Back Surgery Diary

TruWrecks

Banned
Here's the diary: It's a bit long, so be for warned.

My adventure with a Lumbar Micro-discectomy. (L4-5)

The History:

I'm 34yrs old, and have been having chronic back pain for the last 14yrs. The trouble began when I was 23 and I lifted several 200lb+ complete wheels into an ARMY HUMMER (HMMWV). I lost my grip on the 4th wheel, and caught it. The 5th wheel was much heavier to lift. The next morning I couldn't pull my boots on, or sit back up if I bent over to pick up something. 3 weeks of light duty (35lb limit) and I was back in service. I spent plenty of time doing PT and had several X-Rays before I left the ARMY.

In the years since, I have collapsed on the floor after carrying something heavy. I have had back aches almost daily, but I try to not let that limit my life.

December 04, I stopped at a dark intersection (night time) and put my foot down on some gravel. I had a backpack on that added about 25lbs to my upper body, raising the center of gravity of me and the Busa. My right foot started to slide and the Busa started tipping over. I repositioned my foot and tried to stop the bike from falling. I twisted my body to the right (which was the big mistake) and the Busa pulled me right to the ground. I struggled to pick the bike back up. I got back on the Busa and rode it home. I was sore, and my pride had been scratched, but I didn't realize things were much worse than that.

For 2 weeks I sucked down Motrin (like candy) because my left leg was beginning to hurt. I then went to a DR to find out what was wrong. The DR said he suspected a bruised Sciatic nerve. About 2 weeks later my left leg started hurting in almost every position. I went back to the DR to find out what was really wrong. He had my do a few back flexes (in which I nearly collapsed doing). I couldn’t lean backwards, more than a few degrees, without severe pain. Time for an MRI. That’s when I found out the extent of the damage.

Damage Assessment:

L3-4 - Bulging central/rear. Not obstructed.
L4-5 - Left medial herniation. Obstructing left root nerve.
L5-S1 - Notable disc disease present.

Damage Control:

Take it easy for now.

Damage repair:

Thursday:
I report to the hospital an check-in at 10AM. I got dressed (or undressed
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) for surgery. They took me to a private waiting room. They came to get me @11:40AM for surgery. (I chose to walk to the OR prep area as my last painful mile). They helped me get comfy on a gurney, and took me into the prep area.

The anesthesiologists came in to start my IV and ask me a bunch of questions about my health history (like I didn't tell them before
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). The young lady (younger then me) that was doing the IV was a dentist that was being trained in OR procedures.
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She missed the first attempt, but she got the second one right. I found out a few minutes later that the Head of Anesthesiology would be in the OR with me during the entire operation.
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That made me feel much better. They gave me something to help me relax, and took me to the OR.

The OR was a bright, large, cool room. The team was already in the room when I was wheeled in. Someone in there told me I would be used to demonstrate a "Glidescope Technique" (breathing tube insertion). I joked about being a training tool, and they laughed. They must have given me something pretty potent, because that's all I remember about the surgery.

I woke-up a while later (about 6:30PM), and was moved to a private room. My wife was waiting for me there. The orderlies brought in the gurney, and started sliding a back board under me to move me to the bed. The Charge Nurse came in and told them to stop! They were about to slid my incision across the board. Ouch! They didn’t know what kind surgery I just had, and they didn’t ask. I couldn't move anything but my arms and head for a few hours. I found out that they were giving me something in my IV for pain, and something to keep me from trying to get up (It's not a good idea to try to roll over a few hours after back surgery). The pain was well controlled. I tried to eat some ice and pudding (my first meal in over 18hrs). I couldn't keep it down. Time for more sleep.

Friday:

I woke up around 1AM with something squishing my legs, over and over. I was hurting pretty bad, so they gave me a shot, and checked me legs to make sure I could move and feel them. I could.
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Drink water, sleep, listen to the radio. Repeat for most of Friday.

At 8AM one of the doctors came in to told me I could go home today. Let's take a quick look at the current picture. I can barely sit-up yet, I haven't been able to roll myself over yet, I'm still on a morphine IV, and I can go home already? The RN in charge on me said "No Way"! Thank God for good nurses!

11AM I requested help to sit up on the side on the bed. 11:50AM one of the nurses came in to help me. 12PM I'm now standing beside the bed.
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I feel like hell, but I'm back on my feet!

Still couldn't keep food down very well.
I was told that this may be the toughest day of my recovery. It was, but I made it.

Saturday:

About 8AM one of the Neuro-Surgeons came in to talk to me. He told me how the surgery went, and let me know what my limitations would be. He said I could go home today, or tomorrow. These people want to "Treat'n Street" people!
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The nurse again said "No". Go Nurse!

The wife, and our oldest son, joined me for lunch today. I surprised them by walking (however, very slowly) to the day room for lunch. They then checked my out of the ward for about 30 minutes so I could get a break from the local ward. That really helped!

The doctor took me off the heavy narcotics today. He switched me from morphine to Toradol, and from Percocet to Vicodin and Tylenol. I'm sore from the surgery
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, but I feel much better now.

I got solid food for dinner tonight, and I kept it down!
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I'm still having some complications from surgery, so they keep my for 2 more days.

I completed 2 or 3 laps of the ward, and walked up and down a few stairs today.

Sunday:

Went for a lap around the ward this AM before and after breakfast.

Another visit from a PA (Physicians Assistant) this morning. Some of my post surgical issues were morphine related, so I'm still making progress.

I completed 4 to 5 laps today. My wife and son took me back outside for a few minutes today.

The nurses there said they were surprised on the speed of my progress.

Monday:

A few early morning laps around the ward before the doctor comes to visit me.

The Doc just told me that I can go home today, and I really feel like I'm ready now.


Conclusion:

Back surgery hurts, but it's not as bad as I was told it would be. Getting up and moving again was one of the most physically tough things I had to do. I'm sore, but it's controllable and temporary. I'm finding it far to easy to exceed my post-op limits today, but I know I must be very careful for about 1 1/2 months.

Was it worth it so far? YES!
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had back surgery too and the post-surgical pain WAS NOTHING compared to what I was delaing with one minute before they put me out... Doctor makes all teh difference, get a good one!

Great read; thanks for sharing.
 
I'd have to agree with you Cloud. 4 months of pain was gone after I woke up. Yes it still hurt, but it was a different kind of pain that let me know it was going to be okay now.

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nice...

glad to hear that it went without any major complications....




rest up, bro....
 
Damn Man.. Worse part for me was the drugs... Coming out of surgery I wass fighting, and I was sick as hell... violently ill... Grr...


Glad your doing better man...
 
Wow, I don't ever want back surgery...that's what I've learned! But, it's a necessary procedure when you've been in pain as long as you have...I'm just glad you're on the mend and it sounds like you're right on track!
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Pass the drugs...don't drive...
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What type of surgery did you have, disc fusion? and where, lumbar, thorax, or cervical.
I went through surgery 5 years ago. I had a fusion in my neck. They took a piece of bone from my hip and put it between my C6 and C7 vertibrae. The surgery went fine, recovery was okay, except for the fact they had to keep reminding me to breath. My hip hurt a lot worse than my neck.
I clearly remember those pants you are talking about. They pump full of air and then release. I guess they prevent blood clots from forming in your legs. They told me I couldn't take them off until I could walk. I couldn't take it after a couple of hours, so I forced myself to walk.
The only thing with surgery done to your back is that the discs above and below where the surgery is done have to take on a lot more stress. For me, I have degenerative disc disease, that means sometime in the future I will need to go under the knife again. After 5 years, the discs above and below are shot and full of arthritis. I am prolonging surgery for as long as I can. The more fusions they do the more mobility I lose. I am only 37 years old and very active. I work out several time a week and also run 3 times a week. I started taking glucosamine, for my joints, and I think it is helping some. I recommend anyone with joint problems take the stuff. It may keep you mobile for many more years.
I am glad to hear you are recovering. Just a word of advise, strenghen the muscles in your back, helps stabilize everything, and take care of yourself
 
Wow. Glad you are up and at it so fast. That's amazing.

I have 4 bulging discs and 1 ruptured disc in my lumbar region,along with disc degenerative disesase and arthritis..and have been contemplating surgery for some time. This dull throbbing in my lower back can really drag me down some days. And the days that I can barely roll out of bed seem to be more often.

But that after-surgery pain is scary. Although you made it sound relatively easy to overcome..(but I think you are playing it down
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) I s'pose a week of intense pain is better, in the long run, than constant pain for years.

Now, do the PT, and like sirissac said, strengthen your muscles to support your back.
 
Wow. Glad you are up and at it so fast. That's amazing.

I have 4 bulging discs and 1 ruptured disc in my lumbar region,along with disc degenerative disesase and arthritis..and have been contemplating surgery for some time. This dull throbbing in my lower back can really drag me down some days. And the days that I can barely roll out of bed seem to be more often.

But that after-surgery pain is scary. Although you made it sound relatively easy to overcome..(but I think you are playing it down
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) I s'pose a week of intense pain is better, in the long run, than constant pain for years.

Now, do the PT, and like sirissac said, strengthen your muscles to support your back.
Wow...and I thought I had back problems...are the bulging discs part of the degenerative disease or did you have an injury? I fear I'm entering this realm of constant back pain and I don't know how I got to this point...last time I had BIG problems was this past fall. It took me 4 months to get to the point that I didn't need to take a pill to sit at my desk and work...before that, it took 8 weeks, before that it was just 2 or 3 weeks. I think I'm getting worse...
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I can't imagine having all of that though...
 
Wow...and I thought I had back problems...are the bulging discs part of the degenerative disease or did you have an injury?  I fear I'm entering this realm of constant back pain and I don't know how I got to this point...last time I had BIG problems was this past fall.  It took me 4 months to get to the point that I didn't need to take a pill to sit at my desk and work...before that, it took 8 weeks, before that it was just 2 or 3 weeks.  I think I'm getting worse...
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I can't imagine having all of that though...
I think the bulging discs are from
1. being obese (although I've lost 60 pounds. That has helped a lot, but I have about 40 more to go)
2. bad posture and lifting. It became quite painful about 3 years ago after we moved and I was lifting heavy furniture and fence panels..that's when I finally went to the DR.

I had a bad episode last year.. I was in so much pain I couldn't put on my pants. GJoker ended up taking me to the ER, where the Dr was a TOTAL jerk. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and as a test he raised it and then let out the pressure all at once. As it came down, it "bounced" my back so bad I immediately burst into tears. I guess he realized I wasn't a junkie, there to get a shot of morphine. He prescribed me some valium and some percodans and referred me to my pain management doctor. What a guy.

I'm guessing bad eating habits caused the degenerative disease.. and the arthritis is from both of these problems.

I tried taking Glucosimine, but it didn't seem to help. Now I take fish oil.. and I can sure tell the difference from the days I forget to take them. I take up to 9 ibuprofens, on a bad day. And a vicodin and muscle relaxer on a really bad day.

GJoker also has 3 or 4 bulging discs and his rotator cuff was blown out from accidently getting electrocuted, and the fish oil REALLY helps his shoulder. (yeah we are both gimps..
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Have you been to the Dr, Va? you probably need an MRI to find out what is wrong. Chiropractors can do wonders if it is a misaligned disc. I asked mine to marry me , but she turned me down.
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But I would find out what is causing the pain, it could be something simple and fixed by some PT or a chiro. Good luck with it. I know back pain is frustrating.
 
I had a bad episode last year.. I was in so much pain I couldn't put on my pants. GJoker ended up taking me to the ER, where the Dr was a TOTAL jerk.  I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and as a test he raised it and then let out the pressure all at once. As it came down, it "bounced" my back so bad I immediately burst into tears. I guess he realized I wasn't a junkie, there to get a shot of morphine. He prescribed me some valium and some percodans and referred me to my pain management doctor. What a guy.

I'm guessing bad eating habits caused the degenerative disease.. and the arthritis is from both of these problems.

I tried taking Glucosimine, but it didn't seem to help. Now I take fish oil.. and I can sure tell the difference from the days I forget to take them. I take up to 9 ibuprofens, on a bad day. And a vicodin and muscle relaxer on a really bad day.

GJoker also has 3 or 4 bulging discs and his rotator cuff was blown out from accidently getting electrocuted, and the fish oil REALLY helps his shoulder. (yeah we are both gimps..
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Have you been to the Dr, Va? you probably need an MRI  to find out what is wrong. Chiropractors can do wonders if it is a misaligned disc. I asked mine to marry me , but she turned me down.  
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But I would find out what is causing the pain, it could be something simple and fixed by some PT or a chiro. Good luck with it. I know back pain is frustrating.[/QUOTE]

Wow, my back hurts just reading all of that!  
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 You've both been through a lot with back problems...I'm looking for fish oil though...of that I'm sure!

I know I have poor posture, and could shed a few lbs myself (okay, more than just a few), but I think most of my problems started when I got pregnant...unreal pain in my hips through both pregnancies and every damn doctor I saw said "oh, that's normal...it'll ease up over time"...well, nearly 5 years later and I'm still limping around with bum hips.

The back problems started after kids as well.  I bent just the wrong way when putting my newborn on a sofa and that started a week or two of intense lower back pain...since then, I've "thrown" my back out doing yard work or while picking up laundry baskets...with each episode, I take longer and longer to heal.  This last time though, I was literally just sitting at my desk thinking "I feel like I'm fighting the flu or something".  I got real achy and before the end of the day, I couldn't hardly stand up.  It took 4 months, countless doses of Lortab (the second highest dose), a dozen trips to a chiropractor, and two other doctors to tell me "you've just pulled something".  Four damn months!  I was in agony...and each one said "well, I could take X-Rays" but they never did...MRI was mentioned too, never done...I was too drugged up to fight, so it was my fault...

The back pain is pretty much gone, but the hip pain isn't, and on a busy day of doing chores or working in the yard, my back does start to hurt and the hip pain is unbearable...I'm out of my precious Lortab, so I pop what I can find and take a hot bath...

I just feel like something's not right and hasn't been for a while.  The chiropractor did tell me my back was way out of whack and that it looked to him like it's been like that for 10 years or more.  He adjusted me several times a week, and it helped some, but only time eased the constant pain...

Been to PT too...she told me that the hip/back pain was all related to being pregnant, and that it will all be gone within 2 years.  That was nearly 2 years AGO!  
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Can we begin a "back pain" forum here!  Share our stories and whine some more, please!  
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Thanks for the info Kat...I wish you didn't have all of that pain...
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Va, I ain't gonna quote yours.. (too long, for all these poor folks skimming through
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But DEFINATELY get an MRI..you need to find out what is wrong. The hip pain is probably your sciatic nerve, being pinched somewhere.
 
Va, I ain't gonna quote yours.. (too long, for all these poor folks skimming through
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But DEFINATELY get an MRI..you need to find out what is wrong. The hip pain is probably your sciatic nerve, being pinched somewhere.
I like quoting...makes the page LONG...
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I'm kidding...

...I just scanned my posts and I use the word "WOW" way too much...
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I go to my doc in June for follow-up...I'll take a list of ailments and ask for an MRI...I think that's wise advice...thanks!
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I think this just became the Back Pain Forum.

Cache, should we move it to it's own catagory?
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To ALL, I have updated the diary to include a history (mostly with "Not to Do's") for a better understanding on the troubles.

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TruWrecks, glad you are recovering well from the surgery. That is something that seems very painful and very scary for me. I'm sure you feel better now that its over, but it would be quite hard for me to make the decision to have it. Continue the recovery and we'll see you up riding again soon!
 
Sorry about the thread-jack..

And I see that you had microdiscectomy..
Here's a link if anyone wants to check it out.. ( sorry, I love this stuff!
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Microdiscectomy

I hope everything turns out well for you.
 
BTW...As it was told to me by an MD, not the surgeons, "The longer you wait, the more you risk permanent nerve damage." If your symptoms are getting worse, consider it a chance for a "Fresh Start". Maybe a mildy painful one, but stil a fresh start.

For the record: Yesterday sucked! It was a nice day, and I couldn't go out and ride!
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I'll have to trust that someone else went for a ride on my behalf! (Hint, hint)
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