30th January 2007
:wave:
I've been coming to this forum for about a week now and have posted in the "depression" boards. Yesterday I found out that I have moderate/severe sleep apnea on top of back and neck issues. This sleep apnea stuff will cause a lot of havic to a body already suffering.
I have my first surgery l4-l5 when I was 25....just the clean up, no fusion. I then had my fusion in the same area in Nov 2003. I have had pain off and on since then and some nerve issues. I just thought that I would be in pain like this and that the nerves were damaged due to the time frame from onset to actual fusion. My neurosurgeon is great but when the surgery was done it was done...I fused like a trooper and went on my marry way. I was never told to walk, go to pt or anything and whenever I went to him thru these 3 years when my pain got worse, he sent me to pt. This is always after an MRI, he wont see me without one of them ever. Which is good I guess.
During the last year it has been harder and harder for me to walk around even my block, I have to stop and bend over. I also cant stand very long...I have to lean on something or sit down. My posture is now slightly bend forward like I'm 99 yrs. The pain I feel when walking or standing too long is a burning pain and sharp muscle spasm pains in my lower back, burning pain in my groin and thighs and buttocks. I started having SEVERE:mad: muscle spasms in my lower back and around the front after sleeping for almost exactly 2 hours. I got muscle relaxers and moist heat helped some too. My neuro sent me to PT and looked at the MRI and says that the disc above my surgery looks good and it does. yea...I hurt lower and he says the MRI is negative. I finally called back and spoke to the nurse asking for more tests...I told her that I think I have spinal stenosis....I came to this conclusion when I googled my symptoms and also found this forum and others. She said MRI is ok.
I'm like...what am I suppose to do then, I mean where do I go from here? They did finally refer me to pain mngment dr in their group there. I see him on Feb 7th I think.
I also have sciatia off and on and nerve issues when I sit. I do get burning pain in thighs when I sit and sometimes nerve running down my left leg to under the ball of my foot. I can't do much of anything without being in pain and I'm just sick and tired of it. On top of that I started getting debilitating headaches from the right base of my neck all through the right side of my face. My neuro(other dr) did MRI and said no tumors but do have a slightly bulging disc that can be causing this. My headaches are more like head pain and I have to put about 3 ice packs on my head to get any relief, I have also been taking Tramadol for about a year and it really helps the head pain but does nothing for the back pain, numbness and burning.
I'm only 38 years old and I cant believe that I'm falling apart like this. I guess since I have DDD, I will always have these issues.
I also cant start my day unless I take 800 mgs of ibuprofen, just to get around my house. I'm worried about liver problems as this has been going on for years now.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? How about the spinal stenosis?
Thank you:dizzy:
I've been coming to this forum for about a week now and have posted in the "depression" boards. Yesterday I found out that I have moderate/severe sleep apnea on top of back and neck issues. This sleep apnea stuff will cause a lot of havic to a body already suffering.
I have my first surgery l4-l5 when I was 25....just the clean up, no fusion. I then had my fusion in the same area in Nov 2003. I have had pain off and on since then and some nerve issues. I just thought that I would be in pain like this and that the nerves were damaged due to the time frame from onset to actual fusion. My neurosurgeon is great but when the surgery was done it was done...I fused like a trooper and went on my marry way. I was never told to walk, go to pt or anything and whenever I went to him thru these 3 years when my pain got worse, he sent me to pt. This is always after an MRI, he wont see me without one of them ever. Which is good I guess.
During the last year it has been harder and harder for me to walk around even my block, I have to stop and bend over. I also cant stand very long...I have to lean on something or sit down. My posture is now slightly bend forward like I'm 99 yrs. The pain I feel when walking or standing too long is a burning pain and sharp muscle spasm pains in my lower back, burning pain in my groin and thighs and buttocks. I started having SEVERE:mad: muscle spasms in my lower back and around the front after sleeping for almost exactly 2 hours. I got muscle relaxers and moist heat helped some too. My neuro sent me to PT and looked at the MRI and says that the disc above my surgery looks good and it does. yea...I hurt lower and he says the MRI is negative. I finally called back and spoke to the nurse asking for more tests...I told her that I think I have spinal stenosis....I came to this conclusion when I googled my symptoms and also found this forum and others. She said MRI is ok.
I'm like...what am I suppose to do then, I mean where do I go from here? They did finally refer me to pain mngment dr in their group there. I see him on Feb 7th I think.
I also have sciatia off and on and nerve issues when I sit. I do get burning pain in thighs when I sit and sometimes nerve running down my left leg to under the ball of my foot. I can't do much of anything without being in pain and I'm just sick and tired of it. On top of that I started getting debilitating headaches from the right base of my neck all through the right side of my face. My neuro(other dr) did MRI and said no tumors but do have a slightly bulging disc that can be causing this. My headaches are more like head pain and I have to put about 3 ice packs on my head to get any relief, I have also been taking Tramadol for about a year and it really helps the head pain but does nothing for the back pain, numbness and burning.
I'm only 38 years old and I cant believe that I'm falling apart like this. I guess since I have DDD, I will always have these issues.
I also cant start my day unless I take 800 mgs of ibuprofen, just to get around my house. I'm worried about liver problems as this has been going on for years now.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? How about the spinal stenosis?
Thank you:dizzy: