Nervous...scared...anxious...
Doug, have you given consideration to having the surgery for your back rather than continuing to deal with the symptom (pain)? Having done that, I can tell you one thing for sure...... Its easier on you if you have the operation when you are younger and stronger. Better chance of success, less likely to develop other health issues whilst putting it off, some of which might make it too dangerous to do the operation at all when you are older. Not to mention continuing to live in pain until the operation is done.
Wish you all the best,
Harry
Morning Harry
I ended up at this pain clinic because of a surgeon. Over the past several months I asked all of the medical folks I have been seeing about who they would go see if they needed back surgery. Every last one of them told me to go see Dr. Tomeh, the doc that has been taking care of my shoulder told me that he was actually treating her already. Of course, I did not listen at first. Went to see another doc. He told me that I NEEDED to go to PT, despite my injury being 30+ years old...and having been to PT at least 2 dozen times over the year. I balked, like I always do when told I NEED PT. I had just went to PT the year prior and got absolutely no where. I started to get belligerent, doc then told me it Medicares protocol that I go to PT prior to them doing anything for me. On the way out I tossed the prescription for PT in the trash. Went to my primary care doc and asked about the PT being Medicares protocol...he said that was news to him. Had him send me to Dr Tomeh. His PA sent me out for a diagnostic epidural (l4-5), this was the first CT guided one I had, all the other ones were X-Ray guided. Well, this got rid of my back pain...all of my back pain. Was then sent out for another CT guided epidural, this one at L5-S1. This got rid of my leg pain. PA told me they had the info that they needed, time to see the surgeon. He took one look at my MRI, and the results of the Epidurals....and said IF he cut on me that I WOULD end up on the wrong side of the statistical chart, the failed side. He blew up the MRI image of my L-3 to S-1 area and said that the bulk of my issue is the L4-5 disc is herniated. Problem is it is into my spinal canal. Also said that IF he were to cut on me that he would also, based on the results of the second epidural, fuse L5 and S-1. He said that he would also have to fuse L-3 as it is starting to slip.
He then told me that all of this is not really relevant, what was relevant was the herniated disc. The bulk of the pain is not from degenerative disc disease. The bulk of my pain is form the herniated disc compromising the spinal canal. Only thing a fusion would do would be to lock my back in place, it would do nothing for my pain. Told me that a fusion would be pointless. Also said that I am not a candidate for disc replacement, for multiple reasons. One, I have a lot of arthritis. The other being a m borderline morbidly obese. He suggested that Dr. Hatheway was a viable option.
I am not one for going to half a dozen doctors looking for the answer I WANT to hear, I call that fishing. Have had several people in my past go fishing...and all of them did not end well.
So long story short...if one of the most highly regarded surgeons in your area tells you that surgery is a bad idea....well...it is probably a good idea to heed his advice.
Side note #1. My wife is going to PT for her dislocated elbow. She is using the same place I did. Joel, the therapist I seen, came out to chat with me the other day. I told him what was going on. He told me that of all the lumbar fusions he has had pass thru his facility 70% of them are failures, when it comes to eliminating the pain. Most of the folks he sees are on the same dose of narcotics post surgery/recovery as they are prior to surgery.
Side note#2. I started my clinical trial for the Biotronics Spinal Cord Stimulator yesterday. Started it at 6:15 p.m. Pain level, overall, was a solid 7. Woke up this morning at 6:30 p.m. pain level is down to 3.
