L5-S1 Radiculopathy...

[rpowell01]

I am curioius about something that is bothering me. I do have L5-S1 radiculopathy caused by OA. Yes I am one of those ppl who the VA has cursed to die on some waiting list on seeing a surgeon. So next week I am going to a private surgeon's office and if he says surgery should have been done or I need it then I am going to do my best to force the VA to pay for the surgery. I want my quality of life back but the VA is hampering this.

My question is for those who have or had L5-S1 radiculopathy in both legs, feet and toes. I have the normal pain and numbness and the ice cold feet. But what is bothering me is if anyone of you who had these issues also caused the feet and toes to turn purple/blue when the ice cold comes on? It comes and goes with the ice cold feeling. My feet use to turn red with the ice cold but now they turn purple/blue.

Good news is the VA lied to me when they said there is no surgery. How is that good news? Well my brother in law just had surgery last week for L5-S1 radiculopathy caused by OA which in turned caused his L5 joint to become week and it fractured. The surgeon told him that they see this all the time with OA patients. Bad news is the VA didn't add the post views of my last TWO MRIs, this is the view of the BACK of the spine where they could see if there is a fracture.

Anyway I am going to pray and hope the surgeon can get me back on track.

[Vync]

Oh man, I have been bedridden for long periods of time like that after I had surgery on one of my limbs. My wife had me doing minor stretches, working with elastic bands, and small free weights. She said that if I just sat in one spot, atrophy would set in and blood would pool up. It hurt like hell until my recovery got moving further along, but I did it because I knew she was right. Of course, I could not raise my heart rate too much because I did not want to risk ripping my sutures or breaking a sweat under the dressing, but it did help to a degree.

Have you been able to get an appointment to get checked out? I hope they are able to give you some form of a recovery plan to at least alleviate some of your pain and address your toes, etc...

[rpowell01]

Vync thank you for the posts. I go this Friday to see an Orthopedic Surgeon to see if he can do something for the pain. My brother in law was also in the same situation and after this surgeon corrected his issues he was going within ONE WEEK post surgery. I think my biggest problem is the opiates, I am not a big fan of these meds but gave in to them last October.

If the surgeon says the same thing that the VA MDs told me where there is no surgical fix then I will go through with James A. Haley in-patient pain program that last 19 days. In the mean time I will also go back doing the stretches, elastic bands and small free weights. Yep I use to do them also but everytime I did the pain got worse each time afterwards, except the stretching. I do know if I walk I hurt but I also know its not going to make it worse, its just too hard to do it with all that pain mentally breaking down the brain.

[Vync]

I hope everything works out.

My VAMC sent me to a "back class" and then referred me to PT. Their PT program was very lacking compared to a private PT program.

[rpowell01]

I've been through the back class, ESIs in my lumbar and cervical and just completed PT about two months ago. Nothing has worked whatsoever. Also when the therapist keeps telling you that surgery is needed I think its time to see a surgeon so that is my next step come Friday.

[john999]

I don't believe any decent orthopedist will tell you there is no surgical fix for a spine problem. The thing is that pain is subjective and even successful surgery may not cure the pain even if the surgery fixes the function. If you have severe numbness in your lower limbs that is probably pressure on the spinal nerves due to disc problem. That is what orthopedic back surgeons do for a living except maybe at the VA. I use the same VA as you and they are horrible and dangerous to your health.

[rpowell01]

You are correct about that VA facility John.

I would rather try something than to just sit here and die away. At least I know something was attempted, I can deal with that.