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MRI Results and Major Issue in Lumbar Spine - What now?

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Mercy&Grace
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 1874
Posted 9/10/2018 6:50 AM (GMT -7)
Thanks for the update. Praying for a quick and speedy recovery. Please keep us posted as you can.
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Darla
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2018
Posts : 508
Posted 9/11/2018 3:54 AM (GMT -7)
I did not realize there was a page 2 here so if you see a half reply...oops. Birder Nancy I am thinking of you and hoping for a good recovery! I am not sure if you are still on the gabapentin but I am a big fan of it for nerve issues. It has helped me and I still take it 4x/day. Please keep us updated on your progress and relief after the surgery issues subside!
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18325
Posted 9/11/2018 9:14 AM (GMT -7)
Nancy, you had quite a bit of work done. Just remember to listen to your body & take care of yourself. I know your perseverance of having a good recovery is your main goal.

Check in when you feel like it. Sending healing thoughts & prayers your way!
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18325
Posted 9/29/2018 5:45 AM (GMT -7)
Nancy, I wanted to check on you & see how you are doing. If you feel up to it, please update us.
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Birder Nancy
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2015
Posts : 81
Posted 9/29/2018 9:21 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Susie: I continue to do well, almost 1 month post-surgery. No more pain meds except for Tylenol. Still on Gabapentin. I have 2 more visits from the home health PT which have been so helpful with chair exercises and advice on healing. I’ve been walking, and invested in a rollator by Medline that enables me to be stable while walking and with a seat and backrest for when I need a rest break. I still wear the back brace though when at home I don’t use it as much as when I take my walks outside or go out to dinner or when Dan takes me for a drive along the coast. So far so good!

I’m sleeping well, and still take an afternoon nap most days. Still no BLT (bending lifting twisting) but I’ve learned to avoid it for the most part. I can shower by myself and still use the grab bar and shower chair and am of course very careful getting in and out if the bathtub. Our plan for sometime next year is to remodel the bathroom and put in a walk in shower.

My next visit with my neurosurgeon’s PA is 11/1. At the 2-week post-op she was very pleased with my progress so far. The X-ray looked good and showed the 6 screws and 2 rods from L4-5 and L5-S1.

Much of the feeling has returned to my right leg and foot and she said it will take some time to recover completely.

Well, that’s about all the news for now. I’ll be back in touch soon!

Nancy
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18325
Posted 10/2/2018 6:23 AM (GMT -7)
Nancy, so good to hear from you, but best of all to read that you are doing well. That is a great sign that you are getting the feeling back in your leg & foot already!

You will absolutely love a walk in shower. Back in 06, we remodeled the downstairs bathroom. We had the tub taken out & a nice walk in shower with a built in seat made. I have knee issues & kept falling getting in or out of the tub. We decided to do something before I broke something. That was the best investment we could have made.


At some point you will be sent to physical therapy. I will share a short story with you. A friend of mine had a 3 level lumbar fusion 18 months ago. She was 68 yrs old going into this surgery. Her surgeon put her in water therapy first. She said the water was amazing & helped her build up muscles. Once she completed the water therapy she went to regular therapy & she has done great. She says her therapy would not have been as effective if she hadn't done water first. So, this may be something to think about discussing with your dr. A lot of drs are moving in this direction with very good results.

Keep us posted!
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(Seashell)
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2012
Posts : 1080
Posted 10/2/2018 11:08 AM (GMT -7)
Nancy:
Good to hear from you and doubly good to hear that the surgery went well with return of neurological function in your leg/foot.

Take time for rest and recovery. Be gentle to yourself.

Continued best wishes in the days to come,
Karen
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Mercy&Grace
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 1874
Posted 10/2/2018 1:04 PM (GMT -7)
Great News ! You Are Inspiring!
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Birder Nancy
Regular Member
Joined : Mar 2015
Posts : 81
Posted 2/23/2021 12:58 PM (GMT -7)
Well, its been awhile since I’ve been around these boards. My 2018 surgery was very successful and I recovered quickly. However. Last year I began having similar symptoms and an MRI confirmed the two discs above where Dr. Brara operated in 2018 were more compromised. Now I have similar symptoms but more significant as the numbness in my lower right leg, ankle, and foot have made walking more difficult and unfortunately driving impossible due to lack of feeing. So I’m going in for surgery on March 9th to fuse L1-2 and L2-3. But due to circumstances beyond my control I can no longer see Dr. Brara - he’s moved up to overseeing all Kaiser Southern California Neurosurgery Centers and as a result does not perform surgeries anymore. Also, I will now be going to Kaiser Downey (another Kaiser hospital in a different area) and have an orthopedic surgeon who will perform my surgery.

I met with this surgeon about a month ago to discuss what he plans to do and this is what I was told. He said he would remove all the hardware installed by Dr. Brara and put in a whole new set. I had somehow thought he’d simply add onto the existing hardware. I then mentioned that since my bones were extremely dense Dr. Brara, after breaking several drills, had to switch to a tool called a pedicle to make holes for the screws. The new surgeon told me not to worry, as he had “never met a bone I couldn’t drill into.” So. I’m a bit nervous both about the hardware removal and the drill issue. I have my pre-op meeting with the surgeon’s PA and also the anesthesiologist on March 1st so will definitely discuss these issues with him. I’m probably being overly cautious but who knows.

Good news is I’m going in for my second injection of the Moderna vaccine on the 27th and I'm very confident about the cleanliness and precautions of all the Kaiser facilities I’ve been to over the last year or so.

Bottom line, and my main question to this group is: has anyone else had hardware removed and new hardware installed to extend what was installed in a previous operation? What about bone that has fused into and over that hardware? Do they have to break it and chip it away? Yikes... Anyway, thanks for you replies. I appreciate it.

Nancy
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straydog
Forum Moderator
Joined : Feb 2003
Posts : 18325
Posted 2/24/2021 7:34 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Nancy, sorry to read you have another surgery on the horizon! Was your prior surgeon a neurosurgeon? Have you considered getting a 2nd opinion with a neurosurgeon? With your history of prior surgery if this were me I would get a 2nd opinion. Even if you were to have to postpone surgery for a couple of weeks. It never hurts to get another opinion.

The forum here is super slow, I always like to think people have improved & are living their lives as they should be.

I have heard of old hardware being removed like your surgeon is talking about. Some drs say it helps with stability as an example. Make a list of questions for this dr.

Hopefully the surgery will take care of all the issues you are having. Seriously, look on your health plan or even do an internet search for the top neurosurgeon on the Kaiser plan & see about getting a consult.

Take care.
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Mercy&Grace
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 1874
Posted 2/24/2021 4:24 PM (GMT -7)
I agree with Susie about the second opinion.
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