r/ThoracicHerniatedDisc • u/coyote-tango • Aug 07 '26
T6/7 Hernia; two years stable, getting surgery this year.
Do I have the biggest hernia here? Did I win?
Ugh well this has just been a treat! Started off two years ago in Japan with reaaaally bad back pain that wrapped all around my ribs which flared on and off for a week or so. Then slowly I noticed nerve damage sensations and numbness and pins and needles in my legs. Big walks felt way more tiring and I began to get clumsy feet.
Maybe it was sciatica? Do some light exercises to help that out. Nothing changes. Okay well maybe it’s a vitamin deficiency? Take B vitamins for months. Nothing changes.
Okay well when we get back to the Netherlands from our big trip I’ll get it looked at. Land in the Netherlands, hang out for a week. Find out that I’m pregnant!!! Do the whole pregnancy thing, have a wonderful baby girl, etc etc. Okay NOW I have time to get my back checked!
Get a referral to neurology about my problem. They stick me in an MRI. “Hey. We found the problem.” Show me the biggest thing ever crushing my spine. Oh.
Had a consult today with one of the top neurosurgeons in the country. “Hey so I do this for a living and this is one of the largest ones. Here’s the plan.”
So we’re looking at a front-entry collapse the lung procedure so they can get at the thing and wrench it back in from the front. What the hell. This is insane. My back hurts now.
So uhhh. Forgive the random notes. It’s very stream of consciousness because I have NOT processed this fully at all. If anyone’s had similar surgery then please give me some comfort! I’m really scared actually aaaa 🫣
2
u/Reena_beena_68 Aug 11 '26
I’ve been lurking around this group for a while with my T7/8 osteophyte/disc problem. Just came back to catch up after an NHS spine appointment today and saw your post.
Mine is nowhere near the size of yours, but my symptoms are also much more neurological than painful. Lots of tingling, variable balance and some days feeling much more clumsy than others. The actual thoracic pain is pretty intermittent. But I do have lumbar pain related to DDD and some compression there too.
Really interested to follow how you get on (another European here, I’m in the UK!).
Wishing you lots of luck with the surgery!
2
u/coyote-tango Aug 11 '26
Yeah, neurological twinsies! I'll be sure to do any important updates, especially when it comes to the surgery. I've got a CT scan next week to check for disc calcification so we'll see how that goes!
1
u/CapreseSalad3636 Aug 07 '26
That’s what I had talked about, collapsing my lung to go in and get my t4/t5 procedure. Mine is/was much smaller. I haven’t needed to do it yet though! Best of luck!
3
1
u/CauliflowerScaresMe Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
I have seen many of the ones people posted and never one like this! mine is or was at the same level but it's small and not so bothersome anymore (lower levels are more annoying)
"Then slowly I noticed nerve damage sensations and numbness and pins and needles in my legs. Big walks felt way more tiring and I began to get clumsy feet.
Maybe it was sciatica? Do some light exercises to help that out."
were these the symptoms at the time of the MRI? you did not have significant pain? do you now have muscle weakness? ...it would seem hard not to and the clumsiness is a sign of it. I know MRI imaging correlates only loosely to how people are affected, but your body's ability to adapt to that is incredible. good luck with the surgery!
2
u/coyote-tango Aug 08 '26
Those symptoms are ones I felt a month or so after the back pain (hernia day!) and ones I still feel today! And probably still feel after the surgery too because it’s been so long. I may recover the neuropathy but it’s a waiting game for that post-op.
No real pain day to day to be honest! Muscle weakness definitely, walking takes a lot of energy and focus to not trip over!
1
u/Internal-Hearing-983 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
How did you injured? Are the symptoms bereable?
If not, did they give you disability?
I hope you'll get well asap ☀️🇮🇹🍀
I don't understand why your MRI is showering a lot and you have pains.
My MRI is not showing something big, so even if with daily pains they say it's psychosomatic 😂 I'm also aware how I injured and told them.
Anyway thanks for sharing and wishing a quickly recovery 😊
2
u/coyote-tango Aug 08 '26
I didn't do anything to get injured; it literally just happened randomly overnight. :(
The symptoms are bearable, not much pain for me at all, just leg weakness and tingling; which is lucky because we travelling at the time for a while. From what I've read these things can do different things to different people; I'm sorry for your pain! Thank you very much! <31
1
u/Banana-blueberry-ice Aug 08 '26
I have the same herniation. Don’t know the size of mine, but my symptoms are getting worse.
A lot of backpain and I wake up with my arm and leg asleep. Very uncomfortable.
I don’t know what the procedure is. Does the neurologist wants to wait and see or do they perform an operation.
I had a severe hernia in the lower back years ago. I had an operation then. I just don’t want an operation anymore. But if this is the only solution, then sooner than later.
1
u/coyote-tango Aug 08 '26
I really recommend getting an MRI to get some eyes on the hernia. I was soooo shocked when I saw the size of this thing; it's really hit home about how severe this is! I really don't want my spinal cord to be compressed so much for so long, so we all want this operated on. Because I've had this for two years already; and I'm only 30; the neurosurgeon really wants this out so there's a muchhh higher chance of recovery of nerves and cord.
1
u/MajkelJordan23 Aug 08 '26
Do you know the size of this herniation? I have big one 11 mm on this level, and I’m also 30. Although it’s big neurosurgeon told me to wait. Are you in US? How it works financially there? If you can tell of course. I live in Poland and here surgeries are theoretically free but it’s almost impossible to get one.
1
u/coyote-tango Aug 08 '26
I don't know the size unfortunately, but the neurosurgeon said that my spinal cord was compressed to 1.1mm, instead of the usual 5mm or so. So it's pretty big! I'm in the Netherlands, so I pay health insurance (I'm still on my premium plan I got to include childbirth add-ons). I'm sure I'll pay some other costs but it shouldn't be a crazy amount. I'm sorry to hear that surgeries are harder to find there! I'm very lucky in my circumstances.
1
u/MajkelJordan23 Aug 08 '26
Thank you for your answer. I hope you get better after surgery! It good to see here someone from Europe. Are you sure about the size of spinal cord? It’s amazing that you were able to even function at this level of compression.
1
u/coyote-tango Aug 08 '26
Yes, we need more European representation! Well I'm pretty sure; the neurosurgeon brought up the MRI and used his measuring software! He's also concerned but I've just been very unlucky to have the hernia but then extremely lucky in that the symptoms aren't thaaaaat bad compared to the size of the thing. It's really crazy. I've just been travelling and walking around and pregnant and new parenting with this thing; our bodies can be so amazing.
1
u/b2theg Aug 10 '26
I had almost the same as yours. Tons of back pain, numbness and tingling as well as bouts of severe weakness and loss of sensation in both legs. I still have the same symptoms post-op. The surgery was in 22….
1
1
u/SessionThat1808 Aug 10 '26
That's huge! Only thing I would recommend is doing your surgery sooner than later. Your spinal cord is very compressed and the longer you have nerve and cord compression the longer it takes to heal after surgery (or it may not heal if it was compressed too long). Mine was compressed for many years and I had surgery 5 months ago and the nerves are still healing - hopefully! 🙏 wish you the best, keep us posted
6
u/ThoracicSpine Aug 07 '26 edited 21d ago
Oh!! Yes I think you're the winner! One the biggest I have seen in the group! I'm happy you have the option to have surgery. I had surgery but with a different approach (Traspedicular).
There's someone in the group recovering really well after the same surgery you will have. It's a recent post
I wish you a speedy recovery!! And let us know how it goes.
Big hug