Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge I've decided I'm getting old.

I guess it started with getting the 3HW. Then my back went last November.

I'm off work with my back again. This time however, it being taken far more seriously. I've only been off work 2 weeks and already I've seen a physio and had an MRI scan. The pic from the scan is quite scary.... if I find a way of loading it somewhere, I'll let you see.
I also have an appointment with a specialist before Christmas. Not bad cos the current waiting time is around 14 weeks.
We have a very good Occ health nurse now, and she's kicked some serious butt so far.

The only bugger is I'm back to no riding....
....however the valium have some cool side effects!

Me too Gina, Last time I got a 'cold' it put me out of work for a week, and I didn't feel right for a month... Never had that happen before... but, still love to ride...

Sorry to hear the bad backs back G .watchout for that painkiller /relaxant sh1te ,very enjoyable but dangerous.

I have occasional back issues myself, so I fully understand and wish you a quick recovery.

Hi Sis,
Enjoy the meds. I have discovered the secret to longevity:
KEEP BREATHING AS LONG AS YOU CAN!
The pain, well we have to learn to live with it.

Sorry to hear that you're out of commission. Hope you get up and about (and back on the Trumpets) soon.

Hope you feel better soon Gina and get back on the road.

Still got my MRI of my back from 2 years ago. Once you see where the "chewy nougat center" has popped out through the disc and there's a big blob where your sciatic nerve is supposed to be, you have a pretty potent visual of why you're in pain.....

I've been pretty much pain free since - with monthly chiro treatments.

Hope you find the fix that works for you.

Gina, I wish you the best. Back problems truly suck. I had some pretty severe back problems @ 10 years ago, and wound up having a laminectomy. It was very unpleasant,but it took care of 90% of the pain, and physical therapy pretty much took care of the rest. After buying my America in 06, I had had back issues that fall, and again in 07, and wound up going through PT both years. This year I bought progressive 440s for the rear and their springs in the front. I never dealt with any back pain this year, other than minimally after a couple of long rides. I highly recommend the progressives... I hope things work out for you!

Hope everything works out for ya G, back pain is usually not taken so seriously by a GP and the answer is paracetamol or anything else to get you out the door.

Look forward to having a gander at the Xray if you can load it up.. Take care of yourself

The back pain never feels like it has been taken seriously by the gp. Even before I saw the occ health nurse I was gonna be adamant that the gp was referring me...
Just the occ health nurse takes no $hit and wants to get me back to work nearly as quickly as I do!

I'm still not entirely convinced that the disc problem I had last year wasn't completely cured, and it's just not hurt me enough to notice since.

Gina I feel your pain.
I've had back problems for about 15 years now.
I just had a medial branch nerve block (MBNB) on my neck yesterday, feels much better.
I'm scheduled to have another MBNB on my lumbar spine in January, they work wonders, my Tramadol intake has been getting entirely too high.
Keep after them, there are plenty of options other than too many pain pills.

A lot of us guys have been there, Gina. Good luck to ya. Funny thing is, when my back gives me trouble, one of the few places that it doesn't hurt is on my bike. A couple of times when I've been laid out bad enough that I couldn't work, I would ride the bike a little. Then, as you can imagine, somebody sees me and says,"Hey, I thought your back was out?!" In short, nobody's gonna believe me.

I have had back problems off and on over the years, and I am sorry to say the last person I would see about it is a GP. I have been very lucky with the couple of Chiropractors that I have seen. I still go to one about once a month just to make sure everything stays in the right place.

I hope you can find some relieve without the use of medication.

Tom

I'm currently lieing in bed using my loverly work issue pda.... this has a pic of my scan on it. I think I've managed to get the scan sent to my email so I can upload from a computer to photobucket and then onto here...
For some reason I can't directly upload of this to photobucket, but I think I've worked around it.
The joys of modern technology - I don't even have to move anymore!
First 24 hours without the valium ... well it proves they were doing something. my back is in the stages of spasming up again - and that is what causes the serious pain. Might have to use my secret stash.

And to whoever it was.... I was comfortable sat on the America too, even though he's stock. However the roads around home are so bad, it's the bumps in the road that now make it impossible to even go for a blast round the block. That and my meds make me sleepy. ok more sleepy than normal!

I don't really have a clue what I'm looking at.....but even I can tell one of the discs towards the base of my spine has gone (towards the right as you look at it) and the one above it is gonna go if I'm not carefull....:(


And as I've stated before I not the worlds greatest photographer, and holding the film against a window with one hand and trying to get my pda to take this with the other....

that dont look to good G .take it easy .

Please tell me there is tree on other side of window Gina, if not than you have a bad case of leafitis. only cure would be a good pruning. xxxx

oh nice slipped/ruptured disc between L1 & 2 by the way, bet that hurts like buggery!!!!

PM on its way.

Ouch! Gina! that needs to be taken care of. Thoughts and prayers are with you. Is surgery planned? How long 'till surgery? Good luck, take care of it now so you can ride in the spring.
PS: What do bugs have to do with it?

I don't know if these are available in the UK, but they can do wonders in many cases.
http://www.poweroveryourpain.com/sb/all_...CFQZeswodHkJqYw

At least all of your verti... verta.... ah... those blocky bits are all square. One of mine is more like a triangle. The stress on the back muscles trying to keep everything in line can be painful at times.

My wife had very bad back problems for 10 years. 6 years ago she started exercising in the pool. 6 years of excercise without having to support her body has made a big difference. She has been able to build up support muscles for her bad back in the pool and has little discomfort.

Not going to an osteopath...


I'm seeing a neurosurgeon on Monday. I'm hoping it's only a consult and I go back another day for an op.... I saw my GP this morning and she saw the scan, and couldn't believe how bad it was. She got on the phone to the hospital and said I could be flexible in when I could get to them... it's the only way I can be flexible right now though! so it's not 10th of December now, it's monday. Maybe it'll be sorted by Xmas and I can have a drink!

But you really wouldn't believe how much it hurts right now.

And my manager has just tried to blame my motorcycle riding.... I told him I wear a back support when riding so it can't be that.

looks like the disc between L4-L5 is pushing out pretty good. any pain on the back of your knees, running down the front/side of your calf? bottom of the foot? big toes? does it hurt more when you're in one sitting position or another?

Oh the sound of a man who sounds like they know what they're talking about.
I have a copy of the report that goes with the scan and indeed L4/5 is 'slightly poorly'. It also says L3/4 and L5/S1 are 'degenerate and dehydrated'...whatever that means in English...I just read it as 3 discs are knackered, and I will find out how knackered and what they're gonna do about it on Monday.

they can tell the 'degenerate and dehydrated' part because of the loss of the whiteness where the disc is supposed to be. if you look higher in the spine, you'll see that the area between the vertebra, where the discs are, is mostly black, with a white foggy center (mmmm, oreos). however, the discs right above and right below L4/L5 are almost all black. that means they're losing part of the watery part of the disc, leaving only the collagenous part of the disc. this makes them less 'springy'.

Gina,

I have learned there's a fine line commenting to the effect "I'm getting old" and receiving denials or jokes, to receiving nodding heads or sympathetic silence-yikes!! However all the above could be traced to excessive valium use. Double yikes!!

I don't talk foolishly like that anymore.

Good Luck

jh

Well guys...
I'm off to see a neurosurgeon later today - as it's already Monday here.... so we'll see what he says...

Good luck Gina.
I'll send a prayer your way.

Gina:

Best of luck, I just had about the same done about 8 months ago. L3,L4,L5,&S1 Hope everything goes well, We'll be praying for you!!

Get an inversion table best $180 I ever spent. back hurts ( I work for a tree company ) hang upside down a while back doesn't hurt. I can tilt just enough to take the pressure of or hang like a bat wonderful contraption.