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Anyone had to have discectomy or spinal fusion?

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Coronet 14 said:
My surgery was done in Minot nd. I'm also on Savella. Lyrica didn't work anymore. Sometimes the pain overrides the meds I'm on. There is not much I can do when it happens. I will never get the Spinal Injections ever again. The injection in my Siatic nerve did nothing. So that is another shot I will never do again either. I tried going a week without taking any of my pain meds. When the fourth day hit I couldn't stand it anymore. It took sometime for the meds to build up in my system again. Cronic Pain causes all kind of other issues. From stress and no sleep to cronic fatigue. You have got to pace yourself. If you can only work on your car a couple of hours at a time do that. Don't kill yourself trying to do stuff. Two weeks ago I helped my Dad get my sisters Jeep running I was in a ton of pain for 2 days.
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Epidural is magic for me. Lasted almost 2 years.
 
GearAddict said:
Good to hear another positive story, I know it is possible, but not garunteed by any means..
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IMO, Nothing is for sure and nothing is forever especially in surgery. It's your call.
Inversion option may (or may not) help but if it's only for a short period of relief do you continue drugs in between?
Yoga, acupuncture, physical therapy, and chiropractic measures are out there.
Lol, Then too someone may know a good witch doctor.
Fusion and or replacement would be major and last resort I think.
To me the discectomy was the best "1st option" of them all.
The alternative is to live with continued pain and possible addiction to the pain killer, continually looking to stronger medication as one grows immune to the current drug is no way to live either. Nor are continual trips to the chiropractor and others (my opinion they keep you coming back for more).
For a couple years the VA continually provided my father drugs for inflammation and pain as he could hardly walk without being bent over 90° rather than addressing the real issue. He ended up in regular hospital ER that scheduled him for lower back surgery. He now walks standing straight up again at 80+ years old. He was terrified at the thought of surgery.
 
I would rather gain multiple opinions from the seasoned professionals in these areas of treatment/surgery. Sure, we all have the fear of going under the knife/expensive therapies but if multiple opinions correlate. I would consider that a true Diagnosis.

BTW the inversion table is nothing more than an at home "traction" device. The efficacy of them is equivocal at best. The pain alone may not allow you to utilize this technique. Furthermore, blood pools when being inverted and you have to be careful on getting up too fast so you do not pass out(not even factoring in your medical history and medications) Syncope in the home can be a widow maker....
 
Hopefully posting your question on the site will lead you to make the correct decision or at least open up different avenues to check out before jumping in....but my 2 cents....I know no one that's had major back surgery that came out like the doctors said it should. It seems that there are few doctors that really know what the end results will be or are still 'practicing' their craft to try and find what works the best. Problem is, everyone's body is different. My back is messed up too but no where near as bad as yours looks so I can't really give any advice.....
 
moparnation74 said:
I would rather gain multiple opinions from the seasoned professionals in these areas of treatment/surgery. Sure, we all have the fear of going under the knife/expensive therapies but if multiple opinions correlate. I would consider that a true Diagnosis.

BTW the inversion table is nothing more than an at home "traction" device. The efficacy of them is equivocal at best. The pain alone may not allow you to utilize this technique. Furthermore, blood pools when being inverted and you have to be careful on getting up too fast so you do not pass out(not even factoring in your medical history and medications) Syncope in the home can be a widow maker....
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Pronounced sin-co-pee. Thanks for making me open the dictionary. A temporary loss of consciousness. When inverting, full inversion is not required for a benefit for me. Brief stretching after being up an hour seems to help circulation and limbering up. No syncope yet. If upu have a flare up going on, you won't be inverting. Preventative maintenance.
 
Cranky said:
Hopefully posting your question on the site will lead you to make the correct decision or at least open up different avenues to check out before jumping in....but my 2 cents....I know no one that's had major back surgery that came out like the doctors said it should. It seems that there are few doctors that really know what the end results will be or are still 'practicing' their craft to try and find what works the best. Problem is, everyone's body is different. My back is messed up too but no where near as bad as yours looks so I can't really give any advice.....
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Thanks Cranky, It seems to be a mixed bag, I find every response helpfull as it gives me another datapoint to think about. But in the end Its gonna come down to me and how I feel about the options and trust level
 
I was told the same thing about my neck and lower back. The rest of my back too. My regular doctor calls be a train wreck that some still can slowly roll down the tracks.

I have a 4 level neck fusion and a 3 level lumber to pelvis fusion. The rest of my back has a bunch of issues besides. I can't do much of anything without taking pain pills in advance. My neck fusion was 14 years ago and the other was 7 years ago. The amount of range of motion I've lost is ridiculous. I'm hoping to get my car finished by spring but I can't work on it for long and pay the price when I do. Norco and valium are my 2 main meds, they work the best but I wean myself off of them every other month. That means 1 week a month is wasted just doing nothing. It took me years to figure out the best way to take my meds since they are both highly addictive. Not doing **** is a big part of my life. At least there is the internet.... I could go on and on about this but I can only type with one finger which is slow and limiting. One other issue I have is a result of the injury that screwed my neck up years later. I have a brain tumor to boot. About 25 years ago I was hit in the head by a F250 4X4 that another tech had racked. One hoist leg came out and I took the rear shackle hanger to the top of my head. That was just one of the causes, but it's a major one.

All I know is I wouldn't wish this **** on anyone. I'll gladly tell you everything I can but I'm not typing it all out. This is a 30 minute post right here. PM me and I gladly talk on the phone. It's much easier...
 
TNTsMAG said:
I was told the same thing about my neck and lower back. The rest of my back too. My regular doctor calls be a train wreck that some still can slowly roll down the tracks.

I have a 4 level neck fusion and a 3 level lumber to pelvis fusion. The rest of my back has a bunch of issues besides. I can't do much of anything without taking pain pills in advance. My neck fusion was 14 years ago and the other was 7 years ago. The amount of range of motion I've lost is ridiculous. I'm hoping to get my car finished by spring but I can't work on it for long and pay the price when I do. Norco and valium are my 2 main meds, they work the best but I wean myself off of them every other month. That means 1 week a month is wasted just doing nothing. It took me years to figure out the best way to take my meds since they are both highly addictive. Not doing **** is a big part of my life. At least there is the internet.... I could go on and on about this but I can only type with one finger which is slow and limiting. One other issue I have is a result of the injury that screwed my neck up years later. I have a brain tumor to boot. About 25 years ago I was hit in the head by a F250 4X4 that another tech had racked. One hoist leg came out and I took the rear shackle hanger to the top of my head. That was just one of the causes, but it's a major one.

All I know is I wouldn't wish this **** on anyone. I'll gladly tell you everything I can but I'm not typing it all out. This is a 30 minute post right here. PM me and I gladly talk on the phone. It's much easier...
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Thanks for sharing and the offer to discuss. I may take you up on that.

I empathize with the typing struggles, I think I referenced mine in previous post. I typing on a phone takes me for every as I really seem to have lost some motor skill along with the sensations. I didn't wAnt to believe it, so I recorded how long to text same paragraph each week for the past 5 weeks and it's consistently declining. I shouldn't complain because other than, generalweakness and dexterity, my hands work great.. oh and there's the dropping things.

So I have 90% of the time complied with not lifting over 5-10lbs and take it slowly..no problems, my neck and back might get irritated the next day but I was still under the assumption that it was self imposed.. like "yah I can lift that I just don't want to."
Then on Monday I picked up a big gulp from 7-11 (gator aide and ice) bam shooting pain up my arm, hands and arms went weak and I lost grip on the drink.. it now seems that it is no longer my choice to pick up less than 10lbs, it's been decided for me without my blessing..
 
On a mostly positive note note, my 470cui B deck short block is back from the maschine shop, prepped and ready for me as soon as I find a sacrificial child to assemble it for me while I direct it :)
 
I had a bad day today. I have been waiting for a month to see a particular surgeon for 2nd opinion but had a rough night last night and woke to a migraine, missed the appointment, several important meetings at work and Im just finally feeling slightly better now, but my neck has gotten agitated and. Right arm pain is hitting hard.

Today is tough, tomorrow I'll have to find perspective.
 
I hate days like that. Aleve, valium and pain pills are a requirement on those days. So is some time in a dark quiet room while I wait for the meds to kick in.

Hope tomorrow is better. I'm hoping for a good day too since our club is having it's yearly get together/party.
 
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