I have just noticed this article of Cauda Equina Syndrome, and to my surprise that was most of my symptoms. I have endured 3 surgeries on my lower back. The Last one a Dr. put 2 rods on both sides of my spine, and since that was done all has gone downhill. Both my legs are not trustworthy to walk even in the grocery store for fear of falling, I never know when my legs will go out on me and I will fall. The pain is always with me. A pain management Dr. inserted a pain pump that I have to have filled every 3 weeks. So now I am addicted to the drug Morphine, and that has become just another problem for me, because do I not only have the pain, but if I go a day or so longer without the Morphine, that adds to the pain I already have. “People PLEASE listen to this if anything else, once you are addicted to the Morphine; it's a living hell to get away from it. PLEASE if it's offered to you please read everything you can about it! Especially the part about getting off the pump. I was never offered that information. Nor was I told it would become addicted to the med. ( I am ignorant to Meds. and what an impact they have on your life.)

I am active duty army. I had a cyst in my L-4 flare up to the size of a golf ball. I was not allowed to go to the health clinic until after work. I was transferred to the ER, but was forced to wait two hours before being seen. The only thing the doctor did was stick his finger up you know where. Now I'm facing a discharge for a conversion disorder instead of CES. We'll see where I go from here.

My partner was unaware he was suffering from CES until he suffered pain and weakness in his legs in the weeks following an RTA which he walked away from. Subsequently, he woke one morning paralyzed from the waist down and with both urinary and bowel incontinence. Despite an emergency operation his condition has not improved four years on, totally devastating his life and family life.

I have had CES for 6 years now after a sledding accident caused an L1 burst fracture and the ER misdiagnosed me. This is an awful thing everyone but I also want you to know this. Life is livable. I was a 27-year-old mother of two at the time it happened. I was paralyzed and lost feeling from my waist down. Amazingly I was able to learn to walk again. I learned how to self cath and manage my bowels. I've even had two more very healthy beautiful babies. I get lots of UTIs and my meds often make me sleepy. I have horrible pain in my feet when I wear shoes so even in snow I often opt for sandals. I try to be aware of frost bite and always keep closed toed shoes handy. I go camping and am a leader with both Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. I try really hard not to embarrass my children who are 10, 8, 2, and 8 months but there have been times when something horrendous happens. I once had diarrhea in the middle of the grocery store and since I have no feeling I had no idea until I smelled something awful and saw the trail leading to me

I had a history of chronic low back pain for 6 years which flared up and then got better. My back was not currently hurting when one day I was holding my daughter and moved the wrong way and I heard a pop. Over the next 24-48 hours, I had extreme pain and progressive numbness in the rectal and upper leg area as well as an inability to urinate. I was lucky to see a surgeon who recognized the CES symptoms immediately. He ordered a STAT MRI and operated two hours later. I am now 8 months post-op and I still suffer from moderate back pain from a higher degenerating disc and numbness in my rectum, perineum, and legs. I am grateful that my symptoms were diagnosed so rapidly, but still suffer the emotional ups and downs of the recovery.

I am in a real difficult situation. I have all the symptoms described for having ces. I am unable to take any pain killers other than paracetamol which does nothing. I can't even sit down because of the pain and numbness in my groin. My doctor refuses to send me for an MRI even when he knows that I have all these symptoms. I live alone many miles from any family and after living with this chronic pain for many years it's impossible to make any friends as I am constantly house bound. To be honest I now realize I needed help years ago and have been let down by my doctor.