TC and OTC surgeries and concerns-long

[Guest guest]

Hello friends,

I pray that everyone had a wonderful day. I have some concerns about

Tethered Cord and Occult Tethered Cord surgeries and the amounts being done.

Not

that they are bad things but please let me explain my story.

I had my decompression in September of 07, one week after I finally found

out I had Chiari. My case was a serious case and my NS had done an emergency

surgery. Less that 2 weeks AFTER my brain surgery a man on drugs ran a red

light, hitting us head on. We were actually heading to the hospital due to an

illness I had picked up after surgery. I had severe whiplash, severe

concussion, TBI, herniated disks (Cervical 3 through 7). PTSD was really bad

too. We

also just found out that I broke my back and ruptured L4-5, S1 as well. Nobody

had even caught those on all the scans I had done.

Shortly after the new year I began to have bowel and urinary problems.

Finally the bowel issues were so bad that I kept asking all the doctors

including

my NS if the herniated disks in my upper neck would cause bowel and bladder

issues. They said no. Not to that extent. So in August I had Occult Tethered

Cord surgery after doing the urodynamic testing and a bunch of other

scans.Then 4 days later had a leak, returned to NS and not only had a CSF leak

but

also an infection. SO had another surgery. after about 8 weeks of craziness I

started to feel better and had about a little over a week of good bowel and

bladder function.

Now, as of today, I have been in diapers for quite a while, no control over

my bowels and very little over my bladder. My pain doctor sent me to a Pain

Diagnostic Doctor/Neurologist and they did a whole bunch of tests. I spent 3

days and 3 hours each of those days and one day doing about 2 hours and 15

MRIs, xrays, CT scans. I found out that even though I had OTC and I would have

eventually may have needed the surgery, it was not causing the bladder and

bowel problems. my herniated disks at C-3 throughC-6 are the cause.

My concern is, if any of you have herniated disks in that area, please,

please make sure you have a Diagnostic Pain Doctor run all of their tests on

those disks, even if every doctor has said they are not in bad shape (like mine

did). Make sure you push to look at every angle before jumping into OTC or TC

surgery. Each doctor have their specialties and each one of them do not know

much out of their realm of studies. That surgery is a very serious surgery

and it seems like the new thing and when we are hurting and at the age of 38

dealing with diapers and bowel accident in the middle of church, we want

answers and we want a fix...and now. I am by no means saying that any of these

doctors are doing unnecessary surgeries but when all the fingers point to one

thing then we assume that is the problem without getting second opinions or

seeing the doctors who deal with our nerves and nerve roots. I had scoliosis on

top of everything and so because of that I still needed the OTC surgery, but

not right now.

Now I am going in the next few weeks to get fused at the cervical area as

well as the lower area. Be aware, be your own advocate, make sure to research

every aspect of your condition and if your gut is telling you something is not

right then speak up and make sure you follow through until you feel better

about it. I knew all along because of all the pain that something was wrong

with my back. But I did not push. They are the doctors right? The have the

degree right? But they are humans too and not Gods. There was something wrong

with my back...it had been broken. And thank My Father in heaven it healed

pretty good on its own.

Blessings, Jo

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