Post by shellylats on Aug 6, 2011 1:18:24 GMT -6
Here's my story. Seems to me the tumor had been growing for at least six years.
I woke up one morning when I was 30 with debilitating lower back pain, no event that would have triggered it, and it lasted about six weeks. Of course I was blown off by my doctor and told that so many millions of people have back pain, go home and take ibuprofen (which didn't help). I did see a spinal specialist after the pain continued for weeks and he also blew me off and said he could order an MRI but said it wouldn't show anything. I chose not to do the MRI since he didn't seem to think it would help.
The pain eventually went away, but seemed to come back at least once a year and last six weeks or so. When I was 35, the pain came on and never left. I was in excruciating pain for almost two years. I was taking muscle relaxers, prescription pain meds, about 30 ibuprofen a day, seeing a chiropractor and physical therapist. None of it touched my pain. I was also taking anti-anxiety meds because I was having panic attacks from the pain and lack of sleep.
Then one day, I was assisting my special needs son off the bus, and I fell in the street out of nowhere. I could not stand up on my own and the bus driver had to help me up. I knew something was wrong, called my husband to come home, and went straight to the doctor.
He sent me to the hospital and ordered an MRI. The doctor asked me to wait in the radiology waiting room for the results in case I had to be admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery (assuming I had a herniated disc pinching nerves). He called the front desk and told me over the phone that I had a tumor in my spinal cord at T12-L2, about the size of a roll of quarters.
My doctor in Fort Collins called around and found a specialist at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver who could help me. The next day I met with Dr. Witt and he scheduled surgery the next morning on Oct 22, 2010.
The seven-hour surgery went fine and they were able to remove most of the tumor, except small portions were not removed because of nerve involvement. I woke up in recovery laughing and swearing up and down that someone was singing Apple Bottom Jeans. The nurses had a good laugh.
Recovery was quick and I was out of the hospital in about five days. I was determined to be back at home with my boys.
I did have 28 treatments of radiation (TomoTherapy) with Dr. Chen at the University of Colorado Hospital. The only symptom I had from radiation was nausea and fatigue, and the hour drive one way every day for five weeks was pretty brutal.
The last MRI I had in April 2011 showed spinal fluid build up where the tumor once was. I was concerned about the fluid and was having some pain again, so I made an appointment with Dr. Witt (neurosurgeon). He informed me that the fluid was pushing on some nerves, but he didn't want to remove the fluid because of risk of infection.
Now I'm having lower back and hip pain, muscle spasms, and back weakness. The pain is manageable but annoying. I am having weird "popping" at the surgery site when I move around. It's not the vertebrae popping, it's more like a popping sensation. Very strange and something I've never experienced. Could it be scar tissue? I guess it's time to make another appointment.
Some days I feel like I will never be the same physically. I feel weak and like days of whitewater rafting and vigorous hiking and biking are over. It can be depressing, but I'm thankful that I'm not in the kind of pain I was in before, and so far my tumor is gone. I realize many have suffered a lot more than I have. Through all this, I try to keep a positive, happy outlook on my life.
Thanks to everyone who have shared their story. It really helps me feel like I'm not alone.
I woke up one morning when I was 30 with debilitating lower back pain, no event that would have triggered it, and it lasted about six weeks. Of course I was blown off by my doctor and told that so many millions of people have back pain, go home and take ibuprofen (which didn't help). I did see a spinal specialist after the pain continued for weeks and he also blew me off and said he could order an MRI but said it wouldn't show anything. I chose not to do the MRI since he didn't seem to think it would help.
The pain eventually went away, but seemed to come back at least once a year and last six weeks or so. When I was 35, the pain came on and never left. I was in excruciating pain for almost two years. I was taking muscle relaxers, prescription pain meds, about 30 ibuprofen a day, seeing a chiropractor and physical therapist. None of it touched my pain. I was also taking anti-anxiety meds because I was having panic attacks from the pain and lack of sleep.
Then one day, I was assisting my special needs son off the bus, and I fell in the street out of nowhere. I could not stand up on my own and the bus driver had to help me up. I knew something was wrong, called my husband to come home, and went straight to the doctor.
He sent me to the hospital and ordered an MRI. The doctor asked me to wait in the radiology waiting room for the results in case I had to be admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery (assuming I had a herniated disc pinching nerves). He called the front desk and told me over the phone that I had a tumor in my spinal cord at T12-L2, about the size of a roll of quarters.
My doctor in Fort Collins called around and found a specialist at University of Colorado Hospital in Denver who could help me. The next day I met with Dr. Witt and he scheduled surgery the next morning on Oct 22, 2010.
The seven-hour surgery went fine and they were able to remove most of the tumor, except small portions were not removed because of nerve involvement. I woke up in recovery laughing and swearing up and down that someone was singing Apple Bottom Jeans. The nurses had a good laugh.
Recovery was quick and I was out of the hospital in about five days. I was determined to be back at home with my boys.
I did have 28 treatments of radiation (TomoTherapy) with Dr. Chen at the University of Colorado Hospital. The only symptom I had from radiation was nausea and fatigue, and the hour drive one way every day for five weeks was pretty brutal.
The last MRI I had in April 2011 showed spinal fluid build up where the tumor once was. I was concerned about the fluid and was having some pain again, so I made an appointment with Dr. Witt (neurosurgeon). He informed me that the fluid was pushing on some nerves, but he didn't want to remove the fluid because of risk of infection.
Now I'm having lower back and hip pain, muscle spasms, and back weakness. The pain is manageable but annoying. I am having weird "popping" at the surgery site when I move around. It's not the vertebrae popping, it's more like a popping sensation. Very strange and something I've never experienced. Could it be scar tissue? I guess it's time to make another appointment.
Some days I feel like I will never be the same physically. I feel weak and like days of whitewater rafting and vigorous hiking and biking are over. It can be depressing, but I'm thankful that I'm not in the kind of pain I was in before, and so far my tumor is gone. I realize many have suffered a lot more than I have. Through all this, I try to keep a positive, happy outlook on my life.
Thanks to everyone who have shared their story. It really helps me feel like I'm not alone.