Just because your muscles are strong enough to lift it...

[pparaska]

...doesn't mean your spine can handle the load!!!

 

I just found out I'll be going in the hospital for back surgery on Wednesday 4/26/06 - operation at 1300.

 

This is a great lesson for those of you that might be stronger in the body than in the brain, like me! I'm probably stronger than your average guy that sits at a computer all day, but only in the body, by this account!

 

Back in November 05 I was wrestling the new Dart block (aftermaket SBC engine block) from a stool onto the engine stand. My son was holding the stand still while I did some (what I thought minor) lifting of the engine block and mounting yoke into the engine stand reciever tube. Well, the SBC Gen I block is typically 150 lbs, but the Dart block is 200!

 

Very stupid thing to do. The hoist was 15 feet away, but no, I had to man-handle it! I felt something go pop, not painful, but I'm betting it was the disc between L4 and L5 in my lower back bursting. I didn't have any symptoms right away, but a few weeks later just working out in the garage bending over the Z, etc. putting the 327 back into it my lower back got sore - you know that feeling you get when the muscles get tired and burn.

 

Later that evening after getting up out of the couch for the first time after sitting down, the muscle spasms started. And disn't stop for 5 days! I laid on my back for 5 days.

 

I got an MRI and your could see the disc had busted and herniated forward into the nerve roots. Just pushing on them, not really going forward more than half the distane of the spinal canal. My only symptom was lower back pain.

 

The doc put me on Predisone for 10 days, and Darvacet for the pain. I got 2 cortisone epidural injections, 2 weeks apart, and that did relieve the symptoms.

 

O.K. NEXT STUPID MOVE!!! :

 

Then LIKE A TOTAL A$$, I helped my dad's neighbor move the wood from a pretty large tree (18" log sections) that my dad had taken down to my house and the neigbor's house. This was a few weeks after I had been feeling better.

 

That flared it up BIGTIME. A few days later I got out of bed and I had weekness in my right leg and numbness in my right foot. It continued to get worse and now the back of my leg and most of the foot is numb, and the leg is so weak I limb badly (can't lift my weight with the calf). Sometimes my leg and lower back are painful as well - weirdly, the pain is felt in the leg but the cause is in my lower back.

 

Another (3rd) cortisone injection didn't have a chance of fixing that, but we tried.

 

A subsequent MRI showed the disc guts squirting out into the area where the nerve roots are in the spinal canal, pushing the nerves very hard to the sides and forward of the spinal canal, making my right leg weak, numb, and painful. The MRI showed how much worse it had gotten since the wood incident and even the homeopathic back doctor I was seeing until this point said surgery was the ONLY thing to do, even though he doesn DO surgery. That's when you know it's BAD!

 

The issue is the possibilty of permanent loss of strength and feeling in the leg. Thankfully, the emergency symptom of incontinence hasn't developed. Once your private parts start to get numb or you start to lose bowl and/or bladder control, they tell me it's an emergency situation and you need an operation withing 8 hours, as these nerves don't regenerate well. No, I don't want a numb pecker or have to wear a bag, etc. for the rest of my life!!!

 

The surgeon put me on 10 days of Prednisone (great stuff, I feel much better!) and assures me that surgery will fix things although I may have up to a 20% chance that the Discectomy part of it would need to be done again later, since the disc may herniate more in later years. He also says the risk of having nerve damage during the surgery is very low. If you're more interested, the procedures planned are:

 

- BiLateral Laminectomy of L4 (cutting a "window" through the back of the vertabrae to allow the following):

- Partial Discectomy of L4-L5 disc (part that has herniated, leaving what remains between the vertabrae)

- Foraminotomy (enlarge the passageway where a spinal nerve root exits the spinal canal) http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article554.html

- Partial Medial facetectomy (during this procedure part of the facet joint is removed to increase space)

 

Probably more than you wanted to know

 

Being a nuts and bolts kind of guy, I asked for the parts that are removed so I can inspect them

 

Damn, the Z is getting out of the body shop next week, I guess I'll just be able to look at it.

 

I hope this is a warning to those of you that are like me and think that if your muscles can handle it, you can shield your spine from damage. That's a very big untruth!!!

 

Cheers,

[JMortensen]

Crap Pete! That's not good at all! My father-in-law just had a similar thing about 6 months ago. Originally he laid on the floor for a couple of weeks hoping it would get better, finally had to call an ambulance because he couldn't get himself to the hospital. Turns out he had two herniated disks right on top of each other, and I think to fix it they had "section" the disks and then I think they fused 3 of his vertebrae. The discectomy you describe sounds just like what they did on him. Left him with a very thin disk between the vertebrae so that the bones don't rub on each other. He's back working now although not supposed to lift more than 20 lbs. Ever.

[Z0wner]

I feel your pain... and this almost happened to me

 

I being a bright guy decided to lift the rear end of a chevette... with my back to the bumper. Well, got it up a couple of times and my back burned and stung like crazy. Well next day it wasn't so bad so i continued my normal routine. I lift weights, so I was doing that. It was my back day and I was doing deadlifts with a straight bar. What a mistake. I heard a few things go pop and my back killed for the longest while. Walking hurt my lower back. Sitting hurt my lower back. So eventually I went to a chiropractor (SP... too late) and he x-rayed my back. Ended up having a bulged disk. He said had I continued lifting / etc. I would have ruptured a disc. So, about 4 months later I am still facing some problems with my back.

 

I'll keep you in prayer, as I can only imagine how much pain you are going through.

[pparaska]

Thanks, actually the pain isn't that bad now. The Prednisone fixed that pretty well.

 

What's worse, I think is the thought of losing the use of your leg (especially the right pedal leg!) and feeling in the foot for the rest of your life. The doc thinks that will all go back to normal though. Losing feeling in the private parts and/or losing permanent control of the bowel/bladder would be no fun either!!!

[Wagz]

Dang Pete! I feel your pain! I have a herniated disk in exactly the same spot (between L4 and L5). It is easily the most painful thing I've ever dealt with. It's really frustrating being in so much pain and being told (twice) that I wasn't a surgery candidate after each MRI. All the surgeon would offer was Cortizone shots and physical therapy. Both of which did little with respect to long-term relief.

 

I have the same issue with the sciatic (sp?) nerve being compressed and causing my left leg to become useless or extremely painful. I scared the hell out of a hotel manger when I collapsed in his lobby carrying luggage and couldn't get back up. He thought I possibly fell and was looking to file a suite. Two guys had to pick me up under my arms and almost carry me to my car.

 

Another time I ended up in an Anaheim hospital after having another "episode" at Disneyland with my family. They had to get me stupid on Vicodin before I was able to sit-up in a seat for the plane trip home.

 

I finally went to a chiropracter out of sheer desperation. The surgeon that consulted on my case warned me that a chiropracter could really screw me up permanently. Fortunately, it worked extremely well for me. It's been almost two and a half years since I've had any serious problems. I still get sore pretty easy and muscle spasms are something that learned to live with. My left leg is spasming almost daily, especially when I go to bed. Being careful about what and how I lift things has become second nature.

 

Your warning to everyone is right on. This kind of injury can screw you up for life. I still don't really know what caused my injury. There was no specific incident that I can recall. I have never really done a lot of heavy lifting. I've always been pretty decent shape and I weigh 165lbs soaking-wet. So, it's not like packing around a lot of body mass did it either.

 

The bottom line (especially for us *cough* middle-aged guys) be careful how/what you lift and bend at the knees.

[BLOZ UP]

Hm, I just lifted ~200 lbs of engine (vg30 shortblock) out of my civic's trunk, onto a milk crate today.

 

I tried to just use my legs, but i was reaching into the trunk somewhat...

 

hmm now im worried.

[Rival5]

I KNOW YOUR PAIN! I herniated a disk in the same spot. I was carrying a printer only 40-50 lbs and i felt a pop then a pain in my lower back. Two days later i was back on my feet with no pain. Three months later i started to have leg pains, which increased to numbness in my toes, weakness in my leg and extreme pain from my butt to my toes. I went eight months laying on my back with doctors not being able to tell me what was wrong. I went through 3 cortisone shots which did nothing. Finally a doc ordered an MRI and found my ruptured disk. Its now been a year since I've had surgery (exactly what your gonna have) and life is so much better. I'm 95% better and getting better everyday. I was 20 when i hurt my back, never thought it could happen to me. It scared the crap out of me that I could lose to use of my leg or that I would have horrendous pain for the rest of my life. But all went well for me and as im sure the doc has told you the success rate for the surgery is high. Well good Luck. And be nice to your back.

 

Mike

[Mike C]

Ow. Hey, I resemble some of that...

 

Hope all goes well, Pete. We'll be thinking about you.

[BringIt]

Chaulk One Up for me too. I did that a few years ago. Two Injections.. then the Disectomy. I had leg pain only.. it was pretty wierd hard to stand up and walk for long distances. The Surgery should deffinetly help you out. But it will never be the same. My back hurts everyday.. but its nowhere near the pain of what it used to be .. or what it was just have surgery.

 

Just after surgery.. was one of the worst feelings of my life. I thought they had botched the surgery and made it to where I couldnt move anymore. I was incapacitated for about 4 days.

[mark]

Hang in there Pete. I'm sure all will be fine. Take your time and do the rehab!

[blueovalz]

Sorry to hear this Pete. Hope the surgery gets you back up and on the car again.

[Z-Gad]

Sorry to hear about this Pete, I wish you a speedy recovery...

[Guest norm[T12SDSUD]]

Hey Pete I hope you feel better soon.

 

Not only does heavy lifting injure our spines.....it can make the old hemoroids shoot out as well!

Back in 98 I lifted my engine and tranny by hand up onto the engine mounts in my Z and let's just say my hemoroids decided to come out for a look at what I had just done!! LOL

Took a dang month for those suckers to lose interest and go back in their hole! LOL

 

Sometimes being a HE MAN is really just us being Dumb Cave Man!! LOL

 

I hope your recovery is swift!!

 

Later,Norm

[DavyZ]

Pete, I hope you recover from this very quickly! Your posts made me start thinking because I just tore/pulled a number of muscles in my lower back on Friday!! I have been out of it the entire weekend: no cars, work, repairs, no fun with the kids, nothing. Its Monday now and I can actually stand up reasonably straight. As for you, my friend, I can only imagine the pain and out of commission experience. I hope it all comes out in the end for you such that you fully recover.

 

Oh yeah, no more lifting engine blocks!!

 

Davy

[Mike kZ]

Also so sorry to hear about this Pete, hope the surgery helps!

[johnc]

Hope the surgery fixes things.

[Pop N Wood]

I lived with back pain for years. The lowest two vertebra in my back were crooked. The pain would come and go. At times the pain would be so great I couldn't bend down to tie my shoes. Doctors did nothing for me saying it was all muscular. Chiropracters were great for temporary relief, but being a poor student they were unaffordable on a regular basis.

 

Eventually I quit lifting weights and the pain went away. A few years ago I had an xray for upper back pain. Turns out the lower several vertebra in my back have fused into one solid mass of bone. The doctors can't believe I don't have trouble from this, but I don't.

 

My current upper back problems are from sitting at a computer all day. It is not just lifting that will cause back problems. Posture, how you sleep and muscle strength all work together to keep your back properly aligned. This prevents problems in the first place.

 

Good luck with your surgery. You must be in some pretty bad pain to resort to such a drastic course of action.

[Tim240z]

Tell the Doctors: "Don't replace, Upgrade"...maybe they can put some carbon fiber or Chromoly in there to make everything stronger!!

 

Hope all works out, Pete!!

[Mikelly]

Ya know Pete, i'd call you a dumbass, but I've been there... And I know that it'll eventually happen to me... The problem is we forget we're starting to age... It's that transition into our 40s and beyond...

 

Keep your chin up and let me know if I can help out.

 

Mike

[Synlubes]

Yeah what everyone else said.

Leave the car alone when it comes home and take care of yourself.

 

If we could only turn back the clock. It sucks getting old!