Compression Fracture of "L3"

[margeleept]

Yes, PT is physical therapist. What do you mean by the "kypho thing?" Kyphoplasty? That is the surgery/cement procedure. I'm curious if you mean some kind of bracing? I've never heard of the vertebrae regaining its normal height except from the surgery, but there are new things out there all the time.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

He thinks I might have osteoporosis--

Hope you like sardines. Luckily I love the small bristling sardines from Norway.

[mbbear]

Gosh Kai I’m sorry to hear this. Sending you best wishes for a quick recovery and ability to get back on the road!! Sincerely, Michael Barber

[Steve Outlaw]

Originally Posted by rgrugg

My wife had a vetebra fracture and it was glued back together with bone cement. A friend has had several glued back together. Nearly instant relief. Ask your doc about it. I suppose there could be something that would preclude doing that but it could be worth asking about,

The procedure you are describing sounds like either vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. They both use injected methymethacrylate as the “glue” albeit using different methods of application. A successful procedure does give virtually instant relief.

[Kai in Seattle]

Marge--I just couldn't think of the word for a bit. Yes, it's kyphoplasty. Vertebroplasty.


I'll see the surgeon's office Tuesday. Started physical therapy yesterday. It has given me hope and hours and hours of spasms.

I find myself longing for the open road and quiet nights in Peanut. I think it's gonna be a long, long time.


Thanks, all, for your support!
It's a real rough patch.

Kathleen

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by Kai in Seattle

I'll see the surgeon's office Tuesday. Started physical therapy yesterday. It has given me hope and hours and hours of spasms.

If you're really getting "hours and hours" of spasms I'd recommend cutting back a bit on what you're doing. A little pain for a short time afterward, maybe 3/10, is OK, but if you're in agony then your body is telling you it's too much. And no matter what the physical therapy, your fracture still needs to heal! Hang in there. Surgeons are really booked but it's worth the wait!

[Jennifer Minogue]

It's called vertoplasty. They can also expand the vertebra with a balloon before adding the glue. That's called kyphoplasty. The procedure is done by an "interventional radiologist" . Lots on the internet. Hope you are better soon.

[Ang. in Racine]

Hello Kai,

The procedure some are referring to is called a Kyphoplasty. As a surgical X-ray Tech. I've seen/participated in several of these surgeries. The surgical cement is injected into the vertebra to stabilize, and build up the bone. Google it...takes about an hour, start to finish.

May you have a speedy recovery.

Ang

[k corbin]

Heal quickly. What has happened to you is of course very stressful and worrying. But you will get good medical help for this in Seattle and you will come out the other side of it stronger than you were before this incident happened. So stay positive about being out there camping this coming fall. Use it as a goal to motivate you in therapy and in following the doctor's orders.

[Kai in Seattle]

ang, kcorbin, all, thanks so much. I keep fearing they're going to say "no" I kind of thought six hours of agony was a bit much, but what do I know? Glad I'm not alone in thinking that's a lot of pain.

I am making it so far by looking ahead to better times; hard to even believe at some moments that "there's got to be a morning after."

Again, thanks so much. I'll close my eyes and think of Peanut.

Kai
"K"

[Glenn Baglo]

When I fractured my L3 it took weeks to reach the point where my knees didn't buckle when I coughed. I was off work for two or three months ( I forget - was years ago ).
I still eat sardines regularly for the calcium.
Doctors made no mention of surgery or glue.

[k corbin]

Six hours of agony? That's a walk in the park in my bad back experiences. It took more than a year before they did the surgery to remove two disc. Even after that I had a number of episodes that had me down in bed most of the time for months at a time, not able to stand up and walk. I had to crawl into the bathroom. I had to get food left on the bottom shelf of the fridge so I could feed myself when my husband went off to work.

I have no gaps at all left between L4 and L5, it is bone on bone and the facet joints are deteriorated. But that is just the way it is. I live with that knowledge and manage to keep out of major pain.

You will grow into this by learning to deal with it. I had to learn it early as I was only 34 years old when the operation on L4 L5 was done and I am nearly 70 now and nothing has improved, it just keeps on getting worse year by year. If I can do it and still go camping, not just on weekends, but as a full time way of life as well as renovating the trailer, then you can too. You are not yet disabled, you don't have a life threatening illness. You just have a crummy back that you now have to deal with and be more gentle with and that means some healing time and some adaptations in your life. But it is does not mean you can't get out and have fun times in your trailer after some healing time this spring and summer.

If you don't do any weight bearing exercise then you won't keep your back muscles strong. So listen to your therapist and obey. Do your supplements too. Staying active is critical, if you don't use it you will lose your mobility and flexibility. I can still touch my toes, a miracle to be sure but that is because I do stuff like renovating a FGRV that forces me to move all those joints. Fortunately despite the deteriorated bones in my spine I don't have osteoporosis. You can get deterioration from wear and tear. Like my spinal surgeon said in 1983, we all have wear and tear arthritis in our spines and it starts the day we are born. You won't know until you get tested if you do have osteoporosis because spinal deterioration is not always caused by that condition.

[Mitzi Agnew-Giles]

Ms Corbin- I am sorry you are hurting so bad. I do have a suggestion.
I have a bad L2 L3 L4. As well as chronic back pain & sciatica, now aggrevated from upper back pain caused by a displaced C2 from one of many falls this past year (yes, I know. My chiropractor pops it back in when I get too bad)

Multiple short term disabilities- back re-injury is common among nurses.

I didn't go for surgery because I knew too many people who were good for up to 10 years post op and then developed pain just as bad/worse from scar tissue- and I form a LOT of scar tissue. I went to a chiropractor after multiple bouts of PT over the years( I had made fun of people who used chiros for years. Pride goeth and all that) It helped immensely.

1. Measured my feet and custom ordered orthotics.
2. Spinal manipulation. I could feel the displacement for many years it was obvious even without xrays.
3. non invasive laser therapy It was being offered locally by a pain control clinic for $2000 for 20 treatments. The chiro charged $300 for 5 treatments and 25% discount for additional if needed. I had one additional tx just prior to my 2017 long trip.
4. Massage therapy. My masseur has his own business and also subcontracts with the chiro- in fact, this was the one I started first and when I discussed I was at my wits end because the pain was back within 24 hours after the massage he suggested this chiro he worked with. I also had a treatment over C2 last month.
I hope you are able to find something useful from my experience that might help you also.

Kai- I hope you are doing better. You might try medication. Nerve pressure can respond to steroids such as prednisone and Medrol. A dosepak is usually what I tookmyself and asked for doctors to prescribe for my intractably pained Hospice patients 6 pills first day, 5 second etc down to 0. (24 years experience and one of their best teaching nurses and I am not being vain when I say that. Also altho drugs Can and Do help pain, the proper drug is not always an opiod!)

I also had some success using Trilisate- Magnesium Choline Salicylate) every 12 hours routinely- not as needed! It takes less medication to prevent pain than to chase pain! Doan's Pills is the only non prescript NSAID using a close formulation I am aware of. I use Naprosyn now after 4 years of Doans wound up elevating my BP- a long term risk of NSAID therapy.

[U]Thank Goodness for Lidocaine Patchs! [U]Prescrip strength- 5%- was up to $300 a month. I finally went to non-prescript at 4% at $10 for 5. On 12 hours- Off 12 hours. You can cut them in 2-3 pieces and patch where most painful. I use the Aspercream for best adhesion and they have a rollon ointment I can use on my knees, which have started to hurt over the last few months also.

Not to brag but I did myself out of a lots of patients that were bedbound and in severe decline by managing their pain. They found life better and became more outgoing- some even came off Hospice. Even my endstage Alheimers stopped fighting and cooperated with caregivers when given trilisate or motrin twice a day routinely.

Hope some of this is helpful to anyone who needs it. Not to take away from Kai's plans. Would be interested to know how people are doing after kyphoplasty a couple years down the road...

[Kai in Seattle]

Hi, no, surgery has been flat-out refused. Am trying to get an appointment with pain management now. I have a very hard time taking most meds; opioids are definitely off the table. Many meds just give me side effects. I'm also thinking of chiro/massage/whatever.


No quickie surgery solution...I can't even get into our car any more. We're using the "cabulance" for my next doctors' appointments.


When I say 6 hours of pain, that's how long the constant spasms last when I get them...the pain never lets up. As Paul has suggested, if only I had a better attitude about all this, it would be a lot easier. I'm sure he's right.


Thanks, all.

Kathleen
Kai (K).