Slipped disc 2 electric boogaloo (help)

I really feel like I’m at my wits end so I must apologise in advance for this being quite long-winded as it’s difficult to write it all down. I have a long spinal fusion from scoliosis so my only unfused vertebrae are in my neck and my lower back. About six years ago, my L4/L5 disc herniated badly. I couldn’t afford surgery at the time as I was living abroad so did a lot of physio and sort of more or less recovered and just had some on and off sciatica since then.

However in the last few years I started having numbness in my right leg, pins and needles in my feet and hands, tingling and that. On my right thigh I have barely any sensation at all! I also have a fuzzy, uncomfortable sensation on my inner left thigh and left labia which has been there a few years. I was tested for MS - don’t have it thankfully but everything continued worsening so I got another MRI in August - turns out my L5/S1 is protruding. I was referred to a neurologist who ordered the scan after me begging her because I couldn’t keep living the way I was but every time it seems I am put down as a hysterical woman or I feel patronised whether I’m saying well there’s nothing we can do really and then there’s no support or follow-up. I did have an EMG test which came back okay. I am booked in to see her in June which feels not urgent enough given how things have changed recently.

It’s been getting worse recently. I finally got referred to physio which I’ve just had my assessment for but in the past couple of weeks I’ve started getting shooting pains in that same leg. I find it really hard to sit down as well as stand up for a long time. It’s like my legs on fire or I have a big shooting, twinging nerve in my right bum cheek. Obviously I’m worried about this going the same way as last time - the previous disc slippage affected me very badly.

As of the past couple of days it has been getting worse I have also started having diarrhoea. (Why is it so embarrassing to write this?) Urgently needing the loo, difficulty fully emptying, and having to go 3-4 times in succession to actually clear myself — as opposed to my normal once a day. No dietary changes, no sign of a bug, I feel otherwise well. I have no saddle area numbness and no urinary symptoms, but I’m aware of cauda equina as something to watch for given my history. I feel so fed up with the NHS at the moment. I’m in the UK and have been chasing this nerve stuff for ~4 years to no avail. I haven’t seen my old consultant/hospital who did my surgeries in about 14 years. Now that my quality of life is going back down due to the nerve pain I’m feeling quite paranoid especially with these “bowel problems” and worry of things being as bad as they were during my first injury. Thank you if you read all of this! Any advice is appreciated. 🩷​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​