My Mri Scan

[MermaidMel]

I'm having spinal surgery in a few weeks, a discectomy and I was so shocked to see the state of my 3 bottom discs, the L5/S1 is completely slipped the one above is quite bad and also being removed, so I'll have a metal spacer between them and the one above those 2 is kinda bulging so I have to rehabilitate myself really well and stick to it to avoid future problems. It's gross but cool too and let this be a lesson to anyone with back problems - look after it or you'll end up like moi!

So you know what you're looking at, the healthy discs white are all white and neat, the bottom 3 are dark, wiggly, you can see the disc fluid leaking outside the walls and pressing onto my spinal chord causing me immense sciatica and lower back pain for the last year. Nice eh.

 

[emmsy]

OMG Mel, I've seen enough x-rays to know that it is not good. Will the surgery repair or just eliviate the pain?

Emma

 

[shelaghfishface]

oh god!! i wish you all the best,im no expert but my mum has siatica and its really dibilitating ( spelling lol)
good luck with the op mel
shelaghxxxx

 

[Bloo]

Gosh sorry to see! And all the best!
But was there anything you could have done to prevent this or make it less severe?

 

[MermaidMel]

Wow quick replies, thanks girls.

The procedure is to cut away the protruding disc and leave the rest in place, whilst the spacer will help stop the 2 discs collapsing onto each other. Prognosis is good, about 90% success rate. I should be illeviated of the pain once I'm awake [well apart from the 2 inch gash in my spine ] and recovered after a couple of months, but no lifting, bending at the waist etc. Thank the lord my uncle is overseeing all this because he's a surgeon too, though not my surgeon [different field]

Gosh sorry to see! And all the best!
But was there anything you could have done to prevent this or make it less severe?

This is a mixture of genetically weak back [mum had keyhole to repair disc wall and all the family suffer on both sides], plus wear and tear, carrying 2 very heavy babies to past term [9lb 15oz and 8lb 11oz babies] and really, sitting at comp for hrs on end, I have not 'sat' at a computer for 1 year now, I lay on my tummy with cushions under my belly to stop my spine sinking in and type away - my elbows btw are very sore lol

 

[emmsy]

++++++room hug for MermaidMel+++++++

 

[MermaidMel]

++++++room hug for MermaidMel+++++++

Aww bless, I am trying to raise awareness but also, I am so god damn scared of having surgery for the 1st time ever and not being able to lift my baby or even drive them anywhere all summer and stuff, I also posted this to be able to get some support from my buds on here, it really helps get through the scared moments.

Oh and btw, I spent hrs on the comp WORKING not chatting on FORUMS

 

[andywg]

I agree the prognosis is good for these sorts of things. My dad's mate had very similar surgery on his back and he has carried on SCUBA diving. He does have to be a bit careful about sitting in less kind chairs (such as kitchen or dining room chairs) and often finds towards the end of a day he has to lay down, but other than that and being careful he is pretty much back to normal.

He (and a member of my dive club) have had the same sort of operation but in the neck. The fun thing there being they don't like to go in through the back for that, so they cut your throat, move the wind pipe and then work on you from the front.

Thanks for sharing though, it's interesting to see how the body changes, and how modern medicine can repair what would otherwise cause real issues for the rest of your life. All the best for the surgery, having thrown my back out in the gym in February I know how bad back pain can be (though that was just muscular/ligament)

 

[MermaidMel]

I agree the prognosis is good for these sorts of things. My dad's mate had very similar surgery on his back and he has carried on SCUBA diving. He does have to be a bit careful about sitting in less kind chairs (such as kitchen or dining room chairs) and often finds towards the end of a day he has to lay down, but other than that and being careful he is pretty much back to normal.

He (and a member of my dive club) have had the same sort of operation but in the neck. The fun thing there being they don't like to go in through the back for that, so they cut your throat, move the wind pipe and then work on you from the front.

Thanks for sharing though, it's interesting to see how the body changes, and how modern medicine can repair what would otherwise cause real issues for the rest of your life. All the best for the surgery, having thrown my back out in the gym in February I know how bad back pain can be (though that was just muscular/ligament)

Ahh yes someone told me they had their lumbar spine surgery through their stomach, but having curiously checked you tube my op is going through the back
It's good to hear success stories, it's all I've heard so far so thanks for another

 

[geo7x]

Wow I wish you the best of luck with the op and also the recovery!

Those scans contain are very clear with an amazing amount of detail, and you're very good at explaining what we're looking at, usually on these hospital programmes on TV they show an X-ray and say "Well, as you can see..." and I'm left feeling a bit , but I can really see what you're saying.

Good luck!

 

[MermaidMel]

Wow I wish you the best of luck with the op and also the recovery!

Those scans contain are very clear with an amazing amount of detail, and you're very good at explaining what we're looking at, usually on these hospital programmes on TV they show an X-ray and say "Well, as you can see..." and I'm left feeling a bit , but I can really see what you're saying.

Good luck!

Thanks, my accurate description comes from hours of obsessing and google imaging everything, I know some people leave it to the professionals, but when I got my results on CD I rang my uncle and gave MY diagnosis, sent the CD to him and guess what, I was spot on... diagnosed myself, how cool is that lol

 

[morgan]

Hi, my Mother had a similar operation when she was expecting me (she didn't know). That was 55 years ago so medicine has improved a lot since then (no scans in those days!). She lived a long and healthy life and was quite active (walking, gardening etc). She also had another child three years after me. Good luck with your op.

 

[MermaidMel]

Hi, my Mother had a similar operation when she was expecting me (she didn't know). That was 55 years ago so medicine has improved a lot since then (no scans in those days!). She lived a long and healthy life and was quite active (walking, gardening etc). She also had another child three years after me. Good luck with your op.

Thank you

 

[Helen G]

OMG!!!

Good luck with you op!

love n hugs xxxxxxx

 

[dthoffsett]

You'll do just fine Mel. I had to have back surgery in November of 2006. My problem is mostly genetic, all most all of my family has the same problem, mine just developed early (I'm 27), and more acute. I have degenerative arthritis in my spine (sounds worse than it is) and the L5 disc was grossly over-sized and herniated (in fact the surgeon said the disc was the largest he'd ever seen), top that off with the channel the sciatic nerve runs through was congenitally narrowed, I was in really bad shape before the surgery. I had a neurosurgeon do the surgery because of the nerve issues (the same one that did my mom's surgery ). He decided the best course was to fuse L4/5, remove the disc, and widen the channel the sciatic runs through, he harvested bone from my hip for the fusing , plus used rods and screws to hold everything together. Needless to say I was pretty terrified, but I was in so much pain I was willing to do anything to make it stop. And I'm happy to say I don't regret it a bit. I remember waking up from surgery flat on my stomach and the first thing I said was "Oh my God, the pain is gone!". I can honestly say the pain from surgery/recovery was a breeze compared to how I was before. Even the nurse staff was impressed, they had to make me stay in bed and not over do it. I was just so excited to be free from the nerve pain that it couldn't lay still.

Almost two years out I'm a new person. I've had back problems since I was 12 years old, and can now do just about anything I want without having to worry if my back can handle it. I did experience phantom nerve pains for the first six months or so, but the surgeon said that was normal, and it did go away. I mostly noticied it if I wore myself out. Because part of my back is fused, there are certain ways I can't bend anymore, but it's easy to work around. I also know when a storm is coming (the only time my back hurts), and when its very very cold I can feel where the metal is. It doesn't hurt, and it's kind of hard to explain, but I've found other people have the same thing.

A couple of suggestions for after the surgery. Walking is the best thing you can do for yourself, just don't over do it. Listen to your body, if it feels tired rest, if not you'll regret it later. Get one of those extended claw things to pick up stuff off the floor, your back won't want to bend forward for the first couple of weeks. Get loose soft waisted pants to wear, your incision will thank you. Try not to get frustrated with how weak you are at first, your body has been through a lot, even if your brain insists that because the pain is gone you need to move move move. This may sound strange, but check out your bathroom, are there areas you can grip to assist in sitting and getting up from the toilet? Most people don't think of that, but your muscles have to recover, and the simplest (and necessary) things can take more effort, and longer so don't wait until the last minute.

If you have any more questions let me know.