Shattered coccyx, still in pain after removal

Paul - pauljknox@aim.com

Posted 2022-02-27

I had fallen through a ceiling at work (long story) as I fell I hit a chest freezer right on my coccyx, the pain was like being electrocution, I bounced off and landed hard on my feet with a feeling that my right knee had been hit with a sledge hammer, but the pain from the base of my spine was worst pain I've ever had.

Taken to hospital couldn't sit so lay across seats. Had spinal board IV painkillers and had 12 x-rays. The doctor said he couldn't see any damage, at the time I'd had lumbar 4+5 very painful and the coccyx still 10 out of 10. Given codeine and sent home.

I tried to drive but so bad I was in tears phoned my wife and she with my daughter (a nurse) came and picked me up. From then on if I had to get in a car I would lay on back seats, at home lay on side. The pain did lower to 8/10.

Went to GP, he gave me painkillers ending up on tramadol with pain still high, I tried to work my job was in an office most of time. I'd take cushions, eventually getting a coccyx cushion and with morphine capsules and ormoroph for break through pain, I had a bit of my life. Eventually (about 6 months) I had appointment with consultant at local hospital, I'd go back and forth for several months, then nothing for 4-5 months.

My GP got it sorted and after an apology by the consultant he got me more x-rays stand up sit down, but, it was unclear so I had a scan, both my GP and I received letters from consultant stating he had never seen a a coccyx injury as bad as this, my coccyx had broken away and shifted nearly a centimetre to my right and had shattered, but had kept its basic shape.

I elected an operation as over a year of constant pain I wanted it gone, he warned me that it was only 80% chance of it working and a high chance of infection. To combat the infection he cut across rather than down, he told me he had to feel for fragments of bone (as another stated in her story, I asked if I could have the coccyx, but it was in too many pieces).

It's now 13 years I do get some relief. I have all sorts of pain killers but still taking morphine and due to my sedentary life I have high blood pressure, take omeprazole due to the high morphine intake and several other medications.

I still cannot lay in my back, I have to take a coccyx cushion everywhere and use a walking stick, I can't walk for more than 20-30 metres with out the pain, I can't stand for long periods and my lumbar (l4 +l5) has not settled down. I have tried painkiller injections in to my spine, but nothing tried for the continuous pain from where my coccyx used to be. After the operation did give me relief from the left side of coccyx area but the right side still is bad. I manage to live with it, but, it's not a life I would wish even in my worst enemy.

Over the last 9 years I just have health checks a slight change in my morphine intake as at one time I was taking 80 mg 3 times a day, but that became useless. I have now dropped to 70 mg twice a day and ormoroph or sevredeaol for break through pain.

I had no choice but removal, but, if anyone else has breaks think very careful about the removal, if it's not 100% successful it's a very poor lifestyle.