Thursday 10 March 2011

Hope restored

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I went today with four pages of questions for my consultant ,I was seeing for a second opinion. I wouldn’t have gone down this route if my original consultant hadn’t told me in my very first consultation, that he had only performed a discectomy on my area of spine twice before. Great I thought, but as I continued in pain and it looked like surgery was my only answer, alarm bells started ringing. I knew I couldn’t go forward without going with my gut instinct and I had to get a second opinion.

At Pilates this week was a man who had the exact same surgery just 7 weeks before. He looked amazing. So the entire group got talking, and it turned out all 5 of us had, had lots of experience of back problems. The man told me his back pain had gone, but he still had the nerve pain down his leg. Well, the nerve pain is my main problem, so he said take that into consideration and think VERY seriously. They all recommended a second opinion and to see someone at Stanmore hospital. This put me in more of a tizwas as I had already booked a second opinion for two days later.

Teejay keeps insisting I should not have surgery, and wait 18 months to two years and it will right itself anyway, in his opinion. Surgery is very hit and miss.

So back to the computer for more research, and yes Stanmore is the best back place and my original surgeon was top of his class there !!!

So off I went today. I took Hubby this time as a second pair of ears. From the second  the consultant  talked he exuded confidence. It was music to my ears to hear him say he knew my agony, as he too had suffered with a prolapsed disc. He thoroughly examined me and noted that I had indeed improved since my original consultation in November. Pilates has greatly helped my movement.

He answered every one of my questions, without me really having to ask him. He said I was indeed one of the rare people to experience hormonal problems from the nerve root injection. So it was best to avoid another one anytime soon.

He told me that my original surgeon was better qualified than him to operate on my spine. Mainly because I have an unusual prolapse, apparently it’s in the wrong place to normal and he’s not sure how a surgeon would get to it. This is what my original consultant told me last time. But he said he was excited to operate on it.

He stressed he wouldn’t and didn’t have surgery himself. That if I can tolerate the pain for about 18 months more, I should be in the same situation even if I’ve had surgery. Hopefully the prolapse will return to some sort of normal or my nerves will readjust.

He said everything I was doing was spot on, especially the Pilates. That driving was something to avoid if possible, and so he talked to me about changing my Pilates time so that Hubby can drive me there each week.

Plus he told me my choice of careers had greatly played a part in my problems, as had his. He said being in your late 30’s and changing career, wouldn’t have been a great time to put pressure on my back , add to that years of lifting people as a carer and getting old and decrepit, I was a recipe for disaster.

So I left with a spring in my step ( well not really I had to drag my leg! )

Ok I have a possible long-time ahead of me to live in pain, but the fact the light is starting to shine at the end of the tunnel is a blessing. That I feel happy and comfortable with the decision is what I was mainly searching for.

So, no long haul holidays for me in the near future, a new automatic car is on the cards and I’m excited to be getting some new comfy sofas.

Things to look forward to………….

Oh poo, I now need to try and shift half a stone for the summer.( time to shift my hamster cheeks and turkey neck )

 

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4 comments:

Scrappi Sandi said...

What a fabulously positive post!! I'm so glad you got answers to all your questions & can indeed see light at the end of the tunnel!!

alexa said...

Brilliant news! At least you have a time line now and the possibility of getting better. Cheering over here!

Anonymous said...

That's great news for you.

I had my back surgery just over 18 years ago. So I know the pain you have endured.

Isn't it nice when you get confirmation of what your doing is positive.

Cathy

Eniko said...

Wow! A lot has been going on since I last visited your blog (love your masthead, BTW) -so happy that you were able to get answers to your questions & that you now have hope. All the best, Eniko

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