Back Surgery Question

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Scruffy

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i don't know if this is the right place but what is the name of the member. Who is looking at back surgery ?
Thanks ron
 
Hi Scruffy,
i know that Silverbullet is gonna have it done soon
 
I'm trying to avoid it, but it's coming at some point. So far the RF neurotomy and injections are getting me by. After my broken leg episode, I don't know if I can handle the mental aspect of it. I hope I don't have to do it soon.
 
One of the things that I have been told it often after you have one back surgery, you wind up having more. Trying to avoid the more, getting epidural shots, and had full of pills to keep me going.
Hope we all get to doing better.
 
My family has a very bad history with spinal surgeries. I'm on my way, but am trying to avoid it as long as possible. Only have a few more steps in the pills department and the shots did nothing good. I feel your pain!
 
On Sept 15, my wife woke me up saying that she couldn't move her legs to get out of bed. Called the paramedics, trip to the hospital, physical therapy to little avail. Little to no feeling in one leg, foot on other leg didn't want to move. Back to home then to spinal institute, finally on Dec 15 went in for surgery which lasted for 6-1/2 hours then hospital then rehab center then home. I have been her 24 hour 7days a week caretaker. Then in early Feb. they weren't happy with how the wound was heeling. She is heavy set and has about 3-1/2" of flesh covering her spine and it had developed an infection. Back to the hospital. Then home again but now she has three tubes connecting to her body and running to three pumps, oxygen, vacuum running to a wound vac over the wound and infusion giving her timed doses of antibiotics. She need assistance with any movement that requires bending or twisting. Bed, bathroom, sitting, standing etc. in other words just about everything. She is walking with a walker and now can stand by herself without any aid. Getting her in and out of the house and in and out of the minivan is a real challenge. We need to go to 5 various doctor appointments a week. Real fun when snow and ice are added to the mix. The doctors are talking about 6 to 10 more weeks of this routine. She really is much so much improved and I am a much better cook as a result of this. The big problems that we have dealt with are bad original diagnosis and this nasty infection, otherwise we would have been done with this two months ago. She still needs rehab which currently is difficult with all of the plumbing she has connected to her, but the actual surgery seems to have worked wonders. This also was an extreme case with her age 72, her weight and the unexpected infection.
We are both very happy with the actual spinal results and are looking forward to much happier times ahead. We both want to get back to Europe sometime soon. I'm posting this, not to steer anyone away but to warn of possible side effects of such surgery and get a second opinion before doing anything.
Oh, and since this is a machining site, I just got into the shop yesterday, and am trying to find space for my new free acquisition a (used but repairable) 6X48 belt / disk sander. Yeah!
 
Tony Wells said:
I'm trying to avoid it, but it's coming at some point. So far the RF neurotomy and injections are getting me by. After my broken leg episode, I don't know if I can handle the mental aspect of it. I hope I don't have to do it soon.
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Everyone has to make their own call when it comes to back surgery. If you can live with some minor pain and control it with painkillers than that may be good enough for now, but if back pain is degrading your quality of life than the knife may be the right choice for you. With back surgery It seems the horror stories grow legs but the success stories go nowhere. My back, weakened by arthritis, broke completely in two right where it attaches to my pelvis. At the time I was a building contractor and was pretty busy. Fortunately my sons took up the slack for me. I needed a bone graft and four stainless bolts to put my back together again. The operation took two teams and twelve hours. I did get an infection in the muscle layer of my back which required a minor (2 hours) operation to clean out. I spent a year in a wheelchair and another year with therapy getting my mobility back but by then I was better than I had been in years. That was when I was 60. I'm 68 now and I hunt, fish, and ride quads with my sons and their friends. Don't ever give up on your quality of life because of the boogyman. Don't go under the knife frivolously but if you need it, research the doctors and the procedures then go for it.
 
Your all going through the wringer like me it seems. Last Tuesday I had my first epidural shot or shots . Made out fine getting the procedure done. About an hour after being home nothing was working right for me ,, body wise,, by eight that nite I was in the er , very dehydrated . By 1 am I was back home. This entire week my body has had weird reactions to the shot. I'm not sure it's helped yet I've been to sick to tell. I guess the nerves are to excited to calm down. I'm not looking forward to this again but he said it may take a few times to get relief . I'm almost ready to just go to Jefferson in Philly and get the lamenectame on the discs that are causing the pain. It's gotten so bad I hate to even move . Back to the pain Dr next Tuesday see what they say this time. Grumpy old man , I know what you and your wife are going through, been there. When it became to much trouble to go to doctors I found one that comes to me ,, believe me they're great , blood work xrays ,foot doctor . All come to me if it weren't for them I'd probably be dead . Don't know if they have them near you but check it don't cost any more.
 
I developed a laser device for herniated disks that was sold by Laserscope back in the 90's. What are you considering having done?
Randy
 
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