Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Flat on my Back

I am apparently headed for surgery, as soon as possible. Back and neck, degenerative discs....

I have the imaging and am trying to get a consult with a neurosurgeon this week, if possible. I walked 20 miles or more every week this Summer and Fall, off-road, brisk, 15 minute/mile walks, but have been stricken and flat on my back since December 22nd.

I'm looking for a surgeon who can tell me he can correct both issues (bulging discs in my neck, ruptured in my back) with one operation, and that it can be done in a minimally-invasive manner so that I may walk out of the hospital the next day.

I hope I'm not being to optimistic, but that is what I'm hoping for.

Happy New Year, All!

I'm sorry Keith. I hope everything goes well for you so you'll be back on the saddle this Spring.

Your being optimistic. Back or neck surgery in seperate ops will lay you up for a min of a week. If it involves any sort of fusing of verts it gets even more eyecrossing. Been there.

I haven't heard anything suggesting that I need anything fused at this point. I'm hoping that just a little "trim" can take care of this - at least this time.

Now that I think about it.....oh, never mind.

Keith, that's a bummer for sure. I assume you've had some back issues in the past? Good luck friend and keep us informed.
mike

Hope you're feelin' better soon, Keith.

Keith, I had a ruptured L4/L5 13 years ago, and the pain was phenomenal. But when I woke up after surgery, it was 90% gone. Its not minimally invasive and I was in for 3 days, but when I walked out, I would say by that point I was 95% pain free and VERY happy I had gone in! I had about 10 weeks of physical therapy afterword, which was mainly walking (Luckily it was summer) and working weights with my legs. Good luck with surgery.

And just like I said in a different thread..... Back problems are the worst, especially for an active guy like yourself. And who would have guessed about the unintended consequences of learning to walk upright, all those thousands of years ago...I wonder if the statute of limitations have run out on that smart guy/neandrathal/ape so you could sue him! The best of luck to you!

I hope you get that taken care of with minimal hassle. Best to ya, Keith!!!

Good luck, Keith. Hope it all goes well for you.

good luck on that, atleast your prob can be sorted..

Hey Keith,

I had back surgery @4years ago, I had L3,4,&5 and S1 Taken care of at one time (3 Bulging 1 Ruptured) And walked out of the Hospital the next day. Total recovery for me was @3-4 Months. I just recently had open heart surgery @2 months ago to replace my aortic valve (unexpectedly) This recovery looks like I'm going to be down a little longer buy hoping to be ready foe riding season. I wish you the best of luck with your surgery.

Tom

Wendy has degenerative bone disease in her hack and hip that we know of and I won't tell you what I know about your hopes.

Keith my wife just had major surgery on her neck in Nov.2010. She is doing good. She used a Dr.Spitzler in Phoenix at St. Joseph hospital. He is rated #1 we are told. Might be worth a call. She is doing great. They removed her top vertibrae completely and moved her brain forward,major stuff and she is doing good.She is pretty much healed up.Thankfully she is doing much better.

As much of a hassle as surgery is, we can pretty much all remember times when surgery or other fix for our broken bits wasn't even available, and we had to live with what fortune dealt us. Not that long ago, gall bladder surgery was a major operation with at least 7 weeks uncomfortable recovery. Now, it's usually an outpatient op, and everything is pretty much back to normal within a week or so.

Good luck with the outcome, but remember a key point in any recovery is to remember that you will FEEL better before you are completely healed, so go slow or get it done all over. The second thing to remember is that everything will start getting better once you've had a good poop after being under general anesthesia.

I hope things are on the up and up for you now Keith. Glad you have that ordeal behind you now!

Good luck with the recovery. Once you are completely recovered do yourself a favor, and find yourself a good Chiropractor. This will help you minimize any further Back problems. I have had Back problems for years, and thankfully since I been been going to my Chiropractor I haven't had any problems for the last 10 years.

Tom

Keith I pray that the results of your most recent surgery are fully successful.

As one who has been under the knife many times in the last few years I can understand and empathize with you.

Best of luck to you.

I hope your surgery goes well and you are fully recovered in short order.
When is your surgery going to happen?
and What hospital if you dont mind?
I am near Houston so if you need anything just let me know. Ill be glad to do what I can.

That is some serious stuff!

We all have a lot to be thankful for, to be sure. You never have to look too far to find someone else with far bigger concerns than your own.

I wish her all the best, and thanks for the well-wishes here.

I think I may have posted this earlier, but I am home (was not even hospitalized over night). I went in Wednesday morning, and came home about 10:00 that night. Wired.

I still have not really slept well, but not for any good reason. Pain is minimal, from the incision only (no residual leg pain whatsoever). The 1 1/2" incision is pretty much just like a knife-stick, is suppose, and other than taking care that it heals properly, I should be fine until the neck flares up again. That sounds like a completely different scenario. More invasive. Maybe something I do at work is causing the neck to bother me, because it really hasn't since I've been off.

I'll see the Doc for a post-op follow-up on the 26th, so I won't return to work before then, though I should be able to drive myself to that appointment. Hopefully he will clear me for work and riding again.

I'm missing all this fine December-January riding weather down here!

The one suggestion I want to get out LOUD AND CLEAR, is that if you need similar surgery for a similar problem, CONSULT A NEUROSURGEON! My whole life whenever I think "neuro" anything, I'm thinking "small". And I really believe that a Neurosurgeon better understands and is better equipped to understand what is causing the pain (nerve impingement or aggravation), and can do a better job of stopping the pain with a more minimally invasive procedure. Everyone I have talked to had to go one way or the other. Those that went the orthopaedic way all had to deal with pain afterwards and more invasive surgeries. All that had neurosurgery say pain is gone upon coming out of the anesthesia, and had much smaller incisions to heal, too.

My thoughts about the Chiropractor are this:

1) I like going and getting a little tune-up every now and then, but

2) If I Power Walk properly, concentrating on smoothness and fluid motions, I think the back might take care of itself i.e., proper alignment, etc.

It's just hard to get the walks in consistently when the available daylight is less than 12 hours/day.