Post by BeagleNo.1 on Aug 24, 2014 2:50:28 GMT -6
Hi There, I have just had a Schwannoma at T12 removed (30.7.14) after 3 years of strange senations and electric shock like pain every time i sneezed or jolted or coughed (presenting in my hip). Prior to surgery I'd experienced more pain in my legs when laying or sitting down... Pins and needles, numbness and pain when walking immediately after rising). My diagnosis of the tunor was quite by accident as i was being treated for the nerve pain in my hip by physios and "my back went" - I've a history of lower lumber back pain and finally was getting some physiotherapy on the NHS (I'm in UK). Fortunately for me the physio treating me, after unsuccessful attempts to induce the pain in my hip to find its trigger, and my back going, inroduced me to specialist spinal physio.. He helped with the lower back probelm but was unhappy that he wasn't able to find the root cause of the hip electric shock type pain I was constantly complaininig of. After 8 months of physiotherapy he finally got me the MRI.
I had the MRI on my lower lumber spine area, 4 days after the scan the Dr phoned me and said they'd seen an abnormality in the spinal cord and neeeded me back to do another scan of my full spine with dye. This took a couple of weeks to organise and in that time I'd been referred by telephone to a specialist Neurological Centre and an appointment booked for 20 June to deliver results by the Neuro surgeon/consultant. My tumor was the size of a large grape and he said that it couldnt stay in as i was already displaying the signs of significant spinal cord compression.
All this was very hard to digest but I'm now nearly 4 weeks post op. The op was 100% successful in removing the tumor, it even had an attachment that was growing which didnt show on the MRI. I spent 11 days in hospital, longer than anticipated as i lost a lot of spinal fluid in the operation and through the drain in the days after. I was on bed rest the whole time because of thiz and i had the most phenomenal headache imaginable. After 7 days the catheter was removed and i was allowed up to walk to the toilet and eat only.
I then noticed the numbness around my hip/buttock area on my left side and the same numbness towards my front pubic region. Apparently this will be permanent as they had to cut the nerve, which they said was spent anyway because of thr tumor growth. I'm managing to walk a small distance each day, slowmey for around 10/15 mins but this is building gradually. Thank goodness the headache has now subsided, only when i cough or bend down to i feel the awful immediate pressure it brings but then it goes.
I appear to have developed stranvs pains that run from my groin area down to my thighs. I'm wondering whether this is quite a normal process to go through as the body heals in the nerve department or whether I'veover done the walking ir what? I ccan't seem to slepp on my sides any more and sleeping on my back is now my only option.. Although not ideal as it does put pressure on my scar area. I am awaiting my 6 week check up but finding it hard to work out what level of pain i should have now, what exercise i should be doing and what i shouldnt be doing. I'm only taking paracetamol when i feel i need it as the codeine provided, should i need it, stuffs me up, that presents a whole different set of problems as i have Crohns Disease! I was discharfed with a small booklet of exercises to do, which i can manage. Its the new leg pains that worry me. Ice seems to help take it off slightly.
T11/T12 INTRADURALEXTRAMEDULLARY CYSTIC MASS
I had the MRI on my lower lumber spine area, 4 days after the scan the Dr phoned me and said they'd seen an abnormality in the spinal cord and neeeded me back to do another scan of my full spine with dye. This took a couple of weeks to organise and in that time I'd been referred by telephone to a specialist Neurological Centre and an appointment booked for 20 June to deliver results by the Neuro surgeon/consultant. My tumor was the size of a large grape and he said that it couldnt stay in as i was already displaying the signs of significant spinal cord compression.
All this was very hard to digest but I'm now nearly 4 weeks post op. The op was 100% successful in removing the tumor, it even had an attachment that was growing which didnt show on the MRI. I spent 11 days in hospital, longer than anticipated as i lost a lot of spinal fluid in the operation and through the drain in the days after. I was on bed rest the whole time because of thiz and i had the most phenomenal headache imaginable. After 7 days the catheter was removed and i was allowed up to walk to the toilet and eat only.
I then noticed the numbness around my hip/buttock area on my left side and the same numbness towards my front pubic region. Apparently this will be permanent as they had to cut the nerve, which they said was spent anyway because of thr tumor growth. I'm managing to walk a small distance each day, slowmey for around 10/15 mins but this is building gradually. Thank goodness the headache has now subsided, only when i cough or bend down to i feel the awful immediate pressure it brings but then it goes.
I appear to have developed stranvs pains that run from my groin area down to my thighs. I'm wondering whether this is quite a normal process to go through as the body heals in the nerve department or whether I'veover done the walking ir what? I ccan't seem to slepp on my sides any more and sleeping on my back is now my only option.. Although not ideal as it does put pressure on my scar area. I am awaiting my 6 week check up but finding it hard to work out what level of pain i should have now, what exercise i should be doing and what i shouldnt be doing. I'm only taking paracetamol when i feel i need it as the codeine provided, should i need it, stuffs me up, that presents a whole different set of problems as i have Crohns Disease! I was discharfed with a small booklet of exercises to do, which i can manage. Its the new leg pains that worry me. Ice seems to help take it off slightly.
T11/T12 INTRADURALEXTRAMEDULLARY CYSTIC MASS