June of 1995, slipped down the hill caring 5 gallon water buckets and injured my back. Two days later I ended up in a MRI with them injecting die into my arm. They pulled me out and I was transported by ambulance to a bigger hospital for emergency surgery. The doctor saw the films and decided it was to swollen in there to operate and put me on steroids for two days to get the swelling down. After that he did a bi-lateral laminectomy of L5-S1. I was in the hospital for over two weeks. Recovery was long. After about a year and a half I was feeling allot better and decided to start working with my sister in a dental lab. That went well for almost a year and then I reinjured my back again. That was in April of 1997. I went through numerous therapies and tests until the last one, the disco gram!!!! Surgery was then set for Feb. 5 of 1998. Spinal fusion of L5-S1. The doctor went through my abdomen and used cadaver bones and grafted my hip bone to fuse my spine. All went well for a little while, well except for the fact that while working at the dental office I developed a Latex allergy, which in turn made my surgery and stay at the hospital a total nightmare. Not only for me but for them too. After I was out, I had therapy and such and then developed a lump in my left side where the incision was. My now flat tummy was looking like I was about 4 months pregnant. I went back to the ortho and he said that I had an incisonal hernia. They scheduled another surgery for Nov. of 98 to fix it. My back was still so so but I was doing a lot better than before. Off again for surgery, and the hospital and I was not looking forward to it with my latex allergy and all. Got that over with and still the fat belly. Well over months it got bigger and I started having a lot of pain in it and my back was killing me. Decided in June of 99 to go to another doctor. A plastic surgeon this time and didn't care what the cost was, I wanted my belly back and the pain gone. He informed me that the hernia had re-ruputered and I needed surgery again plus he would reconstruct my abdomen that the other doctor so kindly wrecked in the process of the fusion and then the hernia.
Went in for that on July 26 of 1999. That was a major surgery. They wouldn't even leave me in the hospital because the latex allergy by now was so bad that I stop breathing if I come in contact with it. The more you are exposed the worse it gets. Well when I got out of the hospital I had a drainage tube in my stomach for 2 weeks and a 16 inch scar along my abdomen but, my hernia now had a mesh basket in it and my stomach was reconstructed. Flat again and the insurance company paid for it all due to it being a fault of the surgery, and in my eyes the surgeon. And in
Feb. of 99 I forgot to mention that my back gave way one day and I feel flat on my face. My knee was killing me afterwards and I couldn't walk on it for 1 week. My doctor ordered a MRI of the knee and bingo in the hospital again for a ACL repair.... On crutches for 3 weeks and then therapy. Just a added bonus to things that happen to me...

Well ever since the July surgery of the abdomen, I have been going down hill with the back. I went in for another MRI and they said the scar tissue is wrapped around the S-1 nerve root and causing a lot of pain and the disc is bulging really badly. One doc says surgery again and another says no.. I say no way... So I am going to the pain clinic and going to get my first treatment on Jan. 7, with the X-ray thingy and injecting and moving the scar tissue around to give me relief. Something like that they are doing and I am also on Oxycontin 30 mg twice daily, which is working wonders and I don't think I could function without it. Then I went for a bone density test of my back and they just found out that I have Osteoporosis of the spine. I start treatment for that this Thursday.. My life has been one thing after another.

Just before all of the back stuff started, I had my tubes tied and not even a year later I got pregnant and they thought I had a bleeding ulcer. Took me in to the hospital and found out i was pregnant in the tubes and that it ruptured and if they didn't do surgery I would die. I was bleeding internally. Once the surgery was over, the doctor said that
i only had about 10 minutes and I would of been dead.. This was not even a year before my back problems started. Also not to mention the tonsils and adenoids, tubes in the ears when i was little and a breast tumor that was not cancerous at age thirteen, the list goes on and on. Its no wonder I have problems.... ha ha.. I think I could write a book.. I know I have told you about me but I don't think that I had gotten into as much detail. Just thought you might like to add my story to the stories. It sure is an interesting one..

Take care and hope to chat with you soon..
LOVE, Kari

Kari has been kind enough to offer anyone interested to e-mail her..

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