[A18793715]

My disc has been degenerative for who knows how long. I asked for a MRI to look better and the found out it's almost bulging against both sides of my sciatic nerve. My doctor said the only way to stop the pressure on the nerve is back surgery. He referred me to this neurosurgeon, who he claims save his life twice. The surgeon has really good reviews. But it's not that. Everyone I've ever talked to told me not to have back surgery, no matter how "minimally invasive" they claim because they all ended up in worse pain. I grew how watching my grandpa sit in his red chair from the day he got home from the hospital after have back surgery until he died. That's all I really knew of my grandpa growing up. I have this reoccurring dream since he died. For some reason, his chair is in the back room leading to the backyard. Except his chair is facing away from the window. I bang in the window, try to open the door, try to find the spare key, scream, anything to try to get his attention. And that's my entire dream. I try so hard to get to him but then I just wake up.

Everyone keeps telling me that that's the last and technology and medicine has advanced majorly, but it doesn't change anything. All I see is my grandpa. People keep saying it's silly that I even worry about that. But it doesn't change anything.

So basically it comes down to if I want to have back surgery at 24 or continuing being in pain.

Honestly, Id rather take being in pain.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Travelinglady]

I don't blame you. 24 is young. How is your quality of life, though?

[Skeezyks]

I used to work with people who had sustained work-related injuries... many of them low back injuries. Many of them had had back surgery. It seldom went well. This was probably 15 years ago. So perhaps things have changed. But personally I'd be really leery of back surgery. (I have a ruptured disk & sciatica. So I know what it's about.) I recall attending a lecture on back surgeries presented by an orthopedic surgeon at a workers compensation conference. He said that after 5 years (from the date of injury) patients end up in the same place whether they've had surgery or not. So the question is can a person manage with the level of pain they have because, after 5 years (from the date of injury) they'll end up the same whether they've had back surgery or not.
Hopefully what you have done is to do what is necessary to build up the muscles around the affected area. Personally, I've found walking to be the best therapy. But working with a physical therapist to strengthen those muscles may also be beneficial. (By the way, hopefully you don't smoke. Smoking decreases the likelihood of a successful outcome when it comes to back surgery.)

[vonmoxie]

I would get at least three different opinions; see at least three different surgeons first no matter how good the one referral might be.

It can be somewhat difficult to get appointments with the better ones, because the more successful they are the less their team may want to be bothered scheduling appointments that are not definitely going to result in their getting to perform surgery. Be pushy, get appointments with good surgeons -- preferably ones who perform it consistently, who work out of hospital facilities, because their interest in your case once they get in the room with you has a better chance of being less self-motivated (i.e., they're not as much chomping at the bit for surgical opportunities).

When I cancelled my last scheduled surgery, it was because although I had been told by more than one surgeon that I should have it done, the very last one I saw (who was the most famous among them and the hardest to get an appointment with, hence by the time I got to see him I was actually pencilled in for surgery already) spent a shocking entire hour with me, because despite the horrendous condition of my spine he was absolutely adamant in wanting to make sure I understood that I should delay getting any surgery for as long as I could possibly still stand the discomfort (it's painful but I'm at 5 years now since seeing him), due to the fact that what they can do for me surgically is temporary at best -- the problems I have will return as a matter of course because of the underlying conditions I have, and my ability to withstand additional surgeries decades further into my aging process will be decreased each time. Despite the fact that I had great insurance and was totally open to getting surgery he was the only one of the surgeons I saw who was truly adamant about his diagnosis for me, even though just like the others the way he makes the big bucks is by cutting and he was telling me not to. That contrast was not lost on me, and I'm so glad I pushed for that appointment, included him in my process as late as it was.

The ironic thing is that people's judgement about my not getting the surgery tends to be that I must not have really needed it, or that I chickened out. Neither could be further from the truth. In my heart of hearts I'd really rather have had the hopefulness of surgery because at least it would have meant I had a chance of experiencing change with my painfully awful wreck of a spine and all it affects, but I could tell it was not the right thing because ultimately it was obvious which doctor was giving me the real skinny on my particular situation. The comparisons can be pretty helpful.

Well 24, you have a choice. Suffer in pain or get surgery. Eventually you'll have to have it. The longer you wait the more dangerous it can be. Do it now while you can and you will recover... blessings (((hugs)))

[BDPpartner]

Surgery is not possible for my back, I injured it at work. I did the rare trick of damaging a disc in my thoracic spine which resulted in it being misdiagnosed by the original physiotherapist that I saw but to be fair she was only just out of college Unfortunately by the time I got a MRI and saw an ' adult ' I had extra bone growth on my spine but because of where it is surgery is a last resort. I also have bulging discs in my lower spine that at times cause my leg to go numb and all of this happened in my mid twenties so I can understand your situation. I completely agree with Vonmoxie get 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinions but I would also suggest seeing a therapist to help you with the stress and anxiety.
Good luck

[A18793715]

Thank you everyone for replying. I honestly didn't think I would get really more than one reply. I'm trying not to cry because it's weird actually reading people's stories who really understand.

As for my quality of life, I really don't know how to gauge that. It feels ****** because I, for some stupid reason, can't tell any doctor (even in the emergency room) my true pain level number on a scale of 1-10. I'm terrified that since I'm so young, that all doctors look at me like I'm a drug seeker. I think part of that is because my dad always tells me I'm a drug addict because I'm prescribed benzos, which he had to go to rehab for abusing. I've never abused any of my medicine. One. You're wasting it. Two. You're taking dosage away from other days of the month. And three. Why? But like if I think my pain level is at a 8, (wow. Apparently it's hard to even admit it to you guys), I'll say a 5 or 6. I've broke down crying so many times because I can't tell my doctor this. I do wonder what it would be like if the pain didn't start at 17. If my depression/anxiety/psychosis/etc wouldn't be this bad.

But I can't shake this feeling.
I'd rather be in pain and hate my life before having surgery. That scares me really bad.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BDPpartner]

I'm sorry your father can't see that you are using medications for the purpose that they are intended and not because of addiction. My family can be less than understanding about the amount, frequency and type of pain meds I am prescribed.

But the nice thing is that we can support each other here and have a great deal of understanding too

[tillytot42]

Hiya I had back surgery when I was 24 for degenerate discs I had something called a Graf stabilisation I had no choice really it was that or end up in a wheelchair. The time after the op wasn't pleasant I won't lie but I recovered really quickly because of my age and I got my life back and was able to return to work. So my experience was very good indeed. I agree with the others you have to look at your quality of life. At 40 I developed severe fibromyalgia I would do anything for someone to tell me there could be an ending to my suffering but sadly no that time hasn't come yet. What exactly are they going to d to your back?

[A18793715]

I don't know what I'm going to do.

My appointment with the neurosurgeon on the 24th.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[htoun]

My mother had back surgery more than 30 years ago, they did a fusion. Any way she had no choice she and it went very well she hasn't had problems since.

[A18793715]

Would it look bad if I asked for a referral to a pain specialist for oral meds until I work through therapy to do anything else? I know what I'm risking. But I'm not mentally able to handle any of this right now.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nammu]

I went to a pain specilist for two and a half years before I gave in and had the surgery. I wish now that I'd just had the surgery at the beginning. But in my case it was my spine pressing on my spinal nerve causing all sorts of physical symptoms that were documental so they had no problems prescribing meds. I also did PT, ancupunture, chiropractic and injections before submitting to surgery.

[lostinsidemyself]

Im not trying to scare you but educate educate educate, ask ask ask, and then make sure the surgeron is good. I had 2 back surgies and now I am loosing my ability to walk mostly due to fibrosis (all the is is scar tissue from the surgeries pressing on my nerves) and if removed it just comes back. I also have perm damaged nerves and neuopathy on my thighs but that fibrosis is the main reason I may end up loosing my abilty to walk and now have an internal pain pump (also called morphine pump but has 3 medications in it currently) to give me as many years as possible to be able to walk as they stated in as little as 5 years. Im 35, 34 when i had the pump put in and 28 at the time of both surgeries.

If i could do it over id do the lazor surgery they say that a bandaid to cover, I had a 5 inch incison and they recut the same one the 2nd time.

The first surgery was a success but i fell in the shower, the bath tub hit my incision sight crushing discs into pieces but fibrosis being scar tissue would have formed with just the fist one.

I had a roommate that had the same surgery in the same area and could do things i cant (ride a bike, walk a good distance, sleep on a bed...i have to sleep on a recliner). So not all are bad, im just saying ask about fibrosis, reserch it. My location was L5 S1 so location makes a huge difference too.

So i will be on an internal pain pump for the remainder of my life and if i can get past 39 and still be able to walk i go past the Drs projected "in as little as 5 yrs". I have arthritis in all my joints too including my back, my knees and ankles lock up and it takes an hr or more to work them enough to put weight on them.

Lazor surgery sounds better as the less they cut the less scar tissue you have later. It was right after my second surgery where i felt more than just surgery pain. Either way, go in very well educated and ask ask ask before saying yes. Oh and also i had to sign papers that i (or anyone) couldnt sue for anything up to death. Yes, if i died on the table, my family wouldnt be able to sue for malpractice. I got a lawyer and tried.

Good luck. Chronic pain is hard at any age but at your age and even mine, 35, I cant ride a bike, walk my dog, or sleep on a bed. Things people do that dont know what they have until its gone. I cant sweep or vaccum my house, i cant do much house work at all.

[A18793715]

Originally Posted by lostinsidemyself

Im not trying to scare you but educate educate educate, ask ask ask, and then make sure the surgeron is good. I had 2 back surgies and now I am loosing my ability to walk mostly due to fibrosis (all the is is scar tissue from the surgeries pressing on my nerves) and if removed it just comes back. I also have perm damaged nerves and neuopathy on my thighs but that fibrosis is the main reason I may end up loosing my abilty to walk and now have an internal pain pump (also called morphine pump but has 3 medications in it currently) to give me as many years as possible to be able to walk as they stated in as little as 5 years. Im 35, 34 when i had the pump put in and 28 at the time of both surgeries.

If i could do it over id do the lazor surgery they say that a bandaid to cover, I had a 5 inch incison and they recut the same one the 2nd time.

The first surgery was a success but i fell in the shower, the bath tub hit my incision sight crushing discs into pieces but fibrosis being scar tissue would have formed with just the fist one.

I had a roommate that had the same surgery in the same area and could do things i cant (ride a bike, walk a good distance, sleep on a bed...i have to sleep on a recliner). So not all are bad, im just saying ask about fibrosis, reserch it. My location was L5 S1 so location makes a huge difference too.

So i will be on an internal pain pump for the remainder of my life and if i can get past 39 and still be able to walk i go past the Drs projected "in as little as 5 yrs". I have arthritis in all my joints too including my back, my knees and ankles lock up and it takes an hr or more to work them enough to put weight on them.

Lazor surgery sounds better as the less they cut the less scar tissue you have later. It was right after my second surgery where i felt more than just surgery pain. Either way, go in very well educated and ask ask ask before saying yes. Oh and also i had to sign papers that i (or anyone) couldnt sue for anything up to death. Yes, if i died on the table, my family wouldnt be able to sue for malpractice. I got a lawyer and tried.

Good luck. Chronic pain is hard at any age but at your age and even mine, 35, I cant ride a bike, walk my dog, or sleep on a bed. Things people do that dont know what they have until its gone. I cant sweep or vaccum my house, i cant do much house work at all.

I'm so sorry. The disk I'm having trouble with is the same as your. L5-S1. The surgeon told me its one of the most common. He ordered another MRI to make sure I don't have any in my upper back causing my shoulder pain. :/ that's a whole different problem on its own. I sat on the side of the tub to throw up and suddenly couldn't stand up. Like my body just forgot or something. My mom had to come home from work because even if I called 911, the door was locked. So they wouldn't have been able to get in. I'm dreading there's something else going on in my upper back as well as my lower back. I can't extend my left arm all the way and have weakness in it. Everyone I've talked to who's had back surgery seems to regret it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Misterpain]

The unfortunate truth about back surgery that you never hear about is that about 70% of all surgeries does not resolve pain or increase mobility generally you are the exception and not the rule if you have good results.
Among the huge list of crap wrong with me is Degenerative Disc & joint as well as my C5-C6 is bulging on my central cord I am one small fall or case of whiplash away from low function quad. I still would not let someone go samurai on my innards, other things are doing there thing on me ( as in killing me ), and I have a great pain management doc doing my care and unfortunately out of the specialists I have only 2 of them are people who I would follow into he'll or heaven, I tell my friends I am collecting " ISTS" , you could take a sticker and place it on the cover of the Mercury manual and find me somewhere in just about every section except maybe oncology and poisining. If you contemplate surgery just prepare yourself for the potential of more damage and disability then you started with, if you can stare down that beast now you are better off, you are a survivor only once , like carpenters say "measure twice cut once" at 24 you may feel bad but what's it going to be like when you are 44, after 12 years on the fire department I ended up on compassionate disability, I'm 47 and have been roached out for two long.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

[lostinsidemyself]

Originally Posted by Misterpain

The unfortunate truth about back surgery that you never hear about is that about 70% of all surgeries does not resolve pain or increase mobility generally you are the exception and not the rule if you have good results.
Among the huge list of crap wrong with me is Degenerative Disc & joint as well as my C5-C6 is bulging on my central cord I am one small fall or case of whiplash away from low function quad. I still would not let someone go samurai on my innards, other things are doing there thing on me ( as in killing me ), and I have a great pain management doc doing my care and unfortunately out of the specialists I have only 2 of them are people who I would follow into he'll or heaven, I tell my friends I am collecting " ISTS" , you could take a sticker and place it on the cover of the Mercury manual and find me somewhere in just about every section except maybe oncology and poisining. If you contemplate surgery just prepare yourself for the potential of more damage and disability then you started with, if you can stare down that beast now you are better off, you are a survivor only once , like carpenters say "measure twice cut once" at 24 you may feel bad but what's it going to be like when you are 44, after 12 years on the fire department I ended up on compassionate disability, I'm 47 and have been roached out for two long.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

Indeed. No one ever advised me that 70% are failed surgeries and could make it worse....it has failed and its a lot worse now than before I had the surgeries. I could walk with pain meds before the surgeries, painful but i could walk. Now i can not walk, my legs wont hold any weight post-sugeries 7 yrs after, without very strong medication and evem so i still have massive pain. I had to have a pain pump implanted to give myself as many yrs to be able to walk even with medication as possible but eventually even with medication in the pump, I will loose all ability to walk. Projected by my current Drs and the reason is fibrosis...scar tissue from the 2 surgeries, pressing on nerves that if removed comes right back.

Im 35, I wonder where i will be at 45, 55...??

[A18793715]

Originally Posted by lostinsidemyself

Indeed. No one ever advised me that 70% are failed surgeries and could make it worse....it has failed and its a lot worse now than before I had the surgeries. I could walk with pain meds before the surgeries, painful but i could walk. Now i can not walk, my legs wont hold any weight post-sugeries 7 yrs after, without very strong medication and evem so i still have massive pain. I had to have a pain pump implanted to give myself as many yrs to be able to walk even with medication as possible but eventually even with medication in the pump, I will loose all ability to walk. Projected by my current Drs and the reason is fibrosis...scar tissue from the 2 surgeries, pressing on nerves that if removed comes right back.

Im 35, I wonder where i will be at 45, 55...??

to both of you. I'm so sorry. That's exactly why I don't want to have surgery. When I had weight loss surgery, that went wrong. I'm now fighting to maintain weight and my doctor will randomly talk about a feeding tube. I really don't need more issues to deal with. I have schizoaffective disorder, major depressive type. Panic disorder. I can't gain weight, no matter how much or what I eat. The pain is thrown on top. I just have this bad feeling that if I gave in and had back surgery, i would have complications to make life even harder. Everyone always tells me I'm fine when I have this feeling. Every time I've had this feeling, something majorly went wrong. Just like the night before my weight loss surgery at 22, I laid there beside the person I was dating at the time, and cried and begged him not to let me do it. He kept telling me I was just nervous. But everyone kept pushing me. I spent my recovery in a private ICU (intensive care unit) room across from the nurses station because I wasn't getting enough oxygen. I just know things will get worse if I have back surgery.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Misterpain]

Originally Posted by A18793715

to both of you. I'm so sorry. That's exactly why I don't want to have surgery. When I had weight loss surgery, that went wrong. I'm now fighting to maintain weight and my doctor will randomly talk about a feeding tube. I really don't need more issues to deal with. I have schizoaffective disorder, major depressive type. Panic disorder. I can't gain weight, no matter how much or what I eat. The pain is thrown on top. I just have this bad feeling that if I gave in and had back surgery, i would have complications to make life even harder. Everyone always tells me I'm fine when I have this feeling. Every time I've had this feeling, something majorly went wrong. Just like the night before my weight loss surgery at 22, I laid there beside the person I was dating at the time, and cried and begged him not to let me do it. He kept telling me I was just nervous. But everyone kept pushing me. I spent my recovery in a private ICU (intensive care unit) room across from the nurses station because I wasn't getting enough oxygen. I just know things will get worse if I have back surgery.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

I had neck and back surgery in my 20's. I had a total disc replacement in C5 and L4. It was a good decision. The surgeries were a success.

Unfortunately I have six bulging disks, disk degeneration and some type of arthritis. But C5 and L4 were herniated. Excruciating.

If your health insurance is good and you have a serious back problem, I encourage you to think about it. I had immediate relief - no more disc rubbing against my spinal nerve and no more sciatic pain.

The back surgery recovery took longer than neck surgery recovery but it wasn't awful. Good luck if you proceed. I know it's tough.