Susan, I have a call into speak with Dr Lenke, or at least a request.dr Lenke requested I send him a ct and bone scan then I get to,she doesn’t want to see me. Sounds kinda wonky to me!
Susan, I have a call into speak with Dr Lenke, or at least a request.dr Lenke requested I send him a ct and bone scan then I get to,she doesn’t want to see me. Sounds kinda wonky to me!
Rita Thompson
Age 46
Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree
Adult Onset Degen Scoliosis @65, 25* T & 36* L w/ 11.2 cm coronal balance; T kyphosis 90*; Sev disc degen T & L stenosis
2013: T3- S1 Fusion w/ ALIF L4-S1/XLIF L2-4, PSF T4-S1 2 surgeries
2014: Hernia @ ALIF repaired; Emergency screw removal SCI T4,5 sec to PJK
2015: Rev Broken Bil T & L rods and no fusion: 2 revision surgeries; hardware P. Acnes infection
2016: Ant/Lat Lumbar diskectomy w/ 4 cages + BMP + harvested bone
2018: Removal L4,5 screw
2021: Removal T1 screw & rod
I just wish it was that easy.
I’m gonna have to see someone soon because my hands are numb and tingly now..why I’m dropping so many things.
Rita Thompson
Age 46
Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree
That's caused by issues in your neck. Did you tell Dr. Lenke about those symptoms? Tell some doctor. Ed can advise on this.
Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis
No island of sanity.
Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
Answer: Medicine
"We are all African."
It sure does sound like the neck.... The neck affects the arms and the hands. Thumb, index and middle finger numbness is C5-6, C6-7. Herniation's also can protrude left, right, and center. Mine protrude to the left, so my left hand can get tingly and numb on some days. Stenosis in the neck is also problematic. I cant see any scoliosis surgeons not looking at the neck since its part of the spine package. Scoliosis patients have so much on the plate that they might not mention other problems that they see....BTW, your engine needs a complete re-build, AND you need 4 brand new tires. Its hard to reveal that much bad news. I am sure that head shaking and sighs happen after many of us leave the office. There are never any easy answers.
My neck has no spinal deformity at all, yet is a problem. Disc degeneration in the neck (C5-6 C6-7)comes in 2nd place after the lumbar. These stats are for everyone, not just scoliosis patients.
I am not rushing into neck surgery....
These problems that we have sometimes are not easy. Even if you pinpoint a pain producer, there is this element of risk that needs careful consideration. Not finding any pain producers makes it that more difficult.....but people will travel to seek out experts and not just having to do with spine. There is always hope that someone else will think differently and look with new and different diagnostics. Its important that diagnostic equipment manufacturing companies continue on with new imaging technology. Larger well known scoliosis training centers and specialty hospitals are the best chance that new technology is being explored. I am a strong believer in new technology and devices.
Rushing into surgery as adults is never something to take with a grain of salt. Scoliosis revision patients are the bravest people on the planet....the thing is that the odds of complication increase every time you go under the knife.
If you want to get struck by lightning, go hang out on a Florida golf course, but you will never get that hole in one if you don't try.
Ed
49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=
My x-rays
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258
And,sometimes we don’t have a choice. I know something is not right. I should not be in this much pain all day every day.
pS Ed, I didn’t receive your last message. All I got was a blank page.
Rita Thompson
Age 46
Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree
I have just tonite read all the followups on this thread. You guys are ALL the best. Because as I lay I on my bed dying in pain because I’ve been determined to do something that turned out to be too much for me, I think of all you guys giving me hope that one day, someday, I won’t be in all this pain every day. Some days it realily feels like this might be the time it literally never lets up. AS I continue working full time, I feel this pain every day all day.i come home from work, lay down for awhile before I do anything more...sometimes I fall asleep and then it turns into couple hours or more. For starters, im going to contact Twin Cities Scoliosis Ctr with my copies of my ct scan, bone scan and plain films. See what they say anyways. I can’t keep this up the way I’m going.i will for sure keep you all posted, of course.
Rita Thompson
Age 46
Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree
Hi Rita...
I could have written this. Prior to my first scoliosis surgery at age 42, I had a tremendous amount of pain. Thankfully, I was self-employed, so I could lay down in the late afternoon to relieve the muscle pain. It was the only way I could get through making dinner.
Although I tried a lot of different therapies, I look back now and wish I had found a good physical therapist to see if there was something more I could have done to avoid that surgery. I don't think PT works for everyone, but it works for a lot of people. I think the keys are 1) finding a good therapist, 2) making sure you're doing the exercises correctly, and most importantly, 3) being religious about doing the exercises every day.
--Linda
Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation
Hi, Rita. I am so sorry you are living in so much pain. I hope you can find some answers soon.
I had my surgery 3 years ago at Twin Cities Spine Center. My surgeon was Dr. Joseph Perra. He gave me my life back. I really like him as a surgeon, but also as a person. Anyway, I'm sure they are all good at that facility. Please keep us posted on what they tell you.
Kathy
Decompression surgery L4/L5
April 3, 2015
Twin Cities Spine Center - Dr. Joseph Perra
Fused from T11 - Sacrum anterior/posterior
June 24, 2016 - 55 years old at surgery
Twin Cities Spine Center - Dr. Joseph Perra
Before Surgery: 42 degrees lumbar, 28 degrees thoracic
After Surgery: 10 degrees lumbar, ?? Thoracic
2 inches taller
Oh Kathy,
I cannot tell you how bad the pain is! I just can bearly make it. The pain is so bad and just disabling. I’m almost to the point I can’t stand it. I’m missing work. I come home from work and straight to bed. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone! I just don’t know where to turn! I try to get ahold of Dr Lenke since he did my first surgery but no one returns my call. I’m soooo frustrated!
Rita Thompson
Age 46
Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree
That is really tough. It does seem if someone should return your call. Maybe it is time to move to a different doctor. Keep trying. It won't move quickly but try at a larger teaching hospital. Where do you live?
T10-pelvis fusion 12/08
C5,6,7 fusion 9/10
T2--T10 fusion 2/11
C 4-5 fusion 11/14
Right scapulectomy 6/15
Right pectoralis major muscle transfer to scapula
To replace the action of Serratus Anterior muscle 3/16
Broken neck 9/28/2018
Emergency surgery posterior fusion C4- T3
Repeated 11/2018 because rods pulled apart added T2 fusion
Removal of partial right thoracic hardware 1/2020
Removal and replacement of C4-T10 hardware with C7 and T 1
Osteotomy
I haven’t posted on here for a while. Extremely frustrated and in horrible pain! Been to pain management, can’t do anything, just give me more drugs. I’ve contacted Dr Lenke. He told me I needed to contact Dr Gupta in St Louis. Not doing that. Almost didn’t survive last sx he did. Not sure what to do. Mayos wont see me. Almost to the point I can’t sit to work. I have no sl left. Seeing pain mgt again on fri. Cannot keep living this way. Can’t do anything.
Rita Thompson
Age 46
Milwaukee Brace wearer for 3 years in childhood
Surgery Mar 1st - 95 degree thoracic curve
Surgery by Dr. Lenke, St. Louis, MO
Post-surgery curve 25-30 degree
Rita
Another option is ketamine infusion for pain.
Dr Joshi in Chicago.
http://www.nationalpain.com/dr-jay-joshi
You sit in a recliner and they hook up an IV and infuse ketamine. It dulls the pain receptors in the brain....
Ed
49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=
My x-rays
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258
I would really consider the ketamine infusions. That drug was used during my last surgery as part of anesthesia , it has the property to leave you feeling out of pain and very peaceful. It lasted for a long time. No other effects.
T10-pelvis fusion 12/08
C5,6,7 fusion 9/10
T2--T10 fusion 2/11
C 4-5 fusion 11/14
Right scapulectomy 6/15
Right pectoralis major muscle transfer to scapula
To replace the action of Serratus Anterior muscle 3/16
Broken neck 9/28/2018
Emergency surgery posterior fusion C4- T3
Repeated 11/2018 because rods pulled apart added T2 fusion
Removal of partial right thoracic hardware 1/2020
Removal and replacement of C4-T10 hardware with C7 and T 1
Osteotomy