Upcoming surgery L4-S1

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Surgery schedule for Thursday

Need some advise.

Neurosurgeon I have wants to performs a laminectomy and a foraminotomy to remove pressure of the nerve (s). 

I have L5-S1 broad-based disc bulge with foraminal/extraforaminal protrusion which contacts the existing left L5 nerve roots within the neural foremen no significant canal or right foraminal narrowing with mild to moderate left foraminal narrowing. Mild to moderate facet degeneration

Impression: Multilevel lumbar spondylitis with foraminimak/extraforamininal disk protrusion which contact the existing  left L5 root in or just beyond the neural foramen.

Non invasive/conservative treatments

1. Chiropractor

2. PT

3. Acupuncture 

4. Cold wave laser

5. Loss weight

6. RX

3.  3/20  ".      "

4. 6/14   Left L5 Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection 

Symptoms 

Low back pain with unbearable leg pain

Buttock Down my back leg. Left leg starting to feel week.

Unable to sit for more than 5 minutes pain shooting down my leg to my feet when sitting down with temporarily numbing sensation. Need to shift weight. Unable to lay on my left side pain shooting on buttock to leg shift weight.

Walking more than 15 minutes unbearable

Barely able to move in so much pain/ not able to continue loosing weight

Meds.

Aleve 

Lyrica 100mg

Methocarbamol 750mgx2

Hydrocodone-Vicodin 5-325

Bupropion-weight 150mg x3 daily

Naltrexone 50mg-weight daily

As of 9/1/17

Pain across my lower back. Mild electric shock uncomfortable.

Constant pain from butt cheek down to my back leg. Leg started to feel week and occasionally buckles

BM- lower back pulsing after and last for about a minute. Feeling pressure in my lower back and pelvic bone.

I was told by one of the surgical scheduler. That my Nuro surgeon only does what he plans on doing, if he sees something more, he will schedule you for a second procedure.

Will a laminectomy and foraminectomy be enough to get some relief or will I be better off getting a fusion?

I did schedule an appointment for Wednesday to ask some questions.

I am so confuse.

I/We are raising our 4 year old grandson, I am his main caregiver. Pain or no pain will get in my way of caring and neutering. I already made plans for our grandson to be with his other grandparents for 2 night but I need to find out, if he sees and needs to do more to my lower back and make more arrangements for our precious boy.

Both times I have seen my Neuro surgeon, I get intimidated and not ask the correct questions (yikes)

Any advise you can give me will be mostly appreciated.

Ana

2

The very most important thing you can do is to write your questions down. That way you don't have to worry about forgetting to ask something. Secondly I think you're being very optimistic to think that you'll be up to watching your grandson 2 days after your surgery. I've never had back surgery but I've had other kinds of surgeries and I just cannot imagine you being up and about two days later. Have you asked your doctor about this? I think that's something that would be important to ask. Also please try keep an open mind as to the results of your surgery. I have personally never spoken to a person who had had back surgery that had permanently solve their pain problem. Obviously any reduction in pain is appreciated and I hope you get that. And I've heard of people who had pain loss for a couple of years and then the pain came back. And then of course there's the worst where you end up worse than you started with. I pray that doesn't happen to you. Good luck on your surgery and please keep us posted.

3

Volleyballmom I feel for you I have the same pain special down my legs Burning can not touch them mine gos to my feet it's like I have kicked the door frame 24/7 kills when you have the opp ask about a stimulater to take the nerve pain away. If the opp dose not work good luck

4

I had similar 4yrs ago. You will need help for a number of weeks after. Post op pain not too bad but o found although my mobility got better and pain down leg much better I have been left with constant low level pain. BUT I am not paralysed nor incontinent. Had to have it. I  am 74 teach 5 hrs exercise classes a week it hurts like hell but better after. Also I lost 30lbs it all helped. I could not have looked after a grandson for many weeks. Good luck. 

5

Thank you Rhonda.

I have had a few procedures such as TKR, rotator Cuff surgery and pain or no pain was never a problem taking care of our grandson. My husband, my daughter and his grandparents will be helping with my recovery.

My main goal is to get all the info what my Neuro surgeon will be repairing and if there might be a fusion or not.

I do not want him to do the laminectomy and foraminectomy and have me come back in a few months to do a fusion.

I rather have everything done on Thursday.

Thank you