I was diagnosed in April 2019. First back surgery was Feb 2019. CES happened 2 months later when my back went again. It was 3 days after that when I went numb from the waist down (Friday night). I only knew what CES was from my own Google research so I instantly knew what it was straight away. I went to hospital after ringing an ambulance but when I was there they tried to send me home with meds. I was persistent and said no. Finally gave me a bed and after an urgent MRI in the morning I was diagnosed with severe CES and was operated on, on Sunday morning. My back was opened up and was also infected from the previous operation so I was in for 5 days to clear that up as well as recovery from more disc removal. I was very lucky but only down to knowing what CES was. It's taken 5 years to get to a stage where I'm almost recovered. I still get a stiff back easily so have to keep mobile daily, walking, and sports massages monthly but I have no feeling in part of my thigh and also have slightly numb toes but everything else is functioning. My heart goes out to all suffering and having to live wlth CES. You're stronger than you think and very brave. More awareness about CES is desperately needed.
Sam! You have no idea how much I needed this video today. My name is Evan and I’m from Chicago Illinois. September 16 of this year, I was admitted to the hospital for emergency laminectomy and decompression surgery. Today I was feeling low, unworthy of the lords love and I let the evil one attack my thoughts. I went for a walk outside to look for peace and happened upon your video. I just wanted to say thank you. I am praying for your recovery my friend, please pray for me as well.
Thanks for sharing your experience....I'm 7months into my recovery and have started to walk a few steps unaided ...it is hard work but with time and determination I will be able to walk again. Stay strong!
Thanks for sharing your story! I'm having CES from August 2018 and with almost no progress, which made me so depressed, but I had surgery so late, 5 days since the red flags cause even I knew about CES since the beginning, noone believed me, not even doctors, not even after MRI. What you told about the struggles shows how only people with CES and spinal cord injuries could understand, how numb we could become not just outside, but also inside. Im going to watch this video again and again to inspire me! Thanks for your motivational words.
Hey there. Glad this video helps you see the positive side of life.. yes this condition that can make you feel really low at times.. we just have to keep Fighting and move ahead..
@@linalina-tj6md hey how are you now dear?? How can i contact you? My mother had her surgery recently, she also had it late almost 4-5 days later the things happened.
You and youe videos are an inspiration to me, thank you for these. I got operated on 5 days ago. I cant walk on my own, i need a walker and I cant go to the bathroom. Its the hardest thing Ive ever gone through and im terrified. This video does give me some comfort.
It’s been approximately 13 months and I’m fully recovered with just some slight numbness in my pinky toe every once and awhile. But I’m pain free and everything functions as it should
Wow, this is great news! I read where you were numb in other areas but walking. I too am walking unassisted and have been since one week after surgery. How, I have no idea because everything feels numb and weird. I’m hoping to regain bladder sensation. I’m going, just can’t feel anything
Great to hear, I keep looking for comments with happier endings but this is the first one I see. I'm about to get surgery and I'm so scared that I'll never be able to have a normal life.
Hi Sam amazing to hear your story , I am now 12 weeks into my recovery from an emergency operation for cauda equina syndrome. I damaged my back at work Jan 23 back and forward to docs pain killers anti inflammatory drugs was all that was offered. Eventually, my gp agreed to an orthopaedic referral I waited 5 mon5hs in agony and the referral was not even a face to face it was a 3 min and 16 second phone call where I was told nothing wrong with me exactly 2 weeks later I was rushed into hospital L4 L5 discectomy and L4 Laminectomy . My surgeon told me the same your at the mercy of nature over the next 18 months to 2 yrs. Thank you you give me hope my friend Stephen.
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your story. It's really done me the world of good. Your the first man I've found doing a video like this. I wish you the very best of luck. 👍
Thank you for this video. I had an emergency surgery on 11/23/21. I was misdiagnosed like you with stating it was sciatic nerve. I have lost my feeling in my foot and bladder and bowel problems. I am still not getting the feeling back in my foot and I am going to therapy 2 times a week and I feel just like you from the beginning of being depressed. Thanks for this.
16 months after my emergency surgery, 3 discs blew out and I had laminectomy, micrdicectomy and a broken vertebrae with the piece on my nerves which was removed. My heart stopped for a bit after the surgery and I soent 5 days in the cardiac ward. The surgery has It left me with crazy nerve damage all down my left leg and partial right leg and intense pain over the surgery site and across my lower back and hips. The pain has been out of control and I'm on a large amounts of medication. I've had 4 post op procedures to try reduce the pain , nothing has worked. I'm now looking for a second opinion. I can walk a little way, can't sit or stand for too long, mostly I lie down.....I've had similar thoughts....
Thank you for this meaningful sharing. I just gone CES surgery few days ago and now back home for recovery on my right leg which is still numb..senseless.By watching your video, I am motivated to fight for my recovery....Thank you very much..👍👍👍
I remember thinking the hospital were being very dramatic..I've had disc problems for years,have def been in more pain..when I learned how fortunate I'd been to have been referred immediately to the emergency room and surgery within 24hrs..I still cry knowing what could have been. I have residual problems,bowel and urinary in particular, but could have been so much worse. Much love to anyone who has been affected xx
I had L5 S1 emergency surgery done after I went numb on my left side from waist down and was diagnosed with CES. It’s been week ago today and I’m walking unaided I have bowel function. What I’m still experiencing is some numbness in my saddle area as well as calf and heal. There’s a lot of hope I try to remind myself. I just hope this saddle numbness goes away
Hi @garymalone I have a very similar case of CES to you with the problem being mainly in my left hand side and luckily I have recovered well and can walk my leg is still quite stiff and bowel and bladder are recovering with only a little problem remaining. Watching Sam's video makes me realise it could be a lot worse. Good luck for your recovery.
Thank you for sharing your story. I had surgery last week for CES and I know there’s a long road ahead. Like you I will take whatever healing comes my way with a smile. Thank you
God bless you for sharing this video because I have been diagnosed with CES March 2018. So much has changed and it is hard to wrap my mind around what to do about it. This video helps. Thank you,. I am trying to map an exercise routine and a plan for eating better. I have gained a lot of weight due to not being able to exercise like I used to. My feet are swollen which makes a lot of exercises impossible at the moment. Do you recommend any particular exercises I can try? I love swimming or at least I did before CES.
Hey.. nice to know this vid has you encouraged in a positive way. Well I do basic exercises to help my legs get strong.. mostly stationary cycling and lot of walking.. also some gait and pelvic workouts.. mainly I try and keep my self active and try to keep myself doing some physical activity.. even I had issues with weight and swollen feet. I got in a high fiber diet and started to watch what I eat mainly.. and walking will help in reducing swollen feet.. or try to elevate your legs at night while sleeping. Try walking stairs.. that helps a lot in interns of workout.
Your walking with stick after 27 days of surgery. That great news.. You will recover fast. Just keep walking and keep a good workout session everyday. Now it's all upto physio and positive thinking..
@@deepakrathore7723 hi deepak! Can i contact you? My mother just underwent this & lost control over bowel and bladder. She had surgery almost 4-5 days later.
My fiancé is suffering from CES after he had emergency surgery 6 months ago. The nerve pain dosage isn’t helping much. Doctors won’t give him more meds. Waiting for weeks now to get in to see the neurologist. His leg, groin, foot numb. It is so hard to watch him go through this. It’s so unfair to him and us. I am seeing for myself and him it’s destroying our relationship. Marriage is now off. I hate this syndrome.
Hey hi, nice to hear your story, it really gives hope and motivation to all those who are suffering from this. I am also having CES and recently have undergone with surgery. But still there is numbness around my buttock and private parts. Also having numbness in my right foot. Am able to walk slowly. Doc said it will take some time to heal. Could you pls advise me wt kind of exercise we could perform to recover from it? Is there any exercise to minimise the numbness? Pls reply Thank you!
Hey. Well hope you get better.. in terms of workout.. just keep your daily physical activity. Keep a positive mind set and look for small steps in recovery.
I broke my hip, had a dynamic hip screw to put it back together, …learnt to walk Then a year later my femoral head of the same hip got necrosis and I had a full hip replacement…learnt to walk again. I’d had 10 months of being over the hip saga and was back working as an electrician looking forward to a decent and pain free xmas for the first time in 3 yrs days before xmas I had huge slipped disk incident while just getting dressed and had emergency decompression surgery for l4-l5 on xmas day. Currently I’m learning to walk for the 3rd time, ..I’m 2 weeks post op with drop foot on my right foot and weak hip muscles as the l5 nerve is currently paralysed. ….something somewhere likes knocking me off my feet and whatever it is we need to have words, but I’ve done it twice and I’m determined I’ll do it again.
Hey. Your physiotherapist will be the best person to advice u workouts.. but what i did. Was just add daily activities in my workout.. like climbing stairs.. long walks.. basic workout for legs...
Hi Sam, hope you are doing well. Can you please explain whether you clamped the catheter tube every few hours once to sense the urge of urinating or it was just pelvic exercises that made you free from the catheter? Also, please advise me on the diet that you followed when you had bowel incontinence. I totally agree that everyone has a different pain and struggle in this journey but what you help can keep them away from their depression and anxiety. Keep motivating and more power to you. @Sam Raiborde
Hey.. Well bladder does take time to recover... Ask your physio pelvic workout might help. These things take time. We cannot rush into it. Healing takes time. Just be calm and think positive.. Keep motivating your self.. Start going out and meet friends..
Hey sam , I have one question?? I'm 21 i had a disc bulge which was healing but then I travelled in auto and had a jerk . After that some days later i felt weird sensation in private area. Few days later o felt pain in both legs although very less and on scale of 1 to 10 its 1 . I don't have back pain. Ever since I am in a state of panic of this being cuada equina syndrome. 2 weeks went that way since last one day I'm having urgency in urination. I don't have numbness in any of my legs . I just don't know what this is. I talked to my parents and didi about this, and they think that this all might be in my head , sometimes urgency of urine happens. She also said that if i had disc herniation i would not be able to sit stand and walk. Yes i can walk upto 3 hrs . Sit for more than 2 hours. But these symptoms they are confusing me. Can you suggest something?? Actually I'm in rural area right now and I have decided to go to City and the government hospital there. Even I think that it can't be cuada equina syndrome because it's been 15 days since that incident and majority of times symptoms of CES appear suddenly but in my case things are different. I Just hope it's not CES . Actually I have a problem of overthinking and panicking regarding everything. I even panic regarding small test so even I think that to this is all in my head. Is my sister correct that as i googled everything regarding CES And watched somany vedio on it. Could it be that . Please help and reply
Doesn't sound like CES, just disc herniation. I played golf and still walked with disc herniation. Sitting was causing me the problem and bad posture. You have to keep moving if you've got disc issues. Walk daily (1-2 miles) and hopefully it will recover. If it's past the point of no return then it can only be cured by surgery to remove part of the bulging disc. Good luck.
Hi, i just had my Micro Discetomy L5S1 surgery and diagnose for CES. I can walk, but i loss my sensation for bladder in passing of urine. How many months did you recover when u had your sensation back? Did you have self catheterization? Hoping for a reply soon.
Hey. Yeh it does take time to heal. It took my 6 months or so to regain bladder and bowel functiond. every body is different and recovery time can vary depending on the injury level
I was suffering from cauda equina syndrome and had my surgery on 15 apr 21, I was having disc bulge at L5 S1 level, however I was able to walk on the same day after my surgery and had control on bowel movement but need to apply little bit more force. Still catheter is fixed can you tell me when I will be able to have normal bladder function and catheter can be removed, I am 37 years old
Hey.. well it all depends on the injury level. But bowel n bladder does take time to heal. The recovery does come but it's slow. Just keep doing the physiotherapy and assess after 3 to 4 months
@@samraiborde8878 Dear sir mujhe compression fracture DV12 WITH CAUIDA EQUINA SYNDROME OPERATION ho gya hai Delhi me Dear sir main chal sakta hu Urine ka call aata hai but letrin pass Nahi kar pata hu CIC karta hu letrin ka presser nahi aata hai Bowel control nahi h stool pass Nahi kar pata hu please sir help kijiye please 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@samraiborde8878 Thanks Dear sir aapki dua se Main puri kosis karuga aapne mujhe Jo motivation diya hai Uske liye meri Dil aur Jaan se MAHAKAL se prarthna hai ki wo aapko aur aapke pariwar ko sada khushal rakhe Thanks Dear sir 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I had this surgery 3 weeks ago my bladder stopped functioning before surgery and I was having difficulty in walking I start walking 2nd day of surgery with help 3rd day with stick 4th day I was walking without any problems I’m still on catheter n my bowels still not functioning properly but I’m going out for walks eating healthy my hips are still numb no sensation but I’m mentally stable and strong now after watching ur video thank you for encouraging us
@@peterjszerszen I’m in to 7th month of recovery I’m catheter free legs very strong can walk couple of miles without a problem but left buttocks still numb and still can’t get erection but im mentally stable and hopefully I’ll make full recovery soon
@Luqman latif how long it took for you to become catheter free? Since 40 days after surgery and I'm still using a catheter to urinate. But sam's videos and many motivating comments keeps me away from the depression that I have been through. I hope things will get better with patience. Expecting a reply from you :)
@@nanthinibharathi6707 I was catheter free after 11 weeks but my bladder was still holding urine urologist told me to go on self catheters but refused and decided not to do self catheter today 7 months after surgery I’m still not recovered 100% my digestive system still not functioning properly my left buttocks still numb but other than that I’m fine no pain at all and no more catheter you’ll have to stay strong that’s the most important thing otherwise you’ll end up in depression I hope you get better soon
Sir My mom is undergoing through the same condition(cauda equina) bulging disc at L4 L5 compressing the nerves. She is 49. But her pain not so severe right now. Finds no difficulty in walking and bladder or bowel incontinence at present. Of course surgery is required to have a permanent solution. Is it necessary to do surgery immediately, or should I wait.
Hey. Sorry to hear about yout mom going through this condition. Well if shes getting to much pain.. its best u consult a doctor.. and proceed with the best available option. If the pain is increasing and shes having issues with bladder its best u see surgery as an option. But do consult s doctor.. and take the next step..
Seriously that's really great to hear your recovery story my abba had also had surgery on 11 Feb 21 he gets motivated when I share Ur story with him can u tell me when did he gain his bladder and bowel sense again His legs are working he is walking with the help of walker there is some numbness in his right feet Do reply Thanks a lot to share 🙂
Hey.. glad my videos were useful. Well my bowel n bladder recovered with 6 months. N my feet are still numb. But I hve regained lot of my legs muscles.