Hello,
My name is Jen, and I had anterior and posterior fusion with grafts taken from the front
and back pelvic bone, and had implanted into me 6 screws, 2 rods, 2 plates and 4 cages to
put L4-S1 back together again. My discomfort started in January of 1998, but I put
it off to the heavy lifting I do at work as a utility company lineman (linewoman to be
pc). Things just ached until September 1st of '98, when while at work I was banging
a lag (big nail) into a telephone pole. I was swinging away with a line-axe 20 feet up,
when I felt an awful pop-crack. The pain was excruciating, and made me instantly nauseous.
Just coming down off the pole was agony. From that day on, I actually had to think only in
terms of minutes to get through the day. I was reluctant to bother the doc for about 2
weeks, as I thought it might go away. Sitting, driving the truck, digging 8 foot deep
holes with a shovel, running cable- etc., etc., etc., I wanted to die every time I moved.
But because working with the great, tough guys that I do, I didn't want to slack off. BIG
MISTAKE!! Hindsight is 20/20 vision! Anyway, I finally went to my HMO doc after 2 weeks,
and he said it was just a sprain. I trusted him, and went with his diagnosis. I bought
DOANES Back Pain Pills, and gobbled them down. It didn't even touch the pain. I returned
to the same doc 2 weeks later, and he sent me to my regular chiropractor. The chiro was
great and handled me with kid gloves, but no xray. Another 3 weeks goes by, during which I
DO get an xray from the chiro as he feels it's not improving. Upon seeing the film, he
says he thinks I may have Spondylolisthesis, and refers me back to my HMO doc. I go back
to the HMO doc, with xrays in hand, and he tells me that he doubts the xrays are
mine----just a way for the chiro to keep me seeing him. The doc
(whom I have used for YEARS, as a gyno and obstetrician, and pediatrician with no
glitches) gives me a prescription for pain killers and says give them a chance to work. If
nothing improves, call him in 6 weeks. It's October 20-something, and I am thinking I am
just a BIG wimp, and have a low tolerance for pain. A few more weeks pass, until one day I
am digging holes with a shovel and auger for new poles that are going down my docs office
entryway to provide more computer cable/lines for him. I felt real bad that day. The guy I
was working with had a history of heart problems, so he worked off the truck controls. At
lunchtime I walked to his office, and broke down into tears. I told him I felt there was
something really wrong. He said he'd send me for an MRI the following week. Unfortunately,
for whatever reason, the MRI results were negative. Maybe it was when the tech let me turn
a bit sideways and put my knees under a pillow for more comfort that things went awry. My
doc said "See? Sprain!" and that was that, until a few days later. I just
couldn't take it anymore. I returned to the doc, and literally begged, cried, sobbed. He
seemed perturbed, and said he would authorize "One visit ONLY" to an ortho/neuro
facility. The sun was beginning to shine from that day onward. I had a December 3rd
appointment with said facility. They looked at the chiro xrays (which weren't real clear),
took some of their own, and said "You're still working ?" I have 2 fractured
vertebrae (literally cracked and moved away from the rest of everything), and 2 disks that
were completely compressed and torn up. I smiled when he told me because then I knew it
was ok say I hurt. It seems things were deteriorating for a while, and let go one day.
From there it was on to discogram city. I continued to work, cautiously, until surgery
March 3rd as I needed to support my family. The surgery was 9 1/2 hours long, with 1 week
in the hospital, and 3 units of blood put back in. I have my life back to almost normal. I
returned to work on June 28th as a telephone installer/repair person. No more line-work,
too physically demanding with the hardware. I still find it hard to sit for longer than 20
minutes or so, as an ache sets in. And someday I hope to reach my toes without having to
grab anything bolted to the floor to pull on. I am sorry this has been long, I just would
like you to tell people to go with their gut feelings!! If your pain is unbearable to you,
don't be talked out of your convictions. Your back is too important! Not all docs walk on
water, some don't even swim.......and some will believe when they look in your eyes and
see the desperation. That was my ortho/neuro team. I thank goodness for them! Sincerely,
~JEN~
Jen has been kind enough to offer anyone interested to e-mail her..
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