Michelle ProDisc at L4-5 Sept 2006

[Michelle]

SURGERY DATE: September 2006

AGE AT SURGERY DATE: 27

SURGEON: Dr. Michael Janssen

SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: Center for Spinal Disorders in Thornton (near Denver, CO)

DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): ProDisc-L at L4-5

COST = Don't know.
AMOUNT BILLED: Don't know
INSURANCE ALLOWED: All of it, thanks to my attorney!
OUT OF POCKET: $0 !!
TRAVEL: gas money only, reimbersed by Work Comp
EXPLANATIONS? Took 18 months and an attorney, but I got it paid for!


ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: First injured lifting a patient as a Nurses' Aide on April 7, 1998

PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...): 8 epidurals, none of which helped, (except the one that was for childbirth! ) Laminectomy at L4-5 in November 1998 and again in January 2001.

PRE-OP MEDICATIONS: Immediately pre-op- Avinza 60 mg daily, Ambien nightly, OxyCodone 5 mg 4 times a day, Neurontin 3600 mg, Wellbutrin.

PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...): Discogram, 6 MRI's, more injections than I can count, 13 doctors, 8 physical therapists, 2 chiropractors, and one therapist.

PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.): I had no numbness or tingling, just a lot of pain!

PRE-OP CONDITION (Please include %leg pain/% back pain, pain levels, type of pain, ability to work and function, disability status, etc.... be direct, but be as verbose as you need to): Extreme back pain, 80%, and right leg pain moderately controlled by Neurontin 20%. I couldn't sit or stand (be upright at all) for more than 30 seconds without major pain, increasing throughout the day, reaching 8-9 most nights, despite meds. I worked, but only because I would hurt anyway. My life was on hold waiting for relief! The only thing that kept me going was my family, though I was a horrible wife and mother!

TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: Created this thread at 21 months post-op.

DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE: Surgery went smoothly, though I was surprised at the amount of pain the abdominal incision created. 2 nights in the hospital due to my home being 4 hours away (otherwise would've been 1 night) then I flew home (hour long flight) on no more meds than I'd arrived on.

RATE FUNCTIONALITY / SATISFACTION AT INTERVALS BELOW:

FUNCTIONALITY:
1. Very poor: much worse... disabled after surgery.
2. Poor: worse after surgery.
3. Neutral: No improvement, or improvements offset by new problems.
4. Fair, some improvement, limitations are still serious.
5. Good, substantial improvement, some limitations.
6. Excellent: no limitations.
I am absolutely better, though I still have some residual pain.

SATISFACTION:
1. Very sorry I had the surgery.
2. Somewhat sorry I had the surgery.
3. Too soon to tell, or I'm ambivalent about the surgery.
4. I'm somewhat glad I did my surgery.
5. I'm very glad I did my surgery.
I am very impressed with the improvement in my life!!!

Don't forget the detail update section below!

DATE UPDATED: _6-9-08__ FUNCTIONALITY: _3_ SATISFACTION: _5_ [6 WEEKS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _6-9-08__ FUNCTIONALITY: _4_ SATISFACTION: _5_ [3 MONTHS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _6-9-08__ FUNCTIONALITY: _4_ SATISFACTION: _5_ [6 MONTHS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _6-9-08__ FUNCTIONALITY: _4_ SATISFACTION: _5_ [1 YEAR POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _12-13-8__FUNCTIONALITY: _5_ SATISFACTION: _5_ [2 YEARS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _________ FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [3 YEARS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _________ FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [4 YEARS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _________ FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [5 YEARS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _________ FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [6 YEARS POST-OP]

DATE UPDATED: _________ FUNCTIONALITY: ___ SATISFACTION: ___ [7 YEARS POST-OP]

6 WEEKS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ECT... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
I had a little bit of leg pain a couple weeks after surgery, but it resolved quickly. I was back to work, and very impressed that though I still had some pain, it did not increase throughout the day.

3 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
Working somewhat increased my pain by increasing mobility and activity, but by 3 months I was off all but a couple of Oxycodone a day! Leg pain was gone!

6 MONTHS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
Life is good! Taking some muscle relaxants and still a few oxycodone, but happy and planning on expanding our family. Had some of the residual back pain relieved by a facet rhizolysis.

1 YEAR POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
Pain was up a bit due to life- hubby had massive stroke and I had to physically help him a lot. Stress is also up a lot though, so I'm sure that is contributory.

2 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):
I'm great! Braden Dean due in December. Pain is moderate, and requiring some narcotics due to leg pain from pregnancy, but very hopeful of pain relief after birth

3 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

4 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

5 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

6 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):

7 YEARS POST-OP - DESCRIBE LIFESTYLE / PAIN / MEDICATIONS / NEUROPATHIES / ETC... (discuss surgery induced symptoms [leg pain?]):