Spine Tuberculosis contamination - hoping to create awareness

@fernie74 Welcome. Thank you for your service. Are you still suffering with an infection from prior fusion? Does that surgery need revisions or is the instability related to another place in the spine? Are you able to walk?

Did you get approval from your VA insurance to be referred to Mayo?

Fernie, I'm so sorry. Obviously, you deserve, at the very least, better care. Are you a part of any of the lawsuits filed in behalf of victims.
Bless your struggle with lots of luck.

@jenniferhunter Thanks. I had active spine TB for 5 months. There is instability from the cervical spine to the lumbar spine. It has desiccated discs. It also caused 2 syrinx. One in the cervical area. The other in whole of the lumbar spine and is expending and the pain to walk, sit, stand is incessant. My whole spine has been devoured by this nasty bacteria. Supposedly I’m in remission but I’ve been warned about prednisone. My body is rejecting the bacteria contaminated bone graft so this is long term or until my body can’t take anymore. I use a wheelchair and spend 90% of my time in bed. The dr. told me to try not moving my spine too much as the syrinx can rupture. The VA finally approved me after 8 months of begging for specialized care. I’m waiting on the neuro-surgery team at Mayo to review my case. The TB sequelae is what is killing me.

Thanks for sharing this I had a spinal fusion in 2002with cadaver used! Then in 2923 I had a failed fusion and March 2026 I had a failed stimulator removed and after so much damage I started being treated at Cleveland Clinic and just found out Monday I have TB !

@sbtheplumber1 - that is quite the journey! Sorry to hear you learned you have TB, to boot!

What will be your treatment plan from here, sbtheplumber1?

@lisalucier I’m not sure I don’t have an appointment until the end of October

@sbtheplumber1 I’m definitely not a typer and you can tell I didn’t double check before hitting send lol 2923 should have 2023

@sbtheplumber1, thank you for warning us. I'm sorry you are having this terrible experience.

@sbtheplumber1, most of us are tired and many of us are on medications. We read right through because we are on the same page.

@gently true I know I’m struggling with meds I have severe narcolepsy and had to stop taking the meds since the Oxycodone 5 mg and Pregablin 50 mg 2 x a day knock me out there’s no reason fighting it with my narcolepsy meds! I’ve now got medicine induced Central Sleep Apnea and can’t stay awake to get my mask on at night they’ve tried a cpap, a bipap and I can’t tolerate them because of waking up choking and I’m averaging 50-60 episodes an hour ! So I’m going in a couple weeks for another sleep study to try an ASV machine ! Since having the spine stimulator removed in March from my Thoracic I’ve noticed if I lean back and put pressure on the incision that keeps swelling im out instantly , I can get my eye drops in recline my foot rest up and plug my phone in and in les than a minute while waiting for my eye to quit watering I’m asleep ! I never reclined so pressure on my tailbone which I can’t set on a seat without a cushion with the tailbone cutout , my lamp still on and mask still on the night stand ! It’s a struggle i went from being a pipefitter working overtime to having a 3 acre property that I can’t take care of all because of a Surgeons negligence! If I wear pants I fall down so I have to wear humiliating gowns so they don’t touch my waist or now my leg ! But here’s some more pills or they are pushing for me to do Ketamine injections!