Wow Annie I am truly sorry for what you're going through. Your experience is a painful reminder that health care varies greatly state-to-state, and even within the same state.
Yeah Cauda Equina is a form of sciatica that affects bowel control, and a bunch of other things. The name "Equina" comes from how the sciatic nerve bundle looks like a horse's tail. That's interesting but the condition is quite serious.
I had it during my first bought with sciatica in 2007. Unfortunately, I was living outside Chicago on a 6 month job assignment and didn't know any Drs. I went to an emergency clinic and got lousy care, then a hospital where the ortho Dr was ready to fuse S1 through L5, and oh, he had availability in two days.
NEVER book surgery with someone who is available that quickly. His bum rush scared me enough to cancel the surgery, and to this day, I don't have any fused vertebrae. I have a strong core and that is helping, according to my spine surgeon.
Sorry if I'm repeating myself here. As for my Cauda Equina, fortunately it was caused by a bulging lumbar disc, and within a short time, it resolved with ice and rest. Most sciatica will resolve. IMO it's still best to get an MRI when it happens and find a good spine and neuro surgeon. That said, spine and neuro surgeons work together sometimes, so finding one will also help find the other.
(I live in Wisconsin now and use Froedert/Medical College of Wisconsin. Froedert is the health system and the Medical College of Wisonsin is a great med school. Froedert is therefore a "learning" hospital where many of the discoveries by the medical college are put into practice. I am very, very fortunate.
Take care Annie. Thinking and praying for you, always.
Joey
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Wow Annie I am truly sorry for what you're going through. Your experience is a painful reminder that health care varies greatly state-to-state, and even within the same state.
Yeah Cauda Equina is a form of sciatica that affects bowel control, and a bunch of other things. The name "Equina" comes from how the sciatic nerve bundle looks like a horse's tail. That's interesting but the condition is quite serious.
I had it during my first bought with sciatica in 2007. Unfortunately, I was living outside Chicago on a 6 month job assignment and didn't know any Drs. I went to an emergency clinic and got lousy care, then a hospital where the ortho Dr was ready to fuse S1 through L5, and oh, he had availability in two days.
NEVER book surgery with someone who is available that quickly. His bum rush scared me enough to cancel the surgery, and to this day, I don't have any fused vertebrae. I have a strong core and that is helping, according to my spine surgeon.
Sorry if I'm repeating myself here. As for my Cauda Equina, fortunately it was caused by a bulging lumbar disc, and within a short time, it resolved with ice and rest. Most sciatica will resolve. IMO it's still best to get an MRI when it happens and find a good spine and neuro surgeon. That said, spine and neuro surgeons work together sometimes, so finding one will also help find the other.
(I live in Wisconsin now and use Froedert/Medical College of Wisconsin. Froedert is the health system and the Medical College of Wisonsin is a great med school. Froedert is therefore a "learning" hospital where many of the discoveries by the medical college are put into practice. I am very, very fortunate.
Take care Annie. Thinking and praying for you, always.
Joey