Had a visit with the back doc again today, lower area is hanging tough with a few hiccups, had one of his cohorts do a Carpal tunnel fix on me last month and that took well where my fingers no longer just go to sleep but today was a shocker. Knew I had neck issues, been getting harder to turn my head left and eventually it started to the right getting more painful as I go. 25+ years ago I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and now it has gone full out. C4/5, C5/6 and C6/7 are toast, we went thru what comes next which will be CT scans to determine sizes and will set appointment for some time in March for the three replacements. It was Docs recommendation not to fuse but to replace as tech has gotten considerably better, I just want to be ready for summer and all in one piece not aching or bothered with shooter pains. Alternative is much worse but this old age poop pile sucks!!
I can sympathize. Dec 4, 2016 I had L5, L6, and S1 fused. Bone spur in L4 causing rt leg ache / pain. 14 week recovery, I had favored the rt leg for almost 3 years resulting in loss of leg strength. By Memorial Day, not a lot of improvement plus stiffness in my ankle, MRI and CAT scan revealed abnormally narrow spinal column w/ bone spurs. Dr put me in a stiff collar and wanted to operate in 2 days. Operated a week later from the back and opened up C3-6. I should have used a wheel chair to get to the surgical registration desk. That was June 9th. 7 week recovery - much easier than the lower back. In November I had one of my followups. Discussed the stiffness now in both ankles with the aching still on the right. My option was wait and see what happens or another MRI. Guess what, another bone spur now visible inside on C-4 plus a herniated disk now that everything has "room". December 1st, C3 and C-4 fused w/ bone spur removal. Overnight in the hospital and back to work in 5 days. #3 was a piece of cake I'd talk with your Dr. It took 7 weeks for my cervical surgical release and I did not have any fusion. You will be walking with a cervical collar watching your feet for a few weeks The PT lady was telling me that nerves will take a year to heal. Fortunately I have no permanent nerve damage. Finally asked the surgeon. He said 1 - 1 1/2 years. So I might be ache / pain free in the summer of 2018. You're right, the alternative isn't good but getting old sure isn't for sissies None of spine issues were injuries or operating equipment related, just getting old. Maybe we need a "Health" thread where we can share our old age stories LOL
Payne is no fun, I feel for you. May lots of vitamins and food help, an yoga Help ease the pain. Take care sam, and don't forget the food for the sole.
I feel for ya Miller.. I'm going down the same road.. I had my 2nd lower back surgery in 2yrs on Sept 1.. still recouping. They replaced 2 disks this time. They showed me the MRI and CT scans and said theres more to come.. The neck looks terrible and I'm not looking forward to that.. they said I've probably got another 5 years till they go. and I'm only in my early 50's.. w/ more to come.. A diesel mechanics life is hard on the ol' body.. but we just grin and bear it..
Don't we though! I entered Diesel engine and heavy machine work in 1975, been a hard row hoed since. Lots of broken stuff besides the machines(meaning me). Saw quite a few lose their battles during the course of the years, a few died. Had to help recover a tire man from a exploded three piece wheel incident, gave new respect for those then but still see them on the roads. I have Uncle Arthir(itis) beating at the door in my sixties now. Still manage to outwork many of the kids around me setting fences, working animals and working machines, working harder/faster is not the key, working smarter is. At least I have a good physician that has if you can believe it a engineering degree, he designed and installs the replacement discs! He got my lower back into shape while telling me I could return to a normal life after as short as three weeks, took seven just to make certain it healed properly. My neck has bothered me to the extent I thought was having a heart attack in '93, left arm ached bad, jaw hurt, burning in left shoulder, had family history of heart issues so went to ER. They sent me to a neurologist that found or determined had pinched nerves in my neck and the Degen Disc 'disease'. I asked but was declined as to wear and tear from work, seems we all mechanic types end up with this early on. Used the self hanging equipment(weighted head lift harness for home use) for years but gave up on that as it never really helped! and got tired of hanging myself!
Sorry to hear about your woes DMiller! Is your engineer doc happen to be Dr. A. at Columbia Ortho? If so, he did my wife's back surgery about 8 years ago. He's a good one to have in your corner!
Miles, and used to do work at Binkley which is now USF Holland. Great surgeon in my opinion!!
Miles is a lot like Abernathie who even designs surgical tools. Good group there!
Looks like March 15th for the hacking. Go in Feb 28th for pre-ops, ALL DAY! four appointments but should be well worth the exercise! I just hope am done as far as can get on the 7G bucket work prior, also have some flooring to set in basement and a few trees to drop and so on and so on ROFL!! Day never ends regardless the needs.
Well closer than further away now, still a working day away from a two week pre-op vacation to see what I can finish up. Is also my birthday this week. I was born when the 955(12A) Traxcavator was 'New', no H or any other sub code, the 977 was a brand new design and earth moving was coming into its own as far as quick inexpensive and less labor for those doing the digging. Feeling a tad on the 'Old' side this day. Lower back repair is suspect of not holding, will be part of the review work on the 28th as well consideration for additional downtime. Right butt cheek started aching again follows down right thigh and throbs at right pelvic bone ridge so suspect it isn't right not that I may have overdone anything in the last six months.
Happy birthday week , and try not to work to hard . sam.
Sorry to hear the lower back repair is not holding up as it ought to DM. Pain can make for some unpleasant days & long nights too. I have had my problems too, but in a different way. Hope they can get to the bottom of those problems for you...........you have a bucket to get fixed up!
I hope all goes well. I enjoy reading your threads , you can tell a man that works by his knowledge and skill which you have plenty of both. This type work seems to take a toll on you for sure. At 43 , I came in last Friday and my kids made fun of me , said I looked like a nursing home resident. I fell asleep in the recliner , one shoe fell off , drooling and they said I sounded like a weed eater. They took pics on they're cell phones and shared them to they're buddies. I threatened to confiscate the phones. Get well , you have machines to tend too.
I had C4/5 and C5/6 fused two years ago now. I had the pain in my left shoulder to start with which worked its way down my arm to my hand. Found out that doctors and mechanics have a few things in common. Some can troubleshoot and many if not most can't. Anyway when I noticed that shaving caused my left hand to turn into a torch I mentioned it to hand doctor who immediately set up the MRI. When I got out of the machine the receptionist told me the doctor was waiting to talk to me. He walked me down to the spine surgeon who told me I had no option. I missed six weeks of work to make sure the bones healed together well. The pain from the operation was really minor compared to what I was feely before. The pain in my hand and shoulder were mostly gone after the operation but I still have a reminder of it all with the constant tingling in my hand. At any rate now I don't have to look at my hand when I climb onto a machine to see if it is holding on to something. Let us know how the surgery goes for you. I would sure like to hear how the new technology works out.
I know what ya mean John.. I lost ALL felling in my left foot after my back fusion.. Atleast I can move it.. just cant feel it.. I thought I was gonna get released last week but the Dr. said, no.. He told me to lay on the floor and get back up.. I looked like a turtle that's been rolled in its back.. He started laughing and said, lets try next month.. I started working out as soon as I got back home from that appt.. it pi55ed me off..
Been steady downhill roll for my spine. Neck was diagnosed 25 years ago but was told to put it off to as late as could take. Lower back was thirty nine years ago when the VooDoo docs of the day told me they could operate but I would be a crippled mess when done. Tech has come a long way, just hope my old systems are up to matching the repair work! Weather has been good, was out last two days setting wood and T-post for a quarter mile of four strand wire. May have a dose of poison ivy to boot from clearing scrub with chainsaws. Never can get enough done!!
That's how I was Miller, go go go up until I couldn't go no mo.. TRYING to get everything done before the surgery.. It cost me everything I held dear!! I got lazy and tired & didn't shut off my air compressor before I closed up the shop for the nite.. cuz I was gonna be back out there "BRITE & EARLY" the next day.. WELL< the hose was laying across the motor & melted and caught fire.. I lost it ALL.. All my tools, All my equipment, All my boats, golf cart.. EVERYTHING.. not to mention the customers injection pump I was working on at the time.. that cost me 1600.00 to replace.. ALL because surgery was in 2 days.. SLOW THE HELL DOWN.. It'll be there when you get better.. If I can keep 1 person from making the same mistake I did, it'll be worth all this typing.. Lol Good luck..
I hear ya! Wife is on my case too as she doesn't want me too broken down! Still have certain projects as a must complete by 3/14. Just getting while the getting still good. Two possibly three surgeries coming up just do not want to be stareing at too many called ng my name projects that may entice my too soon attention.
It's nervous energy before a life event. I had it also before my surgery. Not knowing the future means your mind keeps trying to imagine all the possibilities and make as many preparations as possible for each anticipated outcome. It didn't hurt me before my operation but the wife kind of kept watch for any dumb things I might have done. If she barks, you need to listen and at least consider the order.
Your EXACTLY RIGHT John.. that 5-600.00 I WAS GONNA make, would have paid acouple of months electric bill, and that's what I was thinking.. It ended up costing me around 40 thousand.. Now that I sit back & think about it, I can hear the Ole Lady screamin her head off at me.. Lol Heed the warning Miller..
Dmiller , I just hope you don't hurt your self any worse. I guess if the Dr say you can work on then good enough. My concern would be doing damage that might be irreversible. These things your working on , if you torque yourself out , they surely will never get done then.
With all the previous damage I self learned to do those things in ways that hurt less. Come a longs, chain falls anything to take the punishment off me. Still swinging a chain saw or tossing brush is pretty brutal but manageable. Setting up and setting a laminate floor is easier than tile but still bent a lot. Just have that coice inside telling me if I give up now there may not be a tomorrow.
This is how I calm frayed nerves:
Wish my welds were as pretty as were twenty years ago!
Hard to see in the twilight photos, just finished setting the dark post H-frame, is on my south property line fence. Is a gap fence between the two H-frames big enough for a four wheeler or on foot or a utility tractor for fence repairs. The first photo in the last group is that same line looking down the row of T-post I got set awaiting wire, that will occur later this week. The fields are mostly ours, looking across to a neighbors farm and back toward our house.
rough 1/4 mile fence is done, an older 1/8+/- mile line that had been bugging me is ripped out not to be put back in and the old wire rolled up for scrap. Got a few more licks in on the bucket but this afternoon belonged to the wife, dinner and a little entertainment. Church in morning then as it cooled off A LOT back inside working.
Well repairs are done for now. Doc stated may need to revisit in two months and do the disc above these two just replaced, depends on pain where at how tolerant and if these take well. Two discs, C5/6 and C6/7 so I am now a 1/4" taller!! Doc also said I am the first he has done to use the absolute LARGEST replacement unit available at 6/7. Wife said I am big boned doc agreed. No pain meds at all, shoulders are sore from being folded like a fresh fish being gutted but actual surgery region is fine. No driving 3 weeks, nothing over 10 lbs. lifting, and above all NOT to rotate my head too far backward as looking at sky or stars or anything else as until these get 'grown in' I could potentially displace one or both. No brace or collar, can already rotate side to side and some up/down with minimal soreness as I reach stops, uncertain if just my muscles sore or if are hard stops in discs. So appears I will be entertaining the wife and dogs for the next weeks!
DMiller, Good to hear things appear to have gone good. If the pain gets too bad I'm sure the doc can prescribe something for the wife to take!
Glad to hear it's done and you're feeling well! Here's to a quick recovery. And, how bad can it be spending time on the couch with the dogs? DB
You fencing tomorrow?
Glad to hear you came though it well. I was told the same thing about looking up. Did all the feeling in your affected extremities go back to normal? Keep us informed.
NO fencing, no bucket work, nothing on the house other than making the bed and going out for leg stretching walks as required by the Doc. I am setting the next few dances out until this gets healed up COMPLETELY!! Three weeks to next office visit(4/4) then stitches out. Asked on timeline, will know more as of next visit as will get new x-rays to see how well bone is building in new replacements. Have to be fully boned in to get anywhere close to release for work PLUs as can only do two of these at a time they will re-look at C4/5 as it does have 'issues' that may require re-entry and replace it. Is a required level of bone growth on previous two as well minimum 8 weeks to get to another replacement. So far neck pains and gravel pile is gone, snags when I turn my head are there but only as the surrounding meat is swollen and mad for now so limits rotation but still greater than had the last two months. Totally berated as to NOT ROTATE HEAD BACK too far, can and want me to look up, down side to side to keep all from auto fusing but not to hyper rotate as would to paint overhead or to star gaze or bird watch as until these little mechanisms are bone tight they could possibly kick out, then there I would be. Hands arms and fingers that itched or had running pain has all but stopped. L thumb still a issue as is the top of left shoulder trapezius muscle is sore and get a shooter on occasion when turn head right to left into that area which will be C4/5. Once swelling goes down will see if can deal without second surgery. Almost forgot, HAVE TO lose 40 lbs. per the doc. To even consider then next surgery. Wants me no greater then 220.
No hammer, axe or shovel work. That isn't a bad thing. Mine said I could swing a golf club once in awhile. Just not hard. Sounds like you have a good handle on it and should recover well.
Good luck with the healing process there DM. Just have to lay low for a while & the projects can wait!!
All quiet in the shop, lights out and heat low, just waiting!! I did manage to get those projects done that needed attention before I got my throat slit. Discomfort decreases by the hour now, have some swallowing issues still but can eat solids pretty well. Laying low may be three to four months at this juncture!
All is healing well, docs PA called today asking how the discomfort was as if there was any. He did remark as to having a broken arm as example, takes 5-8 weeks to heal the bone, this will take as long so not to push too hard. I am listening.
glad to hear things are going well, I just got X-rays again on my L5-S1 joint, hopefully its not surgery worthy and i can continue with my progression. Your situation is way more serious.
How is your throat feeling? Do you have any dull ache in the back of your neck? Both took about three weeks before I just forgot the issue was there. Keep on healing!
I am amazed at the lack of issues with the neck work. My sore throat went away at five days, still have some light drainage tickling and need for throat clearing but that too is almost gone. No aches in neck save when I try to use a single pillow, guess I am stuck with two for the fore seeable future but the low back ache that was coming back IS BACK with a vengeance. Seems resting for the neck heal is kicking the low back into high gear, doc thinks may be due to a torn muscle or possibly scar tissue from last August work. I am walking a lot, we drop onto the KATY Trail every day to every other and walk close to two miles out two back. Previous repairs were at L3/4,L4/5 and L5/S1, lots of stenosis and some hernia removed but then again may have re-popped one of those.
This picture I got when stitch got cut and after office visit. This is what the inside looks like. Axe gash could have driven a truck thru!!
That's a pretty amazing photo.
Nice lookin job.. are those "spring discs".. it looks like you would have full range of movement w/ those..?? Hope things are going well..
Discs have a polyurethane center cushion, according to doc should last longer then me!! Far as range of motion I am only limited by the tendons in my neck as to pliable or stretchable. Sorry about the trashy t-shirt, is what I usually wear!
If anyone asks about that scar just tell them they should see the other guy!
Been awhile since I posted updates. Neck is doing fine, had x-rays and MRI with dye for my lower back and the right hip that was driving me nuts. Seems the docs had missed or mis-diagnosed a new comer on the scene. PT techs have been working me over pretty diligently trying to figure out why my right Sacrum Iliac joint keeps rolling forward while I have taken on a scoliosis posture. They roll and adjust the SI joint, get all back aligned and BAM right back. Then a tech challenged my rotational movement finding a serious 'Button' in a certain direction and characteristically same place every time, locked me up like I've never been! All thought was hip soft tissue injury, dye test said otherwise, then the next eval and last availed appointment, found I may have a Gluteus Medius either torn, ruptured or otherwise just plain mad. Not much can do with it if fully ruptured just exercise the crap out of the other groups in my butt to regain control of the pelvic bone. If only injured can work on it, if torn can approach as the same way they work Rotator Cuff damage, just have to find the right doc. Actually the lower back other than compensating for the SI joint flubup is fine. Damn getting old is getting old!!
Oh and the scar has already mellowed so far as to be damn near invisible. I am still hacking along, built some shelves in the garage, replaced a bunch of hydraulic lines on the old AC, got my CDL DOT physical and PASSED! otherwise staying busy.
I was thinking earlier, what did you do that the wife took a chunk out of your *** that big....?
Lets see, I married her, I am male so I must be A BAADD BOY!!
I feel you pain Miller.. When they did my back, they said my neck was trashed too.. only gave me 5 years from initial diagnosis before I was back in, getting my head sawed off.. that was 2 years ago..
A popular old adage 'Had I known then what I would experience now.......' And yes I had not ever considered to live this long given the **** I did as a youth!! But here I am and dealing with it!
How TRUE how TRUE.. PLAY now, PAY later.. lol AHHH the stories I could tell.. in a state of "confusion"..I ONCE jumped off the pier in Daytona & missed the water.. you wanna talk about a brain scrambler.. lol It was NOTHING for me to ride my dirtbike off a 200-300ft sand pit cliff, just to see if I could stay up, when I hit the bottom.. you only do THAT once or twice on a weekend.. then give it time to heal & try it again the next.. lol I do know, my parents too out life insurance on me.. that's how much of a dare devil I was.. This last surgery took ALL the wind outta my sails. tho.. The wife wont even let me get on an 8ft "A FRAME" fiberglass ladder.. !!
Wives are funny that way... I tried to climb on a 5'4" blonde the other day and I almost had to have surgery.... same kinda thing innit?
I try to mount any 5'4" blond and getting the whatever she can plunge into my back from what she can locate quickly may take a crew to remove!! Not sure I would go there!! BTW the inability to run very well right now is a major handicap to challenge as to the wife and anger!! There was a radio program years ago jokingly ribbing sports with a Russian Roulette story, the main player having been to many of these and he enters " stumble drag, stumble drag, stumble fumble trip drag, he is almost to the podium!" I resemble that remark!! I believe was a Bob & Tom show.
That was kinda my point, lol.... don't mess with the redhead without a clear road and a good head start!
Forgot to add, the little woman shoots better than I that when Angry no doubt can take the wings off a gnat with a .22 at ten yards!!! Cannot run NEAR that fast!