I did it and so can you.

[bluealtered]

As some of you know i have had a very active life which meant staying at more than a few hospitals during the course of my life. What the title of this means is that i have finished the five lower back surgery's i have been working on for seven years. The plan was to just do two more since i was starting to drag my left leg again, i had done two already over the years and needed three more to complete the five total surgery's needed.
We have discussed back pain in the past here and how it changes our ability to sit at the bench to shoot or go hunting or any of the other things we discuss here on this forum. By doing two more i would have time to heal before doing the last one.

I have in the past and will continue to trust this Doctor with my life in the future as needed.

However things didn't quite work out as i thought it would that day, i was the last of three surgery's that he was to do that day which had me wondering just how tired he would be, but the surgery went well and i woke up in the recovery room with good nurse's all around me. I did feel a little rougher than i had with the first two surgery's but then again I'm 71 now and not a young pup of 64 like i was before.

The next morning the Doctor came in and we had a chance to talk for a moment before he went to see his other patients, i thanked him for what he had done and he got this big grin on his face and said i knew you could do it, then left before i could ask him he meant. It wasn't until 24 hours later when changing bandages at home that i understood what he meant, you see there wasn't a new two inch scar there, the new scar was not quite six inches long.
I can only guess that he had a extra cup of coffee at lunch before my surgery because instead of just doing the two i thought we had discussed he did the remaining three and then opened up the first two he had done years earlier and cleaned them up as well.

It turns out that he and I didn't discuss just doing two, a mistake on my part. It does make a very good point though, make sure your both on the same page, don't get side tracked like we did.
There are some very important things to consider before going into surgery, some of them are:

Back surgery will change your life forever, you can't take it back if you don't like it.

Do your homework before you choose your doctor or where it's going to be done, your life does depend upon it.

Don't worry if it costs more here or someplace else, it's better to be a little more in debt than be in screaming pain the rest of your life.

I bring the last statement up because i know two people who within the last six months that have had side entrance back surgery's that went wrong because their surgeons cut a main nerve, they will be in screaming pain for their remainder of their lives. (and nothing can change it)

Don't pick up a pain pill drug habit before or after your surgery, of course it hurts, someone just went rooting around in your body, deal with it. It will get better.

I don't care how old you are, the better shape your in gives you a better chance of this surgery working, no don't get carried away with it, just start and stay with it.

And last but certainly not least, Knock off the tough guy sh*t, and you won't need all the surgery's in the first place! Best of luck with yours, blue.

 

[Kermit in Va.]

Glad to hear it went well.
Say'in a prayer it continues...


Kermit

 

[Bill K]

I agree with you. Trust your doctor, discuss any procedure fully and don't get hooked on drugs before or after. As you say, "yes it hurts, but deal with it" and don't get hooked. Do the therapy also after, even thought that hurts also, in the long run you will come out much better, than if you slack off it.
I did super well, L-5 disk removal, no fussion back in 74 and have been just fine every since, am now 81 and still going.
So yes you can do it, just takes the old "give them hell" attitude. Glad yours is working out also.

 

[rjtfroggy]

Blue I am 67 and have had 8 so far and I know I will be having at least 1 more, the nerves in my legs hurt all the time. To make it worse both knees are bone on bone and the right hip is touching.
Even with all the pain it still beats the hell out of the alternative. Stay as active as possible and you can get through almost any day.
Good luck with your recovery.

 

[jpx2rk]

Best wishes for your recovery.

 

[Dud]

I wish you the best recovery.

I have been dealing with back pain for more than half my life and I just recently decided to do something about it.

I'm now three visits in with a chiropractor and the difference is amazing. I had a pinched nerve for about 5-6 years that seems to be totally resolved, one locked up vertebrae in my neck that is moving now, most of my mid-back was locked up but it's moving again and one was locked up in my low back too. The low back wasn't hurting yet but it's moving now.

Luckily my prognosis did not include any type of disk or bone degeneration from what he could feel.

I can actually lie down and fall asleep easier than I can ever remember. Before I went in it was pretty bad, staring at the ceiling for hours before I could rest.

Don't be a dummy like me and suffer for decades.

 

[K22]

My back went sideways when I was in my 40's, now I'm 72. I have myself to blame for my bad back, I was a competitive weight lifter in high school and college. I have dealt with back pain 24/7 for over 30 years now; some days are worse than others. Basically I have L4 and L5 disc degeneration.

I have had several consultations over those years. After weighing each I opted for the one offered by a neurosurgeon, he placed me on a exercise program designed to strength my core muscles and lower back and keep the weight off my abdomen. I do the exercises religiously and it has helped a lot but I still have to deal with the pain every day. I take over the counter pain killers when it gets too bad but try to avoid taking them as much as possible.

While I have to be careful and not over do it, I'm still able to hunt especially varmints which is my passion but I can't walk as far as I use to or spend as much time in the field as I'd like. I also spend 2 to 3 days a week at the range which is a god send mentally. Focusing on shooting helps distract me from the pain,.

I try to take one day at a time and not focus on tomorrow. I get through that day then attack the next day. String a few days together then I have a week and keep on going. I'm determined to remain active until I go to the big hay field in the sky. A positive attitude can help.

Get the best medical advice you can from a few sources and evaluate the risks / rewards. One size does not fit all when it come to back conditions. If you opt for surgery make sure you understand the risks.

 

[Tim Singleton]

When you start talking about back problems.
You quickly learn a lot more people have back problems than you ever knew
One day at a time for sure and
surgery sure not a magic wand!

 

[Tommie]

“Don't pick up a pain pill drug habit before or after your surgery, of course it hurts, someone just went rooting around in your body, deal with it. It will get better.”

I spent 6 months on hard core pain killers. A botched surgery that the hospital refused to acknowledge left me in tremendous pain. Took a second surgery (by a different MD) to put me back together. Toughing it out simply wasn’t an option. There was no possible way I could function at work with that level of pain. Nobody starts on pain killers with the intention of becoming addicted but it certainly does happen. I was incredibly lucky that I didn’t experience any addiction or withdrawal issues. I hated being on opioids and thanked God the day I was able to throw those pills away.

 

[Ggmac]

5 fbs here , first was October 13, 1981 . Didn't wake up from the last till 8 days later . No surgery of any kind unless life threatening.
Fbs = failed Back Surgery

 

[Pres100]

I broke my back @ 20 yrs old and re-injured multiple times from extreme sports and understand the pain that so many suffer from. I had surgery in 1990 and really haven’t spent a day out of pain since. I second the stay away from long term pain killers as it never treats the root cause. Taking care of yourself and doing what you can to increase or keep some level of flexibility and strength is extremely important in managing through it - even when it’s uncomfortable.

The body is definitely not like a fine wine - it doesn’t get better with age.

You don’t have to suffer from back pain to learn something from this thread.... if your back is healthy, do everything you can to keep it that way! It’s amazing how many people neglect it and take it for granted.

God bless all those that suffer... take care... every day.

 

[butchlambert]

I have had 5 neck and back surgeries. Can't bend much or turn my head much, but I'm pain free.
I do have cerebellar ataxia. Doc said to never submit to a field sobriety test. Not really worried about that.

 

[F Class John]

I agree. I’m 46, suffered neck and arm pain for years if not most of my adult life and saw my GP for a while before he recommended seeing an orthopedic. Being I have insurance they naturally referred me to one of ‘their’ orthopedics. I did some research, found lots of bad reviews. I still called their office and got less than a stellar feeling from the receptionist and said no thanks. Did my own search for about a week and then called an out of network ortho who was highly regarded. My call to their office went well and he was super honest when we talked. He never promised anything, in fact he almost assured me that it had a chance to fix some of my issues at best but probably not all of them. I knew I had the right guy. Had my c5/6 replaced and he was right. Fixed a couple things but not all of it and over a year later he still follows up with me. He was well worth the the out of network fees I paid.

 

[Tim Singleton]

I agree. I’m 46, suffered neck and arm pain for years if not most of my adult life and saw my GP for a while before he recommended seeing an orthopedic. Being I have insurance they naturally referred me to one of ‘their’ orthopedics. I did some research, found lots of bad reviews. I still called their office and got less than a stellar feeling from the receptionist and said no thanks. Did my own search for about a week and then called an out of network ortho who was highly regarded. My call to their office went well and he was super honest when we talked. He never promised anything, in fact he almost assured me that it had a chance to fix some of my issues at best but probably not all of them. I knew I had the right guy. Had my c5/6 replaced and he was right. Fixed a couple things but not all of it and over a year later he still follows up with me. He was well worth the the out of network fees I paid.

Great post
Research and managing your expectations is really important

 

[F Class John]

In today’s world people are often led to believe they have to use a referred doctor but that’s definitely NOT the case. It’s up to you to manage your health and if you sheeple your way through the health process you’re gonna get sheeple results. Question your doctors, seek out the best care you can (or can reasonably afford) and manage your entire health and wellness process as much as you can. You only get one body (at least as of now).

 

[bluealtered]

First let me say thanks for the good wishes and yes I'm doing fine.
In the replies here there is a lot of very important information, some of what does work and some of what didn't work, because we are all different our problems are going to be different as well. Sharing this with others may help them with their pain problem.

K22 brought up our core back mussels which are very important in helping us control how we go through life as far as back strength and pain. If you exercise those you can change, (for most people with pain) how bad the pain is each day, they are easy to exercise and can for most of us make some difference in how our day goes. I have had many years to figure out what did and didn't work for me as far as exercise goes while laying on the floor thinking about the things i did that put me there in the first place, some of what the Doctors said would make me better instead made me worse and yes some have made me better. The bottom line however was always the same, i only got out of it what i put into it, nothing more, nothing less.

Those of us that deal with chronic pain every day learn as time goes by that it isn't going away, it is your companion for life. You will have to go through the stages of living with chronic pain and there are at least three stages for all of us, for some there are more. Once your brain excepts that fact, you start thinking again about what you can still do and how you can change things to make them work for you to make your day better.
Another thing about chronic pain is that each of us finds our own way to deal with it, what works for me may not work for you. My pain killer of choice is, ... aspirin, none of the other OTC'S have ever worked for me. Yes like some/most people i went down the road of pain pills or booze but in the end the pain was still there and still something i had to deal with. Once i came to grips with that, life started to get better in the terms of " I'll be dam*ed if i will let this beat me, I'm going to kick it's a**! The truth is of course that the pain is still here and always will be, but i also learned that, .. so what, adjust to it and move forward, and i just go on with my life because you see my life didn't end it only changed, and how i dealt with that change was up entirely to me.

There are many programs out there now to help people deal with this change in their lives and there is at least one or more in your town or state, if your new to this or an old timer with it like myself and others when your ready, ... there is help. Our nation as well as the rest of the world has finally come to terms with the fact that chronic pain will become part of life for a lot of their population and if they start to help people to understand it as it happens it will have less impact on that nation as it moves forward.

Well today makes it three weeks since that operation and that means i get to do my favorite two mile walk, (I'm not sure I'll feel so good afterwards but that's how you get to feeling better, by doing instead of talking.)

 

[gary0529]

Just returned from the spine and rehab doc today so this thread is quite timely---the doc took me in and showed me the films and MRI (know a bit about reading films as I was a practicing veterinarian for 45+ years) and then he said "Just because your spine looks like crap does not mean we cut, we could always make thing worse than they already are".
Recommendation of physical therapy, strengthening the core and stretching. I asked when he wants to see me back he replied - If things get worse, call me.

Nice to have an honest doc.

Basically he said growing old is tough especially if you jacked up your back as a younger man.
Keep the weight off, especially around your gut , stay alive and learn to accept what life throws at you.

 

[Tim Singleton]

If the first thing the doc says is cut i would get another opinion

3 surgeries over 10 years the second was a fusion L5 S1
That failed with broken hardware Out of work for a year
The Lord and benchrest is what helped me keep my sanity
3rd surgery a revision of the failed fusion been back to work now 2 years and hurt every day but it is bearable
Eyes wide open on the risk of bad surgical outcome they happen

 

[Dud]

If anyone is looking at surgery, give stem cells a good look before going under the knife.

If you can get your body to repair itself, it usually does a better job than a surgeon.

I've heard of it doing unbelievable things for knees and shoulders, the back is just a stack of joints so if my back ever gets to the point where the disks or vertebrae are degenerating, I'm going to try to stop it with stem cells.

 

[Steve Donlon]

I'm glad you have good attitudes to everyone in chronic pain from injuries. I'm 72 and been in chronic pain since 1967 from injuries in the Marine Corps. I have seen so many Veterans in the same pain who are so over weight that it is no wonder. I let my self get over weight years ago then finally said enough, the pain was not bearable any more so I lost 80lbs and the pain was way more bearable. The older you get the more important it is to loose all excess weight. I tried everything then I just stopped eating dinner. Only eat breakfast, the biggest meal, then a light lunch and nothing after about 2:00 PM. At first it was not easy but as time went on it was no problem. The weight just disappeared and has stayed off for years now. Before I would starve all day then eat a big meal at night and go to sleep. And I just kept gaining weight, the worst thing you can do is eat late in the day. So all I'm trying to say is if you can get your weight down to your ideal weight, you will be in a lot less pain and be able to live a better life and shoot longer. Pick up all the excess weight you have, carry it around in a back pack and see how you feel. It's really important to get rid of that excess baggage, even just 10 or 15 pounds makes a big difference when you get older. God Bless all of you, Respectfully, Steve