Hi, Newbie here and very confused.
 

Hello, just found this great site and hoping that someone with some knowledge can help me out a little. I just got my MRI and I have a herniated disc in L1-L2 and L3-L4 and an annual fissure in L4-L5. I am really scared because I go to see the nuerosurgeon tomorrow and I think they are going to want to get me a epidural shot. If anyone is having similar problems please let me know. I am just nervous. I wake up every day in soo much pain and I can't even work because it hurts soo bad. I thought I was crazy for the longest time. I just would like someone to talk to who knows what they are talking about. I have looked on many, many web sites and I don't understand because they mostly are talking about the lower discs. Thanks in advance. :)

Hi Butterflyme,
Welcome to the forum-

I googled some images of "lumbar spine" and if you click on the picture it will take you to the website and more info.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...=Search+Images

Thanks so much, I checked out all the pictures. I really appreciate your help. I go to the neurosurgeon today, so I will find out more. I am nervous and kinda scared. Hope you have a great day.

These shots seem to help some and do little but aggravate others...like me. I had one and never again but then I have friends with similar disk problems and they swear by them. As far as I know it is a toss of the coin.
jb

Hi Butterflyme.

How did your appointment go with the neurosurgeon?

I've had epidurals - C-spine, part of T-spine and L-1 - S1 - and radiofrequency (ablation). If you've questions about that, I'll do my best to share what I know. The procedures helped a great deal, for me, to relieve pain.

Hi and welcome to the site. You'll find a lot of answers here, meet a lot interesting, informed and considerate people, and immediately feel part of a community.
As everyones case is different, I always start with ' for what it's worth', so for what its worth I've had injections also and they never seemed to alleviate the pain for me. I've also had surgery a couple of times and while the operations were 'successful' in what their goal was, the pain that precipitated the surgery immediately returned afterwards. If beyond injections surgery is mentioned, do as much homework as possible on the specific type of procedure you will be undergoing - insist your doctor be forthright and detailed so you can take this information and inform yourself. Some doctors don't appreciate it, but those worth their sheepskin do and a well informed patient is the best course of action due the high level of involvement and investment you yourself will have in your condition, treatment and recovery.
Best of luck and keep us informed.

Thanks so much for your responses. I feel better knowing there are people I can talk to. I went to the neurosurgeon and he told me that I had scoliosis that was not true. He was looking at my x-rays from when I was having extreme muscle spasms, woke up crooked and went to the hospital. Well to make a long story short he was very wrong and I am seeing a orthopedic dr tomorrow. I am soo frustrated. The docs almost make me feel like they don't believe me or that they are telling me to just "deal with it".

Butterfly-

Make sure when you visit your NS, that he makes an appointment for you to have a lumbar EMG, so that they can determine which of your nerves seem to be causing the pain. That way, even though you have a problem at a level, that level nerve may not be causing your pain.

I've had quite a few lumbar ESI's, and the majority of them worked for me. I was able to put off surgery on one level for over a year with 2 series of epidural shots. Good luck.

joe

me too
 

I had injections that helped immensely for over a year..now it is surgery time...

Hello well I went back to the doc and he basically told me that I should not be having this much pain and I must not be doing enough back excercises. So I thought okay, went home and did some excersices from a piece of paper he gave me and within 10 minutes was spasming soo bad I had to crawl to my bed and now I am VERY crooked again and I can barely walk. I don't know what to do. I want my life back!!!!!!!! Any ideas???

Butterfly-

Get the doc to write you a script (or order) for physical therapy. Work with a PT on your exercises. That way, when things start spasming after a few minutes, you'll have someone to corroborate what happened to you. Sometimes, doctors hate to admit they might be wrong.

As for the spasms, you might ask to be prescribed Flexeril or some other med to help with the spasms. After my surgeries, I was helped with therapeutic massage.

joe