Piriformis release surgery, discussion and information

Dear Brandon, I wanted to wish you good luck on your upcoming surgery. I am so pleased that you have found DR. Filler and he feels positive he can help you. Being so young and dealing with this kind of pain is truly horrible, but these experiences shape us into who we are and you will learn from this. Compassion for others in pain and bad circumstances is something most people don't have until they experience it themselves, but it is a good thing to have, compassion. You are young and strong with a very positive outlook and I know you will be fine. Please keep us informed of your progress as you heal. We care for you and I for one am glad you found our little group. You will find comfort and support here. God Bless you Brandon.

Everyone else, its summertime so the board has been quiet. My son graduates from high school tonight and we are so proud of him!!! I have been doing well this last week. The sciatica has settled down for now, I got a great massage on tuesday that really felt fabulous and helped with the super tight muscles I have developed since surgery. I have started stretching very gently the quads and hamstrings, boy, that really helps. Wish I had done that sooner. Hope all of you are experiencing better days as well. Shirley and leesa, will write soon, been busy. Margie, you must be doing fabulous, hopefully Julie is as well. David, where are you? Aloha, Lynne

Hawaii Girl, you sound like you are doing better. Thats really great. :D My youngest D graduated High school today as well. :D It was a good day. Our oldest D was at home and could not go, but we had one of her friends come over to sit with her while we were at the ceremony. She also went into our front yard and threw a ball with one of our young guests. Nothing real big to note. Still waiting and hoping. It will be 11 weeks on Tuesday, trying not to think that too much time has passed for any changes to occur.

Where is Swagglie???AKA David. Hope you are all doing great. Menzie

Hi Menzie and Lynne,

Thank you for the kind comments. I will definitely keep everyone informed. Hopefully I will have only good things to say after the surgery but if not then I will maybe get another MRN scan or resort to the spinal stimulator.

Lynne, I am glad you are getting some relief with stretching and massage. It must be nice for you to know that something helps with the pain. I hope everything just keeps on getting better.

Menzie, I hope you daughter keeps on getting better and is able to have a more fulfilling life. She is fortunate to have such wonderful parent that is so supportive. For the longest time I thought I was the only "young person" with this kind of pain. It is comforting and sad to know that someone else close to my age is dealing with the same kind of pain. I wish you and her the very best.

Please keep me informed.

Sincerely,

Brandon

HawaiiGirl - I'm so happy you feel a little better. I hope the manual work helps to lessen the pain from your less than successful surgery.

Brandon - Hope you have a long term, positive outcome from the surgery. Mary

I tried PRP regenerative Therapy, which is actually better than prolotherapy. It didn't work. an injection is not going to lift that muscle off of your sciatic nerve don't waste your time and money. the sooner you get the muscle out the better chance you have of healing and not having other damage peripheral nerves. You should Google Dr Tim Tollestrup. he has perfected the surgery for this and we'll be publishing a report on it soon. You can get rid of PS you just got to have the right surgeon with the right procedure. There's a lot of YouTube videos about him in this procedure as well.

Hi All. Sorry I have been away for so long. Brandon. really happy for you. 26th is coming up fast. Be sure and keep us posted. I truely hope this works for you. Remember not to get discouraged if you have some post surgery pain as everyone does. Hopefully in the long run you will be back to your self and able to get back into your school work. You are a very thoughtful and empathetic person and deserve the very best.

TJ, so sorry that you had to join us but welcome. Piriformis syndrome is common among runners and some recover faster and don't continue this agonizing pain. Symptoms can very and it is knot always just the piriformis but other muscles and also nerves in the pelvic area that can cause pain and various symptoms.Sorry you had to be one of those runners who is getting chronic. It is certainly a frustrating condition and as you have learned from this forum, all of us had to go through lots of health professionals before finding someone like Dr. Filler or Dr. Barbaro who know something about it. I wish you luck in your search for answers. I may be having surgey wiht Dr. Filler in the fall.

Lynne, so happy you are feeling better. That is great news. I know you are so happy about your son's graduation and hope you feel your best for it. I wasn't sure when you sent your post so maybe you have already been. Congratulations to him and tell him I think he has one of the greatest mothers in the world.

Menzie, congratulations on your other D's graduation. I keep pulling for you and your D and just want so much for things to improve. Keep holding on to some positives. Maybe the fact that her ankle is better is a good sign. Do you have any future appointments wiht Dr. Filler?

I am pretty much the same, up and down. I had a bad week last week and wondered if the botox had worn off but it seems somewhat less tight today but who knows about tomorrow? My butt pain is not much different and the leg and foot pain comes and goes but as a whole has been better since my injection . There are still some days when I am very scared about having the surgery and other days when I would do it in a split second. Maybe the older we are when we go into these things, the more we are cautious. I need a dose of Brandon and TJ's optimism.

Julie, would really like to hear from you. I am hoping that your recovery is coming along well. Your last post sounded like you were still in quite a bit of pain. And what about you, Margie. I got a big kick from your post and the growing scar after eating tofu bons bons. Is it 15 inches now?

Leesa, how goes it wiht your recovery. I know I know but let all of us know.

David, remember your promise to stay on even after you got better. WHERE ARE YOU? We miss Donna but know she is kbusy for now. Know we all think about both of you and hope you keep in touch.

Well, better go .

Shirley

Shirley, are to have another phone consult about 12 to 13 weeks post op. My D is now 11 wks post op. I have not scheduled another appt. But will this week. Glad to hear from you. As for me, I too really need to hear from David as well. I miss him, and would love to hear his update. I hope all is well. Brandon, the count down is on. Good luck :)

Hi everybody.

Brandon: Glad you have a date and I too hope you find relief. You, as others on this forum, had a lot of life to live and I really, really hope you'll be able to get back to it VERY soon.

Lots of Grad's out there! Congrats to Menzie and Lynne. Your kids are very lucky to have you. I hope they know it.

Julie: What's going on over there? How's the recovery going? Let us know. I think about you every day. Work is INSANE right now but I'll check in with you soon.

Well, I'm struggling and have decided to go back for another MRI. I really don't think it's a "back" thing but the one I had before is old, Filler suggested I get an updated one and I do have back pain...WHO KNOWS???!!!. I'm going to put the MRN off, hopefully for good but we'll see. I'm just not ready to accept that this is as good as it's going to get. I am still overall better - leg pain is less most of the time but my butt and leg become worse the more I try to do, and I'm just talking about "normal" stuff, not training for a marathon over here. Not where I want to be. Seems when I get out there and live my life the pain gets worse. It has yet to leave completely. Not that I'm expecting it to based on following all of you and maybe it's still too soon even be worried about it. I don't know. Has me pretty crazy though. I do continue to hold hope based on those of you who have blazed this trail before me and are doing better. Thanks to all of you for staying in touch.

Wish I had better news. Hang in there everyone.

Leesa

Brandon:

I meant "have" a lot of life to live. Sheez.

Hello all. Would someone post or send me Dr. Barbaro's contact information? that includes name of institution, city & phone number. Many thanks, Mary :D

Mary, google Dr. Nicholas Barbaro and the first one you come to gives you everything I think you need to know. One of his publications has to do with MR Neurography and piriformis. His main specialty seems to be epilepsy.

I am sure Margie and Julie could give you reports of their experience. I have this information simply because I researched him.

Where is everyone?

Shirley

Leesa, well I for one am not happy that you are having pain. You, Donna, and David are the ones I am really watching at the time. I am truly sorry that you are having difficulty at this time. Have you ever had your back imaged before? I do not recall as we have so many pages. I will say an extra prayer for you, but honestly I do not think God listens to me. I think he just watches. Thanks for your congrat on my youngest graduating HS. I am glad. As I have dealt with my oldest in regards to pain and everything, I am glad she could do great. She finished in the top 10% of her class.Over 500 kids :D She is at times (usually everyday) slightly uncaring when it comes to our oldest D's issues. Not that I do not think she loves and cares, it's just that she deals with her worries by either being very unkind or just plain selfish. But she has always been this way since she was born, so we just love her anyway. :)Not sure where she got it because I am nice LOL and my husband her dad is the nicest ever. And her sister is nice too.

I have finished work, so my D will be being more active!!! She is walking daily, and for 3 days we go into the YMCA, we do the eliptical for 5 min. and then we leave. Just getting there is good. She is in pain and that aspect hasn't changed, and she still can not sit. But she has the desire and truly wants to try. She is 11 1/2 weeks post op. Ankle and left outer calve pain is all gone. So as for the surgery that part was a success. The Freddy Frugger knife pain is still there playing house in her butt. I am trying to have faith, but my hope jar is just about empty. I really need some changes to occur soon. To all the Butt Warriors out there, have a good day. Menzie

Menzie:

I did have an MRI way back when and it was just about a year old when I first brought it to Filler so he requested an updated one. I know I have a cyst on S2 and "normal" degenerative, spine narrowing stuff based on the last MRI. Like I said, I doubt it's my back. Mainly because the butt pain is still stabbing. Not "Freddie Kruger-like" but there nonetheless. I hesitated posting anything because it wasn't exactly hope-filled but I think it's important to let everyone know the good and the bad. My main leg pain is so much better which is why I had the surgery in the first place so there is some hope there. The other concern I continue to have is my calf muscle on the pain/surgery side is still atrophied so something is going on. Filler said it was because the nerve was compressed for so long. Just not sure if it's supposed to regenerate or what and at what point. Common sense says if you don't exercise it, it won't get strong but my right calf muscle is pretty strong and defined.

I was like your other D before I got PS. I didn't have much compassion for people in chronic pain. Funny, now I have lots of compassion :)

Glad your D is getting out and to the gym, that sounds much better than where she was before. I hear the pain is still there but an improvement anyway, huh?

Ok, enough babbling. Have a good day everyone.

Leesa

Hi everyone,

Thank you Mary, Leesa, Lynne, Shirley and Menzie for your support and kind words. It is nice to know people are rooting for me and understand what I am going through. I will keep everyone informed and in my best thoughts and hopes.

Shirley: When are you considering surgery? Also, is your pain pretty constant or does it come and go depending on activity?

Menzie: I am curious to know if you D is in pain all the time? If she walks really fast does that pain get worse or better. Also, I have severe butt/leg pain when I sit down too but if I take some pressure off of my butt by slouching and sitting down more on my lower back the severity of the pain goes away. Does that help her? About your younger D-I wonder if she is mean sometimes because of all the attention you are giving your older D, the one in pain.

Everyone: I am interested in knowing how your pain started. Was it from a fall, athletic injury.... and how did the pain progress or change? My pain seems to have a personality of its own and has changed over the past few years. I wish you all the best.

Take care,

Brandon

HELL :D Everyone!!! Sorry I have Not been on here for a few..I thought the site was quiet due to nicer weather..But..NO!! I think it was MY "computer qlitch"..And MY lack of NOT "knowing" alot on computers...NOTHING had shown up for Any replies for a while on my e-mail?? So Anyway>>>>I have been going to "Aquatic"/physical therapy :D (I LOVE the Pool) At least it "feels good") now 3x week for about 3weeks and doing all the "stretching/exercises" at home Daily they give me..At least the ones I can handle that do Not cause Pain...They say you should ONLY feel a "stretch"..And NOT to do them if there is pain..SO EASY for them to say..So i sometimes feel >>what's the point..How am I gonna "stretch them out".As been said in other posts..I Am NOT doing ANYTHING out of the ordinary..JUST everyday "NORMAL LIFE". And NOT alot of that sometimes>>>..I feel like I am "between a rock and a hard place"!!!It has now been 13wks. since surgery..The P Therapy people seem to think I am NOT ready to go back to work in another week..Due to muscles that are NOT stretching and my pain levels..NOT being able to bend/stretch without Aggravating "my BUTT"..And i think they Also said "scar tissue"?? Who knows,I am not a Dr. , but I DO know "MY PAIN". :( But ALL that is up to the Dr. And he is away till Wed..So I have to wait and see?? I seroiusly feel that the "Nerve" is STILL the culprit in all of this.. I have been told by others to have the Dr. get an MRI to see what ELSE is going on..ANY input from this group would be Wonderfull!!! As for Denise>>I had my Surgery with Dr.Bolhman,and Yes..He IS one of the Best..Any calls you make to his office/Nurses, they DO get back to you Promptly!!Which is Good..
Enough of me "babbling" for now!! About all of MY Pain..AnyWay,,
Can NOT sit much longer.. :(
So>>Glad to hear some are doing better :D ,And for the "NEW" surgery people..GOOD LUCK!! And keep us posted ....
Candy