Spinal Cord Injury

[hollie78]

Hi
In aug 2004 I had a herniated disk L5/S1.....it was so painful I had a laminectomy and felt great...so great....I was 25, zoomed thru recovery....then less than a year later in may of 2005 the same disk ruptured but on the other side and the disc above it had ruptured and the one above that was bulging, plus I have spondolythesis (where your vertebrae slip ontop of one another), plus degenerative disc disease.....well I was told that a lumbar three level fusion would be the best because if he went in there and did another laminectomy that it would just keep popping from side to side....so suffice it to say on 3 May 2005 I had a lumbar fusion......It was a decent recovery, I felt better for quite some time........until WINTER came......

For about ONE year post fusion I felt good....really good...then I lost a lot of weight..... and I am in constant pain........I feel like the fusion wasnt worth it at all.........I wish that I had the option of artifical discs...but at the time....the cage thing with screws was the way to go and honestly at that point I would have cut off both my legs and gave them away to just get rid of the pain....

So it looks like next year I will be getting the metal removed from my back and hopefully back to a normal lifestyle........the metal has just ruined my quality of life...........

Anyway...if anyone has had a similar experience or has had titanium taken out...otherwise known as a reverse fusion......let me know.......

I want to know as much about it as I can find out before I go under the knife yet again.....

Thanks
H

[curt]

Interesting story, I recently had a cage put in my back made by a new company called Spinal Wave, so far so good. I will have to ask my doctor if it is made out of titanium, thanks for the info

[hollie78]

Thanks for the reply......sounds like you got a better version of the standard titanium and rods.
When you fuse multiple levels its kinda like they do the cage thing to keep the fusion in place sort of like when you build a bridge you need the support and after its complete you can take the support down...

I thought it was awesome after it was done.....it was that winter when it went downhill.....
I hurt when the weather changes, if I sit too long.
I also get up each night every 2 - 3 hours and have to sit or walk around because my back locks up......

So good luck and I hope your recovery goes well.............

[erlandsonbwe]

My situation is different than yours. I was hit by a drunk driver in 02, I had multiple verterbra fractures and a T8 spinal cord injury. I had two twelve inch titanium rods put in and was fused from T2 to T11. In Augest of 03 I had them removed due to pain and discomfort. I have had chronic pain since the crash in April of 02 and still have it, so I m not sure if having the rods removed helped, but I am glad I got them out. Your situation is different, but if you can be relieved at all and your back can handle the rods not there, I say get them out. All the best, Brad