How Long????

[Red Squares]

Hi everyone,
After visiting this brilliant forum for a while I thought I would say hello and ask a question.
I am 43 years old and have a prolapsed disc...L5/S1. I have decided to have the operation as I have an 18 month old little boy and I want to be able to go for walks with him and be able to have fun with my son which I find really hard at the moment due to the pain I am in.
I saw the consultant at the beginning of January and that is when we decided to go down the operation route....what I'm wondering is how long have those of you who have had a discectomy had to wait before you had the op.....how bad are the waiting lists ?

Thanks for your your help

Sally x

 

[ajtheactress]

I am not from UK so I can't tell you anything about waiting lists.

But, considering your age, and your family status (you have child that you must raise and introduce to life), I strongly recommend you to investigate all possibilities of minimally-invasive spine surgery, and NOT to go for traditional open back surgery.

If you need more information, feel free to ask.

 

[drgnrdr451]

Hi Pinkrae
sorry to hear of your problems, where abouts in the country are you, how long have you been suffering, and have you been examined by an osteopath ?

Regards steve

 

[Mister Wise Guy]

Hi Sally, I had the same operation last year. I believe the length of the waiting list depends on the area. I saw my surgeon in September last year and was put on the waiting list. When I'd not heard anything by end of October I chased it up and asked how long the list was. The surgeon replied to me personally and said it would probably be January when I had the op but to let him know if I couldn't wait that long and he would try and do it sooner. By this time I was in constant agony - unable to stand for more than a few minutes and finding it very difficult to sleep. I had the op on 26th November and now I'm much better. Although not totally pain free I can go walking without thinking about it and I'm hoping with the correct physio things will improve more. I won't pretend its been plain sailing - after the op it was very painful and I kept a diary each day to show my progress. I returned to work on 4th January gradully building up my hours and now this is my first week back full time. By Thursday morning I feel exhausted but I'm looking forward to being able to go walking in the summer and maybe even do some gardening.

My advice to you is to chase up the hospital - make a nusiance of yourself if necessary - don't let yourself be lost in the system.

Good luck

 

[tzekxufqiziizfesz]

Hi Steve,
The problem started when I had my little boy 18 months ago...he was a big boy ...10lbs 8oz...I have had physio which didnt help and then had a MRI scan which showed up the prolapse and general degeneration in all my discs. I am in Northamptonshire

Thanks
Sally

 

[NonSyncsymn]

Whoa thats a big baby Sally !
I would sugguest phoning a female osteopath just to talk things through and maybe get an examination.
We all have degenerating discs, some more than others, some that look more prolasped than others but may not be the source of pain. Your pelvis could now be missaligned or it just might be something else, its got to be worth looking into.
http://www.osteopathy.org/ZMENNK2BAB

 

[roezdugoiemixnejo]

It's worth being aware that degeneration is very common and does not always lead to pain. Similarly, many people have disc bulges that cause absolutely no problems whatsoever.

The point is that MRI findings do not mean you are condemned to fall apart without surgery. As Stephen says, there can be more to this than meets the MRI.

I would support the advice to visit a good osteopath, although I will admit to a vested interest. Osteopathy and physiotherapy are not the same. Whilst some people claim that sharing of techniques means that they are effectively the same, I do not agree with this.

More importantly, don't give up on conservative treatment while you are waiting for the surgery, but you do need to find the right practitioner (even within the same profession there is a huge amount of variation). I can recommend someone in Banbury if you PM.

 

[Groove]

Thanks for everyones advice....I have to admit that i really dont want the operation but felt like I had no choice if I wanted the pain to stop ....but I have just phoned the osteopath I have an appointment on Saturday...so will see what he has to say...if he can offer me relief I will cancel op for now....
Will let you all know how I get on

Sally xxx