What Happened to me Last Night?

**Megss** · 01-17-2011, 03:13 PM

So, I have been dealing with back/ leg pain for close to a year now. I have SPondylolisthesis of L5-S1, herniated disc with loss of disc height at L5-S1, and DDD with annular tear and bulge at L4-L5. My pain has progressively gotten worse over the last year, and I am having a fusion in 5 days. I have an almost 19 month old daughter.

Yesterday my mom took me to Target so I could get some things for my surgery. About an hour or two after getting home, I was sitting on the couch with my little girl when I suddenly got this horrible, horrible pain. I couldn't twist or bend at all. A few hours later I called my surgeon who told me to go to the ER if I couldn't get it under control. Well, I couldn't. Percocet wouldn't even put a dent in the pain. I ended up not being able to straighten my body at all, and my right leg was like jello. I couldn't walk. Even when laying on my back, I couldn't straighten my legs more than a 90 degree angle to my torso. At the ER, the doctor had to straighten my legs to examine me, and I was screaming and hyper ventilating. The doc didn't say anything, but I am pretty sure my right leg failed the strength test. It had no strength at all. They gave me dilaudid and valium through an IV and that brought my pain level down to a 5 or 6 only.

Luckily I did not end up with surgery last night, I only 5 days to go. What could have happened to me? What was that? It is still bad today, but not nearly as bad, I can straighten my body and limp around.

01-17-2011, 10:13 PM

Ohh Meg I'm so sorry to hear you went through that! My only guess would be since you have spondy, possibly, as spondy is the slipping of the veterbrae, maybe the position you were in it had more pressure on it, slipped more, or was in the slipped position at which when you went to get up it just pinched off the nerve and really impinged in more???

It sounRAB aweful, I know what you mean on that pain for sure, to an extent, we have diff ailments but nerve pain is just aweful, it's worse than LABOR!

I am sooo glad you're scheduled so soon for this surgery, soon you'll be so much better off, truly, and I'm the worst skeptic of them all.

I posted back to you too under my post op post, for the trip and stuff, check it out.

How are you doing today??? I think something got pinched with your spondy.

01-18-2011, 09:58 AM

ORRR just thought of it, you could have severely irritated your sciatic nerve to inflame from all the walking in the store, I would get pains (and still do) severely AFTER I do things, semi during, but later I pay for it severely, so that truly can be what happend too since you're a spondy 1 if I rem right??? IDK. Just glad you're in less pain today that's for sure.

**Megss** · 01-19-2011, 07:36 AM

Hey Rose,

I am feeling really confident that my slippage has increased, or the disc/ discs have herniated even more and lost more height. But yes, in October when the tests were done it was a grade 1. I am not sure of the exact percent though. I strongly feel that my condition has worsened since my imaging because of lifting my 19 month old. IN fact, from October (MRI) to Noveraber (CT), both discs got a lot worse.

I am actually looking forward to hearing what the surgeon sees when he cuts me open. My tests all said no nerve impingement but I know for a fact that I do. It would be impossible not to with these symptoms.

**Megss** · 01-19-2011, 12:06 PM

Oh congrats n your accomplishment! That is wonderful! I always notice that when I do something physical, it's painful, but the REAL pain strikes later. Just take it easy and take your pain meRAB and reast.

I know lifting Grace is bad, but I can't always avoid it. As a mother, you want to comfort your baby, and if she neeRAB me, she neeRAB me. I put her before myself, and I always will. I asked my surgeon when I could lift her, and he said right away???!!!!???!!! That confused me, but thats what he said. I am still not going to for awhile based on what everyone on the board has said. This surgeon thinks I will do really really well. And although I like what he says, I think some of his post op restrictions (or lack there of) are a little far fetched. But after all, according to my regular doctor, he is the best, so who knows. But Grace weighs nearly 30 pounRAB!

01-19-2011, 05:18 PM

my back was so sensitive I could't lift a full half gallon milk lol BUT now I can, I just think if you get to the couch (or bed at the beginning for sure), and get her to come up to you to sit on your lap you will do much better, you aren't going to be able to just pick her up off the floor immediately after this, I truly couldn't fathom it, if you CAN then goodness woman you are amazing lol! I'd just get her in the next few days usedto meeting you half way, as when you get home theres not going to be any bending to pick her up, and squatting is impossible the first 2 weeks, so you can't even get to the floor to get to her, I could never imagine it that's for sure. But you are younger and liraber (sorta lol you're creekin I know) so if you can do that- God bless ya-!

01-19-2011, 07:05 PM

Yea, with my injury I got an immediate MRI, but then through a month I was severe, and then 2 more months I got surgery and the surgeons report said that the L4-5 was larger than he expected it to be, so more disc did come out for sure in that time. My 2nd surgery, that MRI prior said right off the bat nerve impingement, but that was only for one disc, not the 2 extruded I contended with the prior surgery, and everyone said no nerve impingement. when surgeon got in there he said the sciatic nerve was completely pinned and pushed in a down position from the disc extrusions and there was no movement in there at all. So they don't know it all till they're in there that's for sure.

I'm sure lifting the baby all the time is really doing it to your back and making it worse easily, you aren't going to be able to after surgery, I'll tell you that least not the first 3 week to a month I don't think depenRAB on your back muscles and how you do with nerve pains. Maybe you will fare better than me though I really hope you do with all in consideration and you being younger.

I 'walked' (daughter says shuffle lol) to the end of my street tonight with my daughter with me (she's 16) I am at about 3 1/2 weeks from surgery, walk back was alittle hard with the nerve pains but I made it!! I didn't use the cane there, but did the way back. Tomorrow I'm sure I'll be in more pain prob and exhausted but I finally made it to the waterfalls at the end of my street and got to sit and watch the ducks on the lake for a few minutes. I've been wanting to do that for so long. YAY!

Only a few more days and you and me are going to be doing better and better, you'll see. Remeber what I said about the beginning of the 2 week mark, as I was getting discouraged, so just remeraber it's normal if you go back a few steps that week!!

I can't wait for your first post after your surgery