Calling all Spinal Fusion TW members

First and foremost good luck and Godspeed with the surgery. It was a good day at the range took my 9mm, 40mm and both ARs sent 600 rds down range for us both. Normally I go at least once a month with both handguns as I switch between the two as my daily carry.

 

I hadn't looked in this forum before, I will add my surgical experiences.

Back in 2007, I went from perfectly healthy to WTF?? overnight. I woke one morning with the most excruciating pain between my shoulder blades. Went to primary care doc, nothing obvious... fast forward a couple days. Pain getting worse, I went to my local hospital ER. After a few hours, my legs collapsed as I was walking to the restroom. Of course they admitted me to the hospital at that point. Every test possible showed nothing, until finally an MRI showed I had a very large tumor on my spine, and it finally caused pressure on my spinal cord, which lead to the paralysis. Couple days later, they removed the tumor (T4 - T8 area if I recall correctly). No fusion, just tumor removal. I have had severe back pain ever since.

2013 I started having sciatica all down my left leg. Doc started with sending me to physical therapy for few months, didn't help. Eventually had an MRI done, orthro surgeon found I had Stenosis and herniated discs which was causing the pain on the nerves going down left leg. He fused L5-S1 (January 2014) and "roto rootered" a little more room in the nerve canal to give the nerves some more room to not get bound up.

Couple months later, it felt like the sciatica had returned. Went back to Ortho surgeon, X-rays said everything was good at the fusion site, but he said it looked like I may have an issue in my left hip, so he referred me to a Hip/Knee Ortho doc. Hip/Knee doc diagnosed me with severe osteoarthritis in both hips, left worse than the right. He performed a "hip resurfacing" procedure on my left hip, where they put a metallic "cup" in the pelvis and a metallic "cap" on the top of the femur, essentially just replacing the ball & socket portion of the hip, as opposed to a traditional full hip replacement. That was May 2014.

In very early 2023, my left knee started acting up rather badly. Went to a [new Ortho doctor, I have moved since the 2014 events] and found out I have arthritis in the left knee, the meniscus is gone. Doc said we can do a knee brace, and/or injections for now, he doesn't feel I would be a candidate for surgery for at least another 5 - 10 years.

 

Well I'll chime in with my "Bad" News. I went and had X-rays done at the Neurosurgeon, and they wanted a CT Scan done. Bad news there. I have several areas that need attention. Dr. is very optimistic that things will go well, but I'll be out of commission for another 6-9 months. Trying not to be depressed about this shit, but this will be surgery #5. If you look at the X-ray pic I've attached, the two rods circled in red are just about to come out of the attachment points. I have a failed fusion at L2-L3, and a broken rod circled on the left side. Everything in Circles is an area that will have to be redone. Surgery is slated for 6/15/23. So for those of you who believe in the power of prayer, please add me to your prayer list. Just in case my name doesn't show up. If you look at the one labeled "Spine", you can see the rods sticking out at the bottom. Then look at the other pic and you'll see where they are almost out.

David Heath

 

Tom, you have your run of bad luck with these medical issues. Reminds me of the old Morton Salt Commercial, "When it Rains it Pours". Hope you're doing better these days considering all you've been through. Good luck dealing with these issues, and any future surgeries. Keep us posted.

 

Thank you

Eventually I hope to be able to have the docs figure out the constant source of my back pain since 2007, and then fix it, or significantly reduce the pain.

Life is most certainly challenging in many ways, but I'm too hard headed to give up trying to live life as close as possible to the way I want to

 

Just take a look at my avatar and you'll realize that changes must be made in order to prevent looking like this.

 

This ^^^!!! Unfortunately there has to be a lifestyle change and an very acute focus on back health once issues start. Things that you once loved sometimes have to go away because they aren’t conducive to good back health. I spend 1-2hrs at least 4 times a week stretching and doing lots of mobility work. It has to be a hyper focus or you’ll just get worse.

 

Stretching is no longer an option for me. I need to able to walk again, distance walking. In 2020 I was up to 3.5 miles a day, and I felt like a million bucks. I have no idea what went wrong, but brother it went wrong fast. If I can get back to walking again, I'll be a happy camper. I will have to depend on the charity of others to help me keep my Tacoma in good repairs, when the work is needed. I'm a great "Hand me that 12 mm socket with an extension" kind of guy. I know my way around automotive repairs, but I'm just not able to do the work anymore. I really don't want to sell my truck to drive a Honda Civic. Don't get me wrong, Civics are great cars, but I really like my Truck!!!!

 

Wish me luck, or say a prayer for me. Off to the Hospital Tomorrow for Fusion Surgery #5 with more Rods and Screws replaced. I'll be on the operating table around 12:45 pm or so. Dr. has me scheduled in the OR for just a little over 3 hours. I'm just ready to get this road to recovery started "Again".

 

Godspeed!! Prayers for you and your doctors.

 

You're not going to believe this, because I still don't. 25 hours after Surgery I'm being released from the Hospital and on my way home. I have to admit that this is the most pain free surgery I've ever experienced. When I woke up in recovery I had little to no pain except for the incision area. Doctor came by and told me that the surgery went exceptionally well, and better than he had anticipated. As for me, I'm just glad to be able to stand up, walk about a bit, and be back home so soon. For those of you that said a word of prayer in my behalf, Thank You.

 

That’s awesome to hear. Prayers for a continued great outcome and recovery.

 

Well, here's a brief update. I'm now at Day 12 post surgery. Went to the Dr. office today and had my staples removed. So glad to have those gone, but man did they sting like fire coming out. I doing pretty good, and hoping that things will only improve over time. I'll start doing small walks tomorrow, and build up from there. I would really like to gradually cut back on the Opioid dose that I take and see if it could be possible to come off them completely. Only time will tell. I just have to force myself to give up doing 80% of the things I'm used to doing for myself. #1 of the list is mechanic work on my truck. For those of you who said a word of prayer for me , thank you. And as an added bonus, I've been off the "Tobacco" since the 14th of June. It was pretty tuff the first 3 or 4 days, but it's getting better now that I'm over a week. For those of you facing surgery, I hope that you find a good doctor, that will be honest with you on what to expect and achieve from fusion surgery. God Bless and Good Luck. I'll have my first post surgery X-rays taken on July 13th. I'll post some updated pics when I get them.

 

I’m currently about three weeks out from my third surgery in the past 18 months.

I had C5 through C7 fused, pretty quick recovery, but a lot of pain that kept me from sitting for quite a while. I’ve been suffering for about 20 years and the change in my neck was pretty dramatic.

In January I had my Achilles redone; detached, bone spurs ground off, Achilles cleaned up, and then reattached. At the six month mark, my doctor told me my halfway point would be about nine months making total recovery 18 months; usually it’s 12 months.

A few weeks ago I had the second Achilles done; I actually had to start wearing that fucking boot again to keep from having surgery, but because the other foot hasn’t healed yet it just slowed down the progress on the other foot that was having such a hard time healing in the first place.

I’m looking forward to spring when I’ll be out of a boot, mostly done with physical therapy and walking without too much pain. By years end, I’ll have spent 10 months this year wearing a boot or a cast on my leg.

Probably not the worst part of this whole thing, my latest surgery was on my right foot keeping me from driving my truck.

 

I have no personal experience with neck Fusion Surgery, but I've always heard that it usually works out okay. The only downside that I've been told about is that you can no longer turn your head, You have to turn your entire body in the direction that you want to look. I've been told that I have serious calcium deposits in my neck joints that need cleaned up, but I've had just about all the surgeries I care to endure.
MonkeyChief, I hope that in the long run, say a year from now that your up and moving about without too much trouble or pain.

 

Thanks, I appreciate the words of support.

Interestingly, my range of motion in my neck is better than it was before the surgery. C5 through C7 is typically pretty minimal movement and as you age the movement in that area gets less and less and is somewhere from what I understand around the 10% mark of your total movement in your neck, so the surgery most of the time should have minimal impact, and even potentially increase range of motion

My physical therapist and doctors have both told me that I have better range of motion now in my neck than most people without neck problems. Before the surgery, I couldn’t find a chair to sit down and that was comfortable a standing, sitting, laying position that was comfortable, and typically out of a month I would lose at least 2 to 3 days, if not more just to waking up in so much pain that I would end up, puking, vertigo, extreme headaches.

I get headaches from time to time when I sit too long in the same in the wrong position, goes away after about 15 to 20 minutes if I get up and walk around, which, unfortunately has been a little hard to do lately, ha ha ha

 

I've come to the conclusion that any spine surgery is a crap shoot. I'm doing better after my last surgery in June 2023, but I have a live wire in my right buttock that lights me up like a Christmas Tree. I can only sit for so long, then I have to get up and walk around or go lie down. I sleep when I'm tired no matter what the time of day or night it is. I try and walk 1.5 miles 6 days a week in the morning. If this "Live Wire" doesn't calm down in another 30 days or so, it's off to the pain clinic to try some injections to quiet things down. My biggest problem is I have to keep telling myself that nothing is normal for me anymore. I can't do 90% of the things I used to do without causing myself pain. And my goal is no more fusion surgery. I am the perfect description of the Bible verse "There But for the Grace of God Go I". God Bless all and good luck for anyone going through recovery, physical therapy or contemplating some form of Spinal Fusion Surgery.

 

I've had a bad back for quite awhile, caused by my right leg being about 1.25" shorter after a compound fracture of my femur. And after that motorcycle/car wrecks and horse training added to my back problems. My spine is crooked and IDK what they'd do to remedy so I just try to avoid the things that cause flare ups. Problem for me is it's always been a moving target... I find a good mattress and it works great for a while but then something changes and it doesn't anymore. Spent about 1.5 years in a recliner.
Finally found the sweet spot I think and it works because it's adjustable. I got a Sleep Number mattress and an adjustable base. For me, the best position is zero gravity so make sure that if you get one it has that feature... my first one didn't. Here's mine

$649 Blissful Nights e4 Full Size Adjustable Bed Base Frame with Massage, Anti-Snore, Zero Gravity, Dual USB Charging Station, Under Bed Nightlight, Wireless Remote Head and Foot Incline

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L627YZQ?ie=UTF8&th=1
Now I can easily change firmness and positions and that's been working for a while now.

Fusion content, I had C3/4, 4/5, 5/6 fused a few weeks ago.

 

Do you have Scoliosis. if so you have my sympathy. Glad the bed is working out for you. I just started sleeping in my Dads old bed which I think it's an older Tempur-Pedic. But man does it feel good on my back. Good luck brother, I feel your pain.

 

That's probably it but I don't think there's much to do for it. Glad you've got a mattress that's working for you, it's amazing how some apparently minor changes can affect quality of life.

I tried a 1" lift on a pair (one shoe only of course ) of shoes but it was way too much. So now I have all my shoes, flip flops, slippers, etc... modified with 1/2" lift.
I also got a Scheel-Mann drivers seat. They call them orthopedic aftermarket seats. Pricey but unbelievably comfortable. Got the Vario F, it has 14 way adjustability. Definitely a game changer for me, I was having trouble getting out and having fun because driving was so uncomfortable.