Hi there.im new to the site and thought id post my latest experience and how its effecting me.
from the Age of 20yrs i suffered severe sciatic nerve pain i would twist my body and turn as well as arch my back to try and move the nerve.My doctor sent me to a trauma and ortho specialist.He diasnosed me with bilateral foot drop and said it was a damaged nerve from the siatic nerve and has made my left foot very weak.
As time went by my foot got weaker and weaker and after around 7 years it ended up i was dragging my foot in these 7 years i was seeing the specialist but he was just asking me how i was getting on and if i was in any pain which i wasnt.I had MRI scans and nerve induction studies but i was never given a diagnosis.The MRI scans showed that the nerve was badley damaged thats all i can tell you as thats all i was told.In february 2009 my other leg started getting pains down the right side and i thought i had banged it or strained it but to no avail, i had a prolapsed disc.
To cut a long story short i was told to go to the neurology department at my hospital.after examination they did am mri scan and told me the disc had prolapsed that far that it was squashing the nerves that controlled my bowel and urine as well as other things so it must be operated on and taken away.I had no choice but to agree and within 5 hours i was in theatre for 6 hours getting fixed up.
My bad leg that had the drop foot hasnt changed except it is very knumb now and i seem to have less control over it.oh,by the way,the operation was 22/10/09.4 weeks ago.
My other leg that was in extreme pain is fine and is still weak but its early days.
One thing bothers me more than anything is that i cant pee on my own now.i did have small problems of peeing before the opp but now i still wear a cathater,they tried 3 times to take it out but as soon as the bladder filled up i was in extreme pain and couldnt empty it on my own.I still have the cathater in and have just been given 60 more as i need to change them at night.Has anyone had this procedure done before,will i ever pee like a natural man again,the cathater is in my penis so i havent had sex for a long time now and dont feel like it because of this tube.Maybe they have damaged the nerve to the brain from the bladder to tell it to empty and there not telling me.Its been nice to write this down and the thought of anyone going to read it gives me comfort that maybe they know what im going through.

im now 42 and hoping to get back to work but i think if the cathater has to stay then my job is too dangerous for it to take a risk of it getting damaged.

luther x x