Persistence and Success

[Matthew74]

I finally got the tests I needed and, yup I was right. This isn't epilepsy related per se, but it's applicable.

For about 15 years I have had a problem with my back, and I also hurt my neck about two years ago. I saw two doctors about the back, had X-Rays taken, and both told me there was nothing wrong, or if there was, it wasn't serious. I knew better.

I finally got an appointment at the Mayo in Rochester. Before I even saw the doctor they scheduled an MRI and an X-Ray. It turns out my lowest disk is protruding and pressuring my spinal cord! On the MRI it was obvious. I also have arthritis in my lower back and in my neck. Apparently my cervical vertebrae are also sitting kind of funny. These things aren't terrible but I did a lot more than pull a muscle. I was hurt and there is something we can do about it. They are going to put me on some anti-inflammatory meds, and have me see a physical therapist. It won't fix everything, but hopefully I'll be stronger and have less pain.

As usual at the Mayo the testing they did was much better than any I had had before. They did an hour long MRI. They took a bunch of X-Ray films of me flexing forward and backward so that they could see how things were moving. My doctor was great.

When I saw the bulge in my disk, I was like, "Whoo-hoo!"

Lessons learned:

1. I should have gone to the doctor about both injuries right away.

2. When I knew that I had done real damage to my back I should have insisted on an MRI, and not taken "no" for an answer.

3. I should have gotten my second and third opinion immediately, instead of waiting years.


P.S. I hear all the time about "unnecessary testing", and I think it's a load of baloney. In my experience the more typical problem is that you can't get doctors to order tests, and they don't want to take the time to figure out what's wrong if it's not obvious. People say that it's too expensive. How expensive is seeing three doctors (five, including my GPs), having three x-rays, and finally the MRI that I should have had in the first place? How about being exposed to more X-Rays than were necessary? How about the pain, or the productivity I lost at work? My time lost going to three different hospitals? Or, my employer's own pain and time lost having to do my work for me, and the money he was supposed to be earning for his family? What about our customers? :razz2:

:yippee:

 

[valeriedl]

I had back problems for over 10 years, even before I had epilepsy.

I'd gone to several different drs, at least 5 maybe more, and had several different tests done. X-rays, CAT scans, MRI's and probably more but according to each dr "There is nothing wrong".

The pain got worse and worse through the years. I had to stop walking for exercise. Almost any way that I moved I'd get a shoot of pain that would go down my leg clear to my foot. I had trouble sleeping because I just couldn't get comfortable in bed. Several times I'd end up going to the ER on a stretcher by ambulance because I couldn't move it hurt so bad. Now tell me - Does that mean that I don't have any problems?????

I final went to a younger dr who was new to the area. He did an X-ray in his office and saw that I had two herniated discs. They were so bad that they were almost bone on bone. He said that this had been going on for a long time because it was this bad. It's not something that just happens over night to get like this, and it should have shown up on the tests.

He told me that I could keep doing therapy, which wasn't doin anything for me, or I could have surgery and have screws put in my back.

He warned me several times that if I were to have a seizure while they were operating on my spine that I could be paralyzed. He said that it's very rare for someone to have a seizure while under anesthesia but it can still happen. I decided to have the surgery because I just couldn't deal with the pain anymore. It was a chance that I was going to take.

I had two screws put in my back, with no problems during the surgery, and haven't had any pain since.

All the other drs that I went to were older and I think they were afraid to do any type of surgery because of my epilepsy and that's why they kept telling me that there wasn't anything wrong. I'm glad I found a younger dr who wasn't!

I'm glad you found out what was wrong. I hope the meds and therapy work for you.

 

[Blonde Angel]

Matthew your situation is not unique & unfortunately you will not be the last person to experience frustration, pain & indecision.

It's not easy especially when it involves the "damned if you do & damned if you don't stuff"

I have learned long ago that if you aren't happy with the answers /treatment provided by the health care professionals you need to eventually research & move on to what works.

Glad it worked out eventually.

I do believe in a mix of conventional & alternative medicines & try to be open minded & realistic if it works for my family & I. I don't fall in the trap of being extremist in each methods.

 

[Blonde Angel]

@ valeriedl..
You've made an interesting point about some older Docs.. Some of them...I really don't believe are up to date & don't make the effo rt to be flexible.. My husband calls them the "dinosaurs" for good reason.

Having back issues would be awful.
You rightfully listened to your body & acted on it.

Never ignore what the body is telling you & never let anyone bulldoze you in not taking symptoms seriously .

 

[arnie]

You're also lucky if you can find the right physical therapist to help you. About 25 years ago I had something going on in my right shoulder which made it almost impossible to lift my arm very high. After a few months of waiting for it to go away I went to my doc. To cut to the chase they told me I needed PT. The therapists I went to worked on my shoulder but it didn't really help. Finally, my eye doctor told me of a therapist he had gone to for an injury he had gotten from a skiing accident. I went to her and she did a lot of measurements of my whole body, how it flexed, what looked out of line, etc. She told me that the issue was most probably in my right hip and worked on that with massage. It was amazing that the pain went away almost immediately! Later on, at home, I found I could lie on the floor with my arms over my head, flex that hip up and down, and turn the shoulder pain on and off just like that. The nerves in our bodies definitely are interconnected and a pain in one place can be caused by something happening in a completely different area, which many doctors and therapists do not seem to be aware of.
Best of luck to you in