Maz

iTrader: (34)

Right here goes. A week ago today, last Friday, I woke up with a slight numbness to the left buttock area radiating down the hamstring. I already had a lot of sciatic pain first one leg and then both legs. I also had some numbness and weakness in the left foot/calf area. I immediately booked an appointment with my GP and was able to get straight in (within half an hour).
Upon seeing the GP and discussing my symptoms she concluded that she could do nothing except give me a letter and send me to A and E. I duly went to A and E and after a short wait was able to see a doctor who discussed my symptoms and then booked me in for an immediate scan. After the scan was done I was admitted as an inpatient. An hour or so later I was told my scans showed significant bulging at L4/L5 enough to warrant immediate surgery. I was then transferred to Leeds General Infirmary at around midnight.
The following day at around one o' clock I was taken in to theatre for surgery (removal of the disc at L4/L5). Three hours later I came to feeling a little worse for wear. According to the surgeon the operation had been successful. However a short while later I noticed an angry and aggressive numbing of the left foot and part of the lower leg on the left side. This numbing took hold and has been there all the time and shows no signs of abating. I have been reassured that it is normal and will diminish in time but would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. I am unable to walk properly and struggle even with a crutch. The left foot feels just so abnormal! A post op scan revealed nothing and the physio were satisfied with my progress. I had a couple of harrowing moments whilst in hospital not least a botched attempt to insert a catheter in to my ***** to allow me to pass urine. Net result was a complete failure and lots of bleeding and pain akin to pissing razor blades!
I am hoping the numbness does abate as at the moment it's very very disconcerting and worrying. It's going to be a long road to recovery.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Crikey, you have been through the mill or rather ... you are still going through it.

Best of luck and wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

alcazar has been through a good bit of this sort of thing, but not sure whether he would be a comfort or make you feel suicidal.... just kidding alcazar

Anyways we'll try and keep you amused in here

Blue by You

iTrader: (23)

Wow that's a sorry tale.
It is good to hear that the NHS responded quickly to your problems though.
I hope things improve rapidly for you.

Mouser

Stay positive. Hopefully the road to recovery won't be too long.

dpb

What's this, all from nothing then.

Get well soon

SJ_Skyline

Sounds bloody awful! Hope you're mended and feeling better soon.

tony de wonderful

Good luck. I did something to my back cycling a few years ago and was in so much pain from cycling I had to quit. A scan showed just normal wear to my back apparently but I always suspected it was a problem with my SI joint, the doc however said this wasn't possible. My left leg felt weaker after I did whatever I did, and I could feel some minor radiating pain in my foot and shin. I just decided to leave it in the end and now it feels about 90% better but I don't think I'll be cycling again seriously.

I also had a urethral swab, or whatever it is, a couple of years ago to check for an STD. I think they were clumsy doing this because for about a year after I could feel pain in my dick constantly, like bad enough to make me worry loads, plus my **** wouldn't flow as well as before. I think it caused minor scaring and stricture, but now is ok. Problems with your ***** are no freaking joke.

ReallyReallyGoodMeat

Best of luck with the recovery Einstein.

I had a catheter when I had a bladder operation, the second worst feeling I've ever known was when they inserted it, just horrible. Things just aren't supposed to go that way in! Then to cap things off the nurse forgot to fully deflate the air bag that keeps it in place when she tried to remove it, started tugging at it (and not in a good way), miuch to my displeasure! Not ideal.

tony de wonderful

It's not normal to have something shoved up your dick. The swab thing was probably the worst physical experience I have ever had, almost fainted, like being violated I suppose.

drb5

iTrader: (4)

Give yourself time fella! I've been living with a slipped disc since January and been offered surgery twice now(took a steroid injection first time) and only now have I decided to let them in! They won't be removing a disc mind you, but just cleaning up the tissue that's herniated.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Ouch, I hope the old fella gets well soon, and your ***** too.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Been there, bought a job-lot of T-shirts.

I've had a disc removed in my neck that pressed on a nerve for so long before they did anything, (Six months), it has caused permanent damage....I now have permanent numbness and weakness in the outer two fingers of the left hand, plus pains all down my arm, and in my shoulder, which get worse at night. No hope of it ever getting any better now, so painkillers for life. Unfortunately, Lying Labour withdrew the only painkillers that did me any good, (Co-Proxamol), and then frightened my doctor into refusing to prescribe them on license.
So now I take morphine and could literally sleep for England. Rip Van Alcazar I am.

THEN I got sciatica, except mine was down the FRONT of my right leg.

An operation to remove PART of the offending disc, FIFTEEN MONTHS after first complaining, (see how lucky you are?), gave some little relief, but the pain all came back within six weeks. Finally, some six months later, a root-nerve-block has taken away 99% of the pain, but I can still get the odd twinge if I move suddenly, or lie oddly.

Your continuing numbness MAY be due to localised swelling at the operation site, which isn't rare.

I do hope so.

Bad backs are the bane of old age.......... Unfortunately, once you have one, you are most likely going to get recurring problems....

Snooky

I have had both hips replaced 2 years ago now (out in 5 days) and had numbness from hip to knee since! If I crouch down I get pins n needles and some days I get feeling! Bit different to a back op but I had a epidural...that can if had take a few weeks to properly wear off!! As for catheters not nice but love the fact you don't have to get up to have a wee haha!!!

Keep to the exercises they give you and slowly everything touch n feel wise should come back!!

Good luck in the recovery

JTaylor

Get well soon, Maz.

SiPie

When I was 'violated' under the exact conditions that you aforementioned....

I swore to myself I wasn't going to tell a living soul about what I'd just watched happen to my dick.....

However, I was in so much shock that I was blubbering like a busted junkie later that night to my mates. The freckin willie poker guy at the GUM clinic that did the violating, should be commended however, especially on the 'surprise' element of the attack. Had I known that the cocktail stirrer swab thingy was going to be picked up and used like that, I would have been out of there in a flash.

Over 20 years ago and it still haunts me

PS no expert but my father suffered terrible numbness after his back surgery, was due to the anaesthetic still working its way out (according to surgeon).

mart360

Been there, did my C4/5 in Feb (yours is **** end, mine was head lol) prolapsed the disc into my spinal cord & nerve branch

Tingling & hypersensivity in both hands,

Straight into A&E neck collar and flat on my back.

I'd walked round with the symptoms for 24hr,s lol , but they wouldnt let me go for a pee once i was in a collar.

So i'm busting for a pee, and they decide to catheterise me, as i cant go...

they were convinced i was going to stand up to go lol, ( they wern't wrong though)..

Violated lol, i had the full works to find out if i was quadra, god i hate rectals!!

The nurse reckoned we were married once he (yes, he!) had done that lol


They were going to operate, but decided not to. Just put me in a philly collar for 8 weeks

Im currently undergoing physio to regain the movement in the neck.

Still got hypersensivity in both hands, but Tramadol Paracetamol & Pregablin help

I try not to use the tramadol, it spaces me out lol ...

they reckon symptoms could last 12 months !!!

Mart

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Tramadol had me hallucinating. NOT good.

Hammer man

iTrader: (25)

Me too. Been there, done that. Mine was lower 5. The pain stayed with me for about a month after the op. I thought, "that hasnt worked", but the quack says "it went well". The pain will go, in time. I had the same fun and games with passing urine too. Two nurses holding me upright trying to pee in a pot and I couldnt. The doc said if I didnt pass urine in the next few hours, he was going to do the catheter route on me. The threat worked and once you pee`d a few times, it was ok.
I feel for you, and hope you get well soon....

Tony Harrington

iTrader: (8)

Yes feel for you big time buddy but at least you can take some positive comfort from the comments made. Get well soon

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like it all happened really quickly. Had you been suffering with a bad back for a while or did you wake up one day thinking something was wrong?

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

Blymey maz that's sounds painfull.
not much I can say as I'm still youngish and healthy lol so probably have this sort of stuff to come

Hope you get well soon fella

nick172sport

iTrader: (6)

I've had 6 discs removed and I can't stand for any length off periods my left foot goes numb hence hgv driver

hodgy0_2

Hope things get better for you soon

Over training?

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)

Get well soon Maz.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Wow, your woes did remind me of Jeffs problems he's suffered.

I'm genuinely glad you got and out so quick with an operation thrown in too. I'll not bring Isaac round for a bit then so he doesn't wreck your house whilst you can't move properly

ukjesters

iTrader: (3)

Had two tumours removed from my spinal cord, pleased to say they were benign. They only found them when they scanned my back and found prolapse in L4-L5 and these tumours were behind them inside the spinal cord itself. They had to cut a channel in 3 of the back joints and basically lift the spinal cord out, cut it open and then remove the tumours, they were well woven between nerves and as a result some nerves had to be cut in order to remove the tumours which has left numbness in one of me *** cheeks but it could've been worse.
Woke up with what can only be described as having a lump of 4X2 as a spine, I thought this will never heal, two years later and I'm back to normal and everything is A Ok, can't praise the neuro-surgeon enough. However, I was back at work, full duties, after 3 months.
So let it take time, ease yourself into exercises walking around, obviously don't lift owt, and I hope yours will be a success just like mine.
Regards
Rick

Turbohot

Speedy recovery, Maz. Stay strong.

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Bloody hell Maz, I was aware you were struggling with your back, but this is a little harsh. I'm pleased with everyone else's response though, it shows that the road to recovery is there, its just a bit of a waiting game

Take care buddy.

Rob

cster

Give it time mate - you'll be right.
I like the way your GP referred you to A & E. Tickled me for some reason.

Maz

iTrader: (34)

Thanks for the kind wishes guys, it's surprising what a few words can do when one is in a nasty place physically and mentally. Much as the reassurance of the surgeon and specialists who endorsed the operation as a resounding success has it's place. It is the real world experience of people who have gone through the same procedure whose words give me most confidence. Although things are hard at the moment pain, numbness and discomfort and the side effects of the medication I can see light at the end of the tunnel and I will be back in my Scooby forthwith.
It is quite humbling when my wife has to get me dressed in the morning but it's a rung on the ladder that I must climb. What does annoy me though is why the hell did I have to befall this calamity when the weather took such a turn for the better!
I am quite impressed with how quickly the NHS machinery swung in to place. We all hear tales of woe and people waiting (Alcazar is a prime example) for ages on end. I was in the GP's room within twenty minutes of ringing. In the hospital half an hour later, scanned and at Leeds and operated on in around 24 hours. That's excellent going by any yardstick and certainly a thumbs up from me for our much maligned health service.
I was also privileged to meet three rather remarkable men whilst I was in hospital. Their fortitude and strength of character in the face of life threatening afflictions was remarkable and quite inspiring. Seeing these men and listening to their experiences gave me a lot of strength and all three I now consider friends. Anyway the sun is shining so I'm going to see if I can go sit outside and top up my tan and soak up a little vitamin D. Adios.