Post Microdiscectomy Week 21 Reherniation

Yes, you read the title: reherniation. To be honest I still think I reherniated at week 8 despite being told I hadn't by the neurosurgeon or maybe it was at week 18, who knows?.

But I've been back to the original back consultant, had another MRI and then went back again for a follow up appointment and the leakage is there in black and white.

The MRI wasn't much fun this time, half way through they stopped to inject me with some sort of die that would show up scar tissue but because they were half way through I still couldn't move at all, wow my back was hurting and wowzer the injection hurt but heyho, means to an end.

To recap, my L5-S1 herniation was first seen on an MRI in August 2011.  It was a clear bulge with some leakage.  The second MRI in November 2011 showed a massive herniation and leakage.  The discectomy removes all the leaked disk material to free up the nerves again.

This time the MRI shows that the disk is much thinner, this is because most of the material that was in it had leaked out but there is leakage again and it looks about the size it was on my very first scan, which explains why I have been saying "I feel like I did at the beginning of it all".

Being as the disk is so very thin the consultant is hoping that there is no more that can come out.  That would be good.  I'm to have another root block under x-ray in a few weeks time to try to get on top of the pain and give the swelling a chance again.  If it doesn't work then back to the surgeon I go.

He was still saying the walking I do is good and there is no scar tissue which is very good news.  He said the lack of scar tissue is down to having a very good surgeon and the reherniation is just one of those things, my body is just not healing this disk. It can be caused by just a cough or a sneeze.

The root block under x-ray I had before (September 2011) is one of the most horrid things I've ever had and I'm really not happy about having to go there again, but heyho, means to an end.

And being as my insurance has given up on me, I'm now paying myself to endure this.  Oh joy.


I have created a page of links for my Microdiscectomy posts and other links I have found helpful. You can find it here.
PLEASE FOLLOW THE MEDICAL ADVICE OF YOUR DOCTOR. WE ARE NOT ALL THE SAME.