Over the Thanksgiving holiday I began experiencing tenderness/cramping in my lower back. In the course of two hours it developed into the worst pain I've ever experienced -- I'd be on the floor in a fetal position just crying in pain. I tried the rest, take the otc meds but nothing helped. 2:00 that night I wake my wife and say we need to go to the ER. It's a holiday weekend, so everyone understaff -- decided to send me home on some stronger drugs and see if I can make it through the weekend.
I'm popping pills like candy -- and getting worst. Again, I wake my wife and say we need to go back to the ER. This time I get an MR -- two herniated discs in my lumbar region with cord compression. Change the meds and we're heading back home. things only get worst, on the 3rd night it's back to the ER - I get some IV drugs, they work pretty well maybe I'm mellowed, but the problem is still there. It seems the staff covering for my surgeon -- they don't know me and are relucant to be too aggressive. Besides I have some other contributing medical factors, cardiac stent 9 months ago, sleep apena, a bunch of meds including plavix and asprin... that complicate the care.
I have to refuse to leave and finally get admitted. I have a disc arthogram(?), not a bad test until they find the culprit disc(s). Lumbar fusion L3-L4 with hardware. The spasms are gone but I still have considerable baseline pain.
I'm not stranger to back surgery -- I've have two cervical fusion surgery resulting in being fused from C2-C7. With both of these operations as soon as the surgery was completed I was pain free.
I'm a little concerned that I still still have a significant amount of pain. Again, the spasms are gone but my baseline pain is a "5". I'm being a good patient -- using my walker, wearing my brace and no lifting.
Surgery was a week ago and maybe I'm being a little impatient --I thought I'd be further along. I would describe my pain as muscular and incisional. I've got 5 more weeks of doing nothing and then 6-8 weeks of PT.
Is my experience typical? Or am I trying to rush things thanks.
PS: I will never make fun of anyone with back pain --
dwk
I'm popping pills like candy -- and getting worst. Again, I wake my wife and say we need to go back to the ER. This time I get an MR -- two herniated discs in my lumbar region with cord compression. Change the meds and we're heading back home. things only get worst, on the 3rd night it's back to the ER - I get some IV drugs, they work pretty well maybe I'm mellowed, but the problem is still there. It seems the staff covering for my surgeon -- they don't know me and are relucant to be too aggressive. Besides I have some other contributing medical factors, cardiac stent 9 months ago, sleep apena, a bunch of meds including plavix and asprin... that complicate the care.
I have to refuse to leave and finally get admitted. I have a disc arthogram(?), not a bad test until they find the culprit disc(s). Lumbar fusion L3-L4 with hardware. The spasms are gone but I still have considerable baseline pain.
I'm not stranger to back surgery -- I've have two cervical fusion surgery resulting in being fused from C2-C7. With both of these operations as soon as the surgery was completed I was pain free.
I'm a little concerned that I still still have a significant amount of pain. Again, the spasms are gone but my baseline pain is a "5". I'm being a good patient -- using my walker, wearing my brace and no lifting.
Surgery was a week ago and maybe I'm being a little impatient --I thought I'd be further along. I would describe my pain as muscular and incisional. I've got 5 more weeks of doing nothing and then 6-8 weeks of PT.
Is my experience typical? Or am I trying to rush things thanks.
PS: I will never make fun of anyone with back pain --
dwk