Herniated disc surgery

[06Daytona]

I've had back problems since around 1993 but nothing quite as painful as what I've had in the last couple of months. Usually when I have back pain it's lower back pain that occasionally has me using a cane but it's confined to my lower back. At the end of March I had a new type that was causing shooting pain from my butt cheek to my toes and my calf and half my foot went numb. At the beginning of April the wife and I went to Florida for a week and I was using the cane constantly and even used a wheelchair on a couple of occasions because of the pain. Once we got back to P.R I hit the doctors office and got X rays an MRI and finally last week a CAT scan. It turns out that I have two herniated discs and Degenerative Disc Disease. One of the hernias is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve which is causing the pain and numbness in my right leg, but the other is starting to put pressure on the sac around my spinal cord. This last week I've been starting to get pins an needles in my right leg and getting into my truck today almost had me in tears. I have an appointment on Friday with the neurologist to discuss surgery. Has anyone here had this surgery? I'm wondering what the recovery time is and if it limits the amount you can lift, bend etc. I have a job opportunity here installing solar panel set ups but if I can't bend and lift then it's not fair to leave the guy hanging waiting for me to get the surgery and then telling him I can't do it.

[ToxicWolf]

My wife had the spinal fusion surgery to correct disk problems and she is back to happily planting bulbs and playing with her plants in the yard.  Unbelievable difference.  She had to wear a back brace for awhile but did very well.  Of course, she is much tougher than I am.   

[Chryco Psycho]

Well My mom has the identical condition , degenerative discs in the lower spine & pinched sciatic nerve , she had the surgury & recovered very well but she is far older than you & it is ghard to say how well she could lift things given she is a very small woman .
Sorry I cannot be more help .
Get better my friend

[71-440]

Sorry to hear that. I know a few people with similar back issues and from seeing them in pain sometimes
I feel for you. I hope you can get that taken care of.

[ToxicWolf]

One other thing. My wife (even after a year) still puts on her back brace now and then. I think this is more about reminding her not to do something silly. If you really damage the nerves it can be permanent. We are in our 60s if that helps any. You have to think about what you Should Do even more than what you can do. 

[06Daytona]

You have to think about what you Should Do even more than what you can do. 

That's what got me into this mess to begin with. I've worked in residential construction my whole life and always felt I had to lift more than the other guys. I'm 46, but these last few weeks I've felt like I'm in my 80s

[gzig5]

I completely blew out the L5-S1 disk about 4-5 years ago.  Mostly couldn't feel my left foot for 18 months.  Constant pain. Hated the meds.  Went through various PT efforts and steroids which didn't do much and thought I was going to have to get cut/fused.  Doc suggested trying an epidural before doing a major surgery so I gave it a shot.   The injection was about 80% effective and three months later I had another one which pretty much did the trick.  I've been relatively pain free since but still get a twinge every now and then.  I don't exercise enough and core strength helps take the pressure off the discs.  I'm able to play golf, softball, bowl, and be fairly active for being an out of shape fifty year old.  I don't know if it would be a complete solution for you but you should inquire about it.  Hope you find some relief.  I was completely miserable for two years but sounds like you've been going through the wringer for quite a long time.  Good luck!

[PatO]

Sounds a lot like me back in the 80's. Kept hoping it will go away till one day it didn't.  Much worse in a very short period of time.  Turned out I had 2 herniated discs. I knew I couldn't go on the way I was.  I had the back surgery in 86. I have just a small 1 1/2" scar on my back. 30 years ago, I was out of work for 4 weeks and and part time for a couple more.  Fairly limited in bending and lifting for almost 6 months.  I'm glad I did it. A year later I was back to water skiing and doing my own yardwork and everything. Just need to know when to draw the line. I'm a fairly big guy and people always turned to me to help move things. I just had to learn to say no to the big projects.  Now I'm in my 60's and still snow ski. I'm still glad I had the surgery.

I've heard from others that the surgery is even more advanced now days with shorter recovery times.

Think for the long term on this, you'll be better off. You delay too long and you risk permanent nerve damage.   

[Dmz73]

I've had back problems since around 1993 but nothing quite as painful as what I've had in the last couple of months. Usually when I have back pain it's lower back pain that occasionally has me using a cane but it's confined to my lower back. At the end of March I had a new type that was causing shooting pain from my butt cheek to my toes and my calf and half my foot went numb. At the beginning of April the wife and I went to Florida for a week and I was using the cane constantly and even used a wheelchair on a couple of occasions because of the pain. Once we got back to P.R I hit the doctors office and got X rays an MRI and finally last week a CAT scan. It turns out that I have two herniated discs and Degenerative Disc Disease. One of the hernias is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve which is causing the pain and numbness in my right leg, but the other is starting to put pressure on the sac around my spinal cord. This last week I've been starting to get pins an needles in my right leg and getting into my truck today almost had me in tears. I have an appointment on Friday with the neurologist to discuss surgery. Has anyone here had this surgery? I'm wondering what the recovery time is and if it limits the amount you can lift, bend etc. I have a job opportunity here installing solar panel set ups but if I can't bend and lift then it's not fair to leave the guy hanging waiting for me to get the surgery and then telling him I can't do it.

I know what you are going through.
Been there for a LOOOONG time.
I had a herniated L4/L5 disc since 02.
I fought it for years with PT and meds. Some rather harsh meds.
I finall threw in the towel around 16. I could barely walk, and I wasn't much use. I was in pain constantly, and had horrific sciatic pain and tingling/numbness.
I started researching surgeons, and after interviewing 3 that I had researched, I went with the one who had worked on active people I know.
Scheduling was another issue, but finally in 2017, I went under the knife.
I had all sorts of issues, none of which were easy.
I had a horrible and near deadly infection that hospitalized me for 4 days.
Later, I had a reaction to one of the meds that they gave me, which hospitalized me for two days.
The best part about this?
I'm cured.
I lived through hell and can talk about it.
Would I make the same decision again?
Your damn right.
Do I want to ever do it again?
Hell no.
If your life was as compromised as much as mine, I'd recommend it.
Follow all the directions. Listen to the doc-vet batim.
You'll recover and be fine.
My nerves are starting to regenerate, so I will soon be back to myself.
I hope the same for you.
If you want to pm me to find out more, by all means do.

Dan


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fantum]

As others have indicated, I too had problems with a herniated disk at L5-S1.  It got so bad that I had to crawl on the floor on my hands and knees and "walk" my way up the walls to stand.  The one thing I had going in my favor was that my wife at the time was a recovery room nurse in a hospital here in Miami.  She asked around and found the best person for the job was a NEUROSURGEON.  The recommendation for him versus a "knee and joint" doctor was his ability to perform the surgery with minimal invasion - result was a quicker recovery time, and a whole lot less pain.

I was about 46 at the time (over 25 years ago) and this was my experience.

- Surgery on Thursday.  During recovery a nurse put a button in my hand and told me to push it.  That was the morphine, and I was to push it every time I couldn't stand the pain.  That was the only time I pushed that button.

- Thursday afternoon I walked several times around the whole floor I was on as I was told by the surgeon that this would help with my recovery.

- Friday morning I drove myself home.  I was relatively pain free, and felt better than I had in quite a while.

- Sunday morning I was coaching my Men's Baseball team.  No problems.

- Monday evening I was in Joe Robbie (now Hard Rock) Stadium watching a football game.  No problems.

- Two weeks later I was doing step aerobics.  No problems.

- One month - to the day - later I was playing baseball again.  No problems.

Now, 25 years later, I have other aches and pains as I am now in my 60s - but none related to my surgery.  Best decision I could have made.  The only lasting issue I have from that experience (I think it is a good thing) is that my sciatic nerve tingles a bit when I am overdoing it, so I back off a little and things return to normal.

I have no regrets (nor did I suffer the infections and other setbacks that Dan (DMZ73) reported.  If you go this route I would strongly recommend you ask around and find the best neurosurgeon available - smaller tools mean smaller incisions and better precision.

Good luck with your decision.


MIKE

[Todd489]

6 years ago I fell off a scaffold at work, probably 6 ft high, I blew out 3 disc on my lower lumbar,, I never had surgery done, I heard horror stories from people that got worse after surgery, but what I did is took off weight without looking sick, occasionally going to the gym, and not lifting anything to heavy, so knock on wood, I feel pretty good, I do have bad days though, bit more good, I know my job don't help out either, I do body work for a living, and constant bending don't help either!  I'm only 51 now.   Good luck with ever you do!!

[cuda hunter]

I had a client who would flip his own homes with his wife. 
He had degenerative spinal disease.  In his 60's.  both him and his wife are tough as hell.
They called me to come do the exterior remodel on his home as he was unable to walk much and was preparing for a surgery.
He found the top 3 surgeons in the country, interviewed each one and made a choice on a specific surgeon. 
Surgery happened, they had him on some serious meds.  He would come out of the house and talk all kinds of weird crap to me and my guys while we were remodeling his exterior.
After a month or so of meds he got off them and became regular again.  Wore a back brace.  Took him several months to fully recover. 
  Now he has done the interior remodel and all the landscaping on his property.  He recovered well and is healthy again. 
This was 2.5 years ago. 
The one thing he told me was when I need a back operation (I'm a construction worker/General Contractor) that I should research, research, research.   Find the best doctor you can afford and go wherever he wants you to go to get the operation.
the better the doctor and the more operations he has performed, the better the recovery time.

  Go for it.  You will most likely be happier with your quality of life after the surgery. 

[06Daytona]

I had the big doctors appointment yesterday. I got to the doctors office at about 2:30 because the appointment was for 4:30 but it got pushed back to 5:30 because the doctor had an emergency. I finally got in to see him at about 9:30. At least the medical building is part of Plaza Las Americas so I had a couple of book stores and collectable stores to keep me occupied.
It turns out that my L3-L4 disc is bulging and starting to put pressure on my spinal cord. It's not herniated, but it's only a matter of time. My L4-L5 disc is deteriorated so they'll need to remove the disc and replace it with a cage and bone growin' stuff, then put screws and rods in to keep it all in place.
The L5-S1 disc is herniated and putting pressure on my sciatic nerve, but I already knew that from my GP when I got the first X rays and MRI
I have to quit smoking before the doctor will operate on my, so I'm quitting Monday since I have a few good Cubans in my humidor that I don't want to go to waste.
The doctor was surprised that I'm handling the pain as well as I am since according to all the MRIs and stuff I should be in crying pain. I don't like taking pain killers because they kill the pain and I can't tell when to stop what I'm doing and I end up hurting more when they wear off.
I don't know if I'll be considered a Cyborg, an Android, or bio9nic when I'm done. What pisses me off the most is that I have all my factory parts. I still have my tonsils, appendix and wisdom teeth. I've never had an operation or broken a bone that's ended up in a cast although I've beaten myself up where I probably should have had a cast.

[usraptor]

I've had two back surgeries, 2014 and 2015 and my wife has had four, 1990s, 2012, and 2017 and again in 2018. Mine were for L4,3 and then L2 and my wife has had from S1 to L2 now.  Both of mine and her last three involved having the hardware, titanium cage and screws put in to hold the vertebrae steady while the super glue/cement they use to fuse them together sets which takes about 6 months.  I was in a wheelchair by the time I had my first surgery and using a walker the second time due to the sciatica pain when I stood up or walked.  My wife is tougher than me and just powered through the pain/sciatica.  We both tried the epidural shots and they worked at first but each time they lasted less and less and then didn't work at all.  Would we both do it again?  In a heartbeat.  After my first surgery and the nurse got me up to walk around the ward and I was pain free I would have kissed my surgeon if he was around.  However, like fantum said have a neurosurgeon do the surgery.  When you have somebody working that close to your nerves you want somebody who knows what the hell they're doing.  As far as recovery goes, for the first month they don't want you lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. For the first ten weeks you are supposed to pretty much limit your physical activity except for walking.  WALKING IS YOUR FRIEND.  Soon as you get home start walking.  I started with laps around my pool table.  Then progressed to outside.  Walk a block and then each time thereafter add one house/driveway to the distance until you find yourself walking 3 miles.  At 10 weeks they should offer you physical therapy.  DO IT, even if you think you don't need it.  This will help build your core strength back up after not being physical while suffering with the pain.  After 6 months you can pretty much return to a normal routine, with limitations.  After 1 year, you're pretty much back to normal.  The important thing is to follow the Drs post surgery instructions and wear the back brace for the first month whenever you are up.  Do the stretches and exercises and WALK, WALK, WALK! I can pretty much do anything now I could do before I blew out my discs and an totally sciatica pain free.  The only downside is when your back is fused you quickly find out that it isn't as easy to lean over to pick up something off the floor so you learn to bend you knees like you're supposed to anyway.  Good luck!   

[torredcuda]

I've had back problems since around 1993 but nothing quite as painful as what I've had in the last couple of months. Usually when I have back pain it's lower back pain that occasionally has me using a cane but it's confined to my lower back. At the end of March I had a new type that was causing shooting pain from my butt cheek to my toes and my calf and half my foot went numb. At the beginning of April the wife and I went to Florida for a week and I was using the cane constantly and even used a wheelchair on a couple of occasions because of the pain. Once we got back to P.R I hit the doctors office and got X rays an MRI and finally last week a CAT scan. It turns out that I have two herniated discs and Degenerative Disc Disease. One of the hernias is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve which is causing the pain and numbness in my right leg, but the other is starting to put pressure on the sac around my spinal cord. This last week I've been starting to get pins an needles in my right leg and getting into my truck today almost had me in tears. I have an appointment on Friday with the neurologist to discuss surgery. Has anyone here had this surgery? I'm wondering what the recovery time is and if it limits the amount you can lift, bend etc. I have a job opportunity here installing solar panel set ups but if I can't bend and lift then it's not fair to leave the guy hanging waiting for me to get the surgery and then telling him I can't do it.

Sounds very much the same as what I have, tried everything but finally after nothing else worked and in excrutiating pain I opted for surgery. I am glad I had surgery as said nothing else worked for me and I am probably 80% better but still have permanent nerve damage so my right leg always is aching, numb, shooting pain sometimes but bearable althought he last two years around March I have blown it out due to cold weather and shoveling snow. I`l never be 100% better but usually just some Iburofen and dealing with a little discomfort is the worst of it. Good luck, hope it works out for you, back pain is the worst!