lumbosacral Back Surgery- To Cut- Or, Not To Cut--

[Jayg]

Ok.I have back problems. Not necessarily all that bad either by the standards here. I had an MRI on the lower back and one day, right out of the blue, my PCP from VAMC (he's a good doctor, really) calls me on the phone and asks me if I want back surgery. :D :( "Uhhh, can we talk about it first?" I says. That was the first I heard about it. Well, in a week about, I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon to "talk about it."

Ok. I'm scared.

My award letter says I have DJD, lumbosacral spine. I know I have some narrowing of the discs. I remember doctor K saying some nerves are getting compressed where they come out... wherever that is.

The doctor said I'd feel better. Might help with that falling down.

But...

If not so well, I can still walk. I can still feel my feet. I know I can- they hurt.

I know this sounds crazy but if y'all could talk to people who actually know me, they'd tell you. I'm one of those people around whom things always go wrong. If I really need something to go right, be right, it won't be.

Bad off as I am, the thought of being on the receiving end of a back surgery that went wrong is not at all an encouraging thought.

Wot th' 'ell am I gonna do?!

(It's a rhetorical question, I know you can't tell me. I just needed to air it.)

[halos2]

SECOND OPINION. Ever hear of it??

I was advised by neurologist/surgeon back in 03 that maybe back surgery would help relieve the pain...OK give me the odds with the surgery doc's: 1/3 stay the same(nope won't do it). 1/3 get worse(still say no), 1/3 get somewhat better(not having it no way) I'll live with it...use my braces, tens(haha), capsaisin patches, fentanyl patches, vicodin,etc

I can ambulate, in chronic pain but I am mobile, slow, use a can sometimes, but am independent. I will stay with how I am now. Have you tried epidural injections? Nor-effective for me either.

Hope you REALLY check this out before you jump into surgery. JMHO.

[Pete53]

Jay:

Where would they do the surgery? If it were me I would have someone outside the VA do it.

Good Luck

[rdnkjeeper]

Just having a consult with a Neuro doesn't mean that they are going to recommend surgery. My PCP sent me to a Neuro and the Neuro said I am NOT a candiate for surgery yet....so you never know what the other doctor is going to say.

Good Luck

[LarryJ]

Ok.I have back problems. Not necessarily all that bad either by the standards here. I had an MRI on the lower back and one day, right out of the blue, my PCP from VAMC (he's a good doctor, really) calls me on the phone and asks me if I want back surgery. :D "Uhhh, can we talk about it first?" I says. That was the first I heard about it. Well, in a week about, I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon to "talk about it."

Ok. I'm scared.

My award letter says I have DJD, lumbosacral spine. I know I have some narrowing of the discs. I remember doctor K saying some nerves are getting compressed where they come out... wherever that is.

The doctor said I'd feel better. Might help with that falling down.

But...

If not so well, I can still walk. I can still feel my feet. I know I can- they hurt.

I know this sounds crazy but if y'all could talk to people who actually know me, they'd tell you. I'm one of those people around whom things always go wrong. If I really need something to go right, be right, it won't be.

Bad off as I am, the thought of being on the receiving end of a back surgery that went wrong is not at all an encouraging thought.

Wot th' 'ell am I gonna do?!

(It's a rhetorical question, I know you can't tell me. I just needed to air it.)

Jay,

Ya wanna know what I think?

I think you oughta talk to a neurosurgeon.

Then you call your Rabbi......they know everything.

At least, that's what I would do :( !

Then I'd do what my Wife told me to do!

[Commander Bob]

Wot th' 'ell am I gonna do?!

"If it's not broken, then don't fix it". You say that you get around well and it sounds to me that you can defer the back surgery for a few years. I would wait for the technology to evolve further.

jmho.

Edited December 12, 2009 by Commander Bob

[john999]

I think the signal for back surgery is if you have numbness down the legs and very severe pain. I would wait until I could not walk. I am thinking of the Boston Redsox pitcher, Tim Wakefield. He was doing ok, but because of the compression of the spinal cord his leg was almost useless. I think that is the kind of sign that you really need back surgery. I have back problems also. The doctors will ask how severe your pain is and if you say severe and agree to let them cut then they will cut. The outcome is uncertain. You may end up with scar tissue and the same pain you had before. These surgeries really worry me as anything can happen while you are put under and they start to cut around your spinal cord.