I got into a car accident over 3 years ago when I was 18 and I'm suffering from chronic back pain, and since the accident I've gotten anxiety and depression. I've gone through different physical therapies, chiropractor, injections, x-rays, MRI's, massage therapy (which helped a little bit) and finally a discoagraphy. I finally found out that my L3-L4 disc is in bad shape and the only way to fix it would be spinal fusion. I'm very nervous about the surgery. I've read stories from people that have had good and bad experiences with the surgery. I haven't decided to get the surgery yet but I would like alot more information. Every morning I wake up dreading getting out of bed because I hurt so much. Some of the pain was bearable but now it seems like the pain is getting worse every day. I'm currently on pain meds but I'd like to get off of them before I become addicted but if I stopped taking them before I got better I don't think I could deal with the pain alone. If anyone has any information, stories, or anything you think could be helpful, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Hello and welcome to NT fellow car accident survivor.

I'm afraid I can't answer your question about back surgery. I did, however, note that you are suffering from anxiety and depression. While your back situation is stressful, these are also common symptoms of brain injury. It is nearly impossible to walk away from a crash without a brain injury. Have you been properly assessed for this issue? There really is no such thing as "just a concussion."

Cheers

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help. There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

You could check into the following to find some assistances:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

Hi Cerealkurs

Welcome to NT. I am sorry to hear about your accident and the pain you still have. I hope you will meet some people on this forum or another forum on here that can answer you questions. Nice to meet you.

Maybe this forum area will help you.

Spinal Disorders and back pain

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

hi and welcome

my father had fusion surgery and it was a success for him he had compressed discs, but if they can relive the pressure from the nerves then hopefully you may feel the benefit

bests wishes

hello and welcome to NT,

i'm sorry for what you're going thru.
have you gotten a 2nd opinion? it might help you feel better about the advice of the 1st dr. also, ask your dr(s) to give you some information to read about your condition and the surgery.

take someone with you to the appt as a 2nd set of ears.
if you take your medication as prescribed you shouldn't worry about addiction.
if it goes on long term i'd speak to your dr.

i don't have experience about your specific problem. i wanted to welcome you to the board. keep us posted.

Hello and welcome to this community! I am sorry to hear about your accident and all of your problems. I know of two stories that may interest you. When I was fifteen, which was 18 yrs ago my parents an I were involved in a three car accident. We got the worst of it. My mother broke her foot in 7 places, her leg in 2 places, had compression fractures up her spine, and then exploded 2 discs in her spine. They never offered any kind of back surgery for her until yrs later. It was this spinal fusion that they suggested to you. She was terrified and did not have the surgery. I have watched my mother slowly decline. Now I do not know if the surgery would have helped her but I certainly do not think that she gave her healing process her all! I meet My husband 9 yrs ago he is 13 yrs older than I am. He has had spinal fusion done. He had problems with his back after a very mild car accident. He tried to deal with the pain and the problems but they eventually got to be so bad that he had no choice but to do something. He would walk and then his legs would just not work and he would fall to the floor, he started to have problems holding his bladder, he had severe pain like what you described, and was on pain pills. He did go through with the surgery. I do not know how long the healing process was for my husband I was not around yet but his son says that it wasn't too long, but everyone is different. I can tell you that he is no longer on any kind of pain pills and has none of the problems that he had before. If he over does it like lifts something that he shouldn't then he has bad days and takes a couple of aspirin but he is fine. My mother can no longer lay on a bed or a couch, she sleeps sitting up, she walks hunched over, she has a limited amount of walking that she can do, and she takes 9 10mg loratab a day. These are my two stories for you, I hope you do well in any decision you make! I also agree you should get a second opinion, they never hurt.

collinsc

Dear Cerealkurs- I was in such a car wreck just over 5 years ago. Afterwards we learned I was concussed, had multiple disc herniations, and both of my arms were severely injured as to the carpal tunnel issue. It was suggested I had held the steering wheel in such a death grip that I had injured both arms. Much medical discernment went into my followon care. Being married, I had the benefit of my wife to accompany me to all of my doctor visits so that important other set of ears was available, as well as the notion that she could offer observations relevant to my issues when the doc would ask... "so, why are you here today?"

One of the other posters suggested you make sure your docs know of the possibility you had a head injury. This is important so any relevant diagnosis may be made and treatment offered. I wound up with brain MRI series and the like to confirm the nature and extent of my injury. It is certainly something about care is important.

Ultimately, among many other surgical interventions, I had the discogram [absolute torture] session to which you alluded. It did confirm without any room for doubt that the intervening physical therapies and such had helped my upper level herniation issues but that my L5-S1 leaked like a sieve. I guess it was awful to behold, as the doc let me know they had 6 folks holding me down on the operating table as the discogram progressed. Talk about sobbing.

So, information in hand, we set about to interview docs about next steps. Before we got too many more months down the road, that portion of my body below the waist began to shut down.... you know, no control of legs, bowel, bladder..... and, of course, I was screaming non-stop due to the pain and spasms. A pillow came in handy to muffle my screams at that time. For these reasons, I was admitted for urgent discectomy, laminectomy and fusion at L5-S1. I wish it had been sooner, and it was for no lack of trying on our part. It just took a while to get "through the system," actually too long.

Post surgically, I was glad to regain bowel and bladder control and I can use my legs, albeit with a cane. Bilateral peripheral neuropathy lingers and I have the burning nerve pain, spasms, and numbness to this day. My surgeon was of the thought the nerve issues continued after surgery because too much time passed before correction of the mechanical issues. My back feels better, although I must continue on the pain meds due to the unrelenting nerve pain. Arghhhhhh!!

So, you will find my posting as well under the SCS and Pain Pump forum as well since I am now in line awaiting a surgical implant of a device to try to help with the nerve pain and lessen the pain med necessity.

I hope for you the best, and you will be in my prayers as you consider your future care.
All the best,
Mark56

I see you have gotten all kinds of info and welcomes already.

I just wanted to add my big WELCOME and to wish you the very best!!!!

Hi, and welcome to NT! This is such a great place with so many friendly, caring, and helpful people.

We're glad you found us!