Chronic Pain

I think I've posted on here before about my chronic pain and I recently had an MRI to investigate my back pain. Well today I got my results and I'm gutted about what they show which is severe degenerative disc disease and arthritis. The locum I saw today said that surgery is likely and she's referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon as an urgent case. I can't believe that just as I start to get my MH sorted I'm delivered this blow. I bought a packet of cigarettes (after vaping since 1st October) and really wanted a drink so I bought some non-alcoholic beer. Cheers!

Do you know which discs are affected? Where is the arthritis?
I sympathise, as part of a long list I have both these conditions..

It's L4/5. I've had problems with it for years and countless hours of osteopathy. I worked on a train for 13 years and then sat on my arse for 7 years behind a desk. I've had countless falls, sprained ankles, broken ankle all which have contributed to the damage.

Have you had surgery Suzi?

Oh and the arthritis is in my spine if it wasn't clear.

No, currently there are too many negative factors towards surgery - they'd have to work on too many discs. I also have many other things too including scoliosis, spinal slippage etc and apparently I'm not old enough...

Christ that sounds painful! I hope you get some relief soon.

I have degenerated disks between L5 and L2 I am apparently to young (at 36) to have any surgery and it would only be a fusion but has a chance of spreading up my spine, basically its grin and bare it and take my pain meds when it really gets bad, yes it does affect depression especially when bad I have been in and out of physio since I was 13 and took them till 2005 to actually properly diagnose me after my first MRI scan. Your not alone with this and we can sympathise with pain and how it affect depression and also the changes you have to make to keep going.

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Originally Posted by Mrs-Darling

Christ that sounds painful! I hope you get some relief soon.

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Thanks. I take a cocktail of meds every day to take the edge off and basically my spine is collapsing both in my neck and my lower spine. Like Jarre I've been told that it'll be a fusion op they do (if they do that) but as that is a dramatic thing it's best for me to carry on as I am atm... Like Jarre, I've been dealing with it for most of my life. I was diagnosed with arthritis at 12...

I just don't understand how you can be 'too young' to have a surgery that could dramatically improve your mobility! Since I've told friends about my GP mentioning surgery I've had a couple tell me friends have had this done in their late 30s early 40s- does that mean it depends on where you live then? Is it another postcode lottery?

Probably, but with me they have said it would be a fusion surgery both in my neck and lower spine which would mean that I couldn't turn my head without turning my whole body itms?
My Mum's recently had surgery where rods were inserted into her vertebrae but that was for stenosis. For her it's been a long road to recovery and she still isn't near there yet itms?

It also costs alot of money to do the surgery with all the aftercare and especially in the old county i lived in the risk outwayed the reward both financially and medically and surgery is the very last resort. I am currently balanced with the pain meds I am on (Tramadol & amytriptyline which is also a anti depressent) I do physio exercises every day and I have adjusted my life style to get by. Yes its cost me alot of money with getting a special memory foam mattress, High abck computer chair (though at work they did make sure I had a chair that would be ok for me) I don't lift heavy items if I can avoid it, I plan things like cleaning tidying etc to spread it over a time period to try and not overdoo it and be out of action in alot of pain the next few days (easier said then done) I am t-total, currently trying to loose a little weight to take some strain off my joints (again easier said then done) it effects sex pain spikes during can make you impotent, its something I have had to learn my limits etc. to live with. Chronic pain suffers always have to make sacrifices to carry on with as much a normal life as we can have. If was ever to get the surgery theres a 40% risk I could be paralyzed by it, I would have to wear a corset for 6 months and I would never be able to bend over I would have to learn to do things differently.

I've had two surgeries on my back, with another not far off. The surgeon in Galway refused to do it because he was going to just fuse the vertebrae together, and I was too young. When my gp referred me to a surgeon in Dublin, he agreed to do the surgery because he placed a plastic 'spring' between the bones and it has given me a lot of relief. I'm 46 and my surgeon said that it would give me relief for about 10 years. Unfortunately, the problem has been going up my back since, and I'll soon have to have more surgery, but I'm hoping that it won't be for a while. It takes a lot to get over back surgery!