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Replies to "Thank you so much for your reply. I’m into the third year of this nightmare. Starting..."
Spine Health | Last Active: Jul 29 2:58pm | Replies (11)
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Thank you so much for your reply. I’m into the third year of this nightmare. Starting with GI and colorectal doctors finding nothing. Then urogynecology and vascular, again unable to find anything wrong. Finally, a lumbar MRI shows severe stenosis, a possible culprit. We’re starting with an epidural injection into the caudal space to see if I get improvement and a surgical referral. What levels did you have your surgery performed on? I am happy you have gotten relief, and you have given me hope that I am finally on the right track.
Replies to "Thank you so much for your reply. I’m into the third year of this nightmare. Starting..."
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@mmalone1804 - Great job of never giving up! So much of your medical journey is related to how hard you work to be your own "best advocate". Keep pushing until you feel like you have the right answer.
I had L2-5 laminectomy (though not called that exactly) and fusion. My investigations showed reasonable causation between severe stenosis and GI type problems.
The process you're now experiencing is the typical diagnostic path. Because nerve-related problems can be very hard to pinpoint, steps such as epidurals can help the docs sort out (often through the process of elimination) the ultimate cause.
Hang-in there! Maintain a positive attitude. Keep driving until YOU are satisfied with the diagnosis and subsequent treatment strategy. Check-in with MCC (Mayo Clinic Connect) now and then to update us all. We care about your well being.