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Hi, I am new to this. I will try and make it short and sweet. 3 years & 3months ago I injurged my back at work. I got opinions from 4 different ortho surgeons and all agreed that with failure of steriod epidurals, and a medial branch block, that Surgical Intervention was the only option left. My condition was this. By these opinions had been reported it had been 6+ months with a 10mm Disc herniation in my L-5 S-1 level of my back, and degenerative vertibrabe conditiion.

It took them and additional 1.5 years to finally agree to do the surgury. By this time I have seen 15 doctors reguarding the matter and was esssentially afraid to get out of bed because the pain has now damaged a nerve which contrls numerous motor functions in my left leg and I have los us of my 3 little toes in my left foot. I went through all the electro stimulous tests and found that if there were any less result I would have no volentary use of the leg.

Finnaly the surgury was done on2/26/2007 2 years and 1 day to the date of injury. I was with in 3 weeks in P/T doing stretches and stationary bike work. this lasted a month. Finally after it progressivly got worse my ortho ordered another MRI, I this he found that my back looked like a bonzi tree with scar tissue, no doubt due to the accelerated P/T, and on top of that a piece of scar tissue has now made it self back into the exact area where a month prior he just pulled out the herniate disc. He immediately stopped all types of excercise, and issused me a new Rx.

He realized that I was barely able to stand ,sit , walk and lay on select postions to get my pittiful 3 to 4 hours of sleep if lucky. after the Rx Norco 750/325 finally provided some relief I was sent to get yet more injections, 2 light steriod injections witha saliene solution to help disolve the scar tissue. No luck again, and once again did a electro stimulous test that was inconclusive, because all they had it to compare to was the previous one. So I was released from him and as a result sent back to my primary who has no treated me for this on over 9 months. As I see his for the fisrt time I let him know I was very frusrtated because with the ortho I went through 2 weeks of absolute dispair with out medication, and if I could rate it I would say it was a 10+++++++.

Adventually was given a reprieve by my doctor although he did tell me he had planned on weening me off the only thig that made me feel some what sane, and not like lab experement. This went on for 2 months and once again on 2/25/08 I was offically cut off from pain medication. Many othe had been tried in the past and they also made my stomach burn as though I just drank jalepnio juice,other hot flashes, loose bowels,2 to 3 week head aches, numbness in my extremities.dehydration,loss of appitite,etc. So now for 2 months I have been to the worst possible place I have been. It is like I am reliving the injury over again only I have had the pain spread to serveral part of my back and terrible pains in my left arm almost as if some one sitting on it as I sleep, as with my leg it feels as though if your leg was bridged over and automan and a child jumped right on your knee bending backwards.The latest is i am noticing a significant pain in the original location as Idid before all heck broke loose. It takes me all my arm strenght to roll over toallow my legs toget to the edge of the bed, and all I can wear now is basic slippers because I can not bend over to do any thing else with out help, and some times it is dangerous because when I put on the right one I have to try and balance on a foot that had 3 daed toes alllowing no balance.

I guess one this I am quite curious about is when they did the second round of streroid injections that concerned them so much as to have me stop deadin my tracks, and perform the procedure with in the week, I ask why was a follow-up MRI done to see if the injections did any thing at all or if it was a complete failure, maybe that is why he had no problem giving me pain medication becaue he knew this was going to be a very painful situation the remainder of my life. He wrote his report and even though he read it to me due to state guide lines they deemed me post surgury to be 19% perminatly diabled, and that did not include the complications resulting from it, or the stress, stomach problems,anxiety,panic attacks, physical alterations,)started at 165-170 and now weight 222 on a 5'9 frame and my work out was my work which is no longer and option.

And the saddest part of all this is 1 month before my injury I was blessed with a brand new nephew. He is 3 now and I breaks my heart because I am the uncle, I am suppose to be the one who does every thing with him so his parents can have alone time. I die a little more every time I have to say no I cant go to the park, or ride bikes with him, to see those brown eyes tear up I all most just wish I was never born and he would not have to see me constantly disappoint him. And if I do not get at least a medically dispenced pill machiene allowing me to at least take 2 to 3 Norcos or equivilent a day along with the depression Cybalta 1, and Xanax 3 to 4 time a day for my attacks which frankly feel like heart attacks and labored breathing, And have it regulated, Then I am curious what good is the hypocrtic(?) Oath. To care for the sick, injured. I know 4000mg of tylonol is the max the want you to take. that is the secondary ingrediant in Vicodin, and Norco. I read every thing before I take it. SO I never went over that set amount. Although once I was taken off the pain pills the solution that the Doctor gave me was to take Tylonol. 8 500mg to be exact per day. Is that not the same amout they recomended that was not to be taken because of the danger to the liver.

So How messed up am I. I am not an angy person although I am real close to schooling the doctor on all thos documented horrors he has put me though. And in a final twist of faith. Remember the original doctors I had seen that all agreed that surgury was necessary, well my doctor at the time was rejected as was his recommended surgeon. Well 1.5 years later suddenly my priginal doctor was assigned to me for my pre-op physical, and the surgeon he had recommended just so happed to be the one originally requested and rejected. It took them 18 months to get theirs heads out of the politions back ends and when they did they allow me to get worse when it was obviously a unequivibally moronic screw up............

Thanks for your time, I have been waiting for someone who might have some equally horror stories thanks to our wonderful health care.

Hope to see what you all think, Thanks, T.Lee

(edited)