Lost and Scared
 

Hi. I found this forum in a fit of complete desperation. First, I will explain my situation, then my mental state.

I was very slowly diagnosed with 3 mild herniated cervical discs(C4-C5, C5-C6, C6-C7) over the course of roughly 2 months. I spent a total of 4 months in physical therapy(half before, half after diagnosis and treatments). I have been given steroid shots, pills, and an epideral shot; as well as aggressive use of anti-inflammitories. Nothing has helped relieve my pain fully, or at all. I recently "passed" an FCE, and am due to return to work in the morning.

Which brings me to my mental state...I am honestly scared out of mind...I just can't sleep. I don't know what to do anymore. My spinal surgeon tells me that I am too mild of a case to be a candidate for surgery, and that my condition will degenerate over time. I know that due to the physical demand of my work, I will be injured again within the year...perhaps sooner...

I am so scared and lost...I don't know what to do, or even who to talk to...Even as I type this I must admit I am breaking down and crying like only once before in my life...

Please, just any advice might help.

What kind of work do you do?
Is it a large company so you can request to transfer to another type of work in the company?

Did the doctor fully understand what your work entails?
He didn't give any restrictions for modified duties?

Could the c spine herniations be due to the job as in work comp?

With some expert care and some life/work adjustments perhaps that surgeon will be wrong...

Do you have a copy of your written MRI report to post here?

I can't believe I forgot to mention those...

It is a work injury. I work at a chain warehouse owned by this company: **(*). I have explained what it is I do till I am blue in the face. My explanations put me out of work since Thanksgiving 2013. My current doctor believes the FCE report gives him no choice but to clear me to 100% full duty with no restrictions to see how I fair.

Given the restrictions set by every doctor I have seen, including one of those that put you back to work regardless of health, my work has decided I am not suitable for duty, and they do not have any positions I can fill that fit my limitations.

my MRI findings state as follows:

There is normal alignment of the cervical spine. The vertebral body heights are preserved. Cervical cord demonstrates normal signal. Craniocervical junction appears unremarkable.

There is prominence of the adenoidal tissue.

C2-C3: No significant disc protrusion or neural compromise.

C3-C4: No significant disc protrusion or neural compromise.

C4-C5: Shallow central disc protrusion seen. Effacement of the anterior thecal sac with gentle abutment of the central cord.

C5-C6: There is central and left paracentral disc extrusion. Effacement of the anterior thecal sac with mild mass effect on the central cord. Mild central canal stenosis and left lateral recess narrowing is resultant.

C6-C7: Central and left paracentral disc protrusion demonstrated. Effacement of the anterior thecal sac and gentle mass effect on the central cord. Mild central canal stenosis. Left lateral recess narrowing is seen. There is also mild to moderate left neural foraminal narrowing.

C7-T1: No significant disc protrusion or neural compromise.

We have a Work comp forum too that might have tips on navigating the system. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum30.html

Is your claim accepted and you got paid for time off?
States have differing laws/rules so look up your state for comp section for more info.

You might consider seeking/interviewing some work comp attys to get thoughts on your claim and status..ask many questions before deciding or signing anything.
They get a % of any settlement.



Best to not name the actual employer or identifying details with WC claims as they might do searches.

I currently have been receiving work comp pay for time of and they pay for medical needs having to do with my condition so far.

I have an attorney who I hear only good things of. He has given me some good advice so far, and I am getting him to see about keeping my case open, even though they may seek to close it.

Thank you for blocking that employer name. I am still learning how...suspicious Work comp insurance can be.

Oh and sometimes you need to find a comp savvy MD that has the toughness to stand up for your best health..
sometimes attys know of them..

and best to not talk of comp claim/injury details to coworkers (or boss/HR unless necessary - they are there to keep the ins rates down so any info might be used against you) I know it sounds paranoid but it's the way it is..

been there...

My attny approves of my current doctor, and the doc is giving me a month to have the attny seek to keep the case open. The doc keeps assuring me that I have strong evidence of a legitimate issue. The attny is impressed by my procedural approach so far...I just can't hold it together anymore...

Explore the Spinal forum and the work comp forum, use the search tool for specific topics.

Happy reading , knowledge is power..

It will get to you at times but try to let it roll off your back..

I could not find info to shed some light on this new concern.

I returned to work today, and after some light activity, I became dizzy, lightheaded, and felt some vertigo along with jolts(like funnybone jolts). I am having trouble finding if this shares relation to cervical disc herniation. Also, watery diarrhea. Had that a few months ago for over a week, then kidney stones to break it up...anyway, I'm just complaining now.

So do any of the symptoms I mentioned relate at all the cervical disk herniation, or am I looking for a new set of problems?

There are European injections named Discus Compositum, they might help you.

Hope is out there!
 

Hey Mikey1352010,

I know some of the pain as I went through a WC case that gave me a lot of trouble. Without know what state you are from I do want to let you know that your lawyer is not your best friend and you need to educated yourself on your WC laws. I know that in GA you can change your doctor, it's called a board change but you only get one of those. I also know that even if you do get sent back to work you are still covered under Workers Comp if you injure yourself. I know this is tough on the mental state, trust me, I was loosing my mind and still am even with closing my case. The Workers Comp system has gotten worse and this passing year laws have changed but you need to see if you can change doctors and find out if your lawyer recommends one or can get a list from your workers comp adjuster of the ones that are in network. Also your mental state is part of workers compensation and you can see if your doctor can get you are referral for mental health help. I wish you the best man and educate yourself no matter how down you feel.

Hi there,

Yes, the dizziness, being lightheaded and the vertigo could all be associated with the cervical disc herniation, I've also experienced all of it (have a cervical disc herniation at C7-T1)

You can also experience severe headaches, upper back pain, shoulder pain, pain in one or both arms/fingers, a lot can be affected.

The pain can be horrendous, you must be so careful, pain started in my neck then progressed to shoulders and left arm/fingers.

A few things, keep your shoulders down as much as you can. The more tense you are in the neck area, the more pressure you add to the situation. I had a cervical fusion a couple of years ago and I healed fully and went back to running, lifting weights, etc. with no pain. I would keep yourself physically fit and strong and work on posture and upper back muscles and your core (carefully of course) to lessen your chances of the discs getting worse. If they do get worse, know that there are many people who had very successful surgeries on the cervical spine. You could also get a second opinion from a different doctor. The massage therapist at my chiropractor's office was the best person at stopping my muscle spasms, which can increase the pain (and insurance paid for it). None of the meds work for my pain either, so I understand how hard and frustrating that can be. Best of luck with everything!

Update:
 

After a new round of injections, my surgeon decided the only option left is surgery.

My options he gave me were:

1) Do nothing

2) Two-tier spinal fusion in my C5-C6, C6-C7. He tells me this would limit my neck range of motion by 20%.

3) Two-tier disk replacement in same sections. He tells me this could put me at full recovery at a fraction of the time as a fusion. He is very comfortable with this procedure. He would use LDR's Mobi-C device.

I am having trouble finding reliable information on how much a replacement can be trusted. This is making it very difficult to decide what to do. As I am only 28, surgery is a difficult decision anyway.

Where can I find more information on this very tempting replacement? What is the success rate of this replacement surgery?

I should point out, this two level replacement can not be done if three or more levels need surgery. I have three herniated discs, and an MRI that is more than six months old...

A thank you
 

I must thank all of you so far who have offered information and support.

It is greatly appreciated.

Here's What
 

Just a couple of thoughts for you…

Have you been in physical therapy these past few months, to see if your cervical problems can be managed conservatively? (I would think your surgeon would have written you a prescription for PT on your first visit, that's pretty standard procedure.)

Have you sought out any second opinions as to whether or not to have the surgery? (You're entitled to more than one, I believe, as you explore your options on this very serious decision.)

If you do decide to go the surgery route, you might want to ask your surgeon (whomever you choose, based on qualifications, experience, etc.) for the names and numbers of 2 or 3 of their other surgical patients who have had the same procedure(s) done. This way, you can talk to people who have been right where you are and ask them any questions you may have re their experiences with it. (There're no privacy concerns, as long as they've agreed to talk with you.)

Do you have a neurologist and/or a primary care physician you can bring into the loop as to what's going on with you? Encourage your docs to talk to each other about your case… and most importantly, to you! The more specialists you have advocating for you, the better.

That's it for now. I know this is scary stuff, especially for someone as young as you are. But I think you will feel better about things the more informed you become - and the more people you have on your team. If you do decide to try PT for 6 - 9 months before making any decisions, and you need help managing your pain, you might want to consider adding a Pain Management Specialist to the treatment team as well.

Let me know what you think! We're here to support you.

Alison

Have you had an MRI recently? You might have cervical spinal cord compression from the hernia that is causing myelopathy which is a very serious condition. The electric jolts could possibly be Lermitte’s phenomenon and the watery diarrhea could be related to bowel malfunction.

Don't wait, get checked right away.

Hi Mikey
 

I suppose I would seek another opinion Mikey. Even go outside the company. Also the moderator may be right to try to seek some kind of other employment within the company. Have you tried Ketamine infusions, and sought the advise of a pain specialist? Currently I see a doctor called a physiatrist. In my case she thinks outside the box. Your doctor is correct about the surgery. That is only a last resort, when you MRI starts to say " severe" in the language of it. I hope you find a good solution so that you can stay active and still work. ginnie:grouphug:

Sigh...
 

So I finally received a second opinion...He has insisted on no surgery, but also six MORE weeks of physical therapy. I have already been through around half a years worth of PT...In two weeks I will reach my 1 year mark since my original date of injury...I don't know if I can take this anymore...I just want it to stop...the pain, being kicked around so people can make money off of me...I just want to work without being in excruciating pain. Is that really so much to ask?

I have not been working beyond a few days this past July. Does it ever stop being hard to handle all this?

Hi Mikey
 

I just found out about a form of PT that isn't the normal one. I have had two spinal fusions, so I know the difference. This is called neuromuscular Massage. The licence for this particular type of therapy is required. It is not the sweet, feel good therapy. This goes to all the nerves in effected areas, and it does not feel great. HOWEVER, in 6 treatments my nerve pain and pain in general in my blown out arm is improving. There was no surgery fix for my arm. Just a warning I was losing function and I am an artist.
This is the kind of therapy that athletes get when they blow out a back, arm, leg or whatever. Either it gets you back to some good state, or you are out of your sport. Look into this if you have a chance. I didn't know what it was, or how bad it hurt, but I now look forward to it, bring on the pain, as it seems to be giving me some ability back. I wish you all the best Mikey. Also if you have to do the regular PT, change therapists. Sometimes a new person has a few tricks the others don't. ginnie