Back Surgery Questions?

[jays87gn]

Just found out on the 4th of this month that I am going to have back surgery for a blown disc between L5 and S1 its compressing on the nerve pretty bad. I was just wondering if anyone here has had the surgery. It's going to be laparoscopic. Just looking for some heads up on the surgery like how bad the recovery will be?

Thanks for any input
Jason

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Its a pain in the arse isnt it? Mine was/is thru the buttock on my right side and down my leg to my knee. I cant stand or pivot on my right hip, boy it surely takes a tole on what you can do in life...

Wake up one day and feel 18, next day feel 80. Other than epidurals and physical therapy, the ONLY thing that makes it feel better is that stuff from walmart called FREEZE-IT. That stuff works i tell you.

Get with Quip6, his name is brian and he just had it done in the last month, i have no idea how long its going to take for recovery, but it has to be better than the pain everyday.

Hope you get well

BW

 

[jays87gn]

Its sure is a pain in the arse lol. Been going through it for 6 years and it finally got diagnosed properly the military doctors kept telling me that it was muscular and that an mri was too expensive lol. I guess you get what you pay for last couple of months have been pretty bad. The neuro surgeon said that surgery was pretty much the only way to go because it was going on for so long. The surgery is on Friday but I’ll have to try that freeze it stuff till then it’s hard to even sleep.

 

[usetaboost]

uncle had back problems for years from when he got in a car accident-I'm talkin over 20 yrs easy. Finally had surgery a few years back. Couldn't really do chit for almost 6 months. When he came back in town after recovery he was remodeling his mother in law's house

 

[jays87gn]

That’s good to hear I’m an aircraft mechanic and like my job. I guess I’ll just have to take it easy for a little while Thanks for the input

 

[GSX-PKV]

I can empathize with you. I've had constant pain for several years, sometimes getting a disabling electrical-like shock down my leg. With caution and excercise, I can manage the pain and get some relief. Just as begin to feel better, I easily re-injure myself, sometimes but just coughing or sneezing. Even lifting a 40 lb bag of dog food takes it's toll the next day.

My MRI revealed that I have a laundry list of problems in my back so I have been considering surgery also... but... it's a scary thought. Everyone's case is different and many people suffer from back pain so I'd get a couple opinions for Neurologists before pulling the trigger on surgery.

Good luck Jason, and I hope you have a 100% successful result. Paul

 

[Chuck Leeper]

My personal experience...

Unless you have exhausted all other options, I'd be very WARY of ANYONE cutting on my spine!
Have you gotten any other opinions?
I got busted up in a wreck, some 24 yrs ago. [L4, L5, S1] I went thru the therapy, the exercize programs.. Not much help.
I then had several epidural injections, the last of which was some 10 yrs ago... Still going, and no knife work.
I have to use much more caution in my daily work, but it's OK. I'm probably many yrs older than you, so what discomfort I live with, could be from being an "old fart"!!
Whenever my back muscles start acting up, I get the wraparound back support on, immediately! Things cool down, and it's back to the regular routines..
My dr, one of the best known ortho guys around, told me that until they carried me in on a stretcher, there'd be no surgery...

My daughter had the repairs made, at the age of 28. They had to redo it, as the moron nicked the dural area, and she had a spinal fluid leak... Since then, she's been good to go..

GOOD LUCK, with whatever you decide..

 

[GNTIM]

I feel for you bud. I was rear ended about 20 years ago and they diagnosed a compressed L5-S1. My father, mother and both sisters have problems there too, hereditary I guess. I will be in your spot at some point. Same as above posts, feel great sometimes, massive pain sometimes. Sounds crazy, but as long as I ride my Jet-Ski at least once a month and stay in shape, I am O/K. Riding it tightens abdominal and lower back muscles which support the disc. As far as recovery time, that depends on a lot of things such a age, general health, skill of the operating team and how proactive you are in the recovery process. 5 years ago I fractured my C3 vertebra in my neck {broken neck} and had to have a double fusion where they took a bone graft from my hip. Fortunatly, a bunch of my family is in the medical field so I had the best doctors in the region and they did a great job. Other than loss of range of motion, I have no other complications or lingering pain, and I healed pretty quickly. I say the biggest factor is getting a good team to perform the operation. If the military hospital is doing the job, it's a crapshoot. And no disrespect to them either, just what I have seen and heard in my life. Keep us updated.

 

[Turbo Indian]

I had it done about 5 1/2 years ago. I can tell you it was so bad for me that I would be walking along & I would just fall down. after surgery I was out of work for 6 weeks but every day was better. I am back to 99%. I just watch what I do, but most of the time I will still lift things I shouldn't. but everything is a OK.

 

[S10xGN]

Wow, how timely this thread is! I just spent 3 days in the hospital with back spasms so severe that I had to go by ambulance. This has been an ongoing problem for the past 25 yrs, but never this severe. I've had X-Rays and MRI's and both show some damage to L3, 4, &5 but since I have no nerve problems (tingling, numbness, pain) no Dr. will touch it. I can usually work through a round of spasms with Ibuprofen and icepacks, but needed an epidural block this time. The ER Dr. tried everything he could short of an overdose and nothing would stop these d@mned spasms. Can't pin down the "trigger", can't get it fixed... Stuck in h&ll.

 

[turbofabricator]

My advice.......Do EXHAUSTIVE research on the doctor doing the surgery!!! Try this web site: Browse Doctors | RateMDs.com I wish I had before MY micro-discectomy!!!!! Here is the "doc" that did mine: Dr. Solomon Kamson - Bothell, WA Doctor Ratings | RateMDs.com Ask the doctor if he/she is a board certified surgeon. Have them put it in writing. Have them put EVERYTHING in writing. The "doc" that performed my surgery is nothing more than an Anisthisiologist, and NOT a board certified surgeon. Ask LOTS of questions. This is not reversable. Lots of people have GREAT results, by qulaified surgeons. My results were not positive, but that should go with out saying. I will have to have a REAL surgeon fix the bulging discs on three levels in the future. As an aircraft mech myself, I feel for you. (AMT for a LARGE aircraft manufacturer in the Puget Sound area) Vicodin is what allows me to stay working. My current doc says when I am on 5 Oxycotin a day, then it is too much and worth cutting. I am really afraid of going under again. But, will seriously consider it in the near future. Good luck!

 

[RobsIron]

I had a moderate disc protrusion pushing on my sciatic nerve. The orthapedic doc wanted to fuse the vertabrae together. The neurosurgeon doc was going to do a laminectomy and trim the bone away from the nerve.

I ended up healing myself on my total gym with inversion, stretches, building up my back muscles and LIFTING WITH MY LEGS!

Find out if your doc is going to fuse the two vertabrae together. If so, see if a laminectomy is a option.

Laminectomy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[vader87]

Best thing I ever did!!! I am about 95% but I can play with my 8 month little girl now!!! Can't lift any engine blocks or transmissions but I am pain free. I also have the procedure where they go in and burn the nerves between the little bones on the spine. I am able to workout now. I have lost 23 lbs., 3% body fat and 3 inches around the beer gut in the past 90 days. Of course this always helps! Good luck!

 

[jays87gn]

Thanks for all the input guys I really appreciate it! The surgery is going to be a lumbar discectomy and the surgeon specializes in spinal so I should be good to go. I can’t wait to get on with my life it really does put a damper on things. I finally figured out how it happened it was that damn black car I drive lol

 

[onebadsix]

Hey Jason i had the same sugery in 1996 , i had sciatica so bad , in the left cheek of my but felt like a hot poker , i couldnt sraighten out my left leg , i limped along , needles and pins in my foot , i was so uncomfortable i couldnt sleep at night , had the same surgery your going to have , woke up in the recovery room , i felt relief right away , the pressure was off , very sucessful surgery , never had any more problems all these years
good luck

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

After reading this thread, i think everyone brings up what we should all be doing.

Frequent exercise and no heavy lifting, you/me/we all need to make sure our core is taken care of before anything else.

I have worksheets i need to print off for everyone here, doing these exercises took me off the couch and finally back into the bed. I dont have to sleep on the floor, couch, ect anymore.


About 2 months ago, my neighbor moved in and we started swapping stories about pain, scars and what not.

Ill be god damned if he didnt hit the nail on the head with the following.

The sciatic nerve gets irritated when you dont poop enough. If you wait too long, and fill up down low, your going to hurt yourself. You need to poo more often. He was right and ive never felt better honestly.

I think we all have the same pains, and with exercise, FIBER, YOGURT, and not over eating, ive never felt better. 5 epidurals and lots of bills, the guy down the street knew more than my doctors...

BW

 

[RobsIron]

After reading this thread, i think everyone brings up what we should all be doing.

Frequent exercise and no heavy lifting, you/me/we all need to make sure our core is taken care of before anything else.

I have worksheets i need to print off for everyone here, doing these exercises took me off the couch and finally back into the bed. I dont have to sleep on the floor, couch, ect anymore.


About 2 months ago, my neighbor moved in and we started swapping stories about pain, scars and what not.

Ill be god damned if he didnt hit the nail on the head with the following.

The sciatic nerve gets irritated when you dont poop enough. If you wait too long, and fill up down low, your going to hurt yourself. You need to poo more often. He was right and ive never felt better honestly.

I think we all have the same pains, and with exercise, FIBER, YOGURT, and not over eating, ive never felt better. 5 epidurals and lots of bills, the guy down the street knew more than my doctors...

BW

Yeah, If you have a sciatic thing going try to eat stuff high in potassium. Bananas, Orange juice etc.

I got into a fight with 2 dudes and I was on top of one while the other pounded my back. The next day I was putting together Christmas toys for a friend of mines kids and went to stand up and activated my sciatic. It lasted about 2 months and went away.

About a year or two later I bought my house and moved all our stuff up and down stairs, worked on the rear of my Pro Street '31 lifting the big Mickey's and then took out a support wall and installed a huge header pack by myself.
All the combined 'activity' took out my back and the sciatic came back. FOR 2 YEARS!

I remember lying on the floor waiting for my wife to come home just so she could help me stand. The pain was unbearable. I never took pain pills though.

Just started stretching and working out between rests. Ate alot of Bananas and drank alot of OJ.

It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life...until I got a Toothache! Man, That is the worst.