My back surgery...

[Joneill]

Why do I feel passive aggression from your entire post? FWIW, that picture was 6 months after having my first Achilles Tendon surgery. Bob flew to Florida and we invaded Weeki Wachee for me to test out many sets of his fins. The next day we went to 40 Fathom Grotto to continue the fun. It was an incredibly fun time, and it was nice to get to know Bob a lot better. Cool fins, but they really didn't support my frog kick. They all went back home with Bob.

I took my first drive this morning. I drove solo to Scaffs Market and picked up just a couple of things. I'm at the point that I don't need a walker all the time, so I limped to the nearest buggy and went in, using it as my walker. It was a rough night, with lots of pain that seemed to come out of nowhere. I took a 5mg at midnight, which was 14 hours after the last dose. Unfortunately, the pain didn't pass. I ended up taking another 5mg at 4:30 am. It was a fitful sleep at best, so I wasn't feeling all that well during my shopping spree. It was still good to tool down the road and my right leg was able to operate the accelerator and brake with ease. Good stuff, even if I was feeling a bit off.

Oh yeah, getting in and out of the driver's seat is far easier than the passenger side. Why? It's just easier to duck under the roof with my leading foot already in the car. I get to put the right foot in and follow with my body on the left side. I still can't put my left foot in on the right side, without falling, due to weakness in the right leg. It's getting better, but it's not there yet. I have to sit on the right seat first, and then fold myself in.

happy-diver’s posts rarely make any sense to me…

 

[lowwall]

I get to put the right foot in and follow with my body on the left side. I still can't put my left foot in on the right side, without falling, due to weakness in the right leg. It's getting better, but it's not there yet. I have to sit on the right seat first, and then fold myself in.

 

[CathyE]

happy-diver’s posts rarely make any sense to me…

Yeah, I blocked him. It was a waste of my time to start reading, go what the f***, and realize who the poster was.
Life is simpler now.
Glad you are regaining your independence Pete!

 

[lowwall]

Yeah, I blocked him. It was a waste of my time to start reading, go what the f***, and realize who the poster was.
Life is simpler now.
Glad you are regaining your independence Pete!

Yep. I only have three people on my block list. The other two are ignorant and aggressive jerks. Happy isn't either of those and I'm pretty sure I'd like him in person, but life is way too short to spend any of it trying to parse his posts.

 

[The Chairman]

In Olaf news, he dropped by last night for some pets. He's getting less awkward about it and is biting far less. When I got tired, I put my hand on the blanket only to have him push his head under it. Yah, he really enjoys it. I finally put my hand down again, and he laid on my arm and started licking my hand again. That went on for over 20 minutes. When I got up this morning, he was still on the bed cuddled up by my feet.

I'm heading out in a few to go see my surgeon. Ethan is staying home as I can drive myself. I am hardly using the inside walker but will continue with the 4-wheeled one when I'm outside. I still have pain/pinch/pressure in the right butt cheek, but it's endurable for the most part.

 

[Rick Voight]

We don't have a perfect place for this thread, so I'm putting it in Greets and Meets. No, I'm not special, but it seems that a lot of people want to wish me well, lend some advice (always welcome), and want feedback on what's happening. ScubaBoard has impacted a lot of lives and still does, so I guess the wellbeing of its owner is relevant...

Backstory, I've always had a strong back and some say it goes with a week mind. Humph! I've paddled a canoe for about 4,500 miles in my lifetime, which has given me a strong back, strong arms, and a strong heart. I am bradycardic (pulse below 60 bpm), with usually low to average BP. I first hurt my back moving a washer and dryer in and out of my truck solo for a former girlfriend in 2004 or so. It's given me fits from time to time, but vitamin I and rest seemed to do wonders. Then, I broke my leg in Fiji five years or so ago, and somehow that affected my back, or maybe it was just old age and getting weaker. Two years ago, my dear sister was diagnosed with lung cancer, and I was her sole caregiver. In March of 2023 she had become quite infirm, to the point that I had to clean her, sometimes several times a day, change her diapers, lift her out of bed, onto the couch, and so on and so on. I loved my sister and loved being in her company, so it was absolutely not a problem. I just ached for her suffering. Then on January 15, 2023, while I was cleaning a rather big mess, I failed to raise her bed high enough, and I severely tweaked my back. I actually could no longer take care of my sister, and she had to go to a hospice, where she died about a week later. No, I don't blame my sister for this, I only blame me and my genetics. My one regret is that I could not honor her wish to die here in her bed surrounded by her cats.

I rested, I took copious amounts of vitamin I and other NSAIDs, and I suffered. I couldn't paddle, I couldn't work in my shop, and I couldn't even walk down to the springs to go swimming or diving. Exasperated, I finally went to the doc, and was referred to a surgeon at Shands in Gainesville. Last summer I had a laminectomy on L3 and L4. It was a tad bit better for about two weeks, and then things shifted, getting even worse. A lot worse. I got steroid shots but no relief. I lost confidence and went to another doctor in Lake City. More shots, no progress, but lots and lots of suffering. I couldn't stand more than 5/10 minutes. Because of the previous laminectomy, we both came to the conclusion that he could do nothing for me. I was getting desperate. So a year after the first injury, I went back to Shands and was referred to 2 doctors. I have since gained 70 pounds from sitting all the time, which just can't be good for the back and now I have slightly elevated BP. I don't feel like I'm aging gracefully.

Their first comment after reading the MRI, was "I'm surprised you're still walking". They pointed out a congenital overly narrow spinal canal, as well as a bulging disc that was impeding on that canal. In most people it would be fine, but I was cursed with a defect that somehow, had been masked by all of the strength I had built up from paddling. After a few more injections, diagnostics, and lots of pain, it has been determined that tomorrow I'll have 3 discs replaced, 4 vertebrae fused with screws, and they will enlarge my spinal canal while they're at it. I am off all NSAIDs and Meloxicam (arthritis) since last Thursday. I have been off Percocet since yesterday and will be fasting right after breakfast and NPO from midnight until surgery tomorrow. My grandnephew Ethan is here to help me out for probably the next month, and he will be in communications with @Wookie.

For what it's worth, the staff, doctors, and surgeons at Shands, UF's teaching hospital, have been great, albeit a bit slow. Yes, they would characterize it more as being cautious, but they're not writing this post. My son had a back injury in High School, where it was determined that he had an overly narrow spinal canal. They never solved it and he turned to self-medication, ultimately overdosing about ten years ago. I always had empathy for him, but it's on a completely different level after these last 16 months. It's almost two years since I've had a proper dive. I tried to dive Troy Springs a month or so ago, with friends bringing my gear to the water. With the Suwannee in flood stage, the vis was beyond crap and I don't think I was in the water more than five minutes. It's going to be at least another month before I can get into my springs. Cave diving is why I moved here.

So now you know. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Well, I'm looking forward to not hurting any more. That won't really end tomorrow, but hopefully, it's the beginning of the end of my suffering. No more sitting for hours on end. No more Mr GrumpalumpaPete. I really expect the best and will do everything I can to ensure that. The surgeon says my rehab will consist of lots of walking, and I'm really excited about that.

Pete, wishing you great continued success post-surgery - and hope that you're back blowing bubbles soon!

 

[The Chairman]

I have been cleared for swimming! Woot!

Here are my x-rays from today.

These were snapped off the monitor with my phone, so resolution make be a bit wonky. Short story: I'm healing fine. No signs of infections or other malarkey. However... apparently I have huge back muscles. This next pic is at the L5, where most of the girth of the back muscles are quite small. Mine are massive and at least 8 times normal size. Probably from 4,600+ miles paddling a canoe. He was quick to circle what's what with a finger, and I really couldn't follow very well, so I'll just post the MRI pic as is. Bottom line, he had to cut three holes in my right side to insert the discs. He's never had to cut so deeply in pure muscle before, so he has no idea if this will lengthen or shorten my recovery. Normal recovery is 6 to 8 weeks and I'm at 4 1/2. I've asked other medico friends for their opinions, and they simply "deferred" to my surgeon. I really want to understand this better, so please chime in. Again, this was snapped off of the monitor with my phone.

As for walkers, he's fine with me not using one in the house. He's fine with me figuring out when I don't need one anymore. He's nixxed me doing leg lifts for another month or two, but marching in place is fine. I am allowed to lift 5 pounds, bend and/or twist moderately.

Finally, he chided me for worrying about my oxycontin intake. I can't take NSAIDs for another 2 months, so this is it. Tylenol does not seem to affect me either. He looked at my ersatz oxy log, and felt that I'm being too strict. Pain means swelling and swelling is not good for healing. Sigh. It is what it is.

 

[lowwall]

I'm pretty sure that's the tenderloin.

Season and sear in a hot pan and then roast 40 minutes in a low oven (about 250F).

 

[NancyLynn]

BTW, can they really be considered cats if they answer to a whistle???

Our three are voice-trained to go to their rooms. They can't all be out together or at least one of them would not survive the encounter. So the two who get along together get out for 6 hours, the other one gets out for 6 hours, they swap again. All I have to do is tell them to go to their room (different command for each shift), and they trot into their rooms.

As to whether they are real cats . . . I'm not sure.

 

[The Chairman]

Our three are voice-trained to go to their rooms.

Color me impressed. I have carefully trained my cats to whine and whine each morning to get me to feed them. They often give me extra whines after the fact. They only come to my whistles because they know it means food.

On a side note, my nephew gave Mischka a bath yesterday. I think a news team from the local station tried to get an exclusive on all the caterwauling. No bites, scratches, or stitches were required. Mischka has already forgiven Ethan and they are best buds.

Follow-up: I drove myself to the appointment and back today and it really wiped me out. Sorry for the phone calls I missed from a couple of you this afternoon. There's always tomorrow!