My back surgery...

[The Chairman]

 

[tursiops]

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Wowza!

 

[lowwall]

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So you went with the back zip?

 

[-JD-]

So would that make it a "relief zipper"?

ETA: sorry, late to the party. @lowwall 's post didn't show before I finally got around to posting after an interruption.

 

[happy-diver]

That's some camera skills, and now it really begins
Enjoy hospital Pete you know what's to come after

 

[Uncle B]

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.

I had this done in June, 2023. Fused L3, 4, 5, S1. 3 discs replaced with cages, 8 screws and two rods. Before, I couldn't walk 30 feet or stand for more than a minute or so. If I coughed or sneezed, my legs would buckle. The morning after 5 hour surgery, I was standing straight and walking down the hall - no pain - I was on a pain pump. There will be pain for a couple months from the surgery. Start walking right away, increasing distance little by little. One month later, I was walking 1/2 - 3/4 miles a day. I slept in a recliner for two months. I was VERY careful not to twist or bend. I got a couple of the remote grabbers on Amazon in case I dropped something. The BEST thing I got was an add-on Bide unit for the toilet - still use it today. They also have an extended hoder for toilet paper to dry off afterward. After two months, I was riding a stationary bike 6 miles or walking 1-2 miles. 3 months after surgery, my wife and I did a river cruise in Europe. We were walking about 5km a day. Yes, there was still some soreness and I had to take breaks, but it got much better by the end of the week. A lot of supporting muscles and tissues were cut in the surgery. It will take time for them to heal but keep up with the walking. I played a little golf in October and am playing 2-3 times a week now. In Feb, I did a 5k race walk and was 1st in age group (70 - 74) and 9th out of 99. Memorial day weekend I did another and was first in age group again and 11th out of 235. We did a 20 mile bike ride the next day. I still have some sciatica on the right and after a workout. Advil or Tylenol takes care of that. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. fwiw, when you go through an airport and they ask if you have any metal in your body, say NO. Scanners don't pick up Titanium. Almost forgot, I do have slight reduction in how far I can turn my upper body but can still touch my toes.

 

[Uncle B]

Is fusing like welding but without the grinder to make it look pretty?
Heal fast !!

They remove the disc, abrade the surfaces of the vertebrae, then insert a cage (plastic or Titanium) filled with ground bone from the back to keep the correct spacing. The bone material eventually grows it all together. They install screws and rods to hold it all together until the bone fuses.

 

[Uncle B]

The only PT I had was walking and increased protein intake - try one of the protein shakes.

 

[DandyDon]

Great healing story Uncle B. Sounds like you did great and still doing so...

I got a couple of the remote grabbers on Amazon in case I dropped something.

I got a few tools from the rehab hospital I spent so many weeks in, but I think that Home Health gave me one of those and some other gadgets. Great tool as long I didn't drop it.

The BEST thing I got was an add-on Bide unit for the toilet

That's interesting. The rehab hospital got Medicare to provide a bedside john. We took the bucket out and placed it over my regular john as it made sitting and getting back up easier. I had to pay for my own foldup wheelchair I got from Amazon, but it wasn't much. I didn't use it much, but it did come in handy when I faced a long walk at a doctor's office and other places, and my daughter was usually there to push me. I also learned that I could call a doctor's office from the car and they'd send someone with their wheelchair to come get me.

The only PT I had was walking and increased protein intake - try one of the protein shakes.

The PTs at the rehab hospital made me use my walker a lot, then more exercises in the gyms. I was a poor patient and hated it, but I did it all, otherwise, the hospital would have to evict me before I was ready to go home. My daughter nagged me a lot to do my work there as well. I don't guess you were old enough for Medicare and your insurance didn't want to pay for a rehab hospital, and this may be the case for Pete but - I hope he gets sent to one, a good one that will insist on good work.

 

[The Chairman]

but - I hope he gets sent to one, a good one that will insist on good work.

This appears to be the case. Iused to walk the perimeter of my property once or twice a day. I have 10.83 acres in a flag format, so it's just a tad over a mile. I can't wait to do that again.

Just had breakfast, and realized that I don't cook enough grits.