Getting MRI of my lower back today

[kellyt]

It's aways something.  Well, to be honest, I should have had my back taken care of long before I got my kidney transplant.  I herniated a disk back in 1997 and my back pain comes and goes.  Never too much to handle until recently.  The added weight post transplant, our recent move, etc. has really made it impossible to enjoy life.  Not to mention all the other ailments, like the stress fracture.    I can barely sleep at night it hurts so bad.  So an MRI at 2 p.m., then they will send the results to the surgeon I'm trying to get to help me, he will review the results and his office will call me and tell me if they can/will see me.  I pray they can do something that isn't too invasive, and I pray they can do it ASAP.   I just want to have my quality of life back to some degree.  I want to be able to work again, exercise again, walk longer than 15 minutes painfree, etc.  Fingers crossed.

I did lose 3.8 lbs last week.  I started back up with Weight Watchers.  Doing good so far.   

[jbeany]

 

Hope they find a fix for you soon!  I have the same prednisone weight gain going.  Skip the treadmill for a day and just smell a brownie and I gain 2 pounds.   

[paris]

Thinking of you today.  I am sorry you are in so much pain.  You have had a lot of things going on lately. Now you need to take care of yourself.  Love you. 

[kellyt]

Well, all done.  He put me in that MRI tube and told me they were doing two different scans.  He said it would take about 45 minutes "But don't worry.  I'm not going to just put you in there a leave you for 45 minutes".  THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID!          My shoulders were killing me by the end.  Both arms were burning with pain.  I wanted to squeeze the ball to alert him to get me out, but I didn't want to have to start the scan over again.

Thankfully it's over.   

[monrein]

I hope they can figure out how to help Kelly.  Back surgery and the recovery were very tough for me but my surgeon refused to touch my bulging disc (not herniated).  I had a laminectomy to remove a bone spur constricting the sciatic nerve and I was off work for 18 months.  I found a physiotherapist to work with me on the disc issue and between exercises to strengthen my core and workouts in the pool with foam weights, things slowly resolved.  I kept bugging the workers comp people to find me a GOOD physio though because I had been sent to a few of the useless, one-size-fits-all variety.

Thinking of you and hoping things get sorted.   

[Romona]

Good Luck Kelly. I hope you can be pain free soon.

[kellyt]

The original MRI done in 1997 showed I had a herniated disc and it was partially collapsed, so the doctor said I would need a fake disc and some sort of cage.   My post transplant doctor, who placed the order for this MRI, has said that maybe we could just go in and shave off whatever is hitting the nerves and causing the pain and discomfort. I'm all for that.  I don't want to have major surgery on my back.  That terrifies me, but I have to do something.  I'm in pain all the time and it's causing pain in other areas now.  Maybe they can do the same for me - "laminectomy".    We'll see.  I have the time to relax, but I want to start exercising (painfree).  I need to.

Did they do your surgery through your back, Monrein?

[monrein]

Yes, the surgery was through my back, low down...it was the L4 vertebra I think.  The laminectomy was to remove the bit of bone that had developed the spur, and was nothing to do with the disc at all, so your situation is somewhat different Kelly.  He also opened up the vertebral foramen to relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve that exits there.  Before the surgery, I had a hard time standing for more than a few minutes although I found the pain manageable if I was moving around (I took no pain meds, except for the occasional tylenol)...in the supermarket, several times I had to abandon the groceries because the wait was too much and it wasn't really a long line or anything.
After the surgery, I had trouble sitting so when I went back to work, at first I sat on an exercise ball and then they brought in a special chair.

The thing is, back pain is the worst I've ever experienced and not because it was excruciating all the time but it just wore me down bit by bit like I was being slowly grated into a scowl.  Sounds as though that's where you are and I'm hoping you get relief soon...it's time to enjoy that transplant.

[Chris]

Sorry to hear kelly about your back. When I started with my lower back problems, herniated disk came up and was given information on it. It wasn't herniated, but something else. There are less evasive techniques that are out there, but it depends on your doctors training and/or your back problem. One method I remember reading is where they  inject a cement/bone like filler.
 
Hope you get answers and help soon.