In September 2011, I had L4, L5 & S1 fused due to injuring my back in April of 2011. I tried everything for 6 months, except physical herapy, which was never offered to me. I went to a chiropractor, had injections, took Loritabs, so I finally gave in to surgery. This was the worse thing that I could have ever done. The morning after surgery, the nurses came to get me up and I had no use of my left leg. I did not receive any physical therapy at all but after three days was transported to a rehab hospital for skilled nursing. I received about 30 minutes a day of therapy. Then I had 6 weeks of home health care therapy and she taught me to walk again. It has been almost 5 years, I walk with a very pronounced limp and have to use a cane. I have been to 3 other doctors to see if anything can be done. During the surgery my motor nerves for my left leg were damaged and my left foot and toes are numb. Please get second and third opinions before having surgery on your back. I had a catering business, which I had to close and lost thousands of dollars in my investment. I was told by one doctor that if I had been given physical therapy and continued with the steroid injections that my back would have probably healed without surgery. I went to get a second opinion but there was no exam, the doctor told me that my surgeon was good and to go ahead and have the surgery. Since having the surgery I have heard many negative things abut the surgeon that did my surgery. Please give your body time to heal. I waited for 6 months but wish now that I had waited longer and tried physical therapy or anything except surgery!
An update you on my operation, which happened on Tuesday.
In my second operation, the surgeon planned a laminectomy to relieve pressure on my spinal chord (last time they just cut disc away), the consultant found a big chunk of disc pressing on my spinal chord (which explains why I was getting worse rather than better) so cut that away the offending chunk of disc, as well as the bone.
I’m feeling much better than after last operation. I think some of it was down to him inserting a drain tube in my back, which was painful and kept getting in the way, but I think it made a big difference, as most of the blood, which would have taken an age to disperse without the drain, was collected via the tube and discarded.
Still got some numbness in my feet, but I know that can take a number of months to get back full feeling, but I have to say, I'm happy with the progress so far only 4 days later.
Hi.
I'm day 6 into this in recovery from a microdiscectomy!
I'm up and down with pain.
One day not to bad only to wake up with terrible hip and back pain.
Did I blow the disc already?
I hope the surgeon is correct. I had a radical laminectomy and a partial laminectomy at L-4 and L-5. On April 1 2016. I woke from surgery thinking I could dance out of the hospital. I was shocked when the 3 am nurse came in and said I had a fever. I ran fever all the next day and finally got home 3 days later. I was sore but quiet impressed. I went to the doctor a week later telling him that I was impressed. The next week I saw the doctor again still impressed but I questioned the numbness in my big toe. He said it was normal. By the time I saw my regular doctor my all my toes were numb. My left leg was also numb. My doctor wants an EMG to see why this has occurred. I may have an EMG but I do not think I want another surgery. Cages and wires just sounds like a medivial torture test. I have an artificial disc that was banned. I hope things get better for you. They say exercise is the best way to progress.
How are you now? You sound a lot like me!
How,
Sounds like you were where I'm at now a year ago. What happened after your 2nd MRI? I'm just waiting on the results of mine.
Hi,
I had another MRI after my second surgery and it showed inflammation, but that's it. Ultimately, I got better, the numbness is still there but I'm used to it now. And yoga has cured me of chronic back pain. It's the only way to go- trust me. Good luck!!
Michelle
I had my 1st surgery in 2013 and had excellent results. out of pain instantly and back to work in 10 days. in 2015 i bent down to pull up my trousers and a strange feeling in my back. next morning my left foot was numb. calf very week went back to the surgeon and they said a huge herniated disc. did a 2nd surgery and no change has occurred in the numbness. He wants to do a spinal fusion. if no change occurred after the 2nd surgery what will make it help this issue. every step I take is so strange. I have worked with a very good therapist and he has helped me get my glute back calf back. 75%. walking is rather strange as the foot feels like it is asleep. should never have had the 2nd surgery. anyone ever recover from this foot issue or are we stuck like this for life????
Hi Michelle I also have had a numb foot for about 2 1/2 years. Has yours resolved or gotten any better???
I’m new to this and had my MD surgery 3 weeks ago. I have been dealing with this for a year. I still have hip pain and this scared me because I thought right after the surgery my symptoms will be gone.
Hi Michelle.
I have had 2 back surgeries. The 1st one was for Sciatica and it was amazing i came out with no pain and renewed my normal life within a week. was playing golf 4 months later. 2 years and no issues then my left foot and toes went numb went back to the same doc and had a 2nd surgeries mo difference in the numbness and weakness in my left leg. The suggestion was now a fusion. i decided against it and have been going to PT for the past 9 months.leg strength has improved the the numbness and the feeling is awful. Can't walk for long. Hope you get better.
I had a laminectomy with fusion two months ago... I've had numbness in two toes on each foot ever since my surgery.. It's not gotten any better. My surgeon does not act concerned, but I am.
Left foot is still numb. Have gotten about 50% of my strength back in the leg. With 1 year of PT. The perepherial nerve is damaged and the touch on the top of the foot has a little improvement but far from great. They wanted to do a lumbar fusion and I decided to not go through with it. Frankly I am a little tired of Surgeons telling me it will be fine when it's not at all. I do hope you keep me posted as I am happy to answer any questions to any of you.
Hi Carol. I did not go through with the Fusion. I had to micro discectomies and the 2nd one was to get rid of my numb foot. The surgery did not resolve the issue with the numb foot and now I regret the 2nd surgery as it made no difference.
My fusion was Sep. 22, 2011, my left foot is still numb and I have a limp, due to motor nerve damage during surgery. I have to use a cane when I walk outside of the house. I have constant back pain, which started about 6 months after surgery. I am fused L3, L4 & S1. Due to lower back surgery, I found out from a pain management doctor that lower back surgery weakens the upper back. My pain now is because T12 dropped down onto L1. I have suffered so much pain even with taking Opioids. I am going to have a procedure which is called the cement procedure. A large needle is injected between the vetebra that are sitting on each other and a cement type substance is inserted to form an artificial disc. I will not be going back to the "surgeon" that messed up my life and crippled me. I know this will not take away the numbness in my left foot, nor take away the limp, my left leg is weakened from the motor nerve damage during the surgery. You just have to accept the fact that the numbness is there to stay.
The numbness is there. I have been wiggling my toes for 2 1/2 years hoping to get this strange feeling back but no luck. I have no pain and am very thankful to God for that. I do have leg weakness but dont need a canine. Hope you feel better?
Hey Michelle, I had a second double discectomy from my L4/L5 and L5/S1 discs. After my first double Discectomy, I had residual pain for about 5 years after my surgery. it was not a horrible pain like before, maybe a 1-2 dual pain that would come and go depending on what I would be doing. after about 5 years though, the pain did go away altogether. that is probably how I got back into the mess that I am in now. you see, once the pain that connected you to the herniation is gone, you can sometimes push yourself to far without thinking. Its been 5 years since you posted this comment, so I hope you are free from pain and proprioception but always remember that your damaged disc is apart of you now and you have to protect it (I say proprioception instead of numbness because that is what you are feeling. look up the definition of both so you can understand). Deal is that its much worse the second time around (i know from experience) so as much as you want your life to go back to the way it was before, you''ll only have a perception of it at best and when you do, you will fall into the same habits you were in before and you could be right back where you started, with the constant pain, "numbness", and weakness that nobody wants.