Sciatica

[MarkV]

Hey Rich, best of luck on the surgery. Keep us up to date, we will be thinking of you.

MarkV

 

[dmccarty]

Good Luck!

My neck has been bothering me for a week. These spine issues stink big time.

Later,
Dan

 

[Ben Buck]

Rich, good luck sir on your upcoming surgery. I hope it goes well!! You are going to be sore as all get out!! My story on this is 25 years ago I was shot in the back in the L4-L5 area, in an aggrevated armed robbery, and left for dead. I forgot to add that the first time the a-hole fired , or tried to fire the gun it was point blank at my chest, luckily for me it misfired!!I was in intensive care for 22 days, flat on my back. Everything in my body shut down. I didn't poop for 2 1/2 weeks!! To this day, I have very little feeling in my left leg, from the nerve damage. I can place a hot cup of coffee on my thigh or calf and not feel it. The doctor wanted to implant a tens unit in my back for pain, and I said no. I'm in pain everyday, but I manage it, even now I rarely take an aspirin. Chiro's have helped, they have to be careful of the srapnel, the size of a softball that's still in me. I just thought I'd share a spine story. There's thousands out there.

 

[dmccarty]

The doctor wanted to implant a tens unit in my back for pain, and I said no.

Not sure I would want the tens unit implanted in me either. We do use regular tens units and they do work.

We have used it for back and neck pain. The wifey just had shoulder surgery and we are using it to control pain.

Later,
Dan

 

[RichZ]

Thanks for the support, guys. They're going to try to have me home from the hospital on Monday, so I'll post about my experience early next week. I wish it was early next week already, I'm not looking forward to this. But I am looking forward to not having pain anymore, so it'll be worth it.

 

[zonta223]

I had carpal tunnel in each wrist, plantar fasceitis(sp?) in my heal, positional vertigo and sciatica.

Sounds just like me and had ingrowing toe nails as well.
The back pain I can handle its having to sit on one butt cheek including when you are driving really gets me down.
Can no longer drive for anything more that 20 or 30 mins.....Can't travel by plane...can't sit in those narrow seats for any length of time.
Done the phsio/chiro/bowen thing all with very little result so know where your at.
Best wishes for your surgery Rich from down under hope it all works out great for you and you finish up running around the farm like a spring chicken

best regards

 

[charlz]

Can't help with back problems but I was curious if you had looked at switching to raising goats for meat? It is pretty popular in some cultures to eat goat meat :licking:. Given that you took to naming all your goats maybe not I have also seen a few articles about people using goats for 'organic' weed control.

 

[ctbigman]

Wishing you good luck in what ever decision you make about back surgery. I am a success story. In 1971, after falling down a silo chute, I was diagnosed with a "slipped disc". My father-in law was a doctor and referred me to a top notch surgeon. I have 4 vertabrae fused together now. I was flat on my back in the hospital for 3 weeks. Long story short, I'm now 63 and I milked cows for 20 years, drove truck and ran a feed store. They don't do my surgery anymore but I hope you have an excellent result with whatever you do.:thumbsup:

 

[RichZ]

Thanks for all the suport, guys!!!

Charlz, you guessed it. We can't sell animals that we raise for meat.

I gotta be at the hospital at 5:45 AM tomorrow morning for my surgery. I'll post next week, when I'm back home.

Thanks again for all the support!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RichZ]

Well, I'm back for the hosptial,and it wasn't good time, Forgive the typos, I'm on several types of STRONG pain med. plus valium. The surgery was a sucess, but I have a long recovery. if i hadn't hadn't have had the surgery, I surely would have ended up in a wheelchair, They removed the bad disc, replaced it with bone from my back encased in titanium and held together with titianum rods. They get you up in phyiscal therapy and I've done pretty well. I'm using a cane now, after using a walker for a while. They manage the pain, but the valium throws you for a loop, (can you tell?) but beleive me, you need it. i'm very motivated, the surrgeon feels I'll make a 100% recovery. but it's gonna take time. 3 months to a year.

When they brought me to the ICU after the surgery I was really out if it, I was telling the staff to get out of my barn so I coud feed the animals. It's been rough, very rough, but I think I'll be ok in not too long, if I hadn't have had this done, I don't think I'd be able to do anything but sit in a wheel chair, Not all sciatica is as bad as mine, but it can be.

Ill keep posting updates, hoepfully they''ll be more coherent, But I know at least one member (redbone?) was expecting his wife fo to thru this. I'll be happy to give e mail info possible to help. My e-mail address is goatfarmerguy@earthinlink.net.

I'll get more coherent as time goes on,, I had to take quite a bit of valium today, it shows just a little, I realize. but this is serous stuff, and if I can help one person thru this I"ll be happy.

Again, thanks for all your support.

 

[Bird]

Glad to hear the surgery was successful and hope you enjoy those happy pills.:laughing:

 

[Redbug]

Email set to you Rich. You are in our prayers.

PS...The doctor's staff dropped off that junker car body in your yard for the goats to stand on. No wonder all the staff was in the barn...

 

[Egon]

Those three months will take forever and pass in what will seem like several days. Recover well and keep the faith.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

That "Sorta Numb" state ain't no fun but it is better than pain.

 

[idaho2]

RichZ,

Good to hear your up and at em. Now just follow up with what is rquired to make a full recovery. Make each day an adventure and watch your step when walking.

Warren

 

[RichZ]

Thanks, guys. Pain meds do wonders, so I'm doing pretty well. I'm walking around with a cane, inside and out. I'm pretty stoned, but I'm doing very well. I have chairs strategically placed on the farm, so I can watch my wife do the chores. I can't wait until I can do them, but that won't be for a few months.

 

[kenmac]

Hope it all goes well for you. It will take some time. Hang in there:thumbsup:

 

[RichZ]

Hi guys, here's my latest report. If you have major surgery, watch those pain meds and valium. They take away the pain, and make you so stoned you just feel good. But despite having a great hospital and great surgeon, no one warned me about the constipation they cause. I never had that before. I had it in the hospital and I had it at home, and both times I wanted to die, the pain in my gut was so bad. I just got over my second bout, and no more pain meds for me, no matter how much it hurts, ans it hurts a lot. But the pain will slowly go away, the constipation will not.
And that hurts more than the pain.

I'm increaSING my physical therapy, but mopre about that when I get stronger.

 

[Bird]

Rich, I don't think I've ever taken any valium. What pain medication are you using? I've taken Darvon, Hydrocodone (or Hydroco/APAP), and Oxycod/APAP after surgery, but never had it affect me the way you're saying. And in spite of what the doctors and pharmacists warn you of, I learned years ago, after some surgery, that Darvon and Scotch work wonders.:laughing: But of course, I always take less pain medication than the doctor says I can take. I'm a firm believer in pain medicine to prevent pain, but I sure have no intentions of getting hooked on that stuff.

Anyway, good luck with the recovery.

 

[Redbug]

Hi Rich,

Just wondering...how do you sleep? That is, since your incision is on your back, do you sleep on your side? Or do you sleep sitting up? These are all things you never think about until it happens...

I guess your wife changes the bandages each day? I know it's hard on you since you cannot reach it. Open heart operation is in the front and more accessible and probably easier to sleep?

 

[RichZ]

Bird, besides Valium, I was taking oxycodone, and I had my wife check to see that I'm not screwing that up. It probably doesn't stop eveyone's guts, but it sure did it for me!!!!!!!!!

Dave, I'm sleeping on a recliner. It's too hard for me to get into bed, it hurts if I lay on my back, my side, and probably even on my head ( I actually made a joke!!), so the recliner keeps me in one position, so I don't roll over and hurt myself in my sleep. It was my idea, but the surgeon said it was a great idea. The dressings came off 2 days ago for good. The hospital changed them in a few days, and then told my wife to take them off after I was home, and not replace them. I have a 9 inch surgical wound, but believe it or not, it's all closed up.

I just wish I could find something to stop the hurt without stoping me up. I can't take aspirin or ibuprofin, they both cause bleeding. My wife just gave me tylenol. I'm not hopeful, but I'll try anything that will take away some pain and not stop me up.

I'll keep you all posted and pray none of my TBN buddies ever have to go thru this.