dear alison b,
thank you for your interest. first let me say that the only reason they gave me for having ( with the epidural) any problem is.... "well, this is being stubborne" then they sent in another what i can only expect was another student , and said the basicly same thing after trying. the docter that came in next who was a "real dr" kept appologizing for my pain and for the fact that others were having trouble...he explained to me that he got stuck in a c-section for over an hour. it then took him several more sticks at this point i had been hunched over for quite some time in a sitting position with a small nurse having problems holding me up. i was about 220 lbs and 25 when i gave birth and the nurse was a 130 lb and in her 50's... she got very fatigued and the doctor kept harping on her to hold me still, after each "poke" he would then wiggle it somewhat then take it out...i am assuming that he couldn't get it in. eventually he got it in and we waited till i started to feel numb but it only worked on one side i believe it was the left that was numb the nurse then called the doctor back in and we repeated the process again...and again we waited it worked and i started felling relif from the excruciating pain i had been enduring from the labor...i delivered a baby girl not long after she was perfectly healthy. afterwards when the doctor who did the anestgia came to check on me where i complained of a headache and back pain...he said it was normal to have these symptoms....in the following few weeks i noticed back pain, but was mostly concerned about this pounding headache that was day in and day out...it just never went away. i told all of the nurses and doctors that did thier routine calls through out that first week, they didn't seem concerned so i wasn't. i should mention that i was considered a high risk prenancy do to the fact that i had endometriosis(which is not all that serious) my high-risk ob/gyn said on my next pregnnancy i could see anyone , basicly there was no need to think i ever was or would ever have a high risk pregnancy. so it wasnt an underlying condition.
as to the second part of your question i was told that i wasn't a candidate for surgury. i am not exactly sure why but this specialist was supossed to be an expert. his recomendation was phys therapy, lose weight and pain management....all of which i have done....i lost 63 lbs in only 6 months and have kept it off. i went to the therapy 3 days a wk then 2 then 1 for a total of about 10 visits.. the said that since my range of motion decreased that they thought i sshould see someone for the pain managment part. i began seeing another very well liked dr in the medical feild, who everyone swore by including my mother who is very dismissive of any other dr i have ever known this women to go to !!! he had his own pain management clinic, nice new and modern..every gadget and thing-a-ma-bob he could get his hands on. i remember thinking this is going to work so i commited myself, husband and kids of getting in the car driving for 1 1/2 hours every two weeks to stay the night at my moms house so i could get my injections. the first thing he did was actually go over with me in his office, my x rays and mri of lumbar spine. i hadnt had anyone do that before. he said i had 2 synovial cyst but said they were not a problem and that the source of my pain had to be because of a slight herniation/ prolapse. he also stated that i had narrowing of the disc space. he said he could help with facet injections to start...3 injects later , no resluts, the next step was 3 injections into the disc, again nothing. each of these series of 3 were spaced out by 2 weeks. so at this point he suggested that we do a radio-frequency nerve ablasion. we did that was the end of last year. and up till this point it was for chronic pain
my doctor reccomended me going on disability becuase my condition has only worsened in time. but i havent given up yet. i love to work i like my job and customers and love the team i work with and my job is a one of a kind, meaning it is fun exiting and it pays very well.. while me and my husband live a somewhat country lifestyle meaningthat we don't have alotof bills and try to keep things simple so we can afford to make double house payments and go on vacations a year. the american dream right???!!!!!!
as to your 3rd ? here are some web sites i found just by googling "arachnoiditis &___________"
this is where so far i have got all of my info from.. wheni talked with my pcp about them she also thought that it sounded like what i have been going through, so my next apoinments are going to be up at the cleveland clinic , seeing 4 different specialist overnight trip to one place with at least another avenue and correct diagnosis. i also have plans to at least take the results ,slides, disc and all other reports and findings down to an expert listed in all of the web searchs i found through this, his name is dr antonio albrete , after talking directly with him, i am excited to have him review everything he is in alabama so i have to call him with a good time for me to come down for a consult w examination. i will kepp at that are interested in a posting on this site
i am suprised though that you havent at least heard of the complication during an epidural in the lumbar area if it was depo-medrol this can also cause arachnoiditis. very well documented in law and medical journals that i founf on the web....you just have to keep on googlin'........lol.........and find the right words and phrasing to get what you want!
sorry for such long responses but i get distracted easily and have to reread things alot. by the way i used to be a quick typer without the need for spell check, but now , no way....let me know if you would like more info and as always if anyone else has a simailar story please contact me
Comment Reply
dear alison b,
thank you for your interest. first let me say that the only reason they gave me for having ( with the epidural) any problem is.... "well, this is being stubborne" then they sent in another what i can only expect was another student , and said the basicly same thing after trying. the docter that came in next who was a "real dr" kept appologizing for my pain and for the fact that others were having trouble...he explained to me that he got stuck in a c-section for over an hour. it then took him several more sticks at this point i had been hunched over for quite some time in a sitting position with a small nurse having problems holding me up. i was about 220 lbs and 25 when i gave birth and the nurse was a 130 lb and in her 50's... she got very fatigued and the doctor kept harping on her to hold me still, after each "poke" he would then wiggle it somewhat then take it out...i am assuming that he couldn't get it in. eventually he got it in and we waited till i started to feel numb but it only worked on one side i believe it was the left that was numb the nurse then called the doctor back in and we repeated the process again...and again we waited it worked and i started felling relif from the excruciating pain i had been enduring from the labor...i delivered a baby girl not long after she was perfectly healthy. afterwards when the doctor who did the anestgia came to check on me where i complained of a headache and back pain...he said it was normal to have these symptoms....in the following few weeks i noticed back pain, but was mostly concerned about this pounding headache that was day in and day out...it just never went away. i told all of the nurses and doctors that did thier routine calls through out that first week, they didn't seem concerned so i wasn't. i should mention that i was considered a high risk prenancy do to the fact that i had endometriosis(which is not all that serious) my high-risk ob/gyn said on my next pregnnancy i could see anyone , basicly there was no need to think i ever was or would ever have a high risk pregnancy. so it wasnt an underlying condition.
as to the second part of your question i was told that i wasn't a candidate for surgury. i am not exactly sure why but this specialist was supossed to be an expert. his recomendation was phys therapy, lose weight and pain management....all of which i have done....i lost 63 lbs in only 6 months and have kept it off. i went to the therapy 3 days a wk then 2 then 1 for a total of about 10 visits.. the said that since my range of motion decreased that they thought i sshould see someone for the pain managment part. i began seeing another very well liked dr in the medical feild, who everyone swore by including my mother who is very dismissive of any other dr i have ever known this women to go to !!! he had his own pain management clinic, nice new and modern..every gadget and thing-a-ma-bob he could get his hands on. i remember thinking this is going to work so i commited myself, husband and kids of getting in the car driving for 1 1/2 hours every two weeks to stay the night at my moms house so i could get my injections. the first thing he did was actually go over with me in his office, my x rays and mri of lumbar spine. i hadnt had anyone do that before. he said i had 2 synovial cyst but said they were not a problem and that the source of my pain had to be because of a slight herniation/ prolapse. he also stated that i had narrowing of the disc space. he said he could help with facet injections to start...3 injects later , no resluts, the next step was 3 injections into the disc, again nothing. each of these series of 3 were spaced out by 2 weeks. so at this point he suggested that we do a radio-frequency nerve ablasion. we did that was the end of last year. and up till this point it was for chronic pain
my doctor reccomended me going on disability becuase my condition has only worsened in time. but i havent given up yet. i love to work i like my job and customers and love the team i work with and my job is a one of a kind, meaning it is fun exiting and it pays very well.. while me and my husband live a somewhat country lifestyle meaningthat we don't have alotof bills and try to keep things simple so we can afford to make double house payments and go on vacations a year. the american dream right???!!!!!!
as to your 3rd ? here are some web sites i found just by googling "arachnoiditis &___________"
this is where so far i have got all of my info from.. wheni talked with my pcp about them she also thought that it sounded like what i have been going through, so my next apoinments are going to be up at the cleveland clinic , seeing 4 different specialist overnight trip to one place with at least another avenue and correct diagnosis. i also have plans to at least take the results ,slides, disc and all other reports and findings down to an expert listed in all of the web searchs i found through this, his name is dr antonio albrete , after talking directly with him, i am excited to have him review everything he is in alabama so i have to call him with a good time for me to come down for a consult w examination. i will kepp at that are interested in a posting on this site
i am suprised though that you havent at least heard of the complication during an epidural in the lumbar area if it was depo-medrol this can also cause arachnoiditis. very well documented in law and medical journals that i founf on the web....you just have to keep on googlin'........lol.........and find the right words and phrasing to get what you want!
sorry for such long responses but i get distracted easily and have to reread things alot. by the way i used to be a quick typer without the need for spell check, but now , no way....let me know if you would like more info and as always if anyone else has a simailar story please contact me
indiana mama
March 3, 2010 - 1:30amThis Comment
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