back in december i posted about anybody who has had spine fusion,and recieved alot of feedback(around 56if memory serves). well i had it a week ago, and so far i optimistic. this my second time around for me ,i’ve had a discectomyback in ’91. and 3/26 had a laminectomy, not a fusion. the surgery was supposed to take 21/2 hours, went to 4hours. he basically said ibought you 10 years . use them well… but im optimistic, pain free, gonna have a little life change. but with physical therapy, weight loss. i’m going back to work. thank god,buddha, allah and anyone else in the bleachers. my back was and is a mess and going to 75 like the “ole man” did , doesnt look like it may happen. but maybe i’ll be able to find a cabinet shop some where that put up with an old cripple coot. anyhow thanks to about 7-8 of you who gave me a little nod, and some encouragement, especially mike from rhode island. believe it or not it helped. thanks again, i’m a rhode islander living on long island. i walked around 1/2 mile this morning, slow as hell but it’ll longer and faster within the week. cheers to all
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an electrician buddy of mine had the back done a few months ago. Had to take a coupla weeks off......but back up to speed in no time. Said he wished he'd done it years ago. Said he forgot what it was like to sleep and wake with out pain.
I'll still go to the chiro till it gets too bad for the occasional adjustment to handle...but nice to hear the horror stories of the past might just become that! Part of the past. Good luck, Jeff
* Jeff J. Buck/ Buck Construction/ Pittsburgh, PA *
2nd Generation Buck Const, 3rd generation Craftsman
Keep up the walking. It's one of the best exercises I do for my back and it doesn't hurt the rest of the body, mind, soul either!
Welcome back to the land of the walking, working, wounded!
Keep your eyes open for other ways to make a living too, following your intrests and talents.
I had a laminectony done in 99 at the ripe old age of 28. Shoulda had it done 2 years before that, just didn't know what the heck was wrong with me. Going to the doctor and telling him that your back hurts gets you home with muscle relaxers and pain pills.
I had to diagnose myself and call an Orthopaedic Surgeon and get an appointment. The best damn spine surgeon in the world in my opinion.
T- two points of advice terre just keep that weight down and constantly work out for your belly,and legs. back surgery isn't as traumatic , as it was even 10-15 years. i started working out today as matter of fact and i'm waiking a mile in about 12-15 minute i'm done for the day after that but considering i had surgery 3/26 with two laminectomy L-3,L-4,L-5 and the scar is around 6 inches long, i 'm pretty optimistic. but i'm still waiting for the othershoe to drop. if you know what i mean. i must sound like some old -coot , sittin' around a shuffle board table . anyhow we'll see what happens . cheers
p.s. pain medication's can hurt more than help
Edited 4/10/2002 9:40:54 PM ET by the bear
I'm glad to hear you are getting along much better. Most people, myself included, would benefit from more walking. The best to you. Soon enough I will also fall into the old coot category so I will look forward to further reports on your progress.
Those who are addicted to chiros ought to at least try a physical therapist. I have done both and find the PT to have been the best option. Chiro did help me for numerous years but the frequency of visits was getting to be a drag AND a new chiro was starting to hurt me. Just something to consider
BTW if you follow the PTs advice of preventive excercise you will learn not only how to fix your back on your own but how to prevent it from hurting in the future.
I look down my nose at people who dare to look down their nose at people.
Edited 4/10/2002 10:14:43 PM ET by Pete
Edited 4/10/2002 10:16:40 PM ET by Pete
pete- most definitely agree, there's a dependency that co-inside with a chiro's regimine. like any thing else you have good and bad, but i'm going to cut the chiro loose , and see how the p.t. guy helps. i'm sure there will a commitment on my be half, but hey " i dont no anything else, and honestly have no desire to do anything else." and that alone is inspiration. thanks for your post.
cheers bear
I like chiros.
Long ago 2 laborers, one of their first construction jobs, busted their backs for 10 hours with 90 pound jackhammers. The slab had 4"- #9 wire that grabbed the bits on every stroke. Both went home with sore backs. Both called in the next morning unable to stand up. One went to a doctor and got 2 weeks bed rest and pain pills. He didn't return to work for 6 weeks and then only light work for a further 6 weeks.
The other went to a chiro and returner to light work in one day. Within 2 weeks he was back to normal work. He went to the chiro daily for a week and twice a week after that. Each time the chiro would correct the alignment and each time the alignment would go awry within 4 days. This continued until shortly after his girlfriend, training to be a physical therapist, suggested some exercises to help the back maintain the corrections. Within 2 weeks of the exercising he returned to the chiro for his regular adjustment when the chiro said that an adjustment was not necessary because the previous adjustment had held. No further adjustments were called for. At least until the next injury.
I was the second guy. While the chiro was excellent for immediate relief of the structural problem it wasn't a long term cure until combined with the physical therapy. Since then I always combine the two.