Arthritis and disc trouble

David60

Hi everyone, i apologise in advance for a rather long post.
As well as Arthritis in my shoulder and knee I was diagnosed with disc trouble in the 5/6 & 6/7 region about eighteen months ago. In November I had an MRI with contrast fluid, when the spinal surgeon saw the result he was going to going to add me to his list for surgery but then he noticed the scan showed something that needed further investigating.
About 3 weeks ago i had yet another MRI and a few days later i had a telephone consultation [Consultant's name and Hospital removed - Moderator]. Well it turns out that i have a small lesion believed to be benign in the same place as the Ruptured discs. He has put me on his waiting list for surgery to sort out the discs and remove the lesion, obviously there is quite a high risk factor there as he doesn't know what the lesion is attached to, if it is attached to the spinal cord it could cause lots of problems, the obvious one being paralysis, Sorry for the long post but has anyone had similar problems and if so what is recovery time?
David

Brynmor

Hi David and welcome to the Online Community, its great to have you here.

It is no wonder you have asked to see if there is anyone with experience of the added problems of a lesion just where you are to have an operation on your spine. It must be a very worrying time for you whilst waiting for the operation. I hope some of our members can help.

Do join in across the Community, give advice, support, ask questions and call in for a chat to let us know how you are getting on. You will be most welcome.

All best wishes

Brynmor

Mike1

I was referred to a Neurosurgeon as I have a detached disc in my neck as well as other damaged discs lower down, OA and Degenerative Facet Joint Disease. He refused to operate as there was too great a risk of paralysis. I am sure, therefore, that if your surgeon has added you to his list and is happy to proceed then he will have weighed everything up and is confident that he can help you.

frogmorton

Hi David

You don't say whether your disc trouble is neck thoracic ot lumbar but I am assuming lumbar.

Very scary isn't it? I had back surgery many years ago because by then I had totally lost the use of one leg and the surgeon feared I would loose it permanently. He had seen 'something' on my MRI too which turned out to be a bone plate loose and floating about something he had never seen before in 20 years of surgery.

Risk of paralysis is definitely there of course, but as Mike1 said your surgeon will feel that any risk is outweighed by risks if surgery is not done.

Now recovery time. At the time I was a single parent to two young girls with a mortgage and had no choice I was back to work in about 10 weeks. Then I was training people so not manual work. I was most definitely still in a fair bit of pain, but it was manageable.

I have to say to feel 100% 'back to normal' it was nearer 12 months though. I can honestly say I DO NOT regret it David not one bit!

Airwave!

Digging my anatomy and physiology up from the distant past, the spinal column is divided up into parts, 7,12,5,5 and 4 so starting from the top that’s, cervical, thoracic, iliac, sacral and cocxyic (can’t even remember the spelling!). So 5-7 would be cervical or lower neck.

Moving onto solving problems, most spinal problems happen where the spine moves the most, it’s not as mobile in the thoracic section.

I don’t suppose the body has changed much just my recollection!

it’s a grin, honest!