Hi everyone - This is my second post to the forum, last year I tried posting about my scoliosis while doing imaging tests and they found a tumor, which of course threw everyone's thinking off, and I bailed on the forum thinking my problem was something completely different, only to find out in subsequent testing that there is no tumor. I repeat, there is no tumor.
So, now I'm going over the findings with a new perspective.
Here's the deal, short and sweet - T/L scoliosis, diagnosed at like 10 or 12 or whenever, 36 degrees at L2, 17 at T9-10. Twisting, of course. Broad based disc bulge in combination with facet arthropathy (osteoarthritis) in L4-5 and L5-S1, both causing "mild to moderate" spinal stenosis. Osteoarthritis of the sacroiliac joint the osteophyte formation and subchondral degeneration (ie, osteoarthritis). Also, although I didn't get imaging, I suspect osteoarthritis in the left knee as well.
So, you know, mild-moderate scoliosis combined with lumbar disc damage and arthritis.
I'm 32.
So here's the deal. Of course, no surgery. I've done PT for years, I've never seen improvement. I live in Montana, and my surgeon basically says two words to me and walks out of the room. He offered to do a cortisone shot (haven't decided on it yet), I tried Gabapentin for about 6 months which helped calm the sciatic but also made me into a zombie, now I take meloxicam and a sleeping pill daily. I use the capsaicin daily as well, which I really, really, really appreciate and recommend. I have low back pain, sciatic pain in bursts (like for a few weeks and then not for a few weeks), and a pain limit of about 2 hours in a chair. More of less depending on the quality of the chair and you know, the alignment of the stars of some such baloney (that's mean, if you can cure me with the stars, I'll take it). Left leg numbness in a patch from hip to knee. Can walk up one flight of stairs most days, two if I take a break and let the pain subside a couple times on the way up. I work out almost every day, but what I can do each day varies. Sometimes I can run 10 miles on the elliptical, sometimes I can just get through the basic scoliosis stretching and call it a day.
Because I live in Montana, there are no approved doctors here. I can fly to Portland for $120, round trip, and see an approved specialist there, which my primary doctor recommends, but I'm just not sure if there's anything to gain. Like most of you, I can work only certain jobs (standing) for limited amounts of time and $120 plus a room to sleep in plus food is not an insignificant portion of my income. I'm a librarian and a waitress. Don't get mad, I find that serving is a mentally distracting pastime that gets me moving and I practice NO BENDING! at work at all times. It is less painful then sitting in a chair.
Given this information, what would you do? I can continue to manage it with meds and exercise and occasional complete mental breakdowns, I can try the cortisone shot (I had one in my foot once, it was terrifying, I'm not champing at the bit on that idea), or I can fly to Portlandia and seek a second opinion - with possibly nothing to gain (also consider even if he tells me to do more PT, I only have the PT's here in Montana to choose from, none of which are Schroth or SEAS or any other method trained and all of which are too busy to even look at my imaging). Would that doctor give me any other options? Have any of you tried other non-surgical methods that you recommend? What is the deal with the disc bulging and stenosis, is that like, a forever problem that I just deal with? Does disc "bulge" mean it's eventually going to rupture? (I would ask my doctor those questions but he just walks out of the room). FYI - there is only one spine specialist in my town, the closest town to me that has another is an hour and a half drive, each way, so really the next best option is Portland.
I've read the adult bracing threads, I used to think I wanted to try it but to relieve the arthritis pain, I need to move. To let it stiffen, and the just allow movement occasionally, that's terrible. I don't think it's something I want to try.
Thanks for reading - I hate posting to medical forums, I feel like you poor people don't need to read another persons sob story of pain and suffering. But I also wonder if you don't have advice as well. Can't know unless I try.
Miss Masha, the limping librarian.
So, now I'm going over the findings with a new perspective.
Here's the deal, short and sweet - T/L scoliosis, diagnosed at like 10 or 12 or whenever, 36 degrees at L2, 17 at T9-10. Twisting, of course. Broad based disc bulge in combination with facet arthropathy (osteoarthritis) in L4-5 and L5-S1, both causing "mild to moderate" spinal stenosis. Osteoarthritis of the sacroiliac joint the osteophyte formation and subchondral degeneration (ie, osteoarthritis). Also, although I didn't get imaging, I suspect osteoarthritis in the left knee as well.
So, you know, mild-moderate scoliosis combined with lumbar disc damage and arthritis.
I'm 32.
So here's the deal. Of course, no surgery. I've done PT for years, I've never seen improvement. I live in Montana, and my surgeon basically says two words to me and walks out of the room. He offered to do a cortisone shot (haven't decided on it yet), I tried Gabapentin for about 6 months which helped calm the sciatic but also made me into a zombie, now I take meloxicam and a sleeping pill daily. I use the capsaicin daily as well, which I really, really, really appreciate and recommend. I have low back pain, sciatic pain in bursts (like for a few weeks and then not for a few weeks), and a pain limit of about 2 hours in a chair. More of less depending on the quality of the chair and you know, the alignment of the stars of some such baloney (that's mean, if you can cure me with the stars, I'll take it). Left leg numbness in a patch from hip to knee. Can walk up one flight of stairs most days, two if I take a break and let the pain subside a couple times on the way up. I work out almost every day, but what I can do each day varies. Sometimes I can run 10 miles on the elliptical, sometimes I can just get through the basic scoliosis stretching and call it a day.
Because I live in Montana, there are no approved doctors here. I can fly to Portland for $120, round trip, and see an approved specialist there, which my primary doctor recommends, but I'm just not sure if there's anything to gain. Like most of you, I can work only certain jobs (standing) for limited amounts of time and $120 plus a room to sleep in plus food is not an insignificant portion of my income. I'm a librarian and a waitress. Don't get mad, I find that serving is a mentally distracting pastime that gets me moving and I practice NO BENDING! at work at all times. It is less painful then sitting in a chair.
Given this information, what would you do? I can continue to manage it with meds and exercise and occasional complete mental breakdowns, I can try the cortisone shot (I had one in my foot once, it was terrifying, I'm not champing at the bit on that idea), or I can fly to Portlandia and seek a second opinion - with possibly nothing to gain (also consider even if he tells me to do more PT, I only have the PT's here in Montana to choose from, none of which are Schroth or SEAS or any other method trained and all of which are too busy to even look at my imaging). Would that doctor give me any other options? Have any of you tried other non-surgical methods that you recommend? What is the deal with the disc bulging and stenosis, is that like, a forever problem that I just deal with? Does disc "bulge" mean it's eventually going to rupture? (I would ask my doctor those questions but he just walks out of the room). FYI - there is only one spine specialist in my town, the closest town to me that has another is an hour and a half drive, each way, so really the next best option is Portland.
I've read the adult bracing threads, I used to think I wanted to try it but to relieve the arthritis pain, I need to move. To let it stiffen, and the just allow movement occasionally, that's terrible. I don't think it's something I want to try.
Thanks for reading - I hate posting to medical forums, I feel like you poor people don't need to read another persons sob story of pain and suffering. But I also wonder if you don't have advice as well. Can't know unless I try.
Miss Masha, the limping librarian.
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