@basenjidad
I have spine issues and just had surgery on L3-L5 to decompress my spinal cord/nerve roots and remove damaged discs/fuse. I am 55. I never had a GSW but can relate with how injured/damaged nerves and spinal cord feels. I also had spinal cord compression injury at cervical spine in neck at C5-C6 which affected my head/neck on down to my legs/feet (had daily headaches, dropped things, couldn’t control my bladder and had heaviness in my legs).

My symptoms were pain/numbness/weakness in lower back, hips, buttocks, legs and feet. My bladder was also affected. I was diagnosed with stenosis, degenerative disc disease and neurogenic clarification plus small fiber neuropathy.

It would be good to get an updated MRI and to see a neurologist for EMG/nerve conduction studies plus skin punch biopsy to test for small fiber neuropathy. Have you ever had a MRI of your head and cervical spine (did you fall after being shot in the back where you may have hit your head or hurt your neck?

Do you know exactly where the bullet is lodged and what it is pressing against? Is it in your vertebrae and near spinal cord/nerve roots/nerves which is causing your symptoms? A good neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine specialist/surgeon should be able to tell you today if removing the bullet is an option to relieve some of your symptoms. You may want a couple different opinions and look up reviews of the surgeons and only pick the best with a lot of good reviews. Nerves and spinal cord can’t fully heal if constantly irritated by the bullet or scar tissue that formed around it. You will want to read your medical records and MRI reports in detail.

Do you drink or smoke? If so, that could add to your nerve pain. Have you been tested for vitamin deficiencies or toxicities which add to nerve pain?

As for your ADD, my teenage son and his father have ADHD so I am quite familiar with it. Your memory issues seem tied to ADD more than your lumbar spine. Both my son and his dad struggle with short term memory which is classic ADHD. They struggle with managing time, procrastination, strong emotions, impulsivity, focus/attention, etc. They both constantly say, “I forgot,” when asked if they did something they said they would do. Have you had a recent psychological evaluation/testing to check how ADD is affecting your functioning and accommodations needed? Are you being medicated for ADD? My son takes methylphenidate (Ritalin) and guanfacine to help with focus/attention and regulate mood. Are you struggling with depression and would you benefit from counseling and/or medication? Do you have family/friends who help and support you?

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