L3 compression fracture experience?

[LJay]

Anyone out there have experience with an L3 compression fracture? After a month of pain, I finally went to the doctor yesterday and got an xray to find that I had done it good. Got a back brace that helps and some pain pills that got me to sleep for the first time in quite a while. Now sorting what to do next. Any ideas? Have an appointment with my GP on Tuesday to sort things out.

[Rareboy]

I have lived with a fractured disc for almost 40 years.

Just pray it doesn't develop into arthritis.

[LJay]

Oh, the arthritis is already there. The doc showed me where on the xray.

[Rareboy]

I empathize. Ouch.

No sex in slings.

[LJay]

Oh, it is definitely an ouch. I keep thinking about Ray and Virge's thing about redheads having a tolerance for pain. The guy who I talked to said I should have been in a month ago to have it tended to. Thus far, when I go to talk to the GP next week, I am planning to ask if this is a bomb waiting to go off or a simple pain in the ass (or somewhat above.) It freaked be a bit when the fellow at the xray outfit started talking about surgery and sending me right away to a spine specialist. From what I understand 95% of back surgery is unnecessary and I do not want to volunteer for it lightly.

Sex in slings? No, I would insist on a backboard.

[Virge]

[MENTION=20933]LJay[/MENTION] you were a member when Ray sneezed (or coughed.. I forget now) and blew out his L3 and had to have surgery, weren't you?? The 3 days before his surgery that red head tolerance for pain was rained out. If you're hurting down into your legs from it like Ray was you need to think on getting opinions on surgery. It's nothing now. Ray was in surgery for less than an hour and came home that day for me to wait on him hand and foot for 2 weeks. BUT he has a scar about 3/4 an inch long and there was NO PAIN when he woke up in recovery and never took his heavy meds for it once we got home.

And in case you don't know most MDs are going to procrastinate on referring surgery or even a chiropractor so they can get as big a piece of pie as they can off the $$$$ buffet. Ray's got a fireman friend who was out THREE WEEKS in pain for lower back getting scripts on top of scripts without referrals until he bypassed his MD and called the insurer and told them not to put him on hold or he would overdose. He wanted a referral to a chiropractor THAT DAY. They called the chiropractor, made the appt, had his xrays sent by courier. One adjustment with the Chiro and he walked out free of pain and was back at work a few days later....

Don't let them give you the run around.

[LJay]

This doc is most unlikely to give me any sort of runaround, believe me. I got much more of that feeling from the place where I went to get the xray. That is part of why I put the brakes on an immediate referral to a spine specialist from someone I did not know.

What sort of surgery did Ray have? Installation of internal bracing? cementing the vertabra? From the back or from the front? What is the long term outlook?

The brace has helped a lot and I am taking the pain pill only at night to help me sleep. I get some pain in hte left leg when I use the clutch in the car and when I am moving around the house, though not a lot and not constant. I just need to figure out what the options really are and I am in agreement with you that I must call the shots. I love driving doctors around the block with questions.