am so glad I found you all!


My name is Carolyn. I am 49 years young...yeah right.... lol.
When we are dealing with painful and confusing health problems I think it helps to have and be able to give support to one another.

I had C-5 - C7 disc fusion in my late 30's and serious foot surgery done at 40 because of bone spurs and degeneration of the joints, I have just come from my neurosurgeon and am being scheduled for a L5-S1 fusion for disc collapse and bone spur into the spinal nerve. I have pretty significant pain in most joints and sometimes feel pretty depressed because I really want to be much more active and feel like I am missing a lot. I am a social worker and love my job. I have only been working at this particular job since 8/31/07 so I will not technically be eligible for FMLA leave for three and a half more months and I don't know if I can hold out that long.
One question I have for those of you who might be able to relate, is about muscle spasms throughout my entire body. I have had them in my hands neck, sides, back, feet, legs even my face. One time I was driving home from work and turned my head to merge on the expressway and my entire chest went into a spasm and it felt like a heart attack at first...really scary.
Anyway primarily, i have weakness and some pain in my right leg and my back associated with my disc problem. I was originally being screened for MS since I have had optic neuritis and lost sight for a few weeks and other weird neuro stuff over time but the brain MRI came back fine. The muscle spams seem to be aggravated by movement, even slight movement and I have a difficult time resting and sleeping. My right leg pretty much stays in a spasm but it is numb and weak and I usually do not know it is tightened till I stand up and feel the tightness. My right calf muscle seems smaller and atrophied and the nerve conduction test showed significant nerve damage. I wonder if that will be better after surgery. I have always tolerated pain pretty well...when my neurosurgeon saw my first spine MRI he said.."well I know you are not a crybaby"..not sure what to think of that! I feel like one alot of the time but try to stay positive. I feel like my cervical fusion was the easiest best surgery ever and would be happy to discuss that with others. I had a great surgeon and have had no problem even ten plus years later. Thanks everyone for listening and again I am so glad I found you all!!!

Ceegee...I don't have problems with my cervical area, mine are lumbar...I'm sure there are plently of folks here that help...by the way welcome to NT!!

Thanks for the response. Hope things are going ok for you and your DH.

I'm sorry for all the pain you're feeling, and have experienced.

I replied to another of your posts, and I do hope that you not think I was being too harsh; it was that I was being honest. I learned the hard way about spurs/osteophytes from others, too. The darn things can be surgically removed, but, once someone has had the things, they are more likely than not to recur.

I still go by what I initially posted; I'd only opt for a minimally invasive procedure for the removal of spurs (and I'm speaking strictly of those). I've not encountered a single doc (specialist or surgeon) who offers a guarantee that spurs will not re-surface if removed.

I don't know whether you may have also seen a neurologist and have had an EMG/NCV. If not, I'd have the testing in tandem... and done by a neurologist.

I don't think you are being harsh at all. I appreciate your honesty. I have been doing research (some) and yeah, bone spurs are in a sense like a form of degenerative disc disorder, This particular disc has been massively herniated for some time and then it collapsed (fun), and now the spur .. I have had 4 MRIs related to just this one disc because the Dr.'s keep suspecting the cauda equina thing??? I sometimes have trouble with bodily functions since this started. (even more fun)
I have had the EMG, discography, 2 CAT scans...sigh. I had horrible bone spurs removed from my neck 10 years ago c4-7 and am still operational...lol. My arms are not weak again at least, although I must admit lately I have had that familiar aching pain in the shoulder blade area...who knows ..but even if the neck spurs cane back today I did get ten years of good time with the operation. My right leg however is a different matter, my NS and the pain specialist both think a minimally invasive fusion with a spacer and just a few screws will help me. I am afraid the pain is making me inclined to go along with them and I don't want permanent nerve damage..the amount of nerve damage right now is what they call significant..I can't drive anymore and walking is hard. I know things can be worse but even if I get just a few years of feeling better with this surgery, even if a spur grows back, i think it might be worth it all. My foot surgery removed a giant one from the top of my foot. If I had not done that I would not have been able to wear a shoe and my mobility was being challenged. It was a painful surgery because they had to carve out a lot of bone tissue and pin my foot but I still don't regret it. Orthopedic shoes were not my idea of fashion at the time. I am 49 now..and much older and expect age related things. I guess it is a matter of weighing the benefits to the costs.
Thank you Bobbi for your very helpful and intelligent suggestions. I appreciate you taking the time to post to me. This is a great forum full of really great people. Thanks!!!!

I must admit: I'd go with what I know about my body (how it has been - past v. present) in conjunction with what films, symptoms and exams indicate.

If C.E. is "on the table" (so-to-speak), I'd definitely want to know that and also from more than one specialist. I know that you know that, too; I detect it from reading your post.

As long as "things" are already exposed, I'd also get the spur(s) removed. No sense leaving 'em inside.

I only wish you the best, as I'm sure others do/will as well.

Confidence not only in the procedure but the surgeon operating: Essential.

Even if at the last moment before any surgery that you may want to delay, just please listen to your inner-voice; it's there for a good reason .