Need input guys....On Back Surgery

[IDspud]

I do not know what brand was used, will look into it. I was honestly four days from diagnosis to surgery table my symptoms were so far along. I was trying to put it off until November, to get through potato harvest. That was when I was told that I was bad enough that if I stood up and wacked my head on something I would be paralyzed.

I was four months until I started helping out on the farm again, four to six hours a day of mostly bossing people around, which I hate. I have always preferred to be the one doing, not talking.

I can remember the minute I finally felt "normal again". It was New Years Eve, six and a half months later. I went on a 30 mile sled trip, my first real activity since the surgery, just a road ride with my wife, two of my daughters and father in law. I pulled up at the end of it and broke out in tears, I was so amazed to have come so far in six months. ---Truly the first time since the surgery that I had full faith that my life would someday be like it was before the nerve issues. There are definitely some trying days. I would still repeat it in a heartbeat with the results that were achieved.

I am also 37, at least fifteen years younger than any of his other patients, with the exception of some freeway trauma victims. It is awesome to have the rest of my life to enjoy my renewed strength and increased flexibility.

 

[slash]

screwed

this sucks most of the time but i can ride and i can walk

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Ouch Slash, that looks painful..

 

[polaris dude]

those are pretty neat pictures thanks for posting them!

 

[sno_mo_racer]

Ouch AK, glad you are setting to be on a surgery table and not in a casket. No input to be giving here but just wanted to send some get well soon's and best of luck to you.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

those are pretty neat pictures thanks for posting them!

LOL, I sure didn't think they were neat at the time....I had a snap-on carry bag full of tools sitting on the floor behind the drivers seat..bag ended up upside down/zipper blown open and tools scattered everywhere, some how I lost a snap-on 15/16 long wrench and some sockets during the crash, we never did find them..this pic is about the most graphic I have of how hard the hit was.........

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Ouch AK, glad you are setting to be on a surgery table and not in a casket. No input to be giving here but just wanted to send some get well soon's and best of luck to you.

Thanks Sno mo, glad to still be kickin for sure....

 

[polaris dude]

LOL, I sure didn't think they were neat at the time....I had a snap-on carry bag full of tools sitting on the floor behind the drivers seat..bag ended up upside down/zipper blown open and tools scattered everywhere, some how I lost a snap-on 15/16 long wrench and some sockets during the crash, we never did find them..this pic is about the most graphic I have of how hard the hit was.........

Funny how after a crash like that your still concerned about where the h3ll your tools went haha. But its amazing you took a hit like that and it wadded up the front/engine bay and yet the cab looks nearly untouched. Gotta lot engineering. What is the story behind your crash anyway?

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Funny how after a crash like that your still concerned about where the h3ll your tools went haha. But its amazing you took a hit like that and it wadded up the front/engine bay and yet the cab looks nearly untouched. Gotta lot engineering. What is the story behind your crash anyway?

Going down the highway, roadgrader backing up the exit ramp, guy behind me in the red hummer looses control, crosses from right lane to left lane, into meridian and comes back across road sideways and nails me in drivers door(explain that when he came from behind, sideways to get my door), which pushed me off the road and right into the grader. It looked like by the marks (his) from the time he hit my drivers door until I hit the grader was maybe 80 ft.(cops figured I was still at aprox 60mph when I hit the grader).
As for the cab, it actually is bent to crap, neither frt door would relatch after opening them, center console was all torqued out of shape(think the motor/tranny pushing back bent up the floorpan), rear cab wall was dented in from the bedsides hitting it and the whole dash was tweaked bad enough there was gaps between the panels, glovebox opened, wouldn't shut and winshield was pushed into the cab by the hood about a foot right in the center area...as for the motor(I saw the truck at the tow yard about a week or so after)it looked like everything on the frt of the motor was gone except a small piece of the waterpump, intake ripped off the motor, frt part of both valve covers gone(see rocker arms from frt of truck), wish I would have felt good enough to climb around it and take pics, but just couldn't do it...

 

[Jesse_01]

Before and after the surgery. Stay away from gluten. The gluten now a days does so much havoc on the body do to inflammation. I know no one will probably take my advice. But if you have any sort of back pain, try it for a month or two. Only thing you have to lose is a bit of a belly lol.

 

[cyoung]

Maybe a different injury but...

I badly compressed discs in my neck and lower back by taking a flat landing off what I thought was a small cliff. Went to the docs and they said only answer was surgery. Talk to lots of friends that had the surgery and all had bad news about the results.

So here is where things get goofy. I decided to start hot yoga (don't laugh till you try it) and acupuncture. Essentially after a year of bad pain I felt some relief. 6 months later, essentially the pain is gone and my core strength is off the charts (for me). Yoga expands the joints so they can replenish and acupuncture focuses the body's healing power in specific areas.

Just sayin it worked for me...

 

[RyanD]

double edged sword

had t2-t3-t4 fusion, 6 screws couple rods, couple plates done jan 12, everything went great till late september of 12, muscles across back enexplicably started tightening up like a vice, muscle relaxants are useless for me, was told it was likely the hardware causing irritation and that I could get it out at 18months, 18 months came, doc doesn't want jack to do with me (wy wrk comp injury from 05) and I can literally feel the tendons and muscles between my shoulders hanging up on the hardware. the end result is I can sit and do random light duty stuff for around 20-30min then I have to get up and wander around for 15-20 min, rinse wash repeat, if I try to sit for longer it's like a vice tightening across my shoulders ending in being bedridden for a day or 2, I'm pretty much useless thanks to this hardware issue.

Make sure you have all the bases covered as to what happens in event of hardware needing removed, and any other issue you can think of, and get it in writing before you commit to any surgery...

and avoid wyoming spine and neurosurgery in cheyenne like the plague. I'm told there one of best in country for surgery, for pre and especially aftercare they suck, and once they get paid for surgery they could give a rats behind about your care or suffering.

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Man ryan, that sounds terrible, I hope you can find some relief. I go thru the same thing, sitting in any padded chair for more then about 30-45 minutes(or less) has my back screaming. same with sleeping, used to close my eyes and be sound a sleep, since the wreck I am lucky to get3 hrs of sleep before I wake up, just cant find and stay comfy...Good luck and thanks for sharing, the aftermath and future after surgery has me scared after hearing so many horror stories..Thanks Mike

 

[volcano buster]

Mike,

Any news yet?

Hope you get things healed up.

VB

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Mike,

Any news yet?

Hope you get things healed up.

VB

Nothing yet, I have my first appointment with one of our top neurosurgeons this week.

 

[bholmlate]

Remember one thing AKSNOWRIDER. you don’t often hear about the good experiences because those people are out enjoying getting their life back free of pain. Like i said don’t dwell on the negative because there is plenty to go around. Sounds like Ryan had enough hardware put in for several people and no one likes to hear about the trouble post surgery. It sounds like he is lucky to move at all pain or no pain.
Don’t get me wrong i am not making light of his situation at all. There is no way get away from the fact that back surgery is MAJOR surgery with its inherent risks.
No service after the sale is the way things are today and the medical field is no different. they want to get rid of you as soon as they can that is just a fact of life. I hope Ryan is able to find some releif for his pain. Pain will shape your whole outlook on life if you let it good luck with everything..

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Remember one thing AKSNOWRIDER. you don’t often hear about the good experiences because those people are out enjoying getting their life back free of pain. Like i said don’t dwell on the negative because there is plenty to go around. Sounds like Ryan had enough hardware put in for several people and no one likes to hear about the trouble post surgery. It sounds like he is lucky to move at all pain or no pain.
Don’t get me wrong i am not making light of his situation at all. There is no way get away from the fact that back surgery is MAJOR surgery with its inherent risks.
No service after the sale is the way things are today and the medical field is no different. they want to get rid of you as soon as they can that is just a fact of life. I hope Ryan is able to find some releif for his pain. Pain will shape your whole outlook on life if you let it good luck with everything..

Thanks Bholmlate, I do realize that , I take everything anyone says with a grain of salt. And I have heard from many who have had excellent results as well. One of my good friends has a buddy who just had his back fused(11 joints), he is like a kid in the candy store since getting his done(his was a genetic issue that he has grown up with).Looking at his x-rays made my jaw drop..he has rods from his butt to his shoulders..Thanks again...Mike

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

Update...........I had my first consult with the neurosurgeon last week, In his estimation I need a fusion vrs a disc replacement. he found some things on the MRI that the others missed. not quite the answer I was looking for(I was hoping both would be options)..So that gives me some to think about(yes I will be getting more consults on it before I decide). next up I need to get in and see the shoulder specialist for a consult on the shoulder surgery..more updates when I find out more....

 

[Wyo 1000]

Back in September of this year I got out of bed on a Sunday morning with sudden intense low back pain, with terrable pain shooting down my left leg. After waiting two weeks for my insurance company to say that they would not cover an MRI! ( unable to walk on my back on the floor that whole time) I paid for the MRI myself (I'll never wait for an insuresance company again!) After looking at the MRI the doctor said I had a PARS fracture and was bone on bone and bad nerve compression at L5S1. That day he gave me a steroid injection in my back and after about a week I started to feel somewhat better at least I could walk again but I had lost a lot of mucle controll in my left foot and was still in a lot of pain.

At that point I was very worried about the nerve damage that may happen if I did not have surgery I don't want to drag my foot the rest of my life! So I took the Doctors advice and on October 28 I had fushion Surgery on L5S1 two rods four screws a carbon fiber cage and a shim of cadaver bone, scariest thing I have ever went through!

At this point I am around seven weeks after sugery and rite now it is the best thing I have ever done! Thank's to God! and a great back surgeon I feel great! less back pain now than I've had since I was 15 years old, no pain in my leg and most of the use of my left foot has come back more and more every day!.

I am in physical therapy twice a week and excercise at home every day it feels great to start to get back in shape after three months of sitting around. Overall I think my surgery was a great success! I am planing on taking my sled out for the first time this winter on Febuary 1'st 3 months post op and I cant wait!

Just keep a positive attitude and when the time comes work hard at the Physical therapy and you will be as good as new before you know it! back to work, then hunting and snowmobiling next fall and winter! We will be Praying for you, good luck and God bless!

 

[CatRpillar]

Wyo - good luck with the recuperation and hopefully it improves long term. I had a really successful surgery in 2009 for my L4/L5 that basically resolved problems I had for near a dozen years. Then in 2010 my L5/S1 acted up - we knew there was a herniation there too but it hadn't bothered me ever - and I went into surgery within a couple of months. I lost most of my right calf muscle which really surprised the surgeon but that is a hell of a lot better than the suffering I was going through. All surgeries and situations are different though and all you can do is make a decision and hope for the best.

I sledded from 1969 through to 2004 and then quit and got back into into in 2011 - can't sled worth a damn anymore but still enjoy reading about those who can and I hope that includes you again!