i'll tell you what i wouldn't wish this on anyone, even someone i hated. but here's a pic of the hardware they replaced. i'm slowly getting back to normal somewhat and dr tell's me 6 months before any golf or working on the car. sucks but if it will help relieve the pain i'm for it. i just wanted to say to take care of your back. i couldn't believe the size of these screws when they gave them to me wends when i was released from the hospital. So take care of yourself or you'll get these. i put a battery in there for scale. and the battery is a AA battery not a AAA
finally back after my 2nd back surgery
- Thread starter datant69
- Start date
turbo39151
anycoloraslongasitsblack
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2002
damn!
That looks painful- Hope you're ok...
That looks painful- Hope you're ok...
fusion lower lumbar area
L34-4-5 area was fused. trust me the time between recovery and the morphine pump they hook you up to is pure hell. even the morphine pump set at 10 mins didn't do alot to make the pain go away.
L34-4-5 area was fused. trust me the time between recovery and the morphine pump they hook you up to is pure hell. even the morphine pump set at 10 mins didn't do alot to make the pain go away.
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
I have yet to hear of anyone have a successful back surgery. I'm sure there are plenty who have, I have yet to meet one tho. I always hear the best back surgery is NO back surgery. Of course that's easy to say when ur not in agony.
About two years ago I was demanding back surgery and was directed to this guy in NY City who believes 80% of back pain is muscle related, NOT disc. nmpi.com
I'm sure there are plenty who need back surgery but I would certainly entertain going see Dr. Marcus before rods and screws were implanted cause I don't feel like I need back surgery after seeing him and receiving his treatment. Many of his patients have already had back surgery. He states there is a new diagnosis in the medical community referred to as "Failed back surgery syndrome". I had a herniated disc at L5 if I remember correctly confirmed by an MRI.
Btw, he is the director of pain management at New York University. He's no snake oil doctor. He states that after muscles are damaged they become shortened and a lack of proper blood flow is no longer flowing to the muscle causing extreme pain and can actually pull on the muscle near the disc as well.
I pitty those with back pain. It can be horrible I know.
About two years ago I was demanding back surgery and was directed to this guy in NY City who believes 80% of back pain is muscle related, NOT disc. nmpi.com
I'm sure there are plenty who need back surgery but I would certainly entertain going see Dr. Marcus before rods and screws were implanted cause I don't feel like I need back surgery after seeing him and receiving his treatment. Many of his patients have already had back surgery. He states there is a new diagnosis in the medical community referred to as "Failed back surgery syndrome". I had a herniated disc at L5 if I remember correctly confirmed by an MRI.
Btw, he is the director of pain management at New York University. He's no snake oil doctor. He states that after muscles are damaged they become shortened and a lack of proper blood flow is no longer flowing to the muscle causing extreme pain and can actually pull on the muscle near the disc as well.
I pitty those with back pain. It can be horrible I know.
Little6pack
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2002
GLAD to have you BACK (no pun intended )
)thanks guys
brett i tried just about everything trust me, i've been dealing with this since 91 and finally my last straw was in 07. had to fight for it due to workers comp and they approved it in 09. the 1st one didn't take so they redid the work and put some bone stimulating gel in to help it fuse better. if you have back pain then you know where i'm coming from, if you don't, take care of your back. worst pain i've ever been through and i had my choice of dr's but chose one from dallas which is 50 miles away to have this done. great surgeon maybe i didn't do eveything as i was instructed to as in lifting less then 10 lbs for several months and 20 lbs until 6 months after the surgery. i tried to be as active as my pain level would let me but as some of us know 1st hand it's paralizing. i had a choice by 2 different dr's and both said i can either have surgery or be paralized from the waist down anytime depending on what happen ( slip, fall, or car wreck, heck who knows ) so i finally went under the knife. i was surprised when i saw the size of these. was curious if anyone on here had a clue as what i could make for my GN or just something art wise to help remind me to take care of myback.
brett i tried just about everything trust me, i've been dealing with this since 91 and finally my last straw was in 07. had to fight for it due to workers comp and they approved it in 09. the 1st one didn't take so they redid the work and put some bone stimulating gel in to help it fuse better. if you have back pain then you know where i'm coming from, if you don't, take care of your back. worst pain i've ever been through and i had my choice of dr's but chose one from dallas which is 50 miles away to have this done. great surgeon maybe i didn't do eveything as i was instructed to as in lifting less then 10 lbs for several months and 20 lbs until 6 months after the surgery. i tried to be as active as my pain level would let me but as some of us know 1st hand it's paralizing. i had a choice by 2 different dr's and both said i can either have surgery or be paralized from the waist down anytime depending on what happen ( slip, fall, or car wreck, heck who knows ) so i finally went under the knife. i was surprised when i saw the size of these. was curious if anyone on here had a clue as what i could make for my GN or just something art wise to help remind me to take care of myback.
TR Custom Parts
Mark Hueffman - Owner
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Been pretty much flat on my back since Tuesday. Try keeping a part time business going when you can't get out of bed! Have blown it out 3 times in the past 5 years. Hit the oxycodone hard today.
Have blown it out 3 times in the past 5 years. Hit the oxycodone hard today.dang that stuff scares me
the oxy stuff, dr gave me a script of 90 of them for my 1st surgery. i didn't ask for them this time. didn't take them all and flushed the rest so they wouldn't dissappear. hope you get to feeling better, what did you blow out the knee? that's the only thing i've heard of blowing out but wanted to know if you could blow out a disc. my l 3-4 disc degenerated enough to where there were chips of bone fragment all over the spine area. not pleasant, we'll see how this one goes. i don't want to be one of those guys who's had 4-5 back surgeries.
the oxy stuff, dr gave me a script of 90 of them for my 1st surgery. i didn't ask for them this time. didn't take them all and flushed the rest so they wouldn't dissappear. hope you get to feeling better, what did you blow out the knee? that's the only thing i've heard of blowing out but wanted to know if you could blow out a disc. my l 3-4 disc degenerated enough to where there were chips of bone fragment all over the spine area. not pleasant, we'll see how this one goes. i don't want to be one of those guys who's had 4-5 back surgeries.
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
Oh im not down playing ur back pain believe me. It can be fuken horrible and you apparently have been dealing with it for a good part of ur life. I feel ur pain man honestly I do.
Obviously there are many people that require back surgery. I just feel a lot don't as well and doctors are always anxious to cut since that's how they paid of course.
I never had acute pain or sciatic nerve pain but I can say I was never more miserable in my life then I was after hurting my back. Mine pain was dull and felt like a vice grip was strangling my back. And im in great shape to. 6'0 180 lbs. with about 10% body fat and a runner.
4 out of 5 will experience back pain in their life and makes up for more workers comp claims and missed work then all other claims put together.
You would have thought the almight creator would have given us a back that was less prone to failing.
So why did the previous hardware have to be removed? Geez, I just can't imagine the agony you have been thru. I try to be so careful now but I still hurt it every once and a while and have no idea why. Sitting in a car wrong can set it off. Not as bad as you apparently, but still horrible nonetheless.
TR Custom Parts
Mark Hueffman - Owner
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Using the term blown out generically. Basically lower back muscles strained I guess. Not a disc problem but still can't function fully. Must have been pretty funny watching me crawl down the hallway to get to the stairs so I could drop my legs down to try and stand up. Obviously not as severe as your issues and hope to never be at the point to need hardware.
Glad to see you on the board again. If you need something you've got my number so just call. I ain't that far away after all.
The worst I ever did was bulge 2 discs and crack a vertibae. The doc though all I did was strain a muscle and since I hadn't gone to one in a while he decided I needed a stress test to see if my heart was about to explode. 2 weeks later he gets all the reports back saying I'm healthy and I ask him about my back. He's like "it's still hurting"? Dumb SOB didn't even listen to me in the first place and the only one that helped at first was a chiropractor. Still get twinges once in a while but not to often now.
The worst I ever did was bulge 2 discs and crack a vertibae. The doc though all I did was strain a muscle and since I hadn't gone to one in a while he decided I needed a stress test to see if my heart was about to explode. 2 weeks later he gets all the reports back saying I'm healthy and I ask him about my back. He's like "it's still hurting"? Dumb SOB didn't even listen to me in the first place and the only one that helped at first was a chiropractor. Still get twinges once in a while but not to often now.
- Joined
- May 28, 2001
Btdt...
Mark, the muscles being "strained" could very well be what's called "muscle guarding". The spine, [disc/vertabrae are creating a pinch point], irritates the nerve bundle, and your brain triggers the "guarding" to protect the nerves.
As the body ages, the gel in the discs becomes less fluid, and the disc can shrink, allowing the vertabrae spacing to close up.Also, the discs can bulge,[An MRI will easily show this], causing constant pressure on the nerves, triggering the guarding. The muscles react, the brain sees the pain stimulus, and the process starts all over...Kinda like "catch 22"...Hurt, muscles tighten up, hurt, muscles tighten up...Yadda, yadda. This can continue until the pain is triggered by the slightest movement, and you are immobilized w/ the high pain level.
Once this starts, the nerve bundle can become so irritated, that U R "out of business", so to speak.
I've been fighting this for 25 yrs.. due in part to a bad car wreck. MANY weeks of rehab, physical therapy, helped some. The most effective, long term relief has been an epidural steroid injection. [The dural is the conduit that the nerves are encased in. The steroid reduces the inflamation].
I have an inexpensive back support belt. If I get the SLIGHTEST twinge, it goes on, and the muscles relax almost immediately. [I buy them at Lowes]. I also SLOW DOWN on the extended periods of working on a hard floor.
Other irritations: Most folks don't have both legs the same length, and can aggravate a bad back, if this is not addressed.
CHEAP shoes! Tennis shoes are at best, poor choices. The real life of a pair is measured in weeks...
Lastly, here's the way my surgeon described aggravation levels. He used a number system.
Lowest pressure:
lying down=20
Standing=40
Sitting=100
Sorry for the rambling.. I've spent ALOT of time and sweat trying to live w/ this vs being cut on....
Mark, the muscles being "strained" could very well be what's called "muscle guarding". The spine, [disc/vertabrae are creating a pinch point], irritates the nerve bundle
As the body ages, the gel in the discs becomes less fluid, and the disc can shrink, allowing the vertabrae spacing to close up.Also, the discs can bulge,[An MRI will easily show this], causing constant pressure on the nerves, triggering the guarding. The muscles react, the brain sees the pain stimulus, and the process starts all over...Kinda like "catch 22"...Hurt, muscles tighten up, hurt, muscles tighten up...Yadda, yadda. This can continue until the pain is triggered by the slightest movement, and you are immobilized w/ the high pain level.
Once this starts, the nerve bundle
I've been fighting this for 25 yrs.. due in part to a bad car wreck. MANY weeks of rehab, physical therapy, helped some. The most effective, long term relief has been an epidural steroid injection. [The dural is the conduit that the nerves are encased in. The steroid reduces the inflamation].
I have an inexpensive back support belt. If I get the SLIGHTEST twinge, it goes on, and the muscles relax almost immediately. [I buy them at Lowes]. I also SLOW DOWN on the extended periods of working on a hard floor.
Other irritations: Most folks don't have both legs the same length, and can aggravate a bad back, if this is not addressed.
CHEAP shoes! Tennis shoes are at best, poor choices. The real life of a pair is measured in weeks...
Lastly, here's the way my surgeon described aggravation levels. He used a number system.
Lowest pressure:
lying down=20
Standing=40
Sitting=100
Sorry for the rambling.. I've spent ALOT of time and sweat trying to live w/ this vs being cut on....
alwayscode390
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2009
Some say that this is proof we were never meant to stand up
Anyway, what are you guys doing to hurt yourselves like this!? I am really interested ... I have been working 10 years in a place that requires me to lift 30-35k lbs of stuff (bending over 1500 times a day , then placing it over my head) and walking up and down stairs just as many times ... while walking 15+ miles a day over 10 hrs.
I LUCKILY havent had problems ... YET , but MANY of my co-workers have ---
My lower back pain started when I was rear ended by a Camaro back in 91. L5-s1 herniated disc. As long as I stay in shape, no problems. Unfortunatly, in 03 I was tumbled by a wave and my head was pile driven into the sand, breaking my neck at c-3. Had a double fusion like you. Fortunatly a lot of my family works in the medical field, so I had the best doctors. No lingering pain, just some loss of movement of my head. I actually rode my Waverunner 2 months after the surgery (very carefully). Did they use a cadaver bone or did they carve bone from your hip like they did to me? Hip took longer to heal than the neck. It still itches sometimes and feels wierd. Hope you heal fast.
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
Mark, the muscles being "strained" could very well be what's called "muscle guarding". The spine, [disc/vertabrae are creating a pinch point], irritates the nerve bundle, and your brain triggers the "guarding" to protect the nerves.
As the body ages, the gel in the discs becomes less fluid, and the disc can shrink, allowing the vertabrae spacing to close up.Also, the discs can bulge,[An MRI will easily show this], causing constant pressure on the nerves, triggering the guarding. The muscles react, the brain sees the pain stimulus, and the process starts all over...Kinda like "catch 22"...Hurt, muscles tighten up, hurt, muscles tighten up...Yadda, yadda. This can continue until the pain is triggered by the slightest movement, and you are immobilized w/ the high pain level.
Once this starts, the nerve bundlecan become so irritated, that U R "out of business", so to speak.
I've been fighting this for 25 yrs.. due in part to a bad car wreck. MANY weeks of rehab, physical therapy, helped some. The most effective, long term relief has been an epidural steroid injection. [The dural is the conduit that the nerves are encased in. The steroid reduces the inflamation].
I have an inexpensive back support belt. If I get the SLIGHTEST twinge, it goes on, and the muscles relax almost immediately. [I buy them at Lowes]. I also SLOW DOWN on the extended periods of working on a hard floor.
Other irritations: Most folks don't have both legs the same length, and can aggravate a bad back, if this is not addressed.
CHEAP shoes! Tennis shoes are at best, poor choices. The real life of a pair is measured in weeks...
Lastly, here's the way my surgeon described aggravation levels. He used a number system.
Lowest pressure:
lying down=20
Standing=40
Sitting=100
Sorry for the rambling.. I've spent ALOT of time and sweat trying to live w/ this vs being cut on....
I guess my profession does that to me sometimes but you can't deny his approach to break up the muscle with a needle to return blood flow to the problematic area. None of the neuro surgeons I have seen over the past few years even entertain that it is muscle causing problems.
Ur explanation is somewhat correct but the CAUSE of what's irratating the nerve bundles is what really matters. The PAIN is the chemical release from lack of oxygen to that muscle, lack of proper blood flow. You should atleast take a look at his website and read it.
Take 8-10 people off the street who have zero back pain will show they have a buldging disc on an MRI. as well as degenated discs and are simply common in most human beings.
The issue for many is they begin to acquire back pain and then get an MRI showing a disc buldge and automatically assume the disc is what is causing the pain but have nothing to compare it against. Meaning, when their back felt perfectly fine they have no MRI to show that when their back felt fine there was still a buldging disc present. In most cases it is not the disc.
Most people experience that sitting pain because when ur back is pressed up against the seat it is further starving that muscle of blood supply and oxygen by placing pressure against it (cutting blood flow off). I wondered the same myself for quite some time till Dr. Marcus explained that to me.
There are many olympic athletes who have buldging/herniated discs with NO issues whatsever. Just something you should look at and atleast entertain. It took me about a year before I went and saw him because I thought it was bullchit. It's not.
nmpi.com
I've been there for 10 yrs now... My L3-4-5 discs are all degenerated to the point where the docs can no longer gain access for epidurals. My muscle spasms last 4-5 days and then it's another 3 weeks before I feel "normal" again. Every episode makes me relive all the stupid sh!t I did as a kid. What's "fun" is sitting on the pot, what's really "fun" is the wipe! I have a custom-built back brace that helps in one respect - it's uncomfortable enough that it makes me remember I have a problem and to not overdo, but not so much so that it's unwearable...
TR Custom Parts
Mark Hueffman - Owner
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Ain't that the truth, funny, have always told my wife the day I can't wipe my own ass is the day you take me out in the woods on a cold winter day and leave me there. Well, spring is here and high 60's today.
I never screw my back up doing any heavy lifting. Always doing something stupid like picking up an empty box or something like that. Guess I am going to survive though, packed up some GN wheels I sold today and an old phone system I ebayed. Paying for it now though, time for some icing and another half a pain pill. Sounds like you other guys have it a lot worse than me and don't know how you do it. Thought of getting any kind of surgery scares the hell out of me. Mine usually heals up in about a week or two and then I go for a year or so without any issues and then bang, it goes out. Almost 54 now and never in good shape my whole life but never had any health issues either except for a bout of kidney stones a few years back.
previous surgery
the dr said the fusion didn't take like it should so he replaced the hardware and inserted something to help it fuse better along with my beloved spine stimulater. i hate the fact that i'm limited to what i do but grateful for what health i have. everytime before and after the surgery i had dr's tell me they wouldn't do it period. but since i got this far and figured technology has gotten far enough since 91 to maybe do good. i've heard 50/50 on people who have done well and not. heck i still have a set of calloway clubs calling my name and i have to wait till sept to check them out. we'll see what happens but my wife swears she'll take a L O A from work to make sure i don't do anything i shouldn't. she's heaven sent, been there and is unerstanding of what i'm going through. been through all of it, epidural shots, 10's unit, pressure point therapy and everything but accupunture. i'm afraid of needles but deal with them for this. as for pain meds, yea i have them, sometimes it seems like they don't even make a dent in the pain, regardless of how many i take and there have been a few times i've taken more then i should have but still. even sleep meds don't work on me, i know more info on the meds then you need but i'm just being honest and those of you who have been in my situation know what i'm talking about. we'll see what happens and i hurt my back being an X ray tech for trinity industries and i set down an xray tube with short legs on a stand and set it down awkward and never been the same since. was rear ended in 07 that mad it ALOT worse.
appreciate the postive words and charlie i may take you up i'm considering some upgrades and spring cleaning. it may be a few months since i'll be taking it easy for a few months.
the dr said the fusion didn't take like it should so he replaced the hardware and inserted something to help it fuse better along with my beloved spine stimulater. i hate the fact that i'm limited to what i do but grateful for what health i have. everytime before and after the surgery i had dr's tell me they wouldn't do it period. but since i got this far and figured technology has gotten far enough since 91 to maybe do good. i've heard 50/50 on people who have done well and not. heck i still have a set of calloway clubs calling my name and i have to wait till sept to check them out. we'll see what happens but my wife swears she'll take a L O A from work to make sure i don't do anything i shouldn't. she's heaven sent, been there and is unerstanding of what i'm going through. been through all of it, epidural shots, 10's unit, pressure point therapy and everything but accupunture. i'm afraid of needles but deal with them for this. as for pain meds, yea i have them, sometimes it seems like they don't even make a dent in the pain, regardless of how many i take and there have been a few times i've taken more then i should have but still. even sleep meds don't work on me, i know more info on the meds then you need but i'm just being honest and those of you who have been in my situation know what i'm talking about. we'll see what happens and i hurt my back being an X ray tech for trinity industries and i set down an xray tube with short legs on a stand and set it down awkward and never been the same since. was rear ended in 07 that mad it ALOT worse.
appreciate the postive words and charlie i may take you up i'm considering some upgrades and spring cleaning. it may be a few months since i'll be taking it easy for a few months.
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