This last 5 weeks has gone by so fast. I awakened in the middle of the night then with excruciating pain and it was severe enough to cause me to black out. As soon as I could I had my wife drive me to our doctor's office. We did not call for an appointment, we just got there as they opened. They took me right in, got me some pain meds, muscle relaxers, and a big shot of steroids. He also set an appointment with a nuerosurgeon. It would take five weeks to get in, so I asked him to get me someone else in spinal issues. He got me an appointment with a nice ortho spinal surgeon. He ordered X-rays, MRI,and blood work to see exactly what we were dealing with.
When he got the results from the MRI he was pretty shook up. He was shocked I could still walk and had any bowel or bladder function. He wanted to do surgery right away. I knew how bad it was but I also knew I had to talk to my wife and kids (all grown) before I was going to set surgery. In addition, I did want a second opinion and had an appointment with the original neurosurgeon in a matter of days.
I saw the nuerosurgeon Monday afternoon. He was as shocked that I had any function and said surgery would have to be done in days rather than weeks. He also took my case to a meeting of spinal specialists this morning to see what suggestions they may have. I have some complications due to earlier spinal fusion and some nerve issues that were obvious. He would get back to me today or in the morning.
This afternoon I got a call from his office. His partner wants to see me in the morning and see what we are dealing with. They will then tell me what all they are going to do and how quickly I can get into the surgery. The center for spinal surgery is one of the top 5 in the nation, so I know the facilities are top flight. They specialize in spinal surgeries only.
What needs to be done from earlier discussions is to undo the original fusion. They need to get the old hardware out, then restore the curvature to the lumbar spine. They will then fuse the several vertebra together in one larger fusion rather than several smaller ones. They will have to do a lot of work on the bone both to undo the original fusion and to open the pathway for the spinal column. My cord is almost completely cut off from the damage in L3-L4 as well as damage to nerve roots there and in other levels below. This is complicated by Caude Equina issues from the previous surgery.
If they do what they have indicated it would be a 10-12 hour surgery. It is a lot of work but they are confident they can restore my function and eliminate the pain. Most likely I will have better function than I have had since before my first spinal surgery many years ago. That would be so great and to see life restored to a higher level than I have had for so long!
I will know exactly what the plan is tomorrow. My family is pretty shook up after the results of the last fusion (paralysis) so getting them on the same plan as me has taken a bit. My wife has attended all the appointments with the surgeons so she is pretty comfortable with things. In addition, she has seen me go down hill daily and my kids don't see me often and they really don't know how little I can do. Her comfort level has been good for them and they are less stressed as well.
The first surgeon we saw was willing to do the surgery, but he was not too excited about it and was happy to let anyone else do it. He was not excited about how long it would take, and how complicated it would be. In addition, he operates in the smaller hospital in the suburbs. It is a nice place, but not really set up for surgery this complicated. They only do a few fusions a year, and none this complicated. My family and I were not excited about that. Going to the Spinal Surgery Center where it is only for spinal surgery makes us far more comfortable. They are trained and equipped to handle any situation that may come along.
I would appreciate your prayers over the next bit. I will keep you guys informed as I can. Have a Great Day!
Joe
When he got the results from the MRI he was pretty shook up. He was shocked I could still walk and had any bowel or bladder function. He wanted to do surgery right away. I knew how bad it was but I also knew I had to talk to my wife and kids (all grown) before I was going to set surgery. In addition, I did want a second opinion and had an appointment with the original neurosurgeon in a matter of days.
I saw the nuerosurgeon Monday afternoon. He was as shocked that I had any function and said surgery would have to be done in days rather than weeks. He also took my case to a meeting of spinal specialists this morning to see what suggestions they may have. I have some complications due to earlier spinal fusion and some nerve issues that were obvious. He would get back to me today or in the morning.
This afternoon I got a call from his office. His partner wants to see me in the morning and see what we are dealing with. They will then tell me what all they are going to do and how quickly I can get into the surgery. The center for spinal surgery is one of the top 5 in the nation, so I know the facilities are top flight. They specialize in spinal surgeries only.
What needs to be done from earlier discussions is to undo the original fusion. They need to get the old hardware out, then restore the curvature to the lumbar spine. They will then fuse the several vertebra together in one larger fusion rather than several smaller ones. They will have to do a lot of work on the bone both to undo the original fusion and to open the pathway for the spinal column. My cord is almost completely cut off from the damage in L3-L4 as well as damage to nerve roots there and in other levels below. This is complicated by Caude Equina issues from the previous surgery.
If they do what they have indicated it would be a 10-12 hour surgery. It is a lot of work but they are confident they can restore my function and eliminate the pain. Most likely I will have better function than I have had since before my first spinal surgery many years ago. That would be so great and to see life restored to a higher level than I have had for so long!
I will know exactly what the plan is tomorrow. My family is pretty shook up after the results of the last fusion (paralysis) so getting them on the same plan as me has taken a bit. My wife has attended all the appointments with the surgeons so she is pretty comfortable with things. In addition, she has seen me go down hill daily and my kids don't see me often and they really don't know how little I can do. Her comfort level has been good for them and they are less stressed as well.
The first surgeon we saw was willing to do the surgery, but he was not too excited about it and was happy to let anyone else do it. He was not excited about how long it would take, and how complicated it would be. In addition, he operates in the smaller hospital in the suburbs. It is a nice place, but not really set up for surgery this complicated. They only do a few fusions a year, and none this complicated. My family and I were not excited about that. Going to the Spinal Surgery Center where it is only for spinal surgery makes us far more comfortable. They are trained and equipped to handle any situation that may come along.
I would appreciate your prayers over the next bit. I will keep you guys informed as I can. Have a Great Day!
Joe
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