Light at the End of the Tunnel

[Fanta Arcadia]

Since March I have been battling immense hip and pelvis pain; one leg would go higher than the other and the opposite pelvis would rotate, I'd have to be leveled and reset literally every two days once I started physical therapy. I attended 36 physical therapy visits from the months of May to November. There would be times I thought I was getting better, but would then be back at square one.

There had to be a reason for my pain and the fact I couldn't hold an alignment.

Well the week before Thanksgiving the husband and I quarantined due to a possible COVID exposure (ended up testing negative thankfully), and my condition nose dived. I couldn't stand up straight, I was in excruciating pain sitting and laying down, there was no relief. I went to the ER, then went to my regular doctor and finally got scheduled for a long overdue MRI(s).

After the past 2-3 weeks of excruciating pain I finally had the first of two MRIs Saturday, this one for my lumbar region, and it revealed a severe case of stenosis (basically herniation) between my L4 and L5 which is pinching my nerve root causing extreme pain from my left hip all the way to my left ankle.

The individual who read the MRI point blank told my Doctor, referral to neurosurgeon.

Hopefully the results of my next MRI (of my T-Spine) are not near as dramatic as this one, but I'm just finally glad to be making headway and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

[The Harlequins]

Fanta, in the same boat , i cannot lve without Naproxen , have always felt i had a low threshold of pain but jezzzzz this one is a sorter.

Due to the covid thing my opp as been canned 3 times.

I have stood 6ft 2in for most of my life........standing 5ft 8 in would cause big pain these days.

I believe Stormy as issues of this nature also.

Frank

[Lily Wilkins]

Since March I have been battling immense hip and pelvis pain; one leg would go higher than the other and the opposite pelvis would rotate, I'd have to be leveled and reset literally every two days once I started physical therapy. I attended 36 physical therapy visits from the months of May to November. There would be times I thought I was getting better, but would then be back at square one.

There had to be a reason for my pain and the fact I couldn't hold an alignment.

Well the week before Thanksgiving the husband and I quarantined due to a possible COVID exposure (ended up testing negative thankfully), and my condition nose dived. I couldn't stand up straight, I was in excruciating pain sitting and laying down, there was no relief. I went to the ER, then went to my regular doctor and finally got scheduled for a long overdue MRI(s).

After the past 2-3 weeks of excruciating pain I finally had the first of two MRIs Saturday, this one for my lumbar region, and it revealed a severe case of stenosis (basically herniation) between my L4 and L5 which is pinching my nerve root causing extreme pain from my left hip all the way to my left ankle.

The individual who read the MRI point blank told my Doctor, referral to neurosurgeon.

Hopefully the results of my next MRI (of my T-Spine) are not near as dramatic as this one, but I'm just finally glad to be making headway and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sending hugs. I am so glad that they are making headway in diagnosing you! My mom suffered an injury 13 or so years ago and ended up with a herniated disk in, I believe, that same L4/L5 region. Surgery helped her immensely, so hopefully they can do something similar for you.

[Fanta Arcadia]

Fanta, in the same boat , i cannot lve without Naproxen , have always felt i had a low threshold of pain but jezzzzz this one is a sorter.

Due to the covid thing my opp as been canned 3 times.

I have stood 6ft 2in for most of my life........standing 5ft 8 in would cause big pain these days.

I believe Stormy as issues of this nature also.

Frank

My issues started when I was in a wave pool back in March. Got knocked sideways and now 9 months later here we are lol

Naproxen, unfortunately, didn't do a thing for me. Be a heckuva a lot easier if it did! Surgeries aren't being delayed anymore where I'm at, haven't been since like May, so I'm hoping this won't be a long wait. It's getting to the point that I can barely get out of bed after sleeping for about 5-6 hours.

Sending hugs. I am so glad that they are making headway in diagnosing you! My mom suffered an injury 13 or so years ago and ended up with a herniated disk in, I believe, that same L4/L5 region. Surgery helped her immensely, so hopefully they can do something similar for you.

Thank you Lily! <3

It's been an ordeal I wouldn't wish on anyone and sure hope I never have again.

[The Harlequins]

Fanta could i ask how tall are you, there is a reason i ask...........i am not a perv lol

[Fanta Arcadia]

Fanta could i ask how tall are you, there is a reason i ask...........i am not a perv lol

I'm 5'8"

[The Harlequins]

I have suffered these later years with all the authritis forms Osteo. Rheumatoid a even gout .....the holy trinity lol

Have had 2 replacement knees, 1 hip and some small foot surgery.

I was told 2 year ago my spine would be next......made worst by the fact i had a long upper body and short legs 29 1/2 inside leg 6ft 2 in tall.

I ment to say in the earlier post HIGH threshold of pain.......not so sure anymore.lol

So upperbody could be your thing.

[Stormy Peak]

Fanta, I'm sorry to hear you are in such pain. I have experienced myself, and in 2000, after about 3 months of trying other options, such as spinal steroid shots and physical therapy... i couldn't deal with it anymore and opted for back surgery. I had blown out the very bottom disk in my spine (can't remember the "L#) - It was a 7 hour surgery to fix it, and it involved removing a part of the bone where the vertebra ridge was....and it took 2 years for bone to grow back together, but it no longer has that 'ridge' --and --- because I waited too long to get surgery. that pinched nerve was permanently damaged.

After surgery, I was no longer in agonizing 24/7 pain, but there was still some pain...and it will always be there. I did wait about 5 years before giving up and asking the doctor for pain meds, and that mostly because I bought a house and had a lot more 'upkeep' to do on it.

Then in 2014, the disk right above the one that was operated on, blew...and that time I ended up in a wheelchair for 4 months, and I couldn't go back to work again. : ( Also, in 2005, I had asked for hydrocodone (1 pill a day) to help me get through the night...it dropped my pain down enough that I could get some sleep. After the 2nd disk blew, I asked for an increase in my pain meds...the doctor offered me a whopping 120 pills a month and I was like... no...I was just thinking of 1 extra pill a day...so 60 pills a month. Again, I mostly use them to get me through the night. I only sleep about 4 hours at a whack, then pain wakes me up. I will get up an move around, take the 2nd pill, have to wait about 40 to 45 minutes for it to kick in and start reducing pain, then I can go back to bed. In the day time, I just hurt...but I can often do things to distract myself and not focus on the pain.

I just wished that when all of this started, that I hadn't waited over 3 months to get surgery....and maybe avoided nerve damage...I hope your situation lets you get through all of this and come out pain free. Hopefully too, in the past 20 years, surgeries are less invasive ... I have a large scar on my back, but I think that a lot of back surgery now can be done with just a few holes to allow instruments in that the doctor can manipulate and see what he's doing on a monitor.

And for me...back when I was in my worst pain before I had the surgery...ice packs were the best...hated the feel of it, but the cold helped with any swelling and numbed the nerve. I rarely have to use ice packs anymore, but I keep a few in the freezer, just in case. I also have a heating pad that helps when my muscles get tight due to pain....they just tend to tense up and the heat relaxes them.

Stormy

[Fanta Arcadia]

Fanta, I'm sorry to hear you are in such pain. I have experienced myself, and in 2000, after about 3 months of trying other options, such as spinal steroid shots and physical therapy... i couldn't deal with it anymore and opted for back surgery. I had blown out the very bottom disk in my spine (can't remember the "L#) - It was a 7 hour surgery to fix it, and it involved removing a part of the bone where the vertebra ridge was....and it took 2 years for bone to grow back together, but it no longer has that 'ridge' --and --- because I waited too long to get surgery. that pinched nerve was permanently damaged.

After surgery, I was no longer in agonizing 24/7 pain, but there was still some pain...and it will always be there. I did wait about 5 years before giving up and asking the doctor for pain meds, and that mostly because I bought a house and had a lot more 'upkeep' to do on it.

Then in 2014, the disk right above the one that was operated on, blew...and that time I ended up in a wheelchair for 4 months, and I couldn't go back to work again. : ( Also, in 2005, I had asked for hydrocodone (1 pill a day) to help me get through the night...it dropped my pain down enough that I could get some sleep. After the 2nd disk blew, I asked for an increase in my pain meds...the doctor offered me a whopping 120 pills a month and I was like... no...I was just thinking of 1 extra pill a day...so 60 pills a month. Again, I mostly use them to get me through the night. I only sleep about 4 hours at a whack, then pain wakes me up. I will get up an move around, take the 2nd pill, have to wait about 40 to 45 minutes for it to kick in and start reducing pain, then I can go back to bed. In the day time, I just hurt...but I can often do things to distract myself and not focus on the pain.

I just wished that when all of this started, that I hadn't waited over 3 months to get surgery....and maybe avoided nerve damage...I hope your situation lets you get through all of this and come out pain free. Hopefully too, in the past 20 years, surgeries are less invasive ... I have a large scar on my back, but I think that a lot of back surgery now can be done with just a few holes to allow instruments in that the doctor can manipulate and see what he's doing on a monitor.

And for me...back when I was in my worst pain before I had the surgery...ice packs were the best...hated the feel of it, but the cold helped with any swelling and numbed the nerve. I rarely have to use ice packs anymore, but I keep a few in the freezer, just in case. I also have a heating pad that helps when my muscles get tight due to pain....they just tend to tense up and the heat relaxes them.

Stormy

Thank you for the advice Stormy <3

I went through PT over the course of the summer and thought I was getting better, but then I nose dived but was adamant about not waiting on this. I've been hassling my doctor's office nonstop. I just pray the neurosurgeon gets back to me quickly. Once my results came back though it seems like my Doctor is kicking things into high gear. They immediately faxed my paperwork and images on.

I think these days the surgery is far less invasive, I just hope the recovery time isn't ages long. My job is very good about working with their employees even though I don't have FMLA yet. However I do have long and short term disability.

[Fanta Arcadia]

Thank god, I got my paperwork packet today from the neurologist! Still no idea when my appointment is, but I intend to find out at my appointment with my regular doctor tomorrow.

Lord willing it's soon.

[Fanta Arcadia]

The light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be a train:

my appointment for a consultation is FEBRUARY 1st.

[The Harlequins]

Fanta and Stormy .....fancy a comp?

The other day i was trying to get up from my chair.

It took 3 fault starts ,the aid of a crutch and 5 mins...........your call lol lol

[Fanta Arcadia]

Fanta and Stormy .....fancy a comp?

The other day i was trying to get up from my chair.

It took 3 fault starts ,the aid of a crutch and 5 mins...........your call lol lol

Nothing that bad for me, but did end up going home from work due to the pain last night.

I also got a new appointment for my consult, December 23rd (thank GOD).

[The Harlequins]

It has been my youngest daughters 25 birthday today.

We have kissed and hugged for the first time since March ....feel so up it selfish.

After some fun and banter ,it started turning around that she will have swollen joints /pain in all joints and every other ailmemts under the sun, because of me lol lol.............it was all in fun .....but may be she could be right

A GREAT DAY HELENA XXX