Fixing Leg Numbness, Back Pain, Flank Pain, Knee Pain, Nerve Pain, Three Unhealthy Surgeries, Part I
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
"I was a professional photographer for over 53 years-freelance-meaning go any place, any where- for many varied clients and I am now 80 years old and retired from photography.
"Much of the time I carried a 40-pound camera bag on my shoulder when climbing a 75 ft radio tower, walking on railroad construction sites or climbing The Great Wall in China.
"When I was at my vacation home, I climbed ladders to paint, replace cedar shingles and install new windows.
"Both my knee joints were replaced (5/93 & 6/01). Sometime in 2003 I was aware of tingling in both of my lower limbs from the knees downward. That started my medical testing with EMG’s, MRI, CT Scan and X-rays. The diagnosis was spinal stenosis caused by age-related changes in my spine. Physical therapy was started and I had an epidural, which helped for about a year. Then a second epidural lasted for only 3 months.
"I had been volunteering in an E.R. for 7 years helping patients and I had to stop as it was impossible to walk or stand on my feet because of the strong tingling in both limbs. Then I was told that spine surgery was the answer, but continue P.T. with some changes of the therapy. So, two years later, with some relief… but not enough to continue, I stopped the P.T., had an MRI scan which showed further degeneration of L4 & L5 with kinking of nerve roots. All along there was a pain in my left flank, but that was overshadowed by the strong tingling in the knees. There had been suspicion of kidney stones or liver function but x-rays & all blood work proved negative. I was hurting more in both knees.
"The spring passed at my vacation home near Barnegat Bay with much pain and with me looking at my kayak that had remained in storage. I called for surgery to be scheduled.
"The lumbar myelogram & CT was done at Pennsylvania Hospital and surgery date was set.
"On March 10,2005 I found the website of Jolie Bookspan and e-mailed her with my “story” of pain. Her class to fix back pain was going to be held soon a few blocks from where I lived. She asked me to try the class first, (it was being held a week before the schedule surgery) but I told her that both legs are numb and I am walking like a drunk, the doctors said no amount of exercise or body mechanics would fix such structural problems, and am going thru with the surgery on May 11, 2005.
"Post-op recovery was hell. The summer was hell with pain killers and sleeping pills. At the follow-up exams, I was told “the surgery went well, no infection, you’ll be better in 6 to 8 months”. The laminectomy used a metal plate & 4 screws and a bone graft from my hip for the fusion of L4 & L5. The pain in my left flank remained throughout 77 physical therapy treatments. The surgeon prescribed Elavil and when I took it, I felt like a zombie. After I told him, I was told to try a half tablet. That made me feel like a half-zombie.
"No doctor had a solution except “try Tylenol, Advil, Fentanyl, and more”…a consult with a neurologist said that my twisted nerve would never get better. (So why all the surgery?) The pain in my left flank remained.
"Then I took Jolie's class on October 20, 2007 and she had the answer. My left flank pain was not a medical condition (I was put through every test including kidney function), but a muscle in spasm. I was doing the wrong exercises that I had learned in PT and they were making it worse. She taught me to do the exercises the correct way as shown in her books and articles in her websites.
"Five days later I reported to Jolie that I had been working at The Clay Studio, throwing clay on a wheel making pottery for 4 hours and felt good. Usually after walking the 5 blocks from my home to the studio both legs would tingle badly and I had to stop halfway to rest. Not today. When I told my classmates about you phoning me to ask how I was doing with your exercises & stretching, they could not get over your caring. None of us had ever had a Dr. call to checkup. You are one hellova person and I’m thankful that I’ve met you.
"I’ve had my back problems with the muscle spasm and damaged nerve for a long time…roughly 4-5 years…and I’m getting better since you came into my life. There is no other way to say it. Thanks Dr. Jolie for your passion for helping others.
"On your questionnaire in the first class I wrote that I wanted to be able to dance with my daughter at her wedding in January 2008. You have made it happen for me.
"I will dance."
Next - Fixing Leg Numbness, Back Pain, Flank Pain, Knee Pain, Nerve Pain, Three Unhealthy Surgeries, Part II - a look behind the scenes.
Follow-up Note - the wedding on the 4th of January was great and Bernie danced and danced. Here is a photo.
Labels: fix pain, impingement, knee, lower back, practice of medicine, readers inspiring story, side, stenosis, surgery
6 Comments:
At Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:37:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
What a great success story! I am making a road trip and enrolling in your courses on the 12th of April in hopes it will give me the option to begin running again as for the last week or so I have been barely able to walk/sleep due to a possible meniscus tear. MRI has not been done yet to validate this though. Hospital says its overuse and my DR says he thinks it a tear. Playing the painful waiting game for an MRI appt.
At Monday, January 14, 2008 10:23:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
I am a 47 year old female and recently diagnosed with diabetis.
I have had problems with both my legs for several years. First, I hurt my left leg 3 years ago in April. I had a miniscus tear so after PT, Cortazone shots, and gel shots. I had my Doctor do orthoscopic surgery. To me, it was not as successful as I had hoped, but when he did it, he said there was alot of arthritis and he scraped out what he could. The following year, I ended up hurting my other knee I think because the way I was favoring my left leg. The MRI showed that I have a tear and bone spurs. I had 2 cortazone shots and they did nothing. I did have gel shots again in both legs a few months ago. It helped the first two weeks, but I have felt no improvement.
I am going for a second opinion because surgery is the only thing that I can do right now. Both the legs are full of arthritis too. Both of my legs are bone on bone and are very painful! I have my own business as a Family daycare provider and I on the go all the time with my 14 daycare children. I want to have the right leg (drivers leg) done first in June 2008 and in December 2008 the left leg.
I am waiting for a second opinion before booking the operation. I am so tired of my pain ruling my like.
If you have any advice, please let me know.
Thanks,
MiMi
At Wednesday, January 16, 2008 4:02:00 AM,
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM said…
Hello Ravenwood and Mimi, click the label "knee" under this post to get all posts about fixing knee pain.
Ravenwood, great idea to come to the workshop. It is mostly back and neck, but I will work to look at your knees.
Mimi, there are many good things to do instead of surgery. When you click the knee label there will be posts on good bending. Then you will be able to use your knees and increase strength without the usual pain.
At Sunday, July 27, 2008 2:24:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
hi, im julieane i read the story of bernie and that was great...can i ask you a question, my husband always have a knees pain, backache and only left leg...do u know what is the cause of it? can you send me back a reply? thank you so much ...my email add is plantmik12@yahoo.com...i will really appreciate it.
At Monday, August 25, 2008 6:43:00 PM,
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM said…
Hello Julieane, sorry you are going through all this. We can't know exact medical advice to give over a web comment, but often, much of it is easy to fix. Click the labels under this post for topics you want, for example, "knee," "fix pain" and "lower back." The articles give common mechanisms that create injury and how to stop the causes. See what applies and makes sense to you. Also "readers inspiring story" usually gives exactly what each reader did to get their results. Click Part II of this story to see one, and click the label for all stories posted.
At Monday, January 19, 2009 2:55:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
Hi Julie,
I was in a serious auto wreck 10 years ago, went through several Dr.'s and was referred from one to another including months of physical therapy, tens, traction,massage,ect... I exhausted all the treatments available to me at the time and was finally diagnosed as having a ruptured disk at L4-L5-S1 and recommended post lumbar fusion at those levels. The recovery took 3 1/2 months in bed while in a body cast. Then after that I was sent to physical therapy again. The fusion ended up not taking and I was prescribed pain killers, which slowed down life and seemed to wreak havoc on me over time. I believe the pain meds created other side effects which I had to take several other medications for.
I decided to stop the meds over 2 months ago which was worse than what I dealt with after the surgery for the 3 1/2 months,but I my legs have been so weak and a deep numbness. I am also lethargic (it's been almost 2 months since stopping the meds). My legs are also have a deep numbness. I have a gym, treadmill , bike , ect. Do you know any particular I can target for physical therapy that would work for this condition? Going back to be re-diagnosed for another surgery is not an option. Over my lifetime I would estimate successful fusion stories from people I know who had them are only approx 10%. Then, those people are told to have more future surgeries.
My family is suffering greatly from my disability as well.
My plan was to come off the meds and target my core, but the weakness is preventing me from doing that. Any help would be greatly advised. The weakness & numbness seems to be emanating from each side of the low back, travels down the backside of the thighs. There is numbness in more prevalent in my right foot.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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