pparaska Posted April 30, 2006 Author Share Posted April 30, 2006 Thanks guys. I've been off pain meds for a few days, things going well. I'm being a good boy and not doing anything, just laying around. Good thing I have a laptop to stay connected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Glad to see the surgery went well! Hope your feeling lots better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Glad to hear that it went well - hope you recover quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagz Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Pete, Glad to hear the surgery went well. I hope your recovery is quick and pain free. Good luck and best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted April 30, 2006 Author Share Posted April 30, 2006 Thanks again guys! Ernine, Thank you for the prayers. I'm very open minded and will look into that treatment. I see a craniosacral therapist sometimes and he has helped find where connective tissue needed to be released - it's amazing what people out of the main stream of medicine can do for you! The body is very complicated and the western docs are JUST beginning to realize what effects what in some areas that homeopathic, asian, and chiropractic people have understood for a long time IMO anyway. I'm also speaking with a DC and homeopathic doc that is helping me sort out seemingly unrelated health issues. Seems lot's of seemingly unrelated stuff all over the body can come from binding of the spinal cord in the neck area and all that's needed to help it are some stretching exercises and watching that you eat the correct things including minerals. I've been taking large doses of minerals for weeks and according to some of my reading it's probably why my pain from the surgery has been so minimal. Anyway, I'll check into the 4 walls thing - I have an open mind and a 'Merican V8 in my Japanese sports car . Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 Well, I went and did it. Went against the spirit of the doctor's orders. I was walking about 2 miles a day, the right calf still not working (nerve), but everything else was great - I was getting my stamina back. 20 May (my 17 anniversary), the wife says "hey, since your backs doing so well with the walking, why don't you cut the front lawn (probablyh 1/4 acre). This is probably not in the spirit of the doctors orders! I say sure. It was a bit of twisting, not much, pushing, not a ton. Next day felt fine. Monday woke up and has a bad back spasm on the lower left. So I had a limp from the left calf not working, and another from the back spasm. I lasted 5 hours at work. Next night I was laying in bed and had a back spasm that registered a 10 on the 0-10 pain scale. I was screaming and couldn't help it. Lasted about 5 seconds. Next morning was my first Phys Therapy appt. I get up GINGERLY, take a shower get dressed mostly by laying on the bed. Tried to get up to go and #10 pain spasm again. Called the PT to cancel then called 911. Ambulance crew had to take me to hospital and out of bed on a back board. The hospital put me on valium and Dilaudid, enough that I could make it to the car and go home. I've been on that stuff ever since (22nd). I'm getting somewhat better but the spasms are still there, just a 5 or 6 instead of a 10 in pain. I've been on the treadmill at home doing .7 miles in 30 minutes to try to work through it. Seeing a holistic PT that's been trying to straighten out my misaligned spine - seems to help. I'm in bed most of the time, walking around some, and on the treadmill. Guys, take care of your back. Maybe even see an PT for the hell of it in your 30s to see if things are o.k. My problems seem to have started a LONG time ago. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNeedForZ Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Wow, I was getting a bicycle out of the trunk today and there was a difficult moment for the back. Right then, I felt a bit of youth just left me forever. Better listen to your advise. Hope you get well soon. Take good care and no more bending backwards to help the missus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillZ260 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Damn Pete! Take it easy man. My thoughts are with you. Take care... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Ok, pete, straight from hybridz crew, quit screwing around and do what the doc says. No more of that kind of BS, buy a riding mower! Get better! Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyvette Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 pparaska I hope the surgery goes well,long term,what you feel durring the first few months may or may not stabilize, and your getting up and around with zero pain,in a few months time, DAMN I KNOW LOWER BACK PAIN ONLY TOO WELL... I think MOST of us have done some dumb stuff involving lifting heavy stuff in the garage,(I once pulled a 427 bbc out of a camaro with two other guys simply by stapping a chain over a 8 ft long 4x4 bolted to the engine,layed on the fenders and manually lifting the ends of the 4x4 over my head with the help of two other guys and walking the engine out of the engine bay, ONCE,, naturally I had the end of the 4x4 with only one guy lifting, I paid for that stupid move for MONTHS) thats something like 580 lbs devided by 3= about 200 lbs each untill you realize that your end weights closet to 300LBS, now Im a fairly large guy at 6'3" and 250lbs and could lift about 270lbs at the time and dropping an engine on the car durring the engine removal was not an option, but it was one of the dumbest things I ever did, I bought the best engine crane money could buy after that stupid move! it cost me a full weeks wages at that time,and it was worth every dime! It cost PEANUTS compared to the pain later, caused by being stupid and cheap at the time in my case, but I learned... heres a similar engine crane,(they no longer sell the exact model I purchased as it got to expensive) http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_19703_19703 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Damn Pete, what are you trying to do to yourself? Just because you feel better, dosen't mean it is! Get well soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Pete, Please listen to the doctor and hire a gardener. We could even take up a collection here: "The Save Pete's Back - Hire Him a Gardener Fund" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 It's just human nature to want to get back in the swing of things. Take it easy guy and let it all heal up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringIt Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Are they going to have to operate? On my back Sleeping / Laying Down for a long time would make it hurt more. And they would always schedule the PT in the morning, when through out the day my back would get better and be more flexable. The PT never went good. The table where they stetch you out with you all strapped up at all four corners. It always made it worse. Good Luck with you and I would consider surgery as long as they arent fusing anything and they are just carving the disk away from the nerves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VRJoe Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 After years of back spasms, PT, drugs and pain I finally broke down and went to a Chiropractor. I don't care if it's "psychosomatic", it works well for me. My problem was my spine was misaligned so that it pinched a nerve which caused the spasm which pulled my spine and pinched the nerve, which caused a spasm which ....... you get the picture. Once he got my spine adjusted it stopped the cycle and I've been much better. I'm still cautious when it comes to my back, and I can feel when things start to tightened up, but it sure worked for me. It sounds to me like you might have the same issue. I could reach for a shirt and bang, drop to the floor then crawl to the bed and be stuck there in spasm for three days. I tell my Chiropractor he gave me my life back. Take it easy Pete and get better, don't push to hard. I guess an automatic trans is acceptable for medical reasons:flamedevi - Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Pete, I'd suggest listening to John and hiring that gardener. Every time my riding mower hits a rough spot, it makes me wish that I had a goat... (I've not yet snapped my spine, but it is only a matter of time). Good luck with your recovery. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynekarnes Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 wow Pete, sorry to read about your pain and suffering. been busy, not spending much time at the site, really knocked for a loop to read that you hurt yourself, twice ! feel badly for you. back pain just never goes away. i am hoping mine is just angry muscles. at work opening lid to telephone box in sidewalk, lid is supposed to be 55 pounds. apparently customer replaced it with something more sturdy, told me after the fact was surprised i could lift it, little on move it. guess it weighs over 100 lbs. crushed discs and you were mowing the lawn ? you are way too smart for that. must of been the painkillers making you feel like superman. take care of yourself, being greedy on my end, need you to be able to sit and type on that key board, answer all my stupid questions and slap my hare brained idea out of my head. more than that, you are the universe to your family ! get better, friend ! wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 10, 2006 Author Share Posted June 10, 2006 I know it was dumb, but I had been walkng miles like the doc said to do so I figured a bit of pushing a lawn mower wasn't much different. The more I talk to the PT, the more it seems this is an OLD problem that showed up first with the disc operation and now my spine needs major re alignment which she is working on - doing wonders actually. My spine is all crooked down there and I've been compensating for years using the lower back muscles. She's slowly bringing the vertibrae and discs back into line and it's amazing - I will hurt for a few hours afterwards, but then be 20% better after that. Finally, someone that undstands the body. Doesn't hurt that she's a sweetheart Out-of-network, so $100/visit is killing me for the 1st 5 visits, the insurance covers 70%. I hope to be able to stand and walk long enough in a week to be able to do some light Z work - measure bearings in block, rods, grind rings. But I'm taking it easy. All the docs think I just aggravated a situation that would have popped up sooner or later anyway. Doesn't make it feel much better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 My spine is all crooked down there and I've been compensating for years using the lower back muscles. She's slowly bringing the vertibrae and discs back into line and it's amazing - I will hurt for a few hours afterwards, but then be 20% better after that. Finally, someone that undstands the body. Doesn't hurt that she's a sweetheart Out-of-network, so $100/visit is killing me for the 1st 5 visits, the insurance covers 70%. Pete, I can totally relate (but not the surgery part). I made friends with my chiropractor and go see her once a week--she charges under $200 per month to keep my spine & neck in order. This is after I finished the intial (read: expensive) phase of the treatment. I also get 2 massages out of the deal too Take care of yourself! I hope you have a speedy recovery with no more of these spasms. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted June 17, 2006 Author Share Posted June 17, 2006 My phys therapist isn't happy with results, wants a doc to look at me to see what structurally could be wrong to keep me from progressing as she thinks I should (wow, like I want to stop visiting HER! ) Go to my osteopathic doc, he gives a million possible reasons, a script for a contrast MRI, and blood workup. Go to my Orthopedic surgeon and he says, yeah, could be infection, let's get those MRIs w and w/o contrast ASAP. I go immediately and they squeeze me in. I take about 3 short naps during the tests ). Surgeon gets report back and has me come back in the next day (today) to discuss, I bring the MRI films. Disc has re-herniated some, not alot, but there's liquid filled bubble in front of the spine that can sometimes occur after surgury, but might be infected. Also the disc (L4/5) is inflammed and could be infected. So tomorrow I go it for surgery AGAIN, where he will clean out the "bubble" and take a biopsy, do the partial discectomy to remove the herniation, and take a biopsy of the L4/5 disc to look for an infection. He feels that the extended length of time I've been in pain is due to the disc inflamation. They will then treat that with 6 weeks of drugs, no matter what, because many times the disc infection test get a false negative. He said recovery should be quicker this time, so maybe 2 weeks. Looks like I'll miss my trip to the Shelby Convention!!!!! Damn! Z is done except for a few stone chips they are taking care of for me. I've been laying on my back for most of the last 6 weeks and have lost 30 pounds. Down to 180. Mostly muscle mass loss. Damn - as soon as I get clearance I'm hitting the gym - I look like a little girly girl! My wife left an advert for a bowflex in my drawer says she wants me to get back in shape and like that guy in the picture would be fine. I didn't DARE say, "hey and you need to look like the Bowflex lady in the ads!!!" So I go in for surgery tomorrow (17 Sunday) 9am and probably won't get out until some time Sunday. Father's day will consist of laying around with cocktails of heavy drugs like dilaudid (synthethic heiroine). Guys, be careful with your backs!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.