SEVERE SPINAL STENOSIS

What have your specialist said is the cause of your Stenosis? Have they not diagnosed the cause and offered any treatment? A friend eventually had surgery for Spinal Stenosis and Scoliosis with a good improvement being the outcome. I hope you get some relief from your pain.

I agree with tanith on the whole, again depending on cause, it is treatable with surgery and the outcome is good. Please choose your spinal surgeon carefully.

I also have Scoliosis tanith. I have numerous other health issues also, 70+ diagnosed illnesses/conditions in fact. This is the good old NHS!! So no, as yet I have had nothing but the MRI reports,which include bulging discs, lordosis, disc protrusion, facet hyperatrophy and other issues too. Issues with C5/C6/C7 and L3/L4 & L4/L5. The Orthopaedic Specialist I saw said he could not comment on any of it, as was not his area of expertise. He has referred me to a Spinal Specialist - and when will I see him? Not before November/December as at least 26/28 week wait. I was originally referred regarding this in January 2015!! So an unacceptable wait not knowing anything, including the prospect of paralysis which was originally mentioned by the orthopaedic Surgeon who ordered the MRIs

Complain loudly. Try your MP.

With multiple spinal issues waiting for the specialists opinion is really your only option unless you can afford to go private. In the mean time i see you have been offered Hydrotherapy (on your other thread) give it a try water therapy is relaxing and is non weight bearing and will not do you harm if done under supervision. So give it a try while you wait your app.

My brother is in the process of having MRI and CT as they suspect this is his problem. I don't know what area he's suffering with.
I knew nothing about it until I Googled. People are often first affected in their 60s, he's 66.

Not sure if helpful but I was diagnosed during withnl3/4prolapse plus L4/5degenerative spondylitis with stenosis

Waiting list for l4/5 decompression plus posterior instrumented fusion plus right L3/4decompressiion

It all sounds complicated, have been in agony for 9 months now but light end of tunnel mymspinsl surgeon will operate end July.

I asked for 2nd opinion and this man specialises in spinal surgery for degenerative problems. He gave me confidence.

I cope somehow with codeine and morphine and he told me to go and try enjoy holiday before op we have ad to cancel so much stuff, I basically can't walk or stand very long at all,

It's awful to wait so long to see a spinal consultant tho I waited from early December to February. Then it didn't go well hence asked 2nd opinion and had wait until April 28th..

Can I ask if any of you waiting for surgery have been given information about red flags that could indicate an emergency?

When I was waiting for my surgery the main major symptom to watch for was incontinence

Thanks everyone. I refuse all medication, other than Paracetamols and occasional Diclofenac, (If I took everything various specialists prescribed I'd be on a zombie on a cocktail of 8/9 medications. I have made a complaint to my NHS Trust, as my GP first referred me for this spinal issue in January 2015, and I was just turned away without investigation, so by the time I see a Spinal Specialist THREE YEARS will have passed. NO red flag issues at present, but my GP reckons a lot of damage has been done in these three years. I have yet again been advised against Hydrotherapy meantime. again

My husband, who was then in his early 50s started getting what he thought was hip pain, his GP referred him to hospital and the surgeon told him it was degenerative Spinal Stenosis of the lower back, he was told that the operation was only done as a last resort because that the outcome may leave him in a wheelchair. He takes perscription painkillers that sometimes upset his stomach. He also has a lot of discolouration on his lower back due to the internal bruising/nerve damage and scar tissue and it's very marked. His now in his early 60s and it has got worse over the years.

spottysocks I think that your husband should seek another opinion and see if anything can be done for him as it is a fair time since he was last seen. I would also try to find somebody different. Do some research yourself- you want somebody who only or mainly does spines- you do not want an all rounder. Good luck.