Hi Lee
At the risk of sounding dense...how do we
PM someone on this forum (I assume PM
means personal message)? Do we have to
have someones email?
Mare
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RichT
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 910
Thanks: 21
Thanked:0
Pm (private Message) Posted: 10-10-07 15:59pm
Hello Jimare,
Not dense at all Jimare. It is not very
readily "visible" on getting to the PM
section. That is one thing that the Admin
could work on in my humble opinion. This
is the first Admin of a forum which has
even asked for input from posters and they
deserve a a big "thank you" for doing so.
Okay, how do you get to the PMs? - At the
top of the screen click on "log in". Then
log in. You will next see a window with a
baby photo. Look towards the top and you
will see "Private Messages". Click on it
and you will be there. On the upper left
side you will see "New Message". Click on
it and you can begin your message.
I hope that Lee can give you a better
simpler way to post a PM with better
detail.
Have a good day.
RichT
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littleonefb
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 228 Location: ,
Thanks: 6
Thanked:0
Posted: 10-10-07 19:50pm
Ok, so
it's a smile, but not sure if I should be
smiling or not.
New MRI shows "perfect surgery results of
minimal partial laminotomy and
decompression of L4,L5,S1 and release of
nerves from lateral recess.
Very slight stenosis in "next vertebrae
up, no nerve impingment seen"
Arthritic involvement, noted in past 2 MRI
has spread considerably and is probably
the cause of pain patient is complaining
about and causing muscles to strain on
right side, swell and put pressure on
piriformis muscles and compress sciatic
nerve and spread down to tibial nerve.
So that's the docs belief of the MRI pics
and it matches the reading that I brought
him along with the MRI pics.
His suggestion is to have lidocaine
injections into the facet areas of the
vertebrae, I think 4 of them and see if it
numbs the pain right away.
If it does, then he suggest RFA on all of
them that respond to the the lidocaine.
RFA is radio frequency ablation on the
nerves.
He said if he works, it should last at
least 18 months and if the pain returns
can be done again and the pain shouldn't
be as bad as now.
Talked with PM and will be sedated for the
lidocaine injections but just numbed for
the RFA. Now I used to have one hell of a
strong pain threshold except in my mouth.
But these days, since the back stuff
started, seems like I have none.
I'm not eager to have this RFA thing done
and be awake. I've read about some real
bad horror stories about them realling
being painful.
Also read on another forum about a women
who got twilight sedation for the RFA.
awake to tell doc she felt something, then
out again, till he did the next one.
PM said that I could have some really
strong muscle spasms for a few days after
the facet injections, so am not going to
have it done till after the 21st of OCT.
have to do a big craft show on the 21st
and can't be worse than I am now or not be
able to assemble my stuff over the next
few weeks.
Then, if it works, wouldn't have the RFA
done until after Nov. 17th as have one
more huge show to do and that one I can't
miss for sure. Can't forgo the income of
a couple thousand dollars I make at that
one.
So should I be happy? about the
new DX or should I be sad that
there are new problems developing since
successful surgery.
Right now I'm just rolling my eyes
and thinking what is the doc going to find
wrong next
OK, he did remind me that I should have
known that the surgery was a success and
not failed. Just look at me now vs 16
months ago. Had to admit he was 100%
right on that.
Rich, doc was all but rolling on the floor
with laughter over being told what you
said about him. He doesn't see himself as
that wonderful or doing anything special.
I keep telling him that we need to clone
him a couple of thousand times over and
spread him all over the country to see
patients and we have to spread him all
over to every medical school in the
country and the world so that he can teach
med students the correct way to treat
patients both emotionally and physically
with their problems. Most of all, I told
him, he needs to teach med students to
carefully listen to their patients and
what they say is going on with them, how
they feel, and what they think.
My hubby told him "in your spare time, you
should write a book that becomes mandatory
for all med students to study and pass a
course in about how to treat patients
properly."
Well guess what? He's half way through
the book and now is looking for lists of
all the things that docs do wrong in
treating patients to include in the book.
So everyone, he asked me to ask all of you
to send me those lists so I can give them
to him.
Fran
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Marie B.
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 231 Location: Ohio
Contrast Posted: 10-11-07 19:18pm
Fran, I'm glad you added the tidbit about
the dye being used in second MRI's, post
surgery. I'm going to assume that dye and
contrast means the same thing. I wondered
when there was a need for contrast or not
during an MRI. You provided me an answer.
Thank You!
You mean after all you have been through,
you "trust" an MRI Report getting to your
Dr. without clutching that hot little item
in your own hands and putting it in his
hands personally? Don't you want to read
the Report yourself first? I get my PCP
to get the Report, put it in my files, and
then I get a copy for myself, and then I
make sure the surgeon gets to see both the
Report and the CD of the MRI. And I hand
it to him personally. With my
experiences, I don't trust those "in
between" people anymore.
Gosh, Fran, I hope you only have
something wrong that can easily be fixed.
Something easy for once. You don't need
to be on those horses again with the
floaters that you had develop. Did your
floaters ever settle down post op?
Talk about having a black cloud over one's
head. I took my meds Tuesday and was
determined to clean, spotlessly, the bed
rooms I would be having guests in this
weekend. I looked out the window and saw
a big old spider web that needed to be
knocked down. I opened the window to
knock it down and got smacked in the neck
by a hornet.
There were dozens of them preparing to bed
down for the winter. Now not only do I
have an aching back but I have a swollen
neck that reminds one of what a goiter
looked like in the days before thyroid
meds and surgery. Taking Benadryl and
using Calamine Spray on the itchy, swollen
skin. You know guys, "we live in a world
of pain."
I'm now trying to discover ways to hide my
neck with a fancy scarf so no one see it.
Wish hiding my back pain was just as
simple.
Hope your week end will be sunny, and
healthy?
Marie B.
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littleonefb
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 228 Location: ,
Thanks: 6
Thanked:0
Contrast And Trusting Mri Facility Posted: 10-11-07 23:39pm
Marie, glad to provide the info about the
dye. Dye and contrast are the same thing.
I didn't know why and, being nosey and it
is my body that is getting the dye stuff,
I asked.
As for bringing the report with me to the
docs office. I trust this facility to get
it there to him without a problem. they
are on the basement level of the docs
office building, he is on the second floor
and the docs practice owns the building,
they had it custom built for their needs
and they rent space to this particular MRI
facility.
I had the MRI films with me to give to the
doc, they keep the originals on a disc
alongs with my other ones.
It takes time to read and interpret the
MRI films. There are about 18-24 pages of
films to look at, depending on the type of
MRI done. I don't want a rush job and not
have correct results. Besides, my doc
reads the MRI's himself, will already have
looked at them on disc before my appt. and
only looks at the report after he has seen
the MRI pics and done his reading. The
reason he and the rest of the docs in his
office prefer having films to look at with
the patient is that it's easier to show
the patient what is going on with the
large films up on the film reader to see
than everyone trying to hang over a
computer screen and the pic is small.
With this facility, he rarely disagrees
with the reports. Only once in the past 5
years, which is a pretty good record.
Would you believe that there are some
spine surgeons and ortho docs and
neurosurgery docs that can't read an MRI
and rely soley on the MRI report for their
info and facts.
Now that is scarey.
By the time I arrive for my appt. there is
a copy of the MRI report in my chart,
ready to give me before I leave and a copy
of it has been sent to my PCP as well.
If I had the MRI done in another facility,
believe me, I would return to pick up the
report and bring it to the doc. I've had
those screwups in the past.
As for something wrong and easily fixed, I
don't think so. Arthritis can't be
corrected and removed. It's there for
good and will always create a problem.
The spread of it was a surprise to both
doc and me, but it does happen.
PT is usually the first line of treatment,
to strengthen the core muscles, but we
tried that and it didn't work.
The doc thinks that is part of the cause
of the muscle strain and tear and the PT
didn't work to heal the muscle because the
arthritis has gotten worse in the spine.
Since I'm not standing up straight
anymore, I'm continuing to pull on the
injured muscle and preventing it from
healing, so the muscle is getting worse
and more inflammed and now pressing on the
piriformis, which is pressing on the
sciatic nerve.
He really believes that the arthritis is
causing the problem and if we deaden the
nerves to the facets, we will be able to
heal the muscles and get the strength back
in the core ones which have weakened from
lack of exercise because of the other
muscle being torn and so sore.
So we will see. Having the facet
injections tested on Oct 29th in the
morning and we will know for sure by that
night, I think, if it is the problem.
The floaters are never going to go away.
they will settle for a time and then move
again. Many times I don't even notice
them as Ive learned to live with them. I
always wear sunglasses outside which cuts
the brightness and makes them less
noticible to me.
The other thing is that they get worse or
reappear if I haven't had enough fluid to
drink. Even if I think I'm well hydrated,
those spider web looking things will
always tell me if I'm not. Drink an extra
glass of water and presto, out of sight
again.
Oh those darn hornets, wasps and bees. I
know how you feel. I had the same thing
happen to me last summer. I was planting
a seedling in one of my flower beds and
had the hole dug, stooped down, got in in
well and it was OMG, I knew something
stung me on the right side of my upper
thigh.
thankfully my hubby was home and I went
screaming to him, to come help me. I
didn't know if a stinger was left in my
pants or not and sure couldn't see.
Talk about swelling, pain and itching.
Thought it would never go away. iced and
iced it, with big time problems trying to
sit, cause the pressure made it hurt more
and the swelling just spread and spread.
Then the itch. felt like a thousand
misquito bites. Lasted a week and then
you would never know it happened.
Now my daughter thought it was just
hysterical. She couldn't stop laughing
and I could say to her was she was lucky
she has her own place, cause I no doupt
would have smacked her for laughing at me,
it wasn't funny.
She did have a point though, of all the
people in the world to not watch what they
where doing is me. Geez, I grew up on a
semi summer farm of veggies and flowers.
Whole life out in gardens sowing seeds,
weeding, planting, harvesting and never
stung.
As she put it, "Mom, you should no better
than that, to always look before you
stoop".
Usually I do, but all I could think of was
OMG, this year I'm stooping down and on
hands and knees and planting my own
gardens again. A year ago I was only 4
days post op from spinal surgery. The
last thing on my mind was thinking about
getting stung by a bee, hornet or wasp.
I'm beginning to think "us spineys" are
just destined to be in some kind of pain
no matter what we do. Even the bees,
hornets and wasps won't give us any peace
and let us live without pain.
Marie, keep lots of ice on that next, it
will help with the swelling and I found
that hydrocortisone cream worked better
than the calamine spray. be careful you
aren't combining benadryl with caladryl.
that's calamine lotion with benadryl in
it, can be and overdose of benadryl.
have a friend that did that and becareful
combining benadryl with pain meds.
Pouring rain again, oh what heaven that
is. been without rain for so long we
almost forgot what it looked like.
And that rain is going to end in the
morning and dry out enough to play the
first game of the American league series
in Boston. OH YES, and my daughter won 2
tickets to the game and is taking her
boyfriend with her.
They where at the first game at Fenway to
for the other series too.
The sun will be out Saturday, in the sky
and in our hearts too. REDSOX NATION will
be smiling with
one game won.
You know where I'll be tomorrow night,
right infront of the TV watching the game.
Standing, sitting and walking around the
room.
GO RED SOX
Fran
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jimare
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 43 Location: ,
What Drs. Do Wrong Posted: 10-12-07 00:10am
Fran
Good luck to you on your Facet Injections.
Being free of pain, even for a little
while is a blessings. It has been so long
since I have had a day without pain I
can't remember the last one. Sometimes I
have a few hours and ahhhhhh it feels
sooooo good.
Your Dr. sounds like a rare gem.
WHAT DRS. DO THAT ANNOY ME.
In my opinion a lot of Drs. treat the old
like 2nd class citizens...when they are
accompanied by their husband, son or
daughter they ask the son or daughter if
their parent would like this or that, or
they say "Is she taking medication to
sleep?" instead of asking the parent
directly..."Are YOU taking medication to
sleep". It irks me when a Dr. treats me
like I am invisible, or can't speak for
myself. I noted it when I used to take my
mother to the Dr. and they asked me
instead of her. My Mother was quite
feisty and would speak up and say "Would
you mind directing your comments to me; I
am NOT senile, you know!"...and now I am
experiencing the same humiliation.
Another is taking away your HOPE,
especially in a blunt unfeeling way. "You
have 7 degenerating discs and there's
nothing we can do about it, so you will
just have to live with it." Kindness goes
a long way in helping to swallow a bitter
pill. Our friend has a tumour on his
brain, and has become partially blind, and
partially paralyzed because of the
tumour.The Drs. gave him 3 months to live.
Much to their surprise, 6 months later the
new MRI shows his tumour is shrinking.
Now they are thinking he just might have a
chance of surviving, but his Dr. told him
"but you will never get your sight back
like it was and you will probably remain
paralyzed because the nerves that the
tumour pressed on has caused permanent
damage." He was so happy when he was told
he might live, but then the rug was yanked
out from under him when he heard he will
be half blind and paralyzed if he did
live. He immediately lost HOPE and sank
in to a depression.
Also, I don't think Drs. should get their
knickers in a twist if you say you would
like a 2nd opinion. They seem to feel so
threatened. My husband has an eye
specialist and he told the Dr. he would
like another opinion before getting eye
surgery for glaucoma, he totally lost it
and said "if you do that, don't bother to
come back." My former Dr. was like that.
She felt so threatened if you asked to be
referred to a specialist.
Anyhow those are a few of my complaints.
These opinions are based on personal
experiences with former Drs.
Presently I go to a medical office with
three Drs. that are all equally good
considerate human beings. Although only
one is considered my primary Dr., I have
seen all three because they spell each
other off. They even make house calls if
the occasion calls for it.
Mare
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Marie B.
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 231 Location: Ohio
House Calls! Posted: 10-15-07 12:10pm
Mare
I did read that right didn't I? House
Calls!!! Doctors that make Housecalls!
Wow!
I thought that went out along with the
$5.00 doctor office visis with no
appointment needed.
Marie B
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jimare
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 43 Location: ,
House Calls Posted: 10-15-07 14:49pm
Marie B
Yes you read that right. We live in a
remote area (an Island on Lake Huron) and
our Drs. get very busy in the summer with
the big influx of tourists, but we still
are able to get appt's in a decent amt. of
time and the Drs. still make time to drop
by the house to see their patients who are
VERY ill and finding it difficult to come
to the medical office. They run by the
seniors home to visit some of their
patients there, as well. If there is a
need to see a specialist, we usually have
to travel 2-1/2 hours to the city. We have
never felt rushed, and have never had to
sit in the waiting room more than 1/2
hour. Usually it's about 10 or 15
minutes.
We really feel quite blessed to have such
good care in this day and age. It's a far
cry from living in the city with the big
shortages of Drs. Many people don't have
their own Drs. and have to go to clinics
and sit for hours, or go to emerg.
Mare
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littleonefb
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 228 Location: ,
Thanks: 6
Thanked:0
Dr House Calls Posted: 10-16-07 00:24am
Marie, you
read her correctly. My primary and his
associates all make house calls when it is
necessary. Have had a few in my home over
the years.
And my spine doc does as well. He's made
2 of them to my home before my surgery.
Hard to believe, but there are some really
good, caring docs out there.
Jmare, you've said a lot in what you don't
like about some docs, and I've had a few
of them in my time and experienced a few
with my mother and my hubby.
That crap of asking me if my mother needs
refills of her meds and my Mom was right
here and far from senile, really got me.
I wasn't afraid to say something to the
doc either. "Excuse me, Dr. Wouldn't it
be best to ask my mother if she needs
refills on her meds? She's not senile,
you do realize that, don't you? She can
answer quite well for herself."
He didn't like it, and after that apt, I
had my Mom change docs.
Giving a patient no hope, been there, done
that too with my hubby. In 1974 he was DX
with a malignant brain tumor in the sub
arachnoid area of the left side of his
brain. Decided to have grand mal seizures
out of no where, 6 months before the CT
was available for use.
Massive tests showed a mass and the
chances of it being anything but a
malignant tumor was all but nil.
Anyways, he was given 6 months to live and
the neurosurgeon wanted to do minor type
surgery on him, remove a piece of his
skull and let the tumor grow out,
relieving some pressure on his brain and
let him have some bit of life over the
next 6 months. At the time, there was
very little treatment for brain tumors and
this location had about zero response to
treatment.
So we decided to get another opinion at
the infamous Lahey Clinic, which was
located in Boston at the time, before he
made any decisions on what to do.
We saw the head of the neurosurg
department and I'll never forget what he
said to us. First he looked at the brain
scan pics and the brain angiograms, then
said, "Well, if I where you, I'd check out
of the hospital, go home and watch some
TV, have a bit of intimacy with "your wife
or whom ever you want to have it with",
and sit down, because you have about a
week or 2 to live, then you are going to
just fall over on the floor dead from a
malignant brain tumor".
My husband stood up and passed out on the
floor and that damn doc, just walked out
of the room and left us there.
I had to get a nurse for help, he came too
and he had to be sedated to be driven back
to the hospital he was in.
The nurses where stunned at what he said,
and I proceeded to leave my hubby with
them, went out to the doc, who was sitting
in another room, walked up to him and said
"you G-d damn health questions, how dare
you treat a patient like you just did,
word your DX and what he should do, the
way you did and then when the patient
passes out in shock, you just up and leave
the room, then nurses have to fight with
you for some sedation for the patient."
He started to say something and if I live
to be a million, I'll never figure out why
I did what I did, but I formed a fist and
slugged the doctor in the face as hard as
I could and left the room. Oh what a
bruise I had on my right hand the next
day, but it felt good.
Anyways, my hubby returned to his hospital
room and we talked with the original doc
again and we decided to have the surgery
he suggested. All I can say is thank G-d
we did, because my hubby didn't have a
brain tumor.
He had a subarachnoid cyst that was
leaking and could have killed him if it
hadn't been drained and removed. This
doctor almost fell over on the floor when
he saw what he did, since prior to my
husband there where only 3 documented
cases in the world and my hubby made the
4th.
hubby had a long recoup after surgery,
lots of personality changes for almost a
year because of the location of the cyst
and the damage done to that side of the
brain. We had a tough year, but stuck it
out and he returned to his old self.
He has a permement seizure disorder under
control with meds since the surgery and no
seizures since.
But that second opinion treatment was
unreal and if we followed the advise my
hubby would have been dead within a week,
but not from a brain tumor, but from
listening to the his advise over the first
neurosurgeon.
Caring, concern, compassion,
understanding, listening to the patient,
keys to a good doctor.
Fran
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jimare
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 43 Location: ,
Brain Cyst Posted: 10-16-07 12:50pm
littleonefb
Fran, I enjoy our posts; they are so
colourful and descriptive.
Your poor hubby...thank God he didn't take
the advice of the 2nd specialist...what an
incompetent and insensitive excuse for a
human being. I can't believe you punched
him out; head of the dept of Neurosurgery
at that. I am amazed he didn't sue you.
Anyhow he certainly deserved a good clout.
Good for you!
The Neurosurgeon who did the discectomy
and laminectomy on my spine was like that.
He strutted around the hospital like a
banty rooster and the nurses visited their
patients ahead of him and announced "The
Doctor is Coming - The Doctor is Coming!!"
like it was the 2nd coming of the Lord.
Then they told us "Don't ask him
questions...he doesn't like wasting time
answering a lot of questions!" Can you
believe a Dr. acting like that? We heard
of a couple of cases from some guys that
went to see him about back problems, and
this Dr. demanded they take their caps off
to show him some respect. One of them told
him where to get off, and before leaving
his office he swept the contents of the
Dr's desk to the floor.
Anyhow he is no longer allowed to
operate...they moved him to
administration.....thank the Lord! After
my surgery was over the nurses told me I
had the worst Dr. in the area. Well it
was out of my hands because I was an
emerg. patient and had no choice about
choosing between a good one that used
micro surgery and this person that must
have learned his craft as a vet or a
butcher.
I hope the Laser Surgery can provide the
relief that I am looking for. Wish we all
could have an outcome like JoeBob.
Several of the posters that had the Laser
surgery don't seem to come on the forum
anymore. Too bad. It would be nice to
keep updated.
Mare
|
lonestarguy
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 592 Location: , Hoosierland, USA
Thanks: 10
Thanked:1
Rfa Posted: 10-16-07 13:03pm
Fran....If you ever get to that point, and
I hope you don't, I have had a RFA a
couple of years ago. It was not the most
comfortable of procedures, but I can't say
it was as bad as a discogram for example.
I was numbed in the back area and given a
relaxer, so I was awake for everything but
felt like I was floating around the room.
I did feel pressure, but not really pain,
sorta like at the dentist when they numb
your mouth. The bad news for me is that
the benefits of the procedure did not last
long. About a month or two later, I
started feeling back pain again and then,
by six months after, I could feel no good
effects.
It is a much different procedure than just
the regular injections we all get, but the
doctor handled everything and just asked
me if I felt pain, to let him know. You
all know how difficult it is to see when
you are on your stomach. They did have a
mirror set up. but it just looked like he
was injecting needles with cords on them.
I hope everything goes well with your
facet injections. I've had those twice
and, actually, had better success with
those that other types. Good luck.
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mj57
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Aug 2007 Posts: 22 Location: , USA
Hi Everyone....... Posted: 10-16-07 21:41pm
I know it has been quite awhile since I
have posted. I've read the post and
seeing how everyone is doing.
I leave in 2wks for Bonati's.....surgery
is the the sixth of november....don't have
a time yet...said I would call them around
4:30 on the fifth...for the time.....that
is after I get all the blood work and such
done on that day. I have gotten all the
paperwork and gotten my FMLA approved and
my time off granted thru my job. So I am
good to go......so ..........that's about
it..........gotta get me some walking
shoes and work out clothes.. Talk with you
later........mj
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CarolDiane
Moderator
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 2393 Location: ,
Thanks: 111
Thanked:156
Live In Florida Posted: 10-17-07 06:03am
It's wonderful to know there is another
option out there for me. This morning I
woke up in so much pain. I am on Vicodin
ES again with this flair-up and ready for
an alternative route. Like get rid of this
forever.
Thanks for sharing your stories. I will
ask my doc about LSI. I have a herneated
disc L 1-2 getting worse by the day. I
also have MS.
Carrie
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RichT
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 910
Thanks: 21
Thanked:0
Welcome!! Posted: 10-17-07 06:44am
Hello Heavyc and Carrie,
Welcome to this thread and the family of
great people who post on it.
Heavyc, thanks for the link.
Unfortunately it was removed before I read
it.
Carrie, sorry to read about your back
pain. I'm glad you found this thread and
hope as you read through the many posts
you will be able to gain some insight into
the experiences some have had with laser
spine surgery.
Take care.
RichT
|
RichT
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jul 2007 Posts: 910
Thanks: 21
Thanked:0
Upcoming Surgery Posted: 10-17-07 06:48am
Good morning MJ,
Thanks for the update. We will be
thinking about you on your upcoming
surgery at Bonati. My thoughts and
prayers are and will be with you. I hope
you have a successful surgery and
recovery.
Take care.
RichT
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Carrianne
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 107 Location: Tampa, FL
Mj Posted: 10-17-07 08:24am
Hi MJ,
Wow, your time is fast approaching! I'm
really excited for you and wish you all
the best in your surgery and recovery.
Definitely bring your sneakers because
you'll sure be using them! After my first
surgery I walked an hour the very next
day!
How long are you planning to be there? If
you have any questions about the area or
need anything, please let me know. You
were there holding my hand when I really
needed it and I would be so happy to help
you in any way I can!
God bless you MJ,
Carrianne
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Marie B.
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 231 Location: Ohio
More Upcoming Surgery Posted: 10-17-07 08:26am
My appointment for surgery is now
scheduled for Nov. 9 with the Dr. and
Hospital that I have spoken of to Fran.
It will be Min. Invasive
Surgery...Laminectomy and Fusion Insitu.
And it will be under anesthesia.
Estimated time for the surgery 1 hr and 30
min. Am expected to loose 4 to 7 cc's of
blood at most if that.
I could have it done under a spinal but I
don't want my spine messed up any more by
anything other then the surgery itself.
Fran, I was thinking on what you had said
in regard to your prior plans about what
not to do around the house after surgery.
I've arranged for someone else to do the
house cleaning. I've assigned my husband
to laundry....with supervision.
I am awaiting for pre-op orders and post
op instructions. I'm still studying the
B.R. options that you had discussed in an
earlier post. All thoughts and ideas
welcomed because of your experience.
Rich, I decided I couldn't wait any
longer for surgery because everytime I
missed a pain pill, or tried to see where
things were without them, I would get to a
point where I could barely walk from here
to there. Not only that, but a friend
saw me last weekend and said, "you can
take those pain pills but they are not
curing the problem. In time the problem
will overcome you". Since I couldn't do
laser and got no satisfactory answer to
the spondy situation, I thought if I
could find a good Min. Invasive Doc, that
would be going a long way. So off I go.
Will keep you all posted on how things go.
I have friends all around the nation
praying for me. If any of you want to add
to the prayers, please do so. I will need
as many as I can get.
Marie B.
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Marie B.
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 231 Location: Ohio
Special Forces Guy Posted: 10-17-07 08:40am
I got an email from the Special Forces Guy
who had spinal surgery that I mentioned in
a previous post.
His problem was approached from the
anterior of the spinal vertebrae. He had
Replacement Discs at the L4&5 and S1
levels. Post Op his recovery time took
longer because he had more problems
recovering from the abdominal surgical
entry site then he did the spine surgical
site. His last sentence was "I am glad I
had it done." Am still communicating with
him on the subject. This was done 3
years ago and he is doing fine with no
other problems. He's young with a family
of 6 children. He is about 49 years of
age.
So there are people out there that have
major spinal surgery through open back or
front to back and they do have good
results. The ones I have found simply do
not spend their regained health time on
Forums. I don't think I could convince
them to join a Forum, not because they
don't have concern for the others, it is
just they do the human thing; they get on
with their lives.
I have found as I mention my pain because
of a spine problem, the ones who have had
surgery come foreward and talk to me about
their back experiences and they are very
willing to go into detail and talk about
their doctors who did the surgery and the
hospitals they went to.
If I hadn't stumbled onto the Spine Forum
that was archived on Google, I may never
have joined a Forum without Rich's
encouragement.
As my old 77 yr.old friend said, "Others
have had successful spinal surgery. Why
not have a positive attitude and think, So
can I."
Marie B
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Carrianne
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 107 Location: Tampa, FL
9 Weeks Post Op Posted: 10-17-07 08:50am
Wow, I can't believe it's already been 9
weeks since my first surgery, 7 since my
second. I started work part time last week
and will probably return full time next
week. Everyday I'm getting a little
stronger.
Here's how I've improved since before
surgery. I can pick things up off the
floor without being in pain (as long as I
do it correctly) and can stand up (from
sitting or laying) easier. Before I had to
grab onto something and it would take
about 5 seconds before I could stand up
straight because it hurt so much. My back
feels a bit stiff, but like Joe said, it's
nothing a good massage can't help!
I still have pain in my legs so can't sit
for very long. Sometimes laying down
produces the same pain. There is a
possibility of needing another surgery,
but I just want to give it more time,
especially because of the dura leak. They
injected blood into L4-L5 3 times after
the surgery so it may just take longer for
it to calm down. In the meantime, I'm
trying to focus on how far I've come and
let God do what He does!
Praying for healing for everyone here!
Carrianne
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Carrianne
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 107 Location: Tampa, FL
Best Wishes to Marie! Posted: 10-17-07 09:10am
Marie,
I want to wish you the very best in your
surgery and recovery. Your friend is right
about believing that you can have a
successful experience! A positive attitude
produces positive outcomes! God is with
you and so are we! We'll certainly be
praying for you!
I love that your husband will be under
supervision in doing the laundry! That
cracks me up! My husband and I have a
system down because we don't have a washer
or dryer, but have a facility at our
complex. He carries everything down and I
separate. Then we switch it to the dryer
and when it's ready, he goes down and
carries it all back up. Thank God for
family!
Best wishes to you, Marie! Sounds like
you're in great hands!
God bless,
Carrianne
Ok, so
it's a smile, but not sure if I should be
smiling or not.
that
there are new problems developing since
successful surgery.
and thinking what is the doc going to find
wrong next 
with
one game won.
Talk with you
later........mj