Doc recommends spinal fusion from T12 - S1.

I will send you a private message reply.

Thanks .. do you need info from me?

I really feel for you. Back surgery is a major surgery and so painful I know that for me, I had significant stenosis with the cord itself becoming depressed. In terms of the cord you have something called a dura sac and the spinal nerves float in there I believe my cord was reduced to 7. So you can have severe stenosis with the dura sac being so compressed that it affects the cord itself. Without surgery you’re bound for potential paralysis. From your MRI it appears you actually only have one area where you have moderate to severe stenosis. In your shoes I would look at only doing that level. I’ll also say that my surgeon requires both mri and CT. Interestedly they didn’t always match. If you haven’t considered a second opinion I encourage you to be open minded about getting one. You also could try doing a steroid epidural in that area and assess your pain from there. I’m sorry these decisions end up complicated. I was on a FB group for anterior neck surgery and was shocked by the number of people getting significant multiple level surgery. The more levels done the higher the complications. It also seriously extends the surgery time and I know factually the longer the surgery the higher odds are for problems Whatever you decide, I wish you great success and for your ability to stay as active as you want

Thank you. Thank you for you input. It is very enlightening to communicate with people who have experienced spine problems. My 2nd opinion doc today just referred me to pain doc .. who I see tomorrow. I have already tried epidural with little relief and am not handle gababentan that works for some.

However this doc says I have confusing symptoms that do not aline but there is an injection other than steroids that may buy me some relief or at least tell me if my pain is from L4L5 and delay a full fusion. Fingers crossed.

I have a 3rd opinion doctor next month. I was told he is the doctor that the doctors search out when they have problems.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Thank you
Tam

I don't totally agree with that. I think what you're really seeing is that medicine is an art, not a strict science. That doesn't just apply to Orthos's, it's true in all medicine. Every individual doctor will approach cases by their own instincts, intuition, knowledge, experience and diagnostic capabilities. In this case, the ocean between each doctor's recommendation really mandates a third opinion. Maybe switching to a neurosurgeon instead of an ortho.

Yes, I think you are correct and they all seem to want to run their own tests. Definitely going to take my time with this decision.. appreciate your kind reply.

I'm a 59 year old woman with scoliosis. I had my back fused from T4 to S1. My surgery was done over three days, an 8 hour surgery through the abdomen, a rest day, and a 10 hour surgery through the back. My surgery was May of 2022. I was also scared of not being able to be active again and it was hard to find anyone that had a long fusion to give me perspective.

My restrictions of no bending, lifting, or twisting were in place for one year. All I was allowed to do was walk. Within 2 months I was able to walk over 3 miles and after 5 months I was able to walk 6 miles, pain free. Prior to the surgery, my back would have started to hurt after about 2 miles. The only thing now that prevents me from long distance walks is time. I also went snowshoeing. That's walking, right?

After one year my restrictions were lifted. I'm now in the rehabilitation stage. This past summer, I was able to ride my bike again. The longest ride was 20 miles. Not as far as before, but it is improving. I didn't have back pain, but I was struggling a bit with shoulders aching and my seat not hitting me correctly. I'll be riding more next summer after I have some adjustments made to my bike. I'm not yet willing to get an e-bike.

I was also able to hike in the mountains (I use hiking poles to help with stability), I'm starting to jog (slowly for short distances), and I'm back at the gym. I also played a few rounds of golf this summer. I can't hit far because I can't twist, but I hit straighter. I've purchased a season pass for downhill skiing, but haven't tried yet...waiting for snow! I'm confident I'll be able to ski, but I know I'll need help getting my boots on and getting up if I fall....don't fall, right?!?

This is a long way of saying, anything is possible. I'm determined to do everything I did before, but it may look a little different. This has been the most difficult and frustrating thing I've ever experienced. Those around me keep telling me I'm doing great. Personally, I'm disappointed that I let the frustration take over at times and I didn't progress as fast as I thought I should.

I have no back pain. I have some discomfort and still feel a little like a spine patient and my shoulders get a little achy and tired.

If you move forward with the surgery, set realistic goals....walk a little more than the day before. I set a goal of walking a 5K under an hour at three months, riding my bike for at least a 20 mile ride, and hiking. I did it!

My goals for the next 5 months are downhill skiing, cross country skiing, jog a 5K, and do 50 pushups the day of my 2 year anniversary.

I wish you luck and encourage patience...something I lack.

Kelly

Boy, I needed to hear your story and thank you for sharing!! I am going to try and cross country ski prior to surgery so I will be less likely to fall post surgery.

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. This surgery seems to have a lot of different results. I went into in the best physical shape possible. I planned it in advance and was treated with a daily injection for two years (part before and part after surgery) to help my bone strength (osteopenia/osteoporosis). Unlike most people, I had very little pain from the surgery and didn't need to be on narcotics.

Good luck!

After my mastectomy, I used liquid marijuana by rubbing the oil onto my skin where I had pain. It worked wonderfully. It really does kill pain. Where did I get the MJ? I grew it on my balcony.