Hi Mary,
Sorry to hear that Joyce is in so much pain. I think
most of us have been there to some degree. There was
something that I think you said a long time ago that I
often think about and that was "surgeons like to do
surgery". Misdiagnosis is a fact of life
unfortunately. I wish her all the best and some relief
in the near future.
James.


--- Mary Smith <filmfest12@...> wrote:

> Our dear friend Joyce in England has been dealing
> with
> a major setback.(Background - She had a L5-S1 fusion
> done due to misdiagnosis & since had hardware
> removed,
> leaving her with chronic scarring. But the fusion
> has
> complicated her Piriformis Syndrome & treatment.)
>
> Since her last posting, she has undergone 2
> injections
> of cortisone under CT guidance at the point where
> the
> piriformis attaches to the sacrum. The first one
> gave her some short relief but the second only
> aggravated the nerves and she had an increase in
> pain
> sensation, tingling, burning, etc. extending down to
> the toes on the left side of my foot.
>
> She flew to Rome in December lying down on 3 seats
> of
> the plane. She came unstuck when she sat on a coach
> for 45 minutes to get into town. The next day, her
> pain was so chronic she ended up getting a lumbar
> MRI
> scan - results were chronic granulomatous tissue of
> a
> scarring nature surrounding the S1 nerve roots.
> Evidence of left laminectomy at site of fusion (Also
> the side her pain is on)
>
> She is now taking Lyrica 150 mg b.d. and says it's
> the
> best medication she has tried.
>
> Back in London, she is debating whether to try the
> Botox injections offered by Pain mgmt team or go for
> Piriformis Release surgery by orthopod.
>
> She also tried Deep Tissue Massage twice, but it
> only
> intensified her pain.
>
> One hospital orthopd staff told her Piriformis
> Syndrome didn't exist. Pain team told her "that
> unless
> I am incontinent or have other severe neurological
> deficit, my case is not considered urgent. I think
> that's pathetic when I have lost my job, am unable
> to
> drive, or sit for any length of time, social life
> gone
> out of the window etc. When the muscles are in
> acute
> spasm, I even have to stand to go for a pee!!"
>
> She is at the end of her tether.
>
> Most of us have been there and can relate to her
> frustration & constant pain. We are thinking of her
> and wishing her the best possible outcome.
>
>
>
>
>
________________________________________________________________________________\
____
> Need Mail bonding?
> Go to the Yahoo! Mail Q&A for great tips from Yahoo!
> Answers users.
>
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396546091
>




________________________________________________________________________________\
____
TV dinner still cooling?
Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV.
http://tv.yahoo.com/