MRI results

Am a teensy bit fed up - there I was waiting to see the doctor to discuss my scan on my back, and I had actually convinced myself that he would tell me that there was nothing found, and I was a waste of NHS time and money.

So it was a bit of a blow to find out that there is not one problem, but three

I have a prolapsed disc which is bulging profusely and pressing on the sciatic nerve; I have stenosis of the nerve canal, and stenosis of the spine which is constricting the spinal cord.

Slipped discs can sometimes fragment of their own accord, but given that this one has clearly been there for a long time, it possibly won't happen now, and the stenosis thing will gradually get worse.

After long discussions, and given that at present I am mobile on full doses of painkillers (am also doing back strengthening exercises every day) we agreed to delay the appointment to see the Consultant at Birmingham. However if things deteriorate then an op or two it will have to be Also, if I start to feel any numbness from the waist down, or have trouble in the loo department, then that will be an emergency.

Just looking for sympathy really!! I know that the ops these days are pretty safe, and the recovery period is relatively quick.......but who likes having their spine operated on?!

Oh god you poor thing. Well I am a fellow sufferer and have to take painkillers daily but I couldn't, imagine having to have an op on my back!!
You definitely have my sympathies but keep up with the back exercises and hopefully it won't be necessary xx

sorry to hear you have had some bad news. but if it makes you feel any better, my mother is now 6 years post op after spinal surgery (she's had stenosis scraped away, L3, 4 and 5 fused together due to them being fractured, and then titanium rods and bolts throughout). and the stenosis is just starting to grow back now, so it is very much down hill from here on inwards for her.

if you need to ask her anything just PM me hon and hopefully she'll be able to alleviate any worries you may have

Sorry to hear that you've had bad news Operations are horrible, especially (By the sounds of it) ones on your back. Hopefully it doesn't get worse & you can avoid the op for a while

Thank you, and I am so sorry that you are in the same boat as it were. I will definitely keep up with the exercises, and keep my fingers crossed that it will be ages before an op is necessary.

Thank you so much - your mother's op sounds complicated with the fractures thrown in, and I hope that the stenosis is very gradual in it's return.

I will do everything that I can to avoid the trip to Birmingham! Some days are better than others, so it is hard not to be a little downcast on the bad days - as I was yesterday!

So sorry to read this Sally, I know only too well how constant pain pulls you down
On the up side, you at least know what you are dealing with as much as you didn't want this
I hope you can continue on the painkillers for sometime yet

Oh, Sally, that's horrible news.

Let's hope it doesn't come down to surgery......

x0x

Back pain is the worst ...
Hope its all goes well...

Oh no. Big (((hugs))).

So sorry. xx