MIS-TREATMENT OF BROKEN VERTABRA

I totally totally totally agree with this @mamawnebel !

I had 4 fractures in 2006 from a fall and my doc didn't even believe it was fractured because x-rays don't show spinal fractures for 24-48 hours and the x-ray in the ER was negative. I had gone by ambulance after lying in my driveway unable to move. My doc kept saying it was "soft tissue" injury.

But it was even worse when I had osteoporotic fractures in 2021- three lumbar vertebrae. I live alone and had no help. I would try to roll over to get out of bed and the pain was so bad I would fall to the floor and crawl. I could not cook, do laundry, shop....

My doc knew about it but no help and no understanding. Perhaps the COVIDs shortage of aides and visiting nurses was a factor but none of my providers made the connection that I was alone and not functional.

My kids live elsewhere and work. One daughter ended up coming for a week. But she had a job across the country.

Why aren't we put in the hospital, given meds, given rehab? I agree, I don't get it. I am going to ask my docs and try to advocate on this issue!

Your response made me cry. My heart goes out to you dear one. When I fractured my femur i was in the hospital for 3 days, kept as pain free as possible then taken to a rehab facility for 3 weeks following 2 weeks of rehab at home. My issue is a vertebrae is a bone too so why do they treat it like a pulled muscle? They don't send us home when we come in with a broken arm or leg and they certainly don't understand the pain is as excruciating as a broken leg or arm. I wish I knew how to advocate for our problem but don't know where to begin. I'm like you. I live alone and have no family to help. My neighbor will clean for me but I have no one to cook for me. I know you're going through all the same problems I am and I just wish I could be there for you in some way to help. I will certainly be praying for you to find help. Ask your doctor if he/she will have you admitted to a rehab center. It's absolutely not true that x-rays don't show spinal fractures for 24-48 hours. I get my results by the next day, sometimes the same day, depending on the time of day it was taken. And if the x-ray in the ER was negative, they must've made a mistake in reading it or taking it. Did you finally get it confirmed that it was broken? Do you have a rollator? If not, that's one thing you definitely need. Your doc can write a script for it so that it's not as expensive. They are only about $150.00 thru Amazon. I couldn't get out of bed without mine. I keep flushable wipes by the toilet and wipe myself each time I go to the bathroom since showering is out of the question right now. Since I can't stand & brush my teeth, I do rinse my mouth with mouth wash. How are you getting groceries or food in? If your doc doesn't seem to want to be your advocate, you might think of finding another doctor. Have you considered going to a pain clinic? I had never heard of them before but my doc told me about them since they can't prescribe pain medication anymore!!! How weird is that? Have you ever been told you have osteoporosis? Or has your doctor put you on any medication to strengthen your bones? That's usually the reason for all the bone breakages. I know I'm throwing a lot of things at you but I want to make sure you have as much info as possible to get help, especially for the pain. I take Prednisone and even though it's a wonderful drug for bone inflammation, it does so much damage to our bones by making them soft and weak. It's one of those drugs that you can't live with it and you can't life without it. Dear one, please write me back with any questions you have. I'm have a tele-visit with my spine doctor today at 3:30 and hoping she can change my pain medication until my vertebrae heals. I know it's a lost cause to ask, but you don't know unless you do. One more thing, your State may have programs where they send in people to help you. They charge very little here in Ohio. Most States have these programs. If you're interested, your doctor can give you the department you can find it under. Ours is called Home Care Aency. Please stay in touch. God bless you. The Lord will not give you more than you can endure and He is always with you as you go thru this.

Be at peace,
Shirley (aka Mamaw Nebel)

@mamawnebel thank you for your kind post. My last three fractures were spring 2021 and I am just finishing up Tymlos for my bones, with excellent gains but as you know, those of us with fractures are still at risk. Good luck with your appointment and take care!

Hello wendyshores: Since my last note to you I have an update I wanted to share with you. First off, when I told you that it wasn't true that x-rays don't show spinal fractures for 24-48 hours. I should've been more specific. Just a plain X-ray can take that long to show a fractured or broken vertebrae. It's the MRI that shows it right away. they can see everything with an MRI. When I go in after I'm sure I've broken a vertebrae I tell them not to even bother with an -Ray. Just go straight for an MRI. I told you that I was have a tele-conference call with my spine specialist the day I wrote to you. She told me that she wanted me in the hospital and that I was to call the squad and she would call the hospital and let them know I was coming. It was decided that I needed to have the Kyphoplasty procedure but the hospital continued to give me Aspirin. When the surgeon found out about that he decided that he didn't want to take the risk of me bleeding so he cancelled the procedure and now I have to have it done as an out-patient rather than an in=[patient, which would've been so much easier , not to mention cost-effective. So now I'm just waiting to get on his surgery schedule. I'm hanging in there and getting plenty of bed rest. That's the only way I can stay as pain free as possible.

But I mainly wanted to tell you about the misunderstanding on the X-Ray. Don't settle for an X-Ray if you think you've broken a vertebrae. Insist on an MRI because you'll get the results quickly and more accurately than just an X-Ray. I'm so sorry that I wasn't more clear when I wrote my first note to you about that. And if there is anyone out there reading this and have more information on X-Rays vs MRIs, please join in on this conversation. I did specifically ask the person doing the MRI about the differences because after I talked to my Spine Specialist and she didn't see any broken vertebrae on the X-ray, I had to find out why they didn't but found it on the MRI.

Ask questions of everyone that takes care of you. Make sure it's the best way of doing things. That's what I'm doing and my Spine Specialist is taking a stronger stand at getting me admitted. Instead of me driving myself to the ER myself, I first go straight thru her and she starts the process. Stand up for yourself and by your own advocate so you don't have to suffer needlessly.

All the best to you. Be at peace. Whenever possible and your pain will allow it, spend time with your happy friends. Laughter is the best medicine. Even if you can only tolerate it for just a short time, try and find love and laughter in your life so you don't give up.

I just waited two or three days for the x-ray!

MRI's are expensive on my plan and my tinnitus could worsen.

Good luck with the kyphoplasty. I declined that procedure. Will never know if that was the right decision. I can walk 10 miles so am doing okay, if not pain free.

Take care and thanks for coming back with that idea!

It seems like it takes so little to break or fracture a vertebrae. The secret seems to be in getting the proper care as soon as it happens. Unfortunately, my FCP isn't one for stepping up to the plate. He's more of a hands-off doctor and expects me to know and do the things he's supposed to be doing. Not the kind of Doc that likes to be asks questions. After I got out of the hospital this last time I was told to contact him when I got out of the hospital, which I did, but he never returned my phone calls, so needless to say, I'm looking for s new Doc. Not just because of this but because of too many screw ups with my meds, forgetfulness, changing my meds without telling me why. The list just goes on an on. I pray that the Tymols continues to provide you with good results. Right now I'm on ZelJam, but not seeing much of any improvement so I'll ask my RA about Tremlos. God bless you and please keep your spirits up. I'm doing all I can to do that. The Lord is my biggest source of hope. I hope He's yours too. I couldn't get through the day without Him. Now my sciatica nerve is on fire and the pain is searing to the point that I can't stand or walk. So I'm not sure what to do about this. But I'll be calling my spine specialist about it. I can't bare this kind of pain. Please take care and be at peace as much as possible. God bless you.

I hope your pain eases. PT massage has helped me. Sorry for your pain!

I had sciatic pain like that

Pain like liquid lava radiating through middle of butt cheek around & down rest of leg.
Also froze in place & couldn’t move…shuffled to bed & laid on good side & placed a huge amount of pillows very high & jacked my bad side as high as possible. Eased up after awhile.

I actually am going through this right now. And yes the doctor at urgent care didn't seem to care that I was in pain. They gave me steroids and sent me home with a Orthopedic referral. After seeing the Orthopedic doctor it was determined I had broken three different vertebrates. And then I was fitted with a back brace. This back brace layer right on top of one of those broken vertabras. I was told to rest he gave me 2 months off work. He also said I would need surgery. I was scheduled for a MRI witch would not be for another two weeks. So in 5he mean time I was sent home to rest. No one has given me anything for the horrible pain I'm in. I called the doctor to see if I could posable get something. I've had it hurt so bad I actually have thrown up. And I was told to take over 5he counter medications. What is Tylenol going to do for me. It's insane.

@katrinaw this was my experience too, though I got the brace later and was told to avoid wearing it much.

I even messaged my doctor and said I was in too much pain to take care of myself, couldn't lift or cook or do laundry or lean over to wash my face. And I wrote in capitals that I live ALONE. No help was offered.

I declined kyphoplasty surgery or rather my doc told me he felt the outcome would be the same with or without and it was mainly for pain relief. I was concerned about cement migrating to my lungs and also with too many glass-like sections of spine from the surgery, I was afraid my fracture risk would be worse. I guess it depends on where your fractures are. Many people say the surgery helped.