Surgery canceled/Having a CT Scan/Myelogram

I had my 4th MRI today. This one was the longest one I've ever had. I was in the machine for an hour! Then they brought me out to inject the dye and it was another 15 minutes. Thank God for Xanex or there would have been no way I could have been in that tiny space for that long.I just need to wait for an appointment with the surgeon to discuss the results. In the meantime, I'm visiting my primary physician tomorrow morning to discuss my medication because, since my surgery, the pain has increased and the pain medication I'm taking barely makes a dent in it. For the last 2 months now, I can hardly even get basic chores done without being in extreme pain. I hate to admit it but, just changing the sheets can cause me to start crying in pain. I'll let you know what the MRI results are when I see the surgeon. Thanks again to all the wonderful, kind, caring, and understanding people on this webcite. It really does help to vent when you know there are poeple here that understand exactly what your going through because they have or are now going through it too!

Moe

Have you had your CT/myelogram yet? I was wondering how it went and if they've been able to reschedule your surgery. I can totally understand your frustration. Since my injury was on the job, they sent me to a W/C doctor (ortho surgeon) after 6 months of PT, epidural injections, etc. He ordered MRI L-spine, CT myelogram, and a discogram (they REALLY hurt). By that time a year had passed and I finally had gotten an attorney. After he got all the results, I was in a wheelchair because of frequent falls. He called me into the office and told me that "you need a fusion done, but since you have an attorney, you have a litigious attitude and I'm not touching you". Talk about frustrated!!! I finally had my attorney settle with the hospital so that I could choose my own surgeon and my health insurance paid for 80% of the surgery. I was able to work for an additional two years until I was rear-ended, herniating 6 additional discs. All that time seeing him was just a waste of time on both my part and his. Don't ever get injured on the job-worker's comp sucks. They do anything to keep from paying you. They down-graded me from 12 to 8 hours, and at the end of 8 hours I was in tears. They finally put me on "light duty" as a secretary, cutting my pay in half. When I ended up in a wheelchair and got an attorney, they finally put me off work and started my worker's comp pay. If they haven't re-scheduled your surgery, stay on them. Call them every week to see if they've had any cancellations. That's what I did, and I was moved up by 2 weeks.

Hi Lori,

This has been a nightmare but long story short, my CT scan/myelogram was scheduled for 01/25/12. Two hours before the procedure, the hospital called and canceled.The nurse said that at the meeting in the morning to discuss the days procedures, another doctor, some specialist, decided that a ct/myelogram would not help to see what they need to see in my back. She said they wanted another MRI done. Made an appointment to get MRI on 02/06/12.A couple of days later, the hospital calls and cancels that appointment. The nurse said that the doctor from the meeting, whom I've never seen, don't know, wants to be there when they are doing the MRI. Now the MRI is scheduled for 02/16/12. I've emailed my surgeon and have asked what is going on? I told him I'm in more pain then before the first surgery and my meds barely touch the pain.I haven't received a response from him yet. There is just no way I can have surgery now. I have to return to work by 03/25/12, I can't lose my job and all my benefits.I'll have to somehow return to work and postpone the surgery. I thought my back would be a little better by now, after almost a year off of work. I've been dealing with all the issues in my neck/back/shoulder/legs for 5 years now and I'm sick of it and the way the doctors/surgeons are treating me. Ok, I'm done ranting and raving.I thank God I have this site and everyone on it to vent to.Although I have an amazing husband and friends, I can't really fully explain to them how bad it is and they can't fully understand it even if I did tell them.I know everyone on here is experiencing, if not the same situation, something similar.

Thanks everyone!

Moe

Hey Moe,

As I was reading your post, I was thinking, if you are for sure going to have to postpone your surgery, then I would go back right after you get the MRI done. That will at least shorten the time you have to wait to have the surgery. I am so sorry to hear that you have been getting the royal runaround. That doctor on the committee needs to quit trying to impress his colleagues and start thinking about the patients and their pain again. That doc sounds like a blowheart to me.

Yeah Dave, I was thinking that too.There is no way I will be able to do all that my job demands (Supervisor at large shipping company) but I'll just have to have the doctors review my essential job functions and detail what I can and can't do.I'm hoping that I don't get fired though, the labor department has my job listed as heavy work as I'm supposed to be able to demonstrate to drivers the proper loading , unloading of packages, I need to lift packages up to 50lbs, bend, climb ladders,ect. The crazy thing is, even when I'm in the office, it's hard to stay seated, on the computer, on the phone, without having extreme pain.Somehow I'm gonna have to pull it off. I had a major car accident 5 years ago that caused a lot of problems but, sometimes I think the wear and tear of working there for 11 years has contributed to the deteriation of my back/neck/leg problems.
Again, thanks to all on this site for being able to discuss/vent.

Moe

You be sure to keep us up to date on what is happening. I am sure praying for you that this will all work out. I am sure all the wear and tear over the years has contributed to the problems. However, there is no way to document it.

Yes Moe, the boat is getting full with all of us aboard

I know I have heard your story before but it still makes me mad. The other day, my son needed to have his shoulder examined because of car accident. When we called our family doctor to make an appointment they wouldn't do it because it involved a car accident and more often then not they don't get paid when they do medical work in those cases. My wife was furious! We ended up calling back the next day and set an appointment for another reason and then when they went in they asked the doctor about the shoulder. Our doctor was really nice about it and they did an exam to make sure it was just sore, but it left a lasting impression on us. We billed our insurance for the appointment and I am sure they have paid it. The doc just explained that most people will skip out on the bill when they get a settlement on a car wreck. We were appalled. Since I am an insurance agent by profession, I would never do something like that, but it really bothered me that we have such a dishonest society. The lawyer thing is a whole other subject for another time. Personally, I don't think you are litigious, but you were compelled to get an attorney because of the way you treated by WC company in the first place. They should have been more concerned with getting you well instead of saving a buck. It would have saved them money in the long run.

BTW, New Diet, ice cream drumsticks. After three or four, I feel pretty good & only my stomach hurts.

haha, gotta lol love the drumstick diet!

I am a radiologic technologist and have performed all of the torturous exams we all go through.Lori has explained in detail, the CT myelogram.Just imaging following a spinal puncture(cervical,thoracic,lumbar).

I have had this done 3-4 times and it really isn't too bad. Lori gave an excellent descritption of what happens. I have to agree with her that this really does give them the most accurate picture of what is happening inside your back. It was this procedure that revealed that my idiot surgeon had screwed one of the screws into the nerve root and that was what was causing all the pain. It really is a helpful test especially if your surgeon knows what he is doing and is willing to read the films and look at the report. They should be able to tell what is wrong and why the last surgery went wrong. I am sorry for the grief, but this may be better for you in the long run. When is the CT/Myleogram test going to happen? If you are going to have surgery, they need to get going if you are going to have any chance of returning to work by the end of March.

Dave, I have been out of work for 9 months now due to unbearable pain in my back and extending down my leg. I did the whole route. Two doctor opinions said that my condition is not bad enough to perform surgery. I'm going for a third epidural stroid injection next week.
I have had a mri & x-ray. At what point do they suggest a CT/Myleogram ? It's been long enough!

I think that I would ask them about it the next time you see them. You suffer in silence and nothing will happen. I would just ask about the test telling them that you were doing research on the internet and came across it in your reading. It is probably not a good idea to demand anything as doctors do not like it when patients try to tell them how to do their job. Most good ones don't mind questions and even if they hadn't been thinking about doing the test may order it. They just don't want to be shown up by a patient. Use a little honey and it will help push things along. At least that has been my expereince. If not, you might need to find a new doc.

Dave, that screw sounds horrrible!To really visualize nerves you MUST have an MRI.MRI is a form of imaging that's based on the amount of water in the tissues.The MR 'flips' the neg and pos polls of ..blah,blah..and the abnormal ones won't 'flip' and form an image..to explain it in the simplest of terms.

I think that is why it was undetected for so long. He never said anything about seeing the nerve, just the nerve route. My understanding (which is limited as I have said before) is that the dye colored the path that the nerve takes from my spinal cord into my leg. that was where he saw the screw and realized that it was right in the way.

Thanks Dave, I know this is a good thing, for the surgeon to be able to see exactly what's going on with my back. I'm just upset he didn't order this test months ago. I have been out on disability since 03/23/11 and it seems the doctors think I have all the time in the world, not to mention the incredible amount of pain I've been in since 10/2010. If I'm not back at work by 03/23/12, I lose my position at work, my salary, all benefits for myself and my family. I'm really scared.

Moe

Oh, I agree that this test should have been run months ago. With a little luck they will get the test done and have you on the table within a couple weeks. You will have to have several weeks to recover from the surgery, but if they get it done, you may be able to at least start back to work part time for a few weeks and then ease into full time. I know how scary that can be when you think of all that you could lose. I am crossing my fingers for you.

Thanks Lori, at least I know what's coming.

I've had two of them done, and they're really not that bad. They have you lie on your stomach on the CT table, and then they numb the area where they would normally do a spinal tap. After it's numb, they put the spinal needle in (all you'll feel is some pressure) until they get spinal fluid coming out, then they inject the dye directly into your spinal fluid. Afterward, they take out the needle, put you on your back, and start taking pictures. Then they'll roll you onto one side and then the other to disperse the dye; place you back on your back and finish taking pictures. You have to lie down with your head slightly elevated for at least six hours afterward (at home), and someone will have to drive you. I know you're upset, but this really will give them the best picture of what's going on in there so that hopefully he doesn't screw it up again.