Hello,
This is my first post so do forgive me if I am talking out of term in any way.
I am 40 and have grade 1 l5 s1 spondylolisthesis. When I read forums, all I see is people having to be on painkillers, fusion surgeries that don't work, people who can not work, have children (pregnancy) and so on because of this condition. I am so terrified I will end up in a wheelchair or without a social life. There is so little information about the condition online. Please, please, can someone give me some hope that you can live with this condition, perhaps by doing exercises, yoga, pilates etc? Please tell me I can avoid surgery, have a pregnancy to term without complications from spondy. I feel so alone. I hope all of you are having a good day.
Hi Carla
i haven't got this but have had spinal fusion. Same disc as you. I have just put the name of your illness in the search bit on here and it brought up several discussions from others with this, hope that helps you xx
Hello,
Thaank you ever so much for replying to me. I think my problem is that I was given the diagnosis without any more information or a way forward apart from fusion surgery or painkillers. May I ask if you don't mind, are you okay after fusion? Can you lead an active life? I don't mean running or so on but just going out, socializing etc without having to think about back pain? Is it hard to recover from a fusion? I am sorry for asking so many questions but I feel completely lost. It amazes me that in 2014, people are still having fusions instead of stem cell treatments, or so on. It just seems so drastic and invasive. I am afraid of geting pregnant and making the condition worse. Thank you so much once again for being kind to reply. 
Hi Carla , I 'm sorry you destressed but I think we all are and thats why we are here . Knowledge is power and the more you know the better decisions you can make .
I do a lot of research by going to colledge websites and you can look at conditions and even see video anamations of the surgeries . I am in us so I look at the " mayo clinic" "stanford university" but you can look at any colledge medical scool website and be pretty informed on whats new, what can be done, new procedures and old ones you don't want. They can really give you piece of mind that you are making the right choice and also you can learn percentages of the people a particular operation success rate is and it's all free. I also suggest doing your homework on your surgon . In the us there is healthgrades and vitals that tell you all about a doctor if he is certified, where he went to medical school , how long he has been working and if he has had any law suits .
Hello,
Thank you for geting back to me. Yes, I try to research all I can and although mine is only grade 1, I wish it could be fixed, without fusion before it got so bad it really has to be fused. I feel like the scientific community has decided that fusion would be the best option so they don't research other avenues. I really would be grateful if someone could tell me of a way to lead an active life and avoid surgery. For instance, someone with a 20 year spondylolisthesis grade 1 who could keep it at bay by exercising. I feel I am becoming completely obsessed with this, I keep being awake until 2 and 3 a.m. researching all the latest treatments I can, only to find the most invasive ones. I am afraid my relationship with my husband ends because I will not be able to have an active life due to this condition. I wonder if I am being fair, keeping a marriage that could only bring distress to my husband. Wouldn't I be fairer letting him go and find someone whom he can be okay years down the line? Perhaps I am being too dramatic, but I would hate him to be with me for pitty.
I keep waking up everyday and thinking that a miracle cure will apear for spinal problems, whatever they are. I think I will stop for now, I am only making people on the forum as bad as me and that is not fair either. I hope all of you can find inner peace and a light at the end of the tunnel.
Hey I don't think we have that kind of look up facility ive tried but you can't find out much. I'm assuming in US they are a lot more open and info more accessible. I found this especially when reading on forums on spine-health which is a US SITE but very informative
Well it's early days still for me, I find mornings very hard and slow but between 12-5 after the Tramdol has kicked in its not sooo bad. I'm never pain free at all, sounds awful but. Far that's been the case. I find if I do go out for a lil while I suffer that nite and next day. I haven't really done any evening things coz I hurt too much and wouldn't wanna be in a busy place and get knocked or bumped into. I'm sorry I'm not painting a pretty picture here, but this is the blunt truth 5 mths after the op. However there are others who are doing very well too and I see some have answered you. You also have to bare in mind I had chemo 23 yrs ago so my immune system is awful and I lack B12 , but docs only seem to manage one illness at once so everyone has forgotten that for now grrrrrr!!
with regard to pregnancy I knew an olleague who had back probd and she had what looked like a bump sized support bandage to me, not sure what the correct term is. I have also seen in then oval pharmacy a back support thing with Velcro to give a great fit and am console ring one of those tbh xxx
Please don't think like that and I'm sure you will be able to have a baby hun there is stuff out there you can get to support your back. Tbh ive had some of the same thoughts and I felt so sorry for my son as he had so much on his plate at times and coped really well. My hubs has his own issues with health incl mobility issues, at one point m son was looking after both of us. We call ourselves the wonkys now it always creates a laugh!
I woulda advise maybe seeing the doc about your thoughts as im on anti depressants have been prior to this back trouble too so maybe you could benefit from some help or counselling. Is only natural to feel as you do and you are not alone hun xxx
Its early doors and I live with this for 18 years now and whilst I wont bother you with my story and how it is affecting me now. i can safely say I not in a wheel chair and i had Spina Bifida from birth.
If you wan to ask anything , by all means Private message me
Hello, Thank you so muchfor answering once again. Dawnylou68, I think you are right, I am quite depressed. I am normally a very optimistic person who likes to see the light at the end of the tunnel and who has a positive attitude about everything. Perhaps winter has something to do with it, I feel more depressed on dark days. I hope I can have a child, because I lost one. I just would like to pick the baby normally, play and be a normal mother.
Jimmy, I would be far too shy to ask anything, because I would be afraid of causing you distress with any silly question I may have asked. However, I would like to ask only if you can still lead a social life? Does pain impact much on your daily life? Did you avoid surgery so far? I hope I am not being too intrusive.
Dawnylou68, I can not talk much about fusion but from what I have heard, it takes one year for everything to be fine again. The fact that your body is weak accounts for a lot of it too I guess. Don't lose faith, you will do fine. Just take one day at a time. Try to watch something on television that can distract you from everything or do something you love.
My Social Life has been fine over the last 18 years. Its only recently been effected by divorce/depression.
I have been to see a surgeon 2 week ago and the risk for me to be operated on is to high at the moment, but that due to complication from spina bifida at birth. I am on a strong pain killer they are called butran patches, and it took some time to get used to these but all is as best as it can be.
And dont be worried about asking anything ? I am general cool with most questions. I am a dad to 3 children all which me and my ex wife had while I had spondyliothesis so it doesn't have to mean the end. Listen to your body
Hello Jimmy,
Oh, so brilliant you have found some way to carry on despite everything else. I think having children makes your life so worth it, you see a little child growing up and it was you who taught them all life values, to walk talk and so on. You see every milestone, every smile.
Don't lose hope, medicine is advancing all the time, who knows that very soon there will be a permanent cure for your problem. But it is great you are doing so well.
Now you see, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel for everyone else but I can't give myself the same advice. I guess I should look at Gloria estephan for inspiration, despite a fusion surgery, she is still fine
As human being we always tend to be cautios and its natural to look at what could go wrong rather than look at how it could be right. Again I am on anti depressant for that problem
Hey get some counselling this is a very hard journey to endure as us fellow sufferers know only too well! Also u must never see yourself as a failure to ask for help from GP. I can understand your worries about having a baby and why not as I said there are things available to help you
you WILL be ok huni, you seem very self aware and that's part of the battle. I wish you well xxx
I see that vertibrate has slipped 25% . I just had a fusion and I did it so I can have an active life . Once they fuse it and it can't move , it should get better . I think fixing it before it gets worse is what I would be thinking about . It's not as bad as one may think . I am 52 and think if I were younger I might have better results .But hey , depression is normal when you feel hurt and aren't sure what to do , it's normal .
I just had a fusion on 3-4 on nov. 5th .I just came from my doctor. He tells me that I can be released to full work in 3 months . I know what your thinking. Is he out of his mind? I don't know but he is a pretty good doctor from a top school in the us . It has been 45 days and it hasn't fused yet, but looks like it is starting to .
Hello, I am 37 years old with 2 small children. I also have spondylitis L5 with a slipped disc trapping nerves in my left leg. My doctor offered me physio which for me was no help, I also had pars injections in my lower back, the injections helped for a few weeks but that was it. I was then offered surgery. Like you are, I was very nervous and spent many hours researching this, what the fusion meant and trying to understand how I would feel after such an operation.
I agreed to the op which took place in November 2014 and I am on week 6 of my recovery. I feel great. Every day there is a slight improvement, I still have a way to go but so far I'm really pleased I agreed to it. Prior to the op my surgeon asked me to take up pilates to build the core muscle structure, this has deffinitley helped and is something he has encouraged me to rejoin next year.
As far as pain killers go, my op meant going in through my stomach to remove the damage disc, then turning me over and going in through my back to fuse the vertabrae, I was off all painkillers within three weeks. I haven't had any painkillers since then. I know everyone is different but I guess that is my point.
I think my turning point to agreeing to the op was thinking about the different things in life that I currently can't do which affect the quality of my life style. For me this included walking my dog, picking up my children, running and cycling, sleeping, no active holidays or events etc.
apologies for the rambling, but hope this helps. Good luck with your decisions.
That is great . I had a fusion similar to yours on l3 and l4 but also had a laminectomy for stenosis . I am at 6 weeks also . They went through my side over by my ribs in my back though . I know a lot of people are afraid of the operation but myself like you decided that if I repair it I may have a better life and if I don't I know it will only get worse . I think if people just need a fusion consider it. They are a lot better at it now than they used to be .I try to walk a couple miles aday and it really helps !
Hello everyone,
I think I have to reply to everyone in one reply it is easier I have just gone to the GP and got a mild anti depressant. I think winter has a lot to do with it. It is half the battle to conquer back pain.
I would like to appologise to those of you who had fusion surgery. I really did not mean to hurt yoiur feelings or sound negative. I think one of the reasons why I am so afraid of fusion is people telling me about the domino effect, you fuse one vertebrae and with the extra strain the others get in trouble too above and below. Do you have to check for problems every year after doing fusion? Do you need help after the first 4 weeks with personal care? Do you feel the hardware in your back if you touch it? Did you do minimally invasive surgery? Did you develop spondy in adulthood or as children?
I am asking everyone because it is easier than answering individually. Do forgive me for asking so many questions but I want to know everything before I consider surgery so I can prepare myself if I have to.
I would love to do pilates but once I mention spondy, people shy away from me. I have done core stabilization exercises. I wish thee was some pilates dvd I could do at home. I am going to try yoga too.
Once again, I want to thank everyone so so much for being so kind to take the time to answer me.