Ruptured Disc Surgery/Sciatic Nerve Pain Recovery

Dave how are you? What has been the end result?

Hi Myson,
My husband and I were reading this old thread and we were surprised to see a post from today! He is going through the same thing "Dave" went through and we were also wondering how Dave is today. My husband had surgery 2 weeks ago and is really suffering still with the nerve damage. Have you experienced this too?

surgery was 8 weeks ago doing lots of exercise and physio still have sciatic pain and poor function in left leg, unsure how much permanent damage trying to minimise this. Like dave also a police officer with young family. Remaining positive and i am seeing some slight improvements. Have been told this can be a long process.

Dear fellow back suffers,
Recently I experienced a rupture to my L4 & L5 disks. I fell to the floor and as I stood up, I passed out with Vasovagal Scynope which stopped my heart from the pain. I was revived by paramedics and rushed to the ER. When the pain in my back occurs, it affects my heart rate and lowers it to 32 bpm. After being released from the hospital I returned to work the day after. I do outside sales. I was a true liability on the road. I know I need the surgery or I will have to have a pacemaker at 34 years old. I live in fear everyday that it will happen again and I will be alone when it happens this time. I have 2 small children and i just want to be me again. Please, please reassure me that back surgery is the right decision.

for me surgery was the only option, my sciatic nerve was severely compressed and i was experiencing loss of feeling in my whole left leg. ultimately i would have lost the use of my leg. Surgery released the pressure but four months after surgery i am still working to regain full use of my foot and experience regular severe sciatic pain. Specialists cannot predict what my ultimate recovery will be. I need full functionality of the foot to return to work. You have to decide for yourself but either choice may not be perfect.

to guest113, I had surgery twice, 1st fusion on L4-L5S1, fusion didnt take, went thrrough sec. surgery 5 yrs later with L3-L4-L5S1 all fused with rods put in.w6 screws.I ran into complications with screws (lower) breaking, Dr. was unaable to jack up the spine with wedge. 3 yrs later I feel as bad if not worse.Even though this surgery failed, I do not regret having it done because I could be worse than befor. my advise is have it done or your fear could come true.

They do carve some bone out for you infusion...so you heal faster for a spinal surgery...I had my surgery on June18,12 I put it off until I couldn't stand it anylonger. I just have some nerve pain down my right calf and in the tops of both feet . I am waiting to go back for a visit I was looking on here for some relief heat or cold packs tohelp...Don't be afraid I am almost 55 and I am so glad I don't have that back pain anymore.

I also had a microdiscectomy..I'm 3 weeks post op for L5 S1 bulging disc. The pain I experienced before surgery was unbelieveable!! Sciatic pain from left hip buttock and down my leg. No sleep!! Totalled 2-3 hrs a night. Suffering pain. Hated the pain pills and took so much motrin I'm surpised I still have a stomach.
I had p.t, which put me in more pain..had injections..didn't help. My physiatrist finally sent me to a neurosurgeon. Best thing I ever did!! Sciatic pain was relieved right out of recovery room!! The surgeon removed a thumb knuckle size vertabra fragement that had torn through causing the bulge.
I am experiencing some light sciatica that started 1 1/2 weeks ago. Scared me, but after reading many blogs I feel relieved...
I say if your Dr. suggests surgery, get it!! It's the best thing I've done!!

I'm 16 years old and I also had to have the surgery because I had two ruptured discs and they were on my sciatic nerve and also on the nerve that ran down my left leg. I had been in pain for 5 months before doctors agreed to do my surgery, they did not want tomgomthrough with it because of my age. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced, I couldn't walk or sit because everything I did put me in severe pain. I laid in my bed and cried for several weeks and finally they scheduled my surgery. After my surgery I had no pain at all, the recovery was six weeks and I felt great, but I am only sixteen and I participate in competitive cheer leading I just started getting back to practices and exercising and now when I lay down it feels like I have back spams or my back is throbbing. Im not sure what to do about it and I was wondering if anyone had any kind of advice?

Thanks for sharing that! I am scheduled for surgery 9-12-12 and was beginning to wonder if I should have it with all the post. I have L12 tear and 3-4bulge with weakness in left leg. lots of pain in lower back and butt and have been dealing with for 10 weeks, I am just scared of the reocovery, my Surgeon said back to work 7=10 days i hope this is true

I lived with severe sciatic pain for a couple of months for fear of back surgery. Most people I talked to said don't do it, once you have back surgery you will never be the same again. Well when I started to think about suicide, (cause of pain, no drug would touch it), I knew it was time. I was 41 years old and it was the best thing I could have done. Every day some pain went away til gone. By the 3rd day after surgery I was walking at minimum 3 miles a day . my L-1 L-2, L2-L-3, L-4 L-5 are also bulged. My L-4 L-5 is the one that ruptured. I am still a very active person. Foot ball, weight lifting, soccer, snow sports, and yes fishing. I hope this helps you. take care, and no worries find a good surgion

I am 44 years old, and two years ago had a discectomy for a herniated disc (the lowest one in the spine).  Was pain-free for two years until about 6 weeks ago.  This time, the pain is worse.  I don't want a second surgery that will remove even more of the disc.  When I went to the chiropractor a couple of weeks ago I saw on the x-ray that what looked like half of the disc had been removed.  A second surgery would remove more, and may not solve the problem.  Fusion is not an option because of the location (L1?)--my neurosurgeon told me that it was extremely risky and could lay the groundwork for back problems for the rest of my life.  I'm getting very little sleep now, as the pain is getting worse.  I used to be able to sleep through the night.  I've also struggled with depression my whole adult life.  I've been working for about 5 years at a hard-won job, but believe I will have to give it up now because I can't sit, and right now there is no end in sight.  It is so helpful to read the posts on this site.  Something very comforting about not feeling alone with this.  I don't know what to do at this point.  I feel like a second surgery would be digging a deeper hole, but if the pain becomes so severe I can't live with it, I may have to do it.  Thanks to everyone for posting their stories.  It has really helped me to read them this morning.

 

Katy

Glad to hear that surgery worked for you. I have been dealing with a ruptured disc at L4 and stenosis and degenerative issues at L5 for the last 3 years. I have gotten great relief from the pain through my chiropractor. About 6 months ago the relief stopped. My wife and I had a baby girl in May 2012 and the sciatic pain came back with a vengance, to the point that walking and driving beacme very difficult. I gave the chiropractor one last shot and it didnt work. He referred me to a neuro surgeon who did a meylogram and confirmed the diagnosis of the chiropractor. He reccommended that I try epidural spinal injections. I went thru 2 of those, one week apart with absolutely no relief. Upon my return to the surgeon, I was prescribed 4 weeks of PT and I am in week two of that with very little, if any relief. My life is on hold. The pain is unbearable at times and I spend most of my waking moments on the couch, alternating heat and ice, still no relief. I feel like an invalid. I went from having a very active life to doing nothing but getting thru each day. I am in law enforcement and I am still powering thru each day looking forward to the moment I get off shift to get home to lie down. I feel now that surgery is my only option and I welcome it but I am fearful of the recovery and how long it will take to get back to full duty. My surgeon has stated that I would be a good candidate for a lumbar laminectomy with fusion at L4 & L5. I have to complete the full month of PT before revisiting my surgeon. I dont know where the PT will lead but I dont hold alot of hope for it. My question to anyone out there is what is a realistic time period for recovery for someone in my position? I am 43 years old and in good health. I am determined to get thru this no matter what it takes and return to my job. Is this a realistic goal? Any advice or insight would be welcome.

Kevin

Feb 2011 a van driver drove into the back of my car, while I was giving way at a roundabout. Since then my mobility and ability to sit declined, until eventually in Dec 2011 I was bed bound for 5 months. Various painkillers and antinflammatories didn't work. Strong dose of morphine-based patches eased the back pain but not the sciaticia in my right foot. Developed severed osteopenia in right foot joints.

After much waiting, am due to have surgery Jan 2013. But to remove the prolapse, surgeon has to remove bits of bone joints attached to spine.

I'm 46, been off work (desk job) for a year and just despondent now about ever being able to go back to normal walking, working and play.
(physical intimacy with my partner is nigh on impossible!)

Your posts have been somewhat encouraging in that others experiencing similar problems and recovery from surgery. Anyone had bone remvoed and recovered

(p.s in months leading to being bed-bound I found chiropracter made things worse really, while physios couldn't do anything because of the pain)

Hey all. I am a 33 yr old mother of two and a full time prison officer and I am in to my 4th week after having a microdiscectomy, shaved fassett bones and a process the uses electric pulse to remove the nerve from the bone (due to being stuck for so long)  for my L5 S1. Right now i would say it is the best thing I had done. The pain I was having before the op was the worse pain I have ever felt, the nerve pain that shoot down my left leg was something I never want to have again. I could not sit, bend or lay for two long. I have all types of treatment, from PT, Bowen, acupuncture, injection into my spine, water therapy, lots of pain killers and Pilates. Nothing worked, nothing took the edge off the pain. All awhile I am still having to be a mum and work. I was suffering for around 12mth when one day the pain was so bad and started vomiting and seeing black spots this is when I thought nah i need something more. I had already seen a surgeon so when I phoned to inform him of my condition and that I had gone down hill, they rushed my in for my op. I was sh**ting myself but new it had to be done. So far I am not looking back, yes I am only 4 wks into my recovery but I feel very positive about the future. I found the first two weeks the hardest, not being able to do anything at all, not bending, twisting, lifting, pushing, pulling, sitting for to long, not standing for to long, and doing lots of laying. I think it is a small price to pay for having none to little pain. I wish you all the very best with you recovery and I will touch base again soon to inform you on how my recovery is going.