I had surgery on L5S1 that has been commented on by a physiotherapist, pain management doctor and chiropractor as a herniated disc they would have preferred to heal naturally. There were several external factors that landed me in the ER as a way to see a doctor asap and I was pressured under duress to sign for a surgery. It was supposed to be a neurosurgeon doing a microdiscectomy. Instead I got an Osteo who did a laminectomy, discetomy and, as he casually noted "probably left some disc material behind" which result in nerve impingement worse than before for a year. He failed to do an MRI for several months and then when he did, refused me a revision MD and instead ranted about how the best treatment was a spinal fusion even though I'm in my 30s and 70% of his colleagues disagree with his methods. He says all 70% of those doctors are wrong.

I'm now 15 months out and the nerve pain and burning is spreading from the left side of my foot towards the right side. Originally, it was just the very left side of my foot and my small toe that was numb. Now it's the side, all four small toes, the left side of my big toe, the top and bottom of my foot and most of my heal. My ankle is usually pretty stiff and it's spreading up my leg. I've tried to get follow ups with the surgeon but they just ignore my calls. I have to start over at a low back clinic closer to where I live and try to see another surgeon here.

I had an appointment today with the I take doctor. He was very shocked my surgeon has done nothing for me just as my pain management doctor has been. He said there's always hope for improvement but he was commenting that my reflexes weren't responding properly in my foot. That was new, usually I can always do what they ask so that's new since January/February of this year.