**NEW** w/ a question....

[Softball.Princess]

Hi there,

I am new to this site. I stumbled on this site while I was searching out answers to a symptom I had recently. I am hoping there might be someone here who can answer my question.

I had an L5 Laminectomy w/ bilateral foraminotomies at L4/5, L5/S1 in 2004. Since then I can't complain, I have had the odd pain here and there but NOTHING compared to what it was prior to surgery.

Almost 2 weeks ago I was walking out of my garage and where the driveway meets the garage floor there was a patch of ice and I wiped out, falling on to my butt. Instantly I had pain in my low back, but I was not too concerned right away cuz I figured that i would be sore cuz I just fell. The couple days after it settled down a little bit, when all of a sudden the pain came back with a vengence. I have had pain in my low back going down my right leg, the pain and pressure in my low back in UNREAL!! I decided to go to a Walk In clinic, they gave me pain meds and told me to get an xray done, which I did. I have heard nothing back for 4 days so I am going to assume the xray was ok....The pain meds and anti-inflammatory meds seem to be helping with the pain, at least making it bearable.

The symptom that happened and concerned me is-

The other night I was sitting reading a book when all of a sudden I felt a 'strange' feeling in my left foot, (it is hard to explain exactly what the feeling was, almost felt like it was swelling but it wasn't) then all of a sudden I couldn't feel my foot and was unable to wiggle my toes or even pull my foot up. I did change my position and get up and started walking it off and it went back to normal, I haven't had it again since then.......just pain down the leg and some cramping....

Would anybody be able to offer me some insight on what is happening or if I should be concerned etc??

THANK YOU!!
Softball.Princess (S.P

[Gil Denis]

Hi And Welcome

You may have a pinched nerve, herniated a disc,or other issues.
Maybe you need other test, MRI, Cat scan etc.

Find a Good spine Doctor.

I am Sure other people will chime in on this subject.

Keep in Contact we are all here to help each other.

All the Best

Gil

[Softball.Princess]

Hi Gil,

Thank you for your welcome. I sure do appreciate that I found this forum, just reading through the different posts it is amazing how much everyone is here for eachother, complete strangers at that.

All the best,
Softball.Princess (S.P)

[dshobbies]

Hi Princess,

Welcome to the forum and yes, it takes one to know one and because we have all suffered, we know what you're going through.

I agree with Gil that an MRI is warranted. Spinal cord compression could be causing your symptoms and you want to find out. Falling as you did could have caused another heriation. Until you have the results of that test, you can only guess.

For quick relief of severe symptoms, try an inversion table if you can or lay on your back, slowly bringing your knees up to your chest one at a time, several times and then both. Either of these should distract the disc space and offer a slight window of catching your breath.

Please keep us posted as to the results and what your doctor is recommending. And no spinal patient is a stranger here so feel free to ask your questions and concerns.

Good luck to you, Dale

[mmglobal]

Read about my wife's ordeal (Diane on the GPN story pages, website linked below in my sig file.) I was furious that her leg was numb and they weren't doing an MRI. (I was out of the country at the time.)

You have obvious neuro involvement and an xray will not tell the story. Make them do an MRI.

Good luck,

Mark

[Softball.Princess]

Hey everyone,

OK!! Well I went to see my doctor today and tried to explain to him what happened and he told me that if it was drop foot I would have it all the time, that it wouldn't just happened one time and go away. When I inquired about an MRI he said that he wants to wait a couple weeks......I told him that I wasn't comfortable waiting and he told me not to worry.

WELL, I don't know what to do now....at this moment, it feels like my knee is swollen and my foot is swollen, I am able to move my toes, but it just feels WEIRD!! I HATE trying to explain it to my doctor cuz he looks at me like I have 2 heads, and I guess until you have actually experienced it you don't really understand.

Ugh, this is seriously starting to freak me out. When I first hurt my back and before I had my surgery, I NEVER had or felt anything like this, it was more of an electrical shock down my legs and pins and needles......

Anyways, I just wanted to give you all an update and to let you know what my dr said. I have to go back and see him on the 24th of Feb, and he said at that point if nothing has changed he will order an MRI......This is all TOO CRAZY for me!!

Does anyone have any idea how I could maybe stop this from happening?

Thanks everyone for your help with my situation. I am SO THANKFUL that I found this site!!

All the BEST!!
Princess