Going Under the Knife Thursday

[TeeWJay426]

I've been having some nagging stiffness and soreness in my lower back for a while now.... then, a week after the shelter collapsed on my R/T, I get out of bed and can barely walk (not sure if there's a connection there, but if nothing else, my streak of luck is....). Anyway, by the end of the day on the Sunday after Christmas, I'm in agony and can barely walk. The wife drags me to the emergency room, get some decent pain killers, follow up with the family doc who has me get an MRI and see a specialist- turns out it's a herniated disc, L4-5, that is pinching my left sciatic nerve. So I'm now scheduled to get that surgically fixed on Thursday. The specialist also tells me none of my lower discs look very good- in fact, I have arthritis in the whole lower area of my back. Who's the brainiac that said life begins at 50? I'm not quite there yet, and I'm already falling apart...

... and if all this wasn't bad enough, we lost our beloved 10 yo pooch Maggie last Tuesday in the middle of all this.... RIP, little buddy....

[Brock Samson]

Wow! sorry to hear about all that,..
I remember the collapse, and I'm really sorry about Maggie, I know how devastating that is...
As re: the surgery, they do great work on herniated discs. these days, just talking with my uncle night before last about his successful back surgery they did the same two discs and he's back on his feet and out of a wheelchair... he's 80.
my dad also had L6 and & done and he never complained about it again... prior to that was just awful.
Good luck, I'm sure all our best thoughts and many prayers are with you.

[TruckDriver]

Wow! sorry to hear about all that,..
I remember the collapse, and I'm really sorry about Maggie, I know how devastating that is...
Good luck, I'm sure all our best thoughts and many prayers are with you.

good luck, sorry about your dog

[68RT4ME]

Best wishes on a speedy recovery to you. Also, very sorry about the loss of your dog. I know that's hard on the family. We are going to be losing out 13 yr old Corgi anytime now. Dreading that moment. 

Anyway, good luck to you..

[bull]

I hope and pray it goes well for you. And I know how you feel about the age thing, if I'm doing this bad at 41 I hate to think what 71 will be like,

[Blown70]

Wow! sorry to hear about all that,..
I remember the collapse, and I'm really sorry about Maggie, I know how devastating that is...
As re: the surgery, they do great work on herniated discs. these days, just talking with my uncle night before last about his successful back surgery they did the same two discs and he's back on his feet and out of a wheelchair... he's 80.
my dad also had L6 and & done and he never complained about it again... prior to that was just awful.
Good luck, I'm sure all our best thoughts and many prayers are with you.

Brock, no such thing as an L6.  You have 5 lumbar vertebra, maybe the L5-S1 disc?  Trust me I deal with backs every day

[The70RT]

Sorry to hear about everything. I guess the one's that work on their cars a lot get the bad backs. My doc said my back looked like someone 20 years older than what I am. Dogs are like kids to me so I know how you are feeling. Hang in there and get well.

[Charger74]

Sorry to hear about the dog, can't image that.  Hope the surgery goes well, one of my co-workers just went through the same type of operation and he is doing awesome now.  He had his problem a lot longer though.

[Charger_Fan]

My back's been nagging me for years...one of these days I'll get it looked at.

Good luck with your surgery, sorry about your dog.

[Todd Wilson]

I went thru the same situation almost a year ago.  I was lucky and got 2 steroid shots and have been taking it fairly easy all year long and so far things are going really good. 


To all those that havent had this problem  be careful!!!!!!!  This stuff sucks like you cant imagine. Pain is incredible. I was in bed for 2 weeks. barely get up and go take a leak and back to bed. Couldnt stand long enough to take a shower. Couldnt sit at the table and eat. I noticed a sharp pain in my hip that would come and go. Then it jsut was a constant pain that wasnt too bad. Felt like I had a muscle cramp in my buttcheek/hip area. Every morning I would wake up stiff and sore and walk stooped over for 10-30 minutes before things would calm down. Then finally at work one night it got serious in the pain department. Still thought it was a pulled muscle in my hip area. Next morning I couldnt do a thing.



Dont be a He Man and try and hoss and lift stuff. Its not worth it. Squat down to lift. Dont over extend your body trying to lift or move.


Todd

[400/6/PAC]

Hang in there Man, It's gotta get better.
I had the same problem with my back and couldn't walk more then a few feet.
I never had surgery, The nerve finally worked free after a year of being almost paralyzed and the pain went away.
The back still bothers though.
Good luck and Sorry about the loss of Your Dog.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I have a bad lower back as well.
I hurt my back real bad in a Dirt Bike race a few years ago, I still got 3rd place in the race,30 riders were in my Moto.
I could not walk for 3 months.
I will need surgery in the future.

[1969chargerrtse]

Good Luck on the surgery, you'll feel so much better when it's done in the long run.  Sorry about the pet, it's like losing a family member.

[NHCharger]

Tom, sorry to hear about Maggie.
Suxs to get old, doesn't it. I hear what your saying about getting old.  My back is still in great shape, unfortunately everything else is junk.
Hope everything goes well for you Thursday.

[Steve P.]

To all those that havent had this problem  be careful!!!!!!!  This stuff sucks like you cant imagine. Pain is incredible. I was in bed for 2 weeks. barely get up and go take a leak and back to bed. Couldnt stand long enough to take a shower. Couldnt sit at the table and eat. I noticed a sharp pain in my hip that would come and go. Then it jsut was a constant pain that wasnt too bad. Felt like I had a muscle cramp in my buttcheek/hip area. Every morning I would wake up stiff and sore and walk stooped over for 10-30 minutes before things would calm down. Then finally at work one night it got serious in the pain department. Still thought it was a pulled muscle in my hip area. Next morning I couldnt do a thing.



Dont be a He Man and try and hoss and lift stuff. Its not worth it. Squat down to lift. Dont over extend your body trying to lift or move.


Todd

Tee, I am very sorry for the loss of your pal. I know the feeling. I also know the feeling of the bad back and going under the knife. I have had two surgeries in the same area. L4-5 and then a month later I was in for emergency surgery on L5-S1. They did relieve pain, but not all of it and I now have alllllllot of trouble with a third disc and arthritis. I allways know when the weather man is lying. It's been ten years for me now and that is ten more years for the doctors to learn better techniques.  I wish you all the best.. Let us know how you're doing through your recovery..

[rare69]

good luck with the surgery and hope you start getting around better soon. and sorry about the dog, good one's are harder to see go than most humans.

[70charginglizard]

That sucks man,
Hope things go well with the sergery and your back on your feet again real soon
I also want to express my sadness over the loss of your pet. That must a really sucked.
I still have my pooch but I don't know for how much longer. He's got good days and he's got bad days. I think it may only be a matter of time for by best friend.

Good luck and best wishes.

[TeeWJay426]

Well, I'm home now, and on the long slow road to recovery...... am sore, slow, and not very mobile yet; on the plus side, the intense pain in the left leg seems to have subsided. Thanks for all the well wishes- just will take some time to mend. Can't do too much now, have my follow-up visit with the doc next week, start PT a few weeks after that. Will be out of work a few weeks also.

[Charger-Bodie]

Glad to hear thing are looking up! 

[Steve P.]

Very happy to hear you're home and in less pain.. It will take a while, but slowly the pain becomes less and less. Just don't think it's gone. The pills you are taking will relieve much of the pain and you will not feel it if you do too much and re-injure yourself. Take all the time you possibly can to get back to the grind. Too much too soon is absolutely NOT GOOD. You should have someone helping you get up and down for at least the next week. This is real important as all it takes is one slip and you can make it worse than it was before you went in..

Be careful bro. Time to catch up on some reading...   

[firefighter3931]

Well, I'm home now, and on the long slow road to recovery...... am sore, slow, and not very mobile yet; on the plus side, the intense pain in the left leg seems to have subsided. Thanks for all the well wishes- just will take some time to mend. Can't do too much now, have my follow-up visit with the doc next week, start PT a few weeks after that. Will be out of work a few weeks also.

Tom, that is great news....good luck with the rehab. I bet that you'll be stronger than before the surgery once the rehab is completed. Just make sure to stay in shape and continue to train. 

It's been a tough winter for ya...the car, the surgery and your pup....hang in Man, things will get better. 


Take care,


Ron

[Charger_Fan]

Glad to hear things went well, here's hoping for your speedy recovery.

[bull]

Don't be afraid to take it easy for as long as you need to. When are you ever going to have an excuse this good to lay around all day?

[NHCharger]

Tom, glad to see that things went well.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Glad to hear all went well   Get going on that PT!!!