hi all,

the good news is i've been doing well. i've been in PT to try and strengthen my core and my legs. i've had a lot of muscle pain, par for the course for me.

the bad news is i just had a f/u lumbar mri. i went to get a 2nd opinion about my pain (getting nowhere with the pain dr) from the ortho who did my c-spine surgery (very successful).

it was unchanged from '10 but i have a bad disc at L-4. it's really out of alignment and i've got nerve impingement etc. i've been having progressively bad back pain, leg problems etc which is affecting my quality of life and ADL's.

he suggests surgery (i'm going to get a 2nd opinion, not rushing into this but am leaning towards it). he really thinks he can help me altho the MS will still be a factor. the catch is that i'll be in a lot of pain for several wks and the rehab will be painful and take months.

so what to do? i'm willing to do the work for a good outcome which isn't a guarantee. can you tell my mind is going round and round?

i may do nothing til next yr. i'll let you know...

don't wait...never know what the new health care is going to cover for next year.
sorry for you r pain issues.
you have alot on your plate!
bizi

thanks biz,
btw, how did you get to 12,000+ posts? are you 100 yrs old?
i'm bowing down to you

I turned 50 this year! and have been posting on these forums since the conception. I post regularly on the bipolar forums....have been posting with some of the other members for over a decade. Since the old braintalk days too.
bizi

wow, i'm in awe.

i guess when you're "old" things keep coming up. OY

i saw a hand dr this am. i have 2 trigger fingers in my right hand and 1 in my left. my right hand is my thumb and i've lost strength and function. plus, it's my cane hand. will be having a quick 15" surgery (local) the end of oct. when that's done and recovered he'll do my left. decided to forgo the injection per his suggestion. gosh, 1cc of meds in such a little space. and, it may not work.

then, probably in Jan i'm looking at lumbar surgery; L-4. that ortho says i have a severe disc problem that's causing my pain and even some leg problems; not all from my MS. he's a conservative dr. he did my c-spine surgery and i like and trust him. that will be a hard surgery. 2 wks minimum lots of pain and several months of rehab. i've already been doing PT for my legs and trying to strengthen my core in preparation.

the dr also said if i needed some home health care or initial rehab admission he'd do it. also assured me of pain control.

anyone else had these surgeries. good or bad please let me know. thanks

Sorry you have to go through all that, surgery.... I can't tell you about lumbar. I do know however that everybody really is different. My first fusion...hardly any pain at all. Others really have a hard time. I think it matters on how many they do and just how bad the area is they have to correct. I hope all turns out good for you. The result of my own surgery was very positive. ginnie

i'm having some minor surgery on my right hand to release 2 trigger fingers.
it's outpatient and only will take 15 min. it's my dominant/cane hand and i've lost some strength/function in the hand.

i also had a 2nd opinion/consult from another orthopedic surgeon today about my L4 disc problem. he completely concurred with the dr here. when i stand he said there's a significant problem with the bone and it's pressing on the nerve and that's why my pain is so bad. he agrees that i will be greatly improved from the surgery.

so...i plan to go ahead with it sometime in Jan. i may need inpatient rehab after or some home health care. it won't be a walk in the park but i need to move forward with it. he also thinks i have a real good shot at getting better function in my legs. will keep you posted. thanks for your support.

good luck with those triggger fingers! and keep us posted about your back surgery.
bizi

i'm planning on have my left hand done in mid-Jan. just 1 finger left.
i'm allowing a full month to recover strength with massaging scar tissue etc.

then, sometime in March i'll have the back surgery. it's likely i'll need a wk
or 2 of rehab. that will take a lot of the load off my friends. we just think it will work better that way.

then, my new aarp insurance plan will be in effect and absorb a lot of the
out of pocket costs. who ever thought i'd be so happy to turn 65.

i'm almost looking forward to it since i'm pretty symptomatic with the bad disc.
then i get to thinking of how i'm going to buy a new car, well, not new but maybe 5 yrs old. mine is starting to cost too much in repairs. i think i can
downsize from a van to an suv and use an outside the car lift for the scooter.
i need to start making the rounds of the dealers and familiarize myself with
the cars, sit in them etc.

anyone have an suv or van they really like? how did you buy the car. i'm thinking a certified car from a dealer.

i wish that you all have a great happy holiday and wonderful new yr.