new symptom???

[Jakea222]

So I have an anterlosthesis of L5 on S1 -L5-L4-L3 are bulges but not out there too bad. The L5 on S1 is the bad one. My pain level is a 6 on "this" sites scale (love that one - really as close to explanation as you can get) and blows up to an 8 after 4-6 hrs straight...or I move wrong

So let me back up I am a Sous Chef at a country club - it IS NOT the food network we are open 15 hr days - 7days a week - with 2 chefs and 3 line cooks and 2 dishwashers -- let you figure the math out on that... or simply put the chefs put in A LOT of hours to keep running....so I can work through the pain -

New twist in this scenario - I am losing balance. I can be standing stirring a pot and do something a simple as turn around to get another pan full of vegetables and literally feel like a drunk trying to walk a straight line - it has gotten worse this week as I find myself doing it a lot at home and walking in general. I do carry a cane out of work...question is === I am assuming this is not normal! Losing a balance...OR is this a new symptom that is going to get worse as well - or is this another step towards the fussion surgeries they keep wanting to do on me -----comments are very welcome--- Chef GUy

PS Happy Easter Bunny, Easter and Passover to all!

[jentop]

The issue of loss of balance is one I struggled with for quite some time before my recent cervical 2 level adr surgery. (I also have lumbar pathologies, not yet warranting surgery as of review of 2/08 MRI).
I would be concerned that your sudden balance problems are not necessarily due to your lumbar issues. Although they could be from anything from inner ear problems to spine,I would be inclined to have an MRI of the rest of your spine, especially cervical. Here's an excerpt from a book that I highly recommend as a wealth of info written by a surgeon("Do You Really Need Back Surgery?-A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How To Choose Your Treatment-by Aaron G. Filler,MD,PhD,FRCS):
"One of the other very early signs of myelopathy is balance failure. The tests for this are a little bit like what a police officer uses to test a driver for intoxication, such as walking heel-to-toe along a straight line, or standing with feet together, arms in front, and eyes closed, which can lead to unsteadiness." The biggest concern he states is that "the spinal cord very often makes little recovery after the relief of pressure."
Try the tests. When I did pre-surgery, I couldn't believe how little balance I had. I couldn't take two heel-to-toe steps with my eyes closed without falling sideways.
Since my surgery, I've improved considerably though not completely yet. If you can get to a good neurologist for a thorough exam, tell them about your balance issues.
Good luck and enjoy Hoppy Bunny Day!

[Jakea222]

My wife is a Nurse Practitioner and well works for the doc that takes care of me -- she has chimed in a few times during the exams - 1st I was not aware that my reflexes were slower. I remember now I used to kick em hard if they were in the wrong place - and the heel to toe tickle I would jump big time and I almost did not react. I notice it when turning to go different ways it is like the signal is sent to my right leg to prepare to jerk to prevent falling when I am not doing that at all....the pain scales is still 5-6 and 8 at the end of a day and am looking foreward to the next doc that takes my insurance and lets get it on!

[treefrog]

What medications are you taking, if any?

I think this is pretty serious, though not necessarily caused by your lumbar spine. It definitely warrants being checked out. It could be cervical spine related, or inner ear, or viral, but whatever the cause, you need to determine what is causing it.

[Maria]

Hey Jake,
I worked as an NP as well tho in FP and OB/GYN.. had worked long ago in Neurosurgery as an RN as well as well as many other specialities tho Cardiothoracic surgery and Neurosurgery were my favorites.

How're you doing today? The loss of balance and decreased reflexes sounds serious ~ I hope you've gotten an appt. ASAP to be seen or have gone to the emergency room..

With an NP wife I know you're going to get done whatever needs to be ASAP so please just keep us informed and be very careful