Posted: 6/23/2009 4:53:38 PM EDT
Well it's been only 2 years and i finally come to the end of workers comps hoops, Finally got my additional allowance so i can get this surgery done, For those who don't know i hurt myself at work in May of 2007, I have been poked,probed, fingered, banged, fuck,sucked and i am DRY....What i will be getting is a L4/L5 L5/S-1 T/LIF transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, Dont know if it's a good thing or bad but at my current pace with opiate pain killers i am going fast from LEO to Junkie, Gotta get rid of the pain, For those of you with chronic back pain my hats off to you, For those without TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK or it will not take care of you, I am only 38 and feel like i am 68.........Just had to bitch and rant...Peace Out
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast.
good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... |
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New hardware I got in March.. http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/Gravity_Tester/0326091133.jpg http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/Gravity_Tester/0326091134.jpg After a failed fusion (note the little dark space just above the screw shouldn't be there) http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/Gravity_Tester/0723081116a.jpg And where the screw wallowed itself out some room in the bone.. (again, dark space around the screw shouldn't be there) http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k84/Gravity_Tester/0723081116b.jpg ouch dude anterior fusion.... that wasent pretty.. |
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. |
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. What am i looking at as far as recovery time???? |
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I will be buying a few extra X-Box 360 controllers for my down time, I tend to get mad playing Halo and throw shitQuoted:
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. What am i looking at as far as recovery time???? 
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I will be buying a few extra X-Box 360 controllers for my down time, I tend to get mad playing Halo and throw shitQuoted:
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. What am i looking at as far as recovery time????
recovery to do what. for me first week lay in bed, fight to get up and go pee, narcs will back you up like a mo fo so take stool softeners at like max dose no joke and just going is going to hurt enough to make u not want to go. 2nd week maybe able to get to the couch to watch tv but have to lay down to do so. the worst part will be when physical therapy comes and kicks your ass just making you move your legs around its not fun but helps. im starting my 3rd week and due to a move today I was on my feet and had my bed and couch packed, sitting didnt help and standing most the day killed me so ill probably lay down all night and most of tomorrow and would have probably layed on the couch or in bed today and relaxed. your surgery sounds a bit more hard core so I would increase the time frame. have someone to help you I still cant put my socks on barley put my pants on if i drop something i pretty much just leave it because it hurts to squat even w my back straight. dont have anything heavier than a 1911 to carry around (cant be to safe esp when you cant get up or defend yourself) other than that find something to do laying down. oh and the foley cath they put in burns for a min when it comes out but the sting goes away. and if your surgery center is cool they will put it in when you are out. good luck |
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What i will be getting is a L4/L5 L5/S-1 T/LIF transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, Dont know if it's a good thing or bad but at my current pace with opiate pain killers i am going fast from LEO to Junkie, Gotta get rid of the pain, recovery? depends to what degree. To some normalcy maybe 4 to 6 months. Back to completely normal? you will probably know what you max recovery will be after a year or so.. I have seen (seen not personaly experianced) the road you are going/gone down, once its all done with and some time goes by your actual pain problems may/wont be your actual back, but might be nerve encroachment by scar tissue 
Nothing like having your legs feel like they were ran over my a garbage truck, but when if fact there fine... 
I personally know some one who over 4 years had 3 reconstructive back surg. L4/L5/S1 fixations, with stabilization and instrumentation along with a spinal dura Failure (the Dura is what surrounds the cord and hold our spinal fluid inside) first one was a 30%/60% fusion. Ended as a 360' 100% except where they removed the rear spinal coving to try and prevent scar tissue encroachment. Add in a protein deficiance and a staff infection (IV vancomiacin Stinks, LITERALLY) and Opiates GALORE!!! If long term pain control becomes a necessity (hopefully not) i suggest you look into http://www.controlyourpain.com/ I personally have seen someone go from being on vicadon, then norco. Then from norco to percacet/percadan. From that to methadone then ending on transdermal fentynal starting at 25 mg ending on 100mg transdermal patches. Add in muscle relaxers from flexeral, to soma to Zanaflex. 
It took around 9 months to come down from all that crap, but between the nuro stimulator and some NON Narcotic pain killers, things are looking up for them. Just take some advice and no matter how you feel, always take your time coming off opiates. Just because you feel pain free you CAN withdraw and grand maul seizures SUCK ASS.... GL to ya... Zar ADD: spelling nazi's can FOAD i'm tired
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I feel your pain. At least you're able to get some kind of treatment.
I spent 15 months with the federal government before they accepted my claim for a femoral nerve entrapment. (lots of tests, 3 where they put probes in your body and shock you) Now I play hell trying to find a doc who knows how to treat it, other than just handing out drugs. Once you quit exercising, you put on weight, loose muscle tone and core body strength and the rest of your health goes to crap. Don't go there, it sucks. |
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What i will be getting is a L4/L5 L5/S-1 T/LIF transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, Dont know if it's a good thing or bad but at my current pace with opiate pain killers i am going fast from LEO to Junkie, Gotta get rid of the pain, recovery? depends to what degree. To some normalcy maybe 4 to 6 months. Back to completely normal? you will probably know what you max recovery will be after a year or so.. I have seen (seen not personaly experianced) the road you are going/gone down, once its all done with and some time goes by your actual pain problems may/wont be your actual back, but might be nerve encroachment by scar tissue
Nothing like having your legs feel like they were ran over my a garbage truck, but when if fact there fine...
I personally know some one who over 4 years had 3 reconstructive back surg. L4/L5/S1 fixations, with stabilization and instrumentation along with a spinal dura Failure (the Dura is what surrounds the cord and hold our spinal fluid inside) first one was a 30%/60% fusion. Ended as a 360' 100% except where they removed the rear spinal coving to try and prevent scar tissue encroachment. Add in a protein deficiance and a staff infection (IV vancomiacin Stinks, LITERALLY) and Opiates GALORE!!! If long term pain control becomes a necessity (hopefully not) i suggest you look into http://www.controlyourpain.com/ I personally have seen someone go from being on vicadon, then norco. Then from norco to percacet/percadan. From that to methadone then ending on transdermal fentynal starting at 25 mg ending on 100mg transdermal patches. Add in muscle relaxers from flexeral, to soma to Zanaflex.
It took around 9 months to come down from all that crap, but between the nuro stimulator and some NON Narcotic pain killers, things are looking up for them. Just take some advice and no matter how you feel, always take your time coming off opiates. Just because you feel pain free you CAN withdraw and grand maul seizures SUCK ASS.... GL to ya... Zar ADD: spelling nazi's can FOAD i'm tired
This. I was pretty close to maxed out on fentanyl (225mcg/hr), My insurance changed and wouldn't cover it, so after surgery #4, they switched me to methadone. I crashed myself down from the fentanyl, to 30mg methadone/3x day +30mg OxyIR/4hrs to vicodin in the course of a month. No fucking fun at all. Plan on it hurting like a motherfucker. With luck, you'll skate on the nerve damage bit. I wish I had. |
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Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? |
| Ok I reread the Surgeons report, Here is exactly what i am getting.....Anyone know what the hell this is?? bilateral laminectomy facetectomy at L4/L5 L5/S1 and a Interbody T/Lif at L4/5 L5/S1 levels, Pedicle screws and rods L4 thru S1 levels. Lateral mass Fusion and BMP augmentation |
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Quoted: Quoted: Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? did you ever try the VAX d therapy I was telling you about? It took 9 months or so, but I could feel a difference (no pain for 45minutes) immediately. After 2 years of constant pain, I am surprised you haven't eaten a bullet yet. I am going on a year now without agony, and except for the occasional "sore back" I am GTG. I hope that this fixes you up though. Having been in your shoes, I know how bad this can be. Good luck. |
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. What am i looking at as far as recovery time???? Going on three years for me
Came in from the front and the back. Still hurt like a mofo. |
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. What am i looking at as far as recovery time???? Going on three years for me
Came in from the front and the back. Still hurt like a mofo. |
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Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? did you ever try the VAX d therapy I was telling you about? It took 9 months or so, but I could feel a difference (no pain for 45minutes) immediately. After 2 years of constant pain, I am surprised you haven't eaten a bullet yet. I am going on a year now without agony, and except for the occasional "sore back" I am GTG. I hope that this fixes you up though. Having been in your shoes, I know how bad this can be. Good luck. No i did not, My workers comp caseworker said she had never heard of it and if it was not conventional then not allowed or paid for... |
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Ok I reread the Surgeons report, Here is exactly what i am getting.....Anyone know what the hell this is?? bilateral laminectomy facetectomy at L4/L5 L5/S1 and a Interbody T/Lif at L4/5 L5/S1 levels, Pedicle screws and rods L4 thru S1 levels. Lateral mass Fusion and BMP augmentation The big ass screws in my x-ray are pedicle screws, the things that go vertically are rods. Yours will be 1 level longer than mine-6 screws rather than 4. BMP is Bone Morphogenic Protein-encourages bone growth to speed the fusion. laminectomy is yanking the discs so they can put either bone or a plastic bone matrix into the space previously occupied by the discs.. Welcome to the metal detector club. |
Mine was a C4/5, C6/7 fusion. Done on Jan 29th. I did a 3500 mile motorcycle trip (in a week) earlier this month. No pain whatsoever. I was off work for 4 weeks, with no driving for 2 more weeks (my job requires a lot of driving). By the end of march I was probably 90%, but the lower back surgery takes longer to recover from. |
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Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? did you ever try the VAX d therapy I was telling you about? It took 9 months or so, but I could feel a difference (no pain for 45minutes) immediately. After 2 years of constant pain, I am surprised you haven't eaten a bullet yet. I am going on a year now without agony, and except for the occasional "sore back" I am GTG. I hope that this fixes you up though. Having been in your shoes, I know how bad this can be. Good luck. No i did not, My workers comp caseworker said she had never heard of it and if it was not conventional then not allowed or paid for... Oh and the bullet thing can't say i never thought about it. |
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When I read these, I always wonder how it happened. I'm one year older than you and have (knock on wood) never had back pain beyond being sore from over-doing it. How did you do it? I was doing security checks on a local business and didn't see that they had slid some steel beams on a rack next to the building, I walked into the beam which caught me in my shin and caused me to twist funny and fall, The damage was in the area of my hand-cuffs, Not sure if it was the cuffs or the twisting motion???? |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? did you ever try the VAX d therapy I was telling you about? It took 9 months or so, but I could feel a difference (no pain for 45minutes) immediately. After 2 years of constant pain, I am surprised you haven't eaten a bullet yet. I am going on a year now without agony, and except for the occasional "sore back" I am GTG. I hope that this fixes you up though. Having been in your shoes, I know how bad this can be. Good luck. No i did not, My workers comp caseworker said she had never heard of it and if it was not conventional then not allowed or paid for... Oh and the bullet thing can't say i never thought about it. don't I know. Glad we made the same choice.  |
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Well it's been only 2 years and i finally come to the end of workers comps hoops, Finally got my additional allowance so i can get this surgery done, For those who don't know i hurt myself at work in May of 2007, I have been poked,probed, fingered, banged, fuck,sucked and i am DRY....What i will be getting is a L4/L5 L5/S-1 T/LIF transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, Dont know if it's a good thing or bad but at my current pace with opiate pain killers i am going fast from LEO to Junkie, Gotta get rid of the pain, For those of you with chronic back pain my hats off to you, For those without TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK or it will not take care of you, I am only 38 and feel like i am 68.........Just had to bitch and rant...Peace Out Good luck had the same thing with pedicle screws and while it didn't stop the pain it did stabilize my back. And I hate to tell you this friend but unless there is a miracle and I hope there is this will not end your pain either just create new pain. I have had 4 major lower back surgeries and while all back problems are different. I have never met someone who has had lower back fusion that didn't have chronic afterward. I run, exercise, etc. and try to stay in shape because it helps. I wish you the very best of luck I hope everything goes perfect for you and 1 tip. get out of bed and have the nurses help you walk around as soon as possible afterward. It will initially hurt like hell but the sooner you walk and move the sooner the massive pain will stop. I was told this surgery is the most painful medical operation and as someone that has also had his cervical spine fused and left ACL replacement... I concur
Best of luck! |
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i actually just had back surgery 2 weeks ago, and it sucks! fusion is your worst enemy if you can work out some other alternative do it. w so many being fused it will limit your rom (range of motion) a few deg each time and will add up pretty fast. good luck with everything and i hope you have a speedy recovery. and is a long recovery road..... Yeah unfortunatly i have a somewhat rare disorder that the surgeon said i would have never known if i had not got hurt, Believe he said Lumbar Disc Syndrome, The Neuro surgeon that is doing it is pretty well known for not wanting to cut if it don't need cut so hopefully he is right when he says this is really my only option, I have had no less than 15 other Dr's agree all being workers comp Dr's at that. What am i looking at as far as recovery time???? Mine was in the Marine Corps severe injury and I spent 6 months in a wheelchair because the swelling and other stuff was so bad it kept me nearly paralyzed from the waist down. I had very little working nerves (my layman explanation) I had to self catheterize several times a day. But my last surgery was in 98 and even with full on hard core physical therapy and exercising etc now I still have major chronic pain but thank God I can walk and no more catheters. Sounds like yours is completely different type of situation though. |
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What i will be getting is a L4/L5 L5/S-1 T/LIF transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, Dont know if it's a good thing or bad but at my current pace with opiate pain killers i am going fast from LEO to Junkie, Gotta get rid of the pain, recovery? depends to what degree. To some normalcy maybe 4 to 6 months. Back to completely normal? you will probably know what you max recovery will be after a year or so.. I have seen (seen not personaly experianced) the road you are going/gone down, once its all done with and some time goes by your actual pain problems may/wont be your actual back, but might be nerve encroachment by scar tissue
Nothing like having your legs feel like they were ran over my a garbage truck, but when if fact there fine...
I personally know some one who over 4 years had 3 reconstructive back surg. L4/L5/S1 fixations, with stabilization and instrumentation along with a spinal dura Failure (the Dura is what surrounds the cord and hold our spinal fluid inside) first one was a 30%/60% fusion. Ended as a 360' 100% except where they removed the rear spinal coving to try and prevent scar tissue encroachment. Add in a protein deficiance and a staff infection (IV vancomiacin Stinks, LITERALLY) and Opiates GALORE!!! If long term pain control becomes a necessity (hopefully not) i suggest you look into http://www.controlyourpain.com/ I personally have seen someone go from being on vicadon, then norco. Then from norco to percacet/percadan. From that to methadone then ending on transdermal fentynal starting at 25 mg ending on 100mg transdermal patches. Add in muscle relaxers from flexeral, to soma to Zanaflex.
It took around 9 months to come down from all that crap, but between the nuro stimulator and some NON Narcotic pain killers, things are looking up for them. Just take some advice and no matter how you feel, always take your time coming off opiates. Just because you feel pain free you CAN withdraw and grand maul seizures SUCK ASS.... GL to ya... Zar ADD: spelling nazi's can FOAD i'm tired
This. I was pretty close to maxed out on fentanyl (225mcg/hr), My insurance changed and wouldn't cover it, so after surgery #4, they switched me to methadone. I crashed myself down from the fentanyl, to 30mg methadone/3x day +30mg OxyIR/4hrs to vicodin in the course of a month. No fucking fun at all. Plan on it hurting like a motherfucker. With luck, you'll skate on the nerve damage bit. I wish I had. Holy shit dude if you got off fentanyl especially that much? You are a tough MFer. Agreeing to go on that was stupidest thing I ever allowed them to do. I regret these damned patches. I am on the 75mcg and change them every 36. The bizarre thing about Fentanyl is for me I get ZERO buzz or drowsiness or any side effects really. BUT and it is a big but since I get them through the VA and they are morons 3 times in the last year they have gotten me the patches late. And I almost immediately go in to withdrawals. I am feeling great no to very little pain. Loving life after years of horrible pain and then bam late 24-36 hours with the patches and I am literally wanting to off myself. the witdrawals are evil. I just don't understand how I can go from not feeling the effects to horrible withdrwal To be honest I am scared to death, literally, of this patch. I am EXTREMELY disciplined with my meds so I thought this would be no issue at all. WRONG |
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Ok I reread the Surgeons report, Here is exactly what i am getting.....Anyone know what the hell this is?? bilateral laminectomy facetectomy at L4/L5 L5/S1 and a Interbody T/Lif at L4/5 L5/S1 levels, Pedicle screws and rods L4 thru S1 levels. Lateral mass Fusion and BMP augmentation It is what I had except mine goes up a bit higher. The laminectomy and facetectomy are them cutting out parts or all of the disc matter in the area and bone as well. They'll either use alograft (spelling) or part of your hip to create the temp fusion for calcium to grow and fuse you up. The pedicle screws/rods which are in the picts the other guy has are used to keep it all together while you heal. even micro-movement back there will screw up the grafting. Basically they'll cut out some offending disc matter and bore out your nerve root canals. Take either putty made out of donor bone (dead folks) that has been nuked or whatever to make it disease free, or they'll cut strips out of your hip which REALLY fucking hurts. and put your spine back together with the bone graft, the rods/screws and fix/imobilize your bones in a few different places. That's the best my pea brain can find to describe it. |
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Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? did you ever try the VAX d therapy I was telling you about? It took 9 months or so, but I could feel a difference (no pain for 45minutes) immediately. After 2 years of constant pain, I am surprised you haven't eaten a bullet yet. I am going on a year now without agony, and except for the occasional "sore back" I am GTG. I hope that this fixes you up though. Having been in your shoes, I know how bad this can be. Good luck. No i did not, My workers comp caseworker said she had never heard of it and if it was not conventional then not allowed or paid for... Oh and the bullet thing can't say i never thought about it. All the time man, all the time. Sometimes something will happen and I will not be able to sleep for days due to pain and once I get in the cycle of no sleep the pain gets worse. Then one night at 2 AM you are on the couch so you don't bother your wife and you are in the dark literally pulling your hair in pain and sobbing. You kind of freak out and feel like a trapped animal and start thinking you will kill yourself in a minute and that is right about the time my wife walks out and sits next to me with arms around me. And it literally saves my life. Horrible pain like your body is being ripped in half. The angel that always seems to know when I have had enough and comes to my rescue. For 12 yrs she has been with me every step. Were it not for her. 
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Holy shit dude if you got off fentanyl especially that much? You are a tough MFer. Agreeing to go on that was stupidest thing I ever allowed them to do. I regret these damned patches. I am on the 75mcg and change them every 36. The bizarre thing about Fentanyl is for me I get ZERO buzz or drowsiness or any side effects really. BUT and it is a big but since I get them through the VA and they are morons 3 times in the last year they have gotten me the patches late. And I almost immediately go in to withdrawals. I am feeling great no to very little pain. Loving life after years of horrible pain and then bam late 24-36 hours with the patches and I am literally wanting to off myself. the witdrawals are evil. I just don't understand how I can go from not feeling the effects to horrible withdrwal To be honest I am scared to death, literally, of this patch. I am EXTREMELY disciplined with my meds so I thought this would be no issue at all. WRONG I didn't say it didn't make me wonder what a bullet tastes like, but it's doable. Apparently, if you're on long term meds, when you go off of them, your body will recreate the pain in an effort to get you to take more meds. The first 3 days are the worst, by 10 days, you're starting to feel better all the time. Unfortunately, on Tuesday, I was getting into the car and caught the seat wrong. Felt a *POP* in my back and got waves of pain-the kind of pain that makes you see double. Then yesterday, going to PT, same thing happened. Today I am in AGONY. Tomorrow I see the doc. I really, really don't want to go back up on the meds, but right now I'd happily sacrifice a goat in my mom's living room to make the pain STOP. And yes, on the dosages I was on, I was mentally fully functional. No drowsiness, no loss of coordination, nothing. |
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Holy shit dude if you got off fentanyl especially that much? You are a tough MFer. Agreeing to go on that was stupidest thing I ever allowed them to do. I regret these damned patches. I am on the 75mcg and change them every 36. The bizarre thing about Fentanyl is for me I get ZERO buzz or drowsiness or any side effects really. BUT and it is a big but since I get them through the VA and they are morons 3 times in the last year they have gotten me the patches late. And I almost immediately go in to withdrawals. I am feeling great no to very little pain. Loving life after years of horrible pain and then bam late 24-36 hours with the patches and I am literally wanting to off myself. the witdrawals are evil. I just don't understand how I can go from not feeling the effects to horrible withdrwal To be honest I am scared to death, literally, of this patch. I am EXTREMELY disciplined with my meds so I thought this would be no issue at all. WRONG I didn't say it didn't make me wonder what a bullet tastes like, but it's doable. Apparently, if you're on long term meds, when you go off of them, your body will recreate the pain in an effort to get you to take more meds. The first 3 days are the worst, by 10 days, you're starting to feel better all the time. This sounds like a Damned if you do or Damned if you dont????sorta thing
Unfortunately, on Tuesday, I was getting into the car and caught the seat wrong. Felt a *POP* in my back and got waves of pain-the kind of pain that makes you see double. Then yesterday, going to PT, same thing happened. Today I am in AGONY. Tomorrow I see the doc. I really, really don't want to go back up on the meds, but right now I'd happily sacrifice a goat in my mom's living room to make the pain STOP. And yes, on the dosages I was on, I was mentally fully functional. No drowsiness, no loss of coordination, nothing. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Were you the guy who I talked to on the phone about this? 'bout 2 years b ack? Yep that was me, Thought i would be getting the surgery back then(what a joke) I could have already had this done and over with if i did not have to jump thru workers comps hoops, They would send me to one of there Dr's and he would say Yep surgery then they would send me to another on and on, I think they were trying to get one to say i was MMI and surgery was not an option????? I could have saved the 2 years of paying 70% of my wages by getting the damn surgery in the first place??? did you ever try the VAX d therapy I was telling you about? It took 9 months or so, but I could feel a difference (no pain for 45minutes) immediately. After 2 years of constant pain, I am surprised you haven't eaten a bullet yet. I am going on a year now without agony, and except for the occasional "sore back" I am GTG. I hope that this fixes you up though. Having been in your shoes, I know how bad this can be. Good luck. No i did not, My workers comp caseworker said she had never heard of it and if it was not conventional then not allowed or paid for... Oh and the bullet thing can't say i never thought about it. All the time man, all the time. Sometimes something will happen and I will not be able to sleep for days due to pain and once I get in the cycle of no sleep the pain gets worse. Then one night at 2 AM you are on the couch so you don't bother your wife and you are in the dark literally pulling your hair in pain and sobbing. You kind of freak out and feel like a trapped animal and start thinking you will kill yourself in a minute and that is right about the time my wife walks out and sits next to me with arms around me. And it literally saves my life. Horrible pain like your body is being ripped in half. The angel that always seems to know when I have had enough and comes to my rescue. For 12 yrs she has been with me every step. Were it not for her. http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n155/ARblackrifles/BestHadapict.jpg BSH, You can call me any time. For some reason folks want to call me when they are on the edge of a cliff, and currently I have a 100% success rate. Blessing, or curse, I am not sure. If you get bad, ring me up. My # is in your IM box. |
| Pain Management dr put me on Avinza 60mg(morphine) yesterday to add to the 4 vicodin ES but i have asthma and had a hell of a time breathing at bed time so i called her today and she said stop the Avinza and add a vicodin to my daily regiment, Up to 5 Vicodin 7.5/750 100mg of elavil(for pain) Lyrica....Im a WALKING PHARMACY.. |
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here is mine, i belive i sent you a pm a while ago...........i wish you the best.......if you ever need any kind
of support pm me. my neck is ok, but my lower back is really fucked up......................one poster was right, they stabelize the spine ,but dont help with the pain at all....like i said good luck. 
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here is mine, i belive i sent you a pm a while ago...........i wish you the best.......if you ever need any kind of support pm me. my neck is ok, but my lower back is really fucked up......................one poster was right, they stabelize the spine ,but dont help with the pain at all....like i said good luck. http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/dhauser/01140002.jpg http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/dhauser/07100001nodate.jpg Hey there i don't recall was this a 2 level fusion??If so what levels?? Thanks |
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I had back surgery 6 years ago and I am very satisfied with the results. My Dr. told me that I have 6 lumbar vertebrae, only supposed to have 5.
My first 3 are fused to my pelvis. I work in the coal industry and went back to work 3 mos. to the day after surgery. I think the key to success is the rehab. I think that most people are afraid to move after surgery and by the time they are healed they are so stiff that they cant move. Its gonna hurt, I want kid you about that. But I wish I had had it done sooner. I can only bend over to touch a little below my knees and sometimes still have some pain and stiffness. My quality of life is so much better. Good luck and may God bless you. If you would like to talk, I will IM my phone #. Mark |