Re: Follow up visit with OS today
Hi All. Okay... more news. I had my appointment with the spine specialist today. He went over my CT results and my EMG/nerve studies, as well as calling for a copy of my OR notes and going over them as well. He believes that all my issues are not from the tourniquet, but from the spinal epidural. He explained to me and showed me on a model, where the nerve studies showed the problem to be and it was about the tourniquet. I was actually a bit relieved about this because it means the error was NOT my surgeons (I really like the guy!).
Before he can say with absolute certainty that the spinal is the cause, he needs to rule out any problems with the discs, pinched nerve, etc. Therefore he is ordering a CT myelogram and an ultrasound of the pelvis for next week. (I am unable to have MRIs due to a pain management device I have implanted in my occipital nerves)
The CT scan of the spine which was done last week did not show any significant abnormalities. The spine surgeon's concern is that because I was 8 weeks s/p my TKR when I had the CT performed, that any damage that may have been done during the epidural (he mentioned several things which I of course cannot remember now except something about a possible bleed around a nerve or something??) was done, left behind the damage (ie the femoral nerve damage, the quad damage, my inability to lift my leg or bend it, the bladder abnormalities,etc) and has already healed - therefore it wouldn't show on any imaging. So the way to find out what went/is wrong... is to eliminate other issues.
So I now find myself turning to all of you. I've heard myelograms are not fun. My spine doctor even said to me today that he would do everything in his power to keep me from having to undergo this test as he feels I have been through so much already. But alas, he called a couple hours after I left his office, having had conference calls with the physiologist who did the EMG/nerve studies and my OS, and here I am. I told him that I didn't think ANYTHING on this great earth could be as painful as the EMG/NCS. He then proceeded to tell me with a smile, "that I got a special test". Lucky me, huh?? He said that EMGs are seldom done to the groin area (multiple times I might add!), but that in my case, the test results warranted it. He then said that the myelogram consisted of a long thicker needle into the spine. (No way in hell I'm going back to the same hospital and possibly having the same anesthesiologist take a poke at my back again). He said it would be fun, but he knows all I've been through (he's the surgeon who did both of my cervical spine surgeries) and he knows I can handle it.
When I talked to him about the possibilities of MUA or of surgery because of the kneecap... he said those are waaaaay off in the future and that we need to deal with the much bigger problems at hand. He also mentioned that he thought there was a smaller window of time to have a manipulation when its muscle and nerve damage keeping the leg from bending as opposed to the bending not happening because of lesions (although he says I probably have those too). I look to Jo and Jamie for your thoughts on this.
So that's the update. I'll know more next week. I haven't even talked to my spine doctor about what it "all" means in the end, or if anything has really even changed, except having some answers. Thanks again for "listening".... it's so therapeutic just to get the words down on paper.
~Jill
There appears to be very little doubt that my issues are related to the epidural
United States
