Let's be honest - I would frequent Rodney Dangerfield's stores in "Back to School" - the "Big and Fat" stores,
I had no say in the "Big" part - I come from a long line of taller than average males on both sides of my family. The "Fat" part is almost assuredly 100% me. But, my weight has been stable for 15 years or more, so I think I am what I am.
Last August (2016), I was doing something fairly simple - putting a trailer on a hitch - when I felt a twinge in my back. By that evening, the pain was excruciating. Several sleepless nights and unproductive days followed. The pain improved, slightly, but always returned as bad, or worse. My doc put me on a round of steroids, which helped a lot, and muscle relaxers, which did not help at all, and suggested a specialist, who needed an MRI before he would see me.
Squeezing into the cannon breech that is the MRI was made easier by my choice of music, my wife holding my hands, and an almost fatal amount of Xanax.
Eventually, December rolled around, and my appointment with the specialist arrived. The diagnosis was not pretty - severe Spinal Stenosis through my entire lumbar region. The incident in August had perhaps caused the muscles to flare up, but it did NOT cause my continual pain. Doctor's advice? Wait until I couldn't stand it anymore, consider spinal injections to delay the surgery if I chose, then surgery - full L1 - L5 Laminectomies.
I left, pleased to have a diagnosis, but disappointed that nothing would be done for an indefinite period of time.
After Christmas, I had an epiphany - The longer I waited, the older I would be, AND the older I would be, the slower my healing would progress. Not only that, but I had no desire to remain in pain for an undefined period of time until some arbitrary threshold of pain was exceeded. The back problems had already cost me one year of deer hunting, something I truly enjoy, and I was not anxious to lose another. I called the doc, and set up an appointment for March, which the surgeon agreed to if I took some physical therapy first (since insurance would probably require it anyway).
Physical therapy was torture. I am sure some of the exercises were strengthening my core, but my round of PT ended with me in more pain and with less mobility than I started with. Returning to the neurosurgeon mid-March, surgery was scheduled for April 20, 2017, and the nerves began to kick in.
The day of surgery I was surprisingly calm. The back had quieted down for the last couple weeks, as if it was trying to avoid the impending end of its control over my life. They wheeled me into the surgery room and - suddenly I was in recovery. A little over 4 hours had passed, and I knew my mind was not functioning fully yet. I kept staring at the clock, trying to keep time from slipping from me again.
After being placed in my room, I was able to rest, and eat a little. The pain with medication was bearable, but the drain in the middle of my back hurt to lay on, and moving to my side was uncomfortable, but I was able to sleep without waking to shooting pain down my legs for the first time in almost a year. Sitting upright brought a sharp jolt of pain at the small of my back, and standing was a matter of willpower over the discomfort. But stand I did, with the help of a small nurse and a walker. Later, the same day of my surgery, I walked the halls - mostly because I wanted the catheter out, and needed to be able to get up before they would remove it.
Three nights I spent in the hospital, each day better and more active than the last. When I left, i still needed a walker, but the pain was less daily. I was down to oral pain killers, and a muscle relaxer. Sitting was still more uncomfortable than standing or laying down, but I could manage for a while. I was able to return to working, from home, on that Monday, 4 days after my surgery. The Norco took away my pain, but also a good bit of my logical thinking, so hopefully I made no permanently bad decisions the first couple days home.
A major threshold was crossed one week after surgery. I had stopped the pain killers, and my pain was LESS than it had been before surgery. Sitting was still uncomfortable, but standing and walking was almost pain free. I ordered a walking stick from Amazon (since it is much cooler than a cane, and made me look more like a slightly warped old-testament prophet rather than a broken down old man).
A month after surgery, I returned to the surgeon. My incision was healing nicely (although it itches like the dickens), and all of my restrictions (lifting, bending, turning, riding the lawn mower, getting back on my motorcycle) were lifted - except one. It will be another month before I can golf. So, until then, I can blame my poor performance on the golf course on my messed up back. Once I begin golfing just as bad as before, though, I'll need a new excuse.
If you have back problems, talk to a knowledgeable specialist. Yes, there are horror stories about failed surgeries, especially with spinal fusion (something I have not had to consider). But if the pain can be relieved, it should be considered. Recovery is not easy - when is any recovery easy? - but in my case, it was very manageable.
Thanks for reading.
I had no say in the "Big" part - I come from a long line of taller than average males on both sides of my family. The "Fat" part is almost assuredly 100% me. But, my weight has been stable for 15 years or more, so I think I am what I am.
Last August (2016), I was doing something fairly simple - putting a trailer on a hitch - when I felt a twinge in my back. By that evening, the pain was excruciating. Several sleepless nights and unproductive days followed. The pain improved, slightly, but always returned as bad, or worse. My doc put me on a round of steroids, which helped a lot, and muscle relaxers, which did not help at all, and suggested a specialist, who needed an MRI before he would see me.
Squeezing into the cannon breech that is the MRI was made easier by my choice of music, my wife holding my hands, and an almost fatal amount of Xanax.
Eventually, December rolled around, and my appointment with the specialist arrived. The diagnosis was not pretty - severe Spinal Stenosis through my entire lumbar region. The incident in August had perhaps caused the muscles to flare up, but it did NOT cause my continual pain. Doctor's advice? Wait until I couldn't stand it anymore, consider spinal injections to delay the surgery if I chose, then surgery - full L1 - L5 Laminectomies.
I left, pleased to have a diagnosis, but disappointed that nothing would be done for an indefinite period of time.
After Christmas, I had an epiphany - The longer I waited, the older I would be, AND the older I would be, the slower my healing would progress. Not only that, but I had no desire to remain in pain for an undefined period of time until some arbitrary threshold of pain was exceeded. The back problems had already cost me one year of deer hunting, something I truly enjoy, and I was not anxious to lose another. I called the doc, and set up an appointment for March, which the surgeon agreed to if I took some physical therapy first (since insurance would probably require it anyway).
Physical therapy was torture. I am sure some of the exercises were strengthening my core, but my round of PT ended with me in more pain and with less mobility than I started with. Returning to the neurosurgeon mid-March, surgery was scheduled for April 20, 2017, and the nerves began to kick in.
The day of surgery I was surprisingly calm. The back had quieted down for the last couple weeks, as if it was trying to avoid the impending end of its control over my life. They wheeled me into the surgery room and - suddenly I was in recovery. A little over 4 hours had passed, and I knew my mind was not functioning fully yet. I kept staring at the clock, trying to keep time from slipping from me again.
After being placed in my room, I was able to rest, and eat a little. The pain with medication was bearable, but the drain in the middle of my back hurt to lay on, and moving to my side was uncomfortable, but I was able to sleep without waking to shooting pain down my legs for the first time in almost a year. Sitting upright brought a sharp jolt of pain at the small of my back, and standing was a matter of willpower over the discomfort. But stand I did, with the help of a small nurse and a walker. Later, the same day of my surgery, I walked the halls - mostly because I wanted the catheter out, and needed to be able to get up before they would remove it.
Three nights I spent in the hospital, each day better and more active than the last. When I left, i still needed a walker, but the pain was less daily. I was down to oral pain killers, and a muscle relaxer. Sitting was still more uncomfortable than standing or laying down, but I could manage for a while. I was able to return to working, from home, on that Monday, 4 days after my surgery. The Norco took away my pain, but also a good bit of my logical thinking, so hopefully I made no permanently bad decisions the first couple days home.
A major threshold was crossed one week after surgery. I had stopped the pain killers, and my pain was LESS than it had been before surgery. Sitting was still uncomfortable, but standing and walking was almost pain free. I ordered a walking stick from Amazon (since it is much cooler than a cane, and made me look more like a slightly warped old-testament prophet rather than a broken down old man).
A month after surgery, I returned to the surgeon. My incision was healing nicely (although it itches like the dickens), and all of my restrictions (lifting, bending, turning, riding the lawn mower, getting back on my motorcycle) were lifted - except one. It will be another month before I can golf. So, until then, I can blame my poor performance on the golf course on my messed up back. Once I begin golfing just as bad as before, though, I'll need a new excuse.
If you have back problems, talk to a knowledgeable specialist. Yes, there are horror stories about failed surgeries, especially with spinal fusion (something I have not had to consider). But if the pain can be relieved, it should be considered. Recovery is not easy - when is any recovery easy? - but in my case, it was very manageable.
Thanks for reading.
