Ger, was right. The opinion from the neurologist, or neurosurgeon should indeed be on top of the list. I was mearly stating that it is OK to go to a pain specialist for another opinion in addition to the nerurologist. Maybe outside that particular facility. I had been in with a PCP for the six years, never realizing I had deterioated, and he didn't question it. I went to the pain specialist as "I Knew" I was getting worse, and had been told before all that could be done was corrected. I didn't think there was any hope of more surgery to help me. I would have sought out a neuro surgeon first had I thought there could be help. So this pain doc. did indeed rescue me, and sent me in the right direction. He gave me Katamine infusions while I waited for the surgery. This did not cause me any problems or pain, not even at injection site. The other epis were terrible. ginnie

Thanks for all comments.
May be Peace with you this Christmas and with all who have sought out this forum, for whatever reason. May your burdens be lessened!

Well ya'll, today wasn't a day I'd like to repeat.
I arrived at the Pain Clinic in all my unmedicated glory to show what was going on. After the 45 minute drive, I couldn't stand still, sit still, lean still due to the pain. I had no idea that the left lower lumbar hurt as bad as it does until today. Silly me, I thought the right side was the worst!
Here I bow to you more seasoned posters...I thought that I would be meeting with an ortho or neurosurgeon....wrong. I met with a pain specialty anesthesiologist, albeit a very kind, thorough, thoughtful fellow. He agreed with the diagnosis of the first ortho I saw, said he thought surgery will be the answer, said he did not think epidurals will be beneficial, but wants to try one epidural to see if it will buy us some time to find a facility and neurosurgeon who is willing to do the work on someone w/o insurance. He said that the choices of surgery will be a laminectomy & disectomy, or a fusion, but since he is not a surgeon he could not say which. I felt comfortable with him. I agreed to the epidural, scheduled for 1/9. Oh, also continuance of the percocet and upped the gabapentin from 800mg/daily to 1600mg/daily.
I took the 1st painkiller of the day at 3pm and was glad, so glad to take it! Glad today is over as well.

I am glad the pain specialist was kind to you. Percocet is a good medication and I am relieved for you, that he gave you this medication. I hope it is helping you with the pain. Indeed, the pain specialist was the person in my life who got me in touch with the best neruosurgeon around my neck of the woods. It is not much fun to present yourself in pain like that. I have cried to my doctors before, without shame, I couldn't help it. I so hope that a resolution, and this surgery works for you. I have no regrets with going through mine. Even when my first surgery failed, this second time brought a good relief from the pain. I will be thinking of you seahorse. Let us know how it goes. ginnie

I see others posting great MRI results in laymen's terms. Would anyone be willing to do that for me please? MRI statements are in the first post of this thread. Thanks much!

Update...Although the ortho and the pain specialist have predicted that an epidural will probably not be beneficial in my case, the PS is going to perform one this Monday, prior to my scheduled consultation with the neurosurgeon later this month. Regarding the epidural, I am not as hesitant about the needle in my spine (I've had them in my cervical spine years ago) as I am about being put under conscious sedation with Versed. Anybody have anything good to say about this chemical and your experience with it?

This medication I have had used on me three times for proceedures/surgery/. I had no ill effects from it. The med. works quickly and you recover quickly. I did not experience any nausea when waking up. From what my Doctor said it is very safe to use. I also had a regular shot of it, before a local on my ankle. The doctor said I chatted the whole time, and I don't remember that! ginnie

I had a L3-L5 laminectomy and it did the trick. Back pain is history but the peripheral Neuropathy remains.

Hey Newbie;
I had a L3-L5 laminectomy and that took care of 35 years of back pain but left my legs still in pain. I have burning on my left and numbness on my right. Because of damaged as well as dead nerve cells I will never be pain free. So I will tell you something invaluable: You need to take maximum amounts of your medications. Half measures avail you nothing. Check with your Physician of course but Medications for neuropathy other than narcotics are of little use. But we do not want to take narcotics so there is Lyrica. Forget neurontin unless you take in conjunction with Lyrica. Just a little friendly advice.

RX Horatio, thanks for the info on Lyrica. The 1st Dr. I saw - the ortho surgeon - put me on Gabapentin (Neurotin) so the 2nd dr. (the PS) continued with gabapentin but doubled the daily dosage, which controls the nerve spasms- somewhat. I personally do not want to increase medication UNLESS I HAVE to...start with minimum because an increase may be absolutely necessary in the future. From what I've read, gabapetin is not a scheduled drug but Lyrica is. The PS or neursurgeon may change the gabapetin to Lyrica or something else anyway, because I am getting swelling in my hands and that can be a side effect of gabapetin. Glad your laminectomy was beneficial to you! - and thanks for your input! I too am concerned about pemanent nerve damage in my buttocks, legs, feet, as I have had the spasms, which increase in number and intensity on a weekly basis, for so long and the dr.'s appointments are always at least weeks apart.

MRI reads:
Grade I degenerative subluxation at L4-5 with bulge, annular tear, prominent facet arthropathy. Mass effect on the right lateral recess nerve root w/crowding of the left. Stress injury of the pedicle & pars region of L5.

Can anyone please translate this MRI to laymen's? Thank you so much!