MEL, anyone, anyone?

One of the pitfalls of having a fitness blog (this one) that has evolved, in the course of one year, into a sob story blog (also this one) is the fact that it can quickly become depressing; both to read and to write. Hey! Maybe I will be able to do another marathon; I shouldn't rule it out. In the meantime, I'm looking for a surgeon that does Micro-Endoscopic-Laminotomies; MEL for short. That is the surgery that I think will do the most good for me. (remember when doctors used to tell you what was good for you? – You're on your own now!) Luckily, the internet has given me an abundance of resources; information that I can use to put together an informed decision.

Ouch!

I definitely had a bad night last night. The hip pain woke me up half a dozen times. I hate to start taking Vicodin again, but the acetaminophen just isn't doing the job. Big sigh! I have a feeling this isn't going to get better soon. And I have my own ideas as to why; the medical community doesn't see spinal Stenosis as much of a problem. After all, most of the victims are old. We're not going to be around that much longer. Most doctors that I see have no words of hope. They commiserate with me but they don't offer me a chance to regain what I've lost. So do I just get used to it?

"Currently, it is estimated that as many as 400,000 Americans, most over the age of 60, may already be suffering from the symptoms of lumbar spinal Stenosis"

And it's only going to become worse. "the number of persons aged 60 years or older estimated to be nearly 600 million in 1999 and is projected to grow to almost 2 billion by 2050, at which time the population of older persons will be larger than the population of children (0-14 years) for the first time in human history."

Big Sigh

It's been awhile since I posted anything here, on what used to be my racing blog. So, to keep things updated, here is where I am physically. The last of the benefits from an corticosteroid injection into the right SI joint is fading away. It's been about a month since that injection. I was told that it might be a good idea to have one more epidural injection at the L-4, L-5, S-1 site. No thanks. After 5 different injection during the past 6 months, I'm out of patience. And 'might' is not a word I care for.

I asked our GP to refer me to a physiatrist, a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The GP thought it was a good idea as well. Then, after a long week, the consulting physician called and told the GP that there was nothing he could do for me. He had read my charts and that was that. Back to square one.

Major depression. OK, could the GP call a surgeon for a second opinion consultation? Yes, but since there is only one neurosurgery practice in town, he might not be able to get that second opinion. We'll see.

So, in the meantime, I read all I can on Spinal Stenosis and the prognosis for those that have it. If I have conventional surgery to relieve the pressure on the vertebrae, it's a given that the pain will still be there, but reduced. No cure and no guarantee that I can return to racing.

And then I read this, "Surgery is typically less effective for age-related or arthritic spinal stenosis. It may provide reasonable short-term relief, but long-term relief is less certain."

And I also read that physical therapy is important in the treatment of Stenosis. I had PT at the beginning of this episode in my life, but it was prescribed for what I thought was Piriformis Syndrome. So I have never had PT for Stenosis and nobody has suggested it. Why not? Apparently I need to mention that to someone.

And as I read, I was reminded once more about the possibility of MEL (Micro-Endoscopic Laminotomy) being used for surgical relief of Stenosis pain. Is there a surgeon around that can do this? This excites me.

And last, because of my being depressed about all of this, I have decided to try knitting as a method to take my mind off the pain. The knitting is not going as well as I had hoped for. (though it does change my mood) And I'm a long ways away from a scarf! I have learned to 'cast on' successfully and I know the theory of knitting. It's the actual practice of knitting that eludes me. My hands are like those you see on cartoon characters; big white gloves and three fingers. I've tried 3 different needle sizes without much luck. Maybe I should blame it on the yarn?

Link to eMedicine article

And a link to MEL article