Severe OA, Spinal Stenosis and sciatica in lower back

Up until a month before surgery (which will be this Monday), I was taking an NSAID called Meloxicam for osteo-arthritis and stenosis of the lower spine, and severe attendant pain in my legs when walking or standing.  My doctor's orders were to go off of all NSAID drugs by then.  Since I've been off the drugs, the pain has gotten unbearalbe, and I've been reduced to using the handicapped carts to do my grocery shopping, getting a handicapped placard for my car, and taking Vicodin for the pain.  Is there ANYTHING you can take for your OA after the surgery?  If not, then I'll have to go the route of pain management injections - epidurals - into the spine.... which really freaks me out.  I had two giant babies without any anesthesia at all because I hated the idea of a needle in my back...

Hey dumplin! Ditto Ditto Ditto!
I am so fricken freaked out I don't know if I am comin or goin. I really don't spill a lot of my personal private dirty laundry about me and my woes but ............ My Body Is A Mess! lol Seriously........I have DDD,Degenerative Disc Disease, Spondylolisthesis,Myleopathy,Lumbar and Thoracic Instability,Retrolisthesis,Spinal Stenosis,An anterior Hemangioma Mass, OsteoArthritis,Radiculapathy,Facet arthropathy all added with still healing from my most recent surgery of Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Fixation L4/L5 and Discectomy with a Lumbar Decompressive Laminectomy! Wheeeewh.........Like I said.....a mess.
I don't tell folks all this cause then they just feel sorry for you and they don't ever ask you to do anything or go anywhere.
Now....I TOO HAVE BEEN TOLD TO STOP ALL THE NSAIDS etc........
So I repeat....Ditto! What ARE we supposed to do.?????????????
I am goin Monday at 1pm for a Dex shot because I can barely sit here and type! I have all the big gun drugs but who the hell wants to walk around doing the zombie shuffle?
Not to mention that if the Narc's upset my tummy now.....after the RNY they surely will!
I have been avoiding these boards the last few days because I hurt so badly. I have a high pain tolerence but it's off the charts right now.
I want you to know I have been thinkin bout ya and your big day Monday. Try to not freak out this weekend.!!
Take care.....
Renee

Wow, Renee!!!  You used most of the words the doctor used when explaining to me what's wrong with my back....about the only three he didn't use were Thoracic Instability, Retrolisthesis, and the anterior Hemangioma Mass.  And, he said that a fusion and decompression are definitely on my horizon.  Not looking forward to that.... but I found out last week that about 10 years ago, while my dad and I were estranged, HE had that surgery, and he came through it just fine.  I've always taken after him, so maybe it won't be so bad.  Right now, though, I'm just hoping that the RNY will help me take enough weight off that it will remove some of the pressure from my spine, and therefore reduce the  pain.  But in the meantime, as the weight is coming off, I'm thinking pretty seriously that I'm going to have to do the injection sometime shortly after the surgery, as much as the idea of a needle in my back freaks me out.

I am so looking forward to the surgery on Monday.  I start my clear liquid diet tonight - NOW, as a matter of fact.  And I have to take some laxatives over the weekend to clean out my intestinal tract, so, I'll probably be staying close to home.  We're going to make a bunch of one ounce sugar-free jello cups and let them set up, then throw them into gallon ziplocks to have available for when I get home.  I am not nervous, and don't think I'll get that way.  The way I look at it, this is a second chance at life for me, and I'm so excited that I could just shout from the rooftops.  It was really hard not telling anyone at work.... but I have a few co-workers who would definitely have opinions and would not keep them to themselves.  And I didn't want to deal with negativity, or people telling me that I could do this without surgery if I just put my mind to it.  Maybe when the weight begins to fall off, I'll tell them, but until then, it's nobody's business but mine and my family's....

Thanks for your good wishes....   I'll be back online as soon as I can after surgery to let everyone know how it went!

Blessings,
Erica

My doctor had me stop any medication the could increase bleeding, like blood thinner or anything with aspirin prior to my surgery. Are you sure that your doctor wants you off of your pain meds indefinably.  I excited for thate you're having the surgery. 

I'm 47 and I too had the same problems and 2 very bad knees that are bone on bone.  I had my RNY gastric bypass on 11/13/08 and have lost 72 lbs in 4.5 months.  The weight coming off has made a difference.  Not being on the NSAIDS , I was prescribed Norco which is like Lortab - Hyrocodone but with lower dosage of Tylenol.  I  get the epidurals - it only pinches for a few seconds but you get 6 months of relief.  I highly recommend it.


With the extra weight off I can walk a little bit better - not far but I use a cane instead of a walker.
I still use the handicapped carts at the grocery and have the placard.  The pain in my knees is o****il 4 am when it wakes me up and I have to take a pill.   I am down to 3 Norco's a day now.

I do water aerobic exercises in a bariatric exercise program at our local healthplex -- its a gym connected to the hospital.  They have a warm water therapy pool that I can do exercises in too.
This exercise 3 times a week has helped me too.

Life is possible without NSAIDS -- I hope the surgery helps and exercise too.  Follow what the Physical Therapist/Pain Mgmt Doctor tells you - there are some exercises that strengthen those back musles that help with the pain too.

Good luck and give us an update.

Thanks for the advice, Gloria!!  I'll ask my PCP about the Norco.... or maybe my surgeon, I see him today.  I am leaning more and more towards the injection.... not that I want to have it, just that like you, I'm bone on bone in the knees, and almost incapacitated after laying or sitting for any length of time.  That's got to stop.!  However, I DID have a Non-Scale-Victory today!!!  For the first time in years, I was able to apply lotion to my own legs by pulling them up to my chest one at a time.... using both hands to smooth it in.... haven't been able to do that for longer than I can remember!  Yay!!

That's great being able to put lotion on.

My hubby suffers from Spinal Stenosi with Sciatica.  He had a fusion of 2 vertebraes but has nerve pain in h is back that he takes Gabapentin for.   He's also on Norco. 10/325..  He just got approved for SSI. Monday after a 5 year claim and has degenerative disc disease.  He's overweight - about 286 but is trying to lose weight on his own.  He has to use some handicapped devices to help reach areas where he can't bend or twist .  It helps. 

Hi, I've got DDD, sciatic, etc. and have had the epidural several times.  Luckily the last time was a few years ago, haven't had a bad sciatic flare since then.  The shot really isn't that bad, just make sure the dr/anesthesiologist knows what they're doing.  Also I have found that if the dr gives the injection too quickly, it makes me pass out.  They always have me on a bed, but I have to tell them that I might pass out so they can help me lay down.  I only go out for just a few seconds and after it passes the feeling of being pain free is just so wonderful.  The first time I got an epidural I had been in pain for months, used to go off by myself at work and cry, couldn't rest....well, you all know.....but after the first shot and I could not feel the pain anymore, I cried for joy.  Hope all goes well with you.

Thank you Athena....  I have been in su*****redible pain for the past 3 days, that I'm ready for the shot to happen RIGHT NOW.  But I have to make arrangements for it and I am not sure how long that takes.  Besides, the surgeon says to wait until after my 6 week appointment, which will not be until next Wednesday.  I appreciate your info, and will remember to tell them that I might pass out, which is a reality.... because I hate needles and am especially afraid of one in the back....

I just found this part of the website and wish I had found it earlier.  But I think I can help with this question.  I was taking Mexloxicam for years, but it didn't keep the pain down enough for me and I added Arthritis strength Tylenol (or the generic) to it.  That's what really kept my pain down.  I had to stop taking the Meloxicam before my surgery too and I'll never be back on it, but to be honest I can't tell I'm missing the Meloxicam.  I think my pain had been so bad for so long that the Meloxicam wasn't really doing anything for me anyway.  I've been using shopping scooters for years too - I've had a handicapped tag for my car for 10 years or so now.  My knees are bone spurs on bone spurs - I can hardly wait to get enough weight off to have knee replacements.  I would love, love, love to go on a hike or a long walk, but for now I can't do it.

I can stay on my feet longer since I've lost 100 lbs though - if I do too much in a day I pay for it the next day with more pain though so I have to be careful. 

I also have spinal stenosis - my main problem with that is the neuropathy in my feet because of it.  I don't know what my prognosis is with that - I wonder if I'll ever regain the feeling in the bottoms of my feet when I lose more weight.  My hope is that I won't get worse.  My surgeon doesn't know whether this RNY will help with that or not, but I'm hopeful.

Good luck to you!   (Oh, my giant babies were without epidurals too - I had a couple of shots of demerol in my IV when I was desperate.  I wonder how nice it would have been to have had an epidural?  lol)