Everyday is another day I dont want to get out of bed. Why at my age do I have to suffer this pain.

Comment on Herniated Disc by Shelley

Shelley — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:11:18 +0000

gee Constance that is ridiculous that you as a health care professional are having to go through this kind of pain and nonsense. really that anybody should have to go through this. if you read my previous blogs you can see what I have gone through with dr’s and they mostly suck. NOONE who has not had this kind of back pain can possibly understand how bad it can be and then when they dismiss it as not too bad or don’t want to give us pain meds it is so frustrating. I am a Canadian and I thank god every day that we have FREE health care for everyone here. We can go to the dr, any dr of our choice and get good care. Now of course like anywhere we have good drs and bad ones. if we get a bad one we have the choice to fire them and request a new specialist from our family physician which is wonderful. I feel very bad for american citizens that have to pay for insurance especially as hundreds of thousands can’t afford it so they end up in situations like yours. then your insurance only pays for so much, then it limits which dr’s you can see etc which is horrible esp if you don’t like the dr but get stuck with him or her. I think all people deserve free health care and it shouldn’t be based on how much money you make since the economy is so bad and many people are out of work. as well you have many disabled/ handicapped that may be able to work just enough to not qualify for medicare but not enough to be able to afford insurance. I have heard of school teachers in the usa not earning enough to afford insurance making about $24,000 per year. Our canadian teachers make a killing up here earning anywhere up to $100,000 for teaching in a college and possibly $75,000 in a public or high school so much different. then they are allowed to file for unemployment insurance benefits through the summer when they are off work which I think is crazy when they earn that much money in 9 months and get 3 months holidays.
I sure hope you can get this resolved. at least you had the cash for payment when so many don’t have that choice either. it is terrible that you had to give up your job when you just got a promotion. I sure hope that this next injection helps you better. getting 15 months pain relief from a needle is incredible. I don’t know if we have that kind of treatment up here. most often they want to do surgery which most of in my research doesn’t work and makes people worse. it is so hard to know what to do since everyone is different and what works for one doesn’t work for another. all you can do is research every choice and then make the best possible decision you can make at the time. good luck and keeps us posted.
hope you feel better soon and at least can get past the foggy pain part. take care, shelley