Back Surgery

   / Back Surgery #22  
For your sake I surely hope this is the last surgery. So far, sure sounds positive. Glad your pain is mainly gone. The pain from the surgery will quickly be a memory.

I need another surgery, but I refuse. I am so afraid that the next one will lead to another, etc. So as long as I can live with the pain, and the pain meds don't make me entirely looney, I am staying away from the knife.

Walk. Walk. Walk!!! :)
 
   / Back Surgery
  • Thread Starter
#23  
CanuckPT said:
Did you have a fusion?
Click to expand...

A fusion was a part of the surgery. My problem has been with spinal stenosis. It is where the tunnel that the nerves travel up thru narrows, pressing on the nerves and causes all kinds of problems with the legs and other things. They open up the tunnel (lamenectemy)and then fuse the joints. The first time it was L4-L5 and this time was L3-L4.
 
   / Back Surgery
  • Thread Starter
#24  
Dean, I don't blame you for not wanting another surgery because I sure didn't want it. It just came down to no choice for me. I was about to loose the ability to walk. I would put it off as long as possible as long as it is not causing you irreversible damage.

I have already started walking. I walked about 1/3 mile today and will try to slowly increase each day.
 
   / Back Surgery #25  
Good! I am glad you are walking.

My troubles are at the same location as yours. After my first surgery, I felt great. No more pain. Then a year later, I feel a pop and then the sciatic pain (I might have been building a 42 x 68 pole barn when I felt the pop :) ). I actually was open for another surgery, but couldn't find a surgeon who would operate. They all said it was scar tissue, and the risks of spinal meningitis was too great to operate.

My wife wouldn't accept the no answer, and I lost count at how many surgeons we visited. The last one thought he saw a herniated disc, and we had a date set for the operation. He decided he needed another MRI. After reviewing the new MRI, he changed his mind saying it was scar tissue and cancelled the operation.

For the last 8 years, she has been pushing me to go to Mayo. I keep saying no. Instead, I visit the pain management doc 4 times per year..my pusher :) haha.

Enough about me. Again, really glad that you are feeling better. Try not to over do it. Even one year later!
 
   / Back Surgery #26  
kf4uda said:
A fusion was a part of the surgery. My problem has been with spinal stenosis. It is where the tunnel that the nerves travel up thru narrows, pressing on the nerves and causes all kinds of problems with the legs and other things. They open up the tunnel (lamenectemy)and then fuse the joints. The first time it was L4-L5 and this time was L3-L4.
Click to expand...

That explains a lot then - fusions almost always provide some relief for a year or two until the segments above (or below depending on the level of the fusion) start to fail because they're trying to make up for the motion lost by the fused segments (I'm a physical therapist BTW). There is surgical option called X-stop surgery (The X-STOP Spacer for the symptoms of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. I've seen some good results with this for spinal stenosis & it's reversible if for any reason you chose to have it undone.
 
   / Back Surgery #27  
CanuckPT is right. When they fuse the discs, it puts more stress on the joints above and below the repair. That's why a number of fusion patients have to have later surgeries. I believe artificial discs are the way to go. With them you have the same movement as the original disc did. Cervical discs have also been approved for a couple years or so now which followed lumbar discs by a few years.
Chris, good luck with your rehab..
 
   / Back Surgery
  • Thread Starter
#28  
I am still walking. I walked a total of just over 2 miles today in two different sessions. I am certainly glad it wasn't another 10ft, I would of never have made it :). Slowly but surely.

Also, thanks for the good wishes Jerry.
 
   / Back Surgery #29  
kf4uda said:
I am still walking. I walked a total of just over 2 miles today in two different sessions. I am certainly glad it wasn't another 10ft, I would of never have made it :). Slowly but surely.

Also, thanks for the good wishes Jerry.
Click to expand...

Keep it up! Slow & easy wins the race! Exercising in a pool is great at this stage too if your surgeon approves - the buoyancy effect of the water helps to decompress the spine & you can strengthen against the resistance of the water too.

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet
 
   / Back Surgery
  • Thread Starter
#30  
I am still making progress. I returned to work this week (just doing office work) and am doing OK with it so far. I have walked 86 miles since my surgery and am going to try some bike riding. The big event was climbing on my tractor after 2 months. Man did that feel good. Did a little bushhogging around the barn lot in a nice and low gear.:thumbsup:
 
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