Active Duty AF 1T0 (SERE) 12 years of service will be 18 Aug. 2011
OK, to all thank you so much for your help thus far, it has been a true blessing,
LOng story again but I promise I get to the point at the end on what i am looking for
Just went to physical therapy today for continued treatment for my c-6/c-7 fusion with hardwaware ACDF.
Original surgery date of 15 December 2010, complications ever since.
I asked my physical therapist to do a ROM test on my c-spine with the exact areas described in the VASRD.
MY forward Flexion is 16 degrees
Extension is 18 degrees
left lateral flexion is 12 and right is also 12
Left lateral rotation is 28 and right is 18.
Grip strength in right hand is 55lbs, and left is 127lbs
these all represent the points where I feel extreme pain in my neck, these were also done without me having a narcotic Lortab 7.5 and Soma 350 and Lyrica.
Initial results were much better about 3 weeks ago but I was dopped up on drugs and did not have the "true feeling"
My question is, I have been having complications, like extreme pain in my neck where the surgery was performed, ( it never hurt that bad before the surgery) Also i have numbness that radiates from the surgery site all the way down to my fingers. At times it feels as if someone pours gasoline on my arm and lights it on fire. and that is not an exageration. I have felt true pain before and this was the worst ever. (I had a ground burst simulator explode in my hand----so I know some pain) anyway The numbness is always there as well as tingling (also had pre-surgery) now it is just amplified by 30 times. I have hit the point where I drop things in my right hand, from a coffee cup, to even being able to hold a fork or pen. I am right handed so this is truly an issus with me.
I feel as if I am a second rate citizen when i call or go to my neurosurgeon off base (LSU neurosurgery) they keep prescribing a medrol dose pack lortab, soma and lyrica and bam everything except the numbness feels better for about a week and a half then it all comes back. they have done this now 4 times in 4 months.
I recently went in to get my profile done, and the first thing the doc said was "have they started an MEB for this?" I asked the Dr. if I could have a chance to heal before they went and started this as it has only been 4 months. I also asked the Dr. for a note to have my promotion test set back as studying and retaining info while being drugged up does not seem fair, so she agreed to that. (Lyrica is horrible with short term memory)
Should I get a second opinion on my tratment plan, and if so how do i present that when I go to the base Dr. with out them initiating an MEB. I want to stay in as long as I can and try to get better, but at this rate, my hopes are way down.
On top of all this my initial referral to my neuro was for my lower back also, and he reviewed my MRI's (3 of them) over the last few years and said they are ok. I have horrible pain, and at times worse than the pain in my neck. i.e. I will mow my front yard (fair size, about 20 min of mowing) and not be able to walk with out limping and having shooting pain from my low back down my butt into my leg.
Jason, not sure if you read all these, but see that you seem to be quite informative, any suggestions on how I should proceed in this matter without an MEB getting started before everything is properly documented. my surgery was 15 Dec 2010 I was on con leave from 16 Dec through March 16 2011 (90 days) and now am on a do nothing profile. I worry that the system is going to catch me either for being on a profile so long, or being on narcotic pain killers for so long (but they are prescribed by an off base dr. and filled off base) so they may not know about it unless they regularily read the reports my neuro sends in.
Please if there is any words of wisdom it would be appreciated, also are you in San Antonio, and is there any way to reach you for questions outside here so I don't have to type my life away?? I was stationed at LAckland for 5 years and initially seen at Wilford hall when all this started.
OK, to all thank you so much for your help thus far, it has been a true blessing,
LOng story again but I promise I get to the point at the end on what i am looking for
Just went to physical therapy today for continued treatment for my c-6/c-7 fusion with hardwaware ACDF.
Original surgery date of 15 December 2010, complications ever since.
I asked my physical therapist to do a ROM test on my c-spine with the exact areas described in the VASRD.
MY forward Flexion is 16 degrees
Extension is 18 degrees
left lateral flexion is 12 and right is also 12
Left lateral rotation is 28 and right is 18.
Grip strength in right hand is 55lbs, and left is 127lbs
these all represent the points where I feel extreme pain in my neck, these were also done without me having a narcotic Lortab 7.5 and Soma 350 and Lyrica.
Initial results were much better about 3 weeks ago but I was dopped up on drugs and did not have the "true feeling"
My question is, I have been having complications, like extreme pain in my neck where the surgery was performed, ( it never hurt that bad before the surgery) Also i have numbness that radiates from the surgery site all the way down to my fingers. At times it feels as if someone pours gasoline on my arm and lights it on fire. and that is not an exageration. I have felt true pain before and this was the worst ever. (I had a ground burst simulator explode in my hand----so I know some pain) anyway The numbness is always there as well as tingling (also had pre-surgery) now it is just amplified by 30 times. I have hit the point where I drop things in my right hand, from a coffee cup, to even being able to hold a fork or pen. I am right handed so this is truly an issus with me.
I feel as if I am a second rate citizen when i call or go to my neurosurgeon off base (LSU neurosurgery) they keep prescribing a medrol dose pack lortab, soma and lyrica and bam everything except the numbness feels better for about a week and a half then it all comes back. they have done this now 4 times in 4 months.
I recently went in to get my profile done, and the first thing the doc said was "have they started an MEB for this?" I asked the Dr. if I could have a chance to heal before they went and started this as it has only been 4 months. I also asked the Dr. for a note to have my promotion test set back as studying and retaining info while being drugged up does not seem fair, so she agreed to that. (Lyrica is horrible with short term memory)
Should I get a second opinion on my tratment plan, and if so how do i present that when I go to the base Dr. with out them initiating an MEB. I want to stay in as long as I can and try to get better, but at this rate, my hopes are way down.
On top of all this my initial referral to my neuro was for my lower back also, and he reviewed my MRI's (3 of them) over the last few years and said they are ok. I have horrible pain, and at times worse than the pain in my neck. i.e. I will mow my front yard (fair size, about 20 min of mowing) and not be able to walk with out limping and having shooting pain from my low back down my butt into my leg.
Jason, not sure if you read all these, but see that you seem to be quite informative, any suggestions on how I should proceed in this matter without an MEB getting started before everything is properly documented. my surgery was 15 Dec 2010 I was on con leave from 16 Dec through March 16 2011 (90 days) and now am on a do nothing profile. I worry that the system is going to catch me either for being on a profile so long, or being on narcotic pain killers for so long (but they are prescribed by an off base dr. and filled off base) so they may not know about it unless they regularily read the reports my neuro sends in.
Please if there is any words of wisdom it would be appreciated, also are you in San Antonio, and is there any way to reach you for questions outside here so I don't have to type my life away?? I was stationed at LAckland for 5 years and initially seen at Wilford hall when all this started.
