The spinal surgery TR.

[Meathelmet]

Well, i have been told once or twice that i am a spineless wank, nut luckily it is now officially proven otherwise.

At least the doctor said she saw it.No pun intended.

But, in short.

sorry for the über long rant,i just dont have anything to do atm...

First time i tweaked my back was ´03 when skiing.
A mellow day,nothing special, hit a bump at high speed and felt this sting in the back. Didnt stop and think about it. I mean, it was spring, i had about 60 days of skiing behind me,with practically no days of, i hadnt streched for weeks and it was time to get back to normal life after being on the road for 2 months.
The pain subsided in couple of days, travel back home went fine and getting accustomed to everyday life...well...that went quite well too.



Few weeks on i was sitting on the floor building Lego´s with my godson(?) when i felt this weird sting in my back again.
In half an hour i couldnt sit properly, within an hour i was rendered into a crawling,screaming heap.

I had been injured countless times before. I mean, i had done martial arts for a almost decade,riding downhill,climbing,skiing etc.. so i was quite "used" to getting hurt and feeling pain.
It was the price that i paid for having fun,i figured.



This was waay way different.


I was literally screaming my lungs off just by trying to lie in be. I shat sideways in the bathroom for 5 days. I crawled around the house for a week. I didnt sleep for few nights in row, at some point i just fainted for few hours.
Luckily i recuperated quite fast,after the worst of the pain subside.
I was back on a bike after 3 weeks,riding easily. Doing first climbing moves after 2 months, took my first running steps after 3 months. I was prepared to work my way back so i could ski again.



First winter showed me that things had changed dramatically.
I was a snowboarder.I had done it for 10yrs+ and i didnt suck at it.
Suddenly i just couldnt do it anymore. I just couldnt be on the heel edge.
At all.
Luckily i had started to ski the previous winter,just for the fucks sake and had picked it up quite quickly (i used to compete in xc) so instead of being totally devasted, i just put my energy into it.
Luckily my back took it quite well and i could ski 70-80 days for the next couple of seasons,with only small occasional discomfort.
Training,massage and painkillers took care of the rest...

This winter starte quite promising.
I was stronger than ever,finally could start to push it even remotely like in the "g´d ol days".
Three weeks in the alps in christmastime roadtripping, checking out new places, meeting new people and you know,enjoying it?

But 2 weeks of skiing hardpack and ice had taken a bit toll on the back, it wasnt in perfect shape any more.

But finally we had some fresh snow now in Nasfeld, Austria.
30-40cm of pow wow. Friggin beautifull, sun, friends and cold smoke.

T -minus 5 mins



Then it just was to point ´em.
Just like hundreds of time´s before.
Pow,mellow 40´ coulie,sun,moving meditation.

T -minus 15 seconds.



Then, Bang!
Wtfck? Two tomahawks, back first into a rock, slapped back to feet and i continued skiing without stopping.

Apparently the new snow had hid the rocks just beneath the surface, wich i managed to clip at full speed.Luckily i had my back armour and backpack on,that took most of the brunt.
When i stopped,i just knew that something wasnt right.
But since it was a pow day,i brushed things of for few hours with the help of painkillers, i just tought that my ass got bruised,since it wasnt protected.

The next few days was luckily the last days of the trip,not so much skiing anymore.

Back home i started to realize that things werent "all right".
I noticed that i walked like a crab, my hip was twisted about 15´ to the left,and my lower back was...well...lets say started to look like from the monty python scetch "Ministry of Silly walk".

[Meathelmet]

Next few weeks i tried to brush things off by hitting the gym, going to osteopathy(?),took massages and rested. Things just gradually got worse and worse. Since i had my wedding and honeymoon to japan (to ski pow with my lovely wife..)coming up i decide to go to the doctor and se if he could help me out.
After the MRIs the diagnosis was clear. Ruptured L5-S1 disc and bruising in the SI joint.

No skiing.Physio therapy.Rest.Drugs.

Well, i still managed to ski about 5 days in japan,wich was utterly stupid.
Actually so stupid that i still bite my self daily.

The only thing that i managed to do,was to completely incapacitate me.
Eating huge amount of painkillers just to get out of the bed,let alone travel around. Or sit in a plane for 11 hours on the way back home.
Idiot.

When i got back home, well, i just knew it was game over.
I couldnt sit, drive,sleep or work.
I still tried to fix my self with taking acupuncture, taking cortisone shots to the spine,eating glucosamine, well, you name it. I think the only thing that didnt resort to was voodoo.

Finally i got to my senses and started to talk about the operation with my doctor. Luckily i found a neurosurgeon that is specialiced in brain nerve/artial bypasses and shit. She allso operates the backs of many athletes.
I tought that maybe she is better than some ortho to do the surgery.

The couple of weeks of waiting for the surgery went in a haze.
I was working as much i could,but most of the time went by just hanging here on tgr,watching movies and playing soccer with the Xbox,you know, preparing for the wold cup?

The operation itself was a intresting experience.
To the hospital at 10 a clock.
At 11 i was utterly stoned by the sleeping med.
At 11.01 i was unconscious.
At 13 i woke up.
At 14 i hobbled into the toilet,asked some nurse i she could hold my weenie (i apparently was still on drugs. i hope.)
At 19 hours i checked out and went home.

In that one hour operation they did a microscopic hemilaminosectomy.
I guess? What the hell do i know.
At least i felt like shit, i had lost the feeling of my right leg and i was in way,way bigger pain than when i went in.

On the top of that,the doctor forgot to describe me any painkillers.
So there i was at 21 hours, without painkillers, the anasthesia wearing off, wondering it this was that good idea after all.
I sure as hell didnt feel that way.
Luckily i managed so scrounge some old painkillers from my stashes and woke up to the 1st of june.

Fkna!

Still feeling like shit,leg numb and stiff as a two-by-four.
But all that shooting pain from the sciatica gone.
Fkna!

Now,as i am writing, it is the second day post op, i am not feeling like shit anymore,the surgery pain has almost dissapeared and i can feel my toes.
And i took my first walk around the block.
And i just slept all night long,without waking up.
First time in six months.

FKNA!



I think i loose to plakspear by 65 - 4...

[skuff]

Hey, good luck to you. I haven't had anything as severe as what you have just experienced, but I get that twinge in my lower back every once and awhile and it sucks. I have had a herniated disk before and I know that they hurt.

It's a great feeling to wake up and get out of bed without having to make some kind of Cirque du Soleil manuver just to get to the bathroom. Take care.

[Dromond]

Apparently the new snow had hid the rocks just beneath the surface, wich i managed to clip at full speed....

That's a bitch isn't it. It's so easy to get into trouble that way. Sounds like you've had a pretty rough time of it. Recovery is a beautiful thing! There's nothing quite like getting back to normal after feeling like crap for months on end. Glad to hear things are getting better

[Meathelmet]

1 Week Post-Op.

thing! There's nothing quite like getting back to normal after feeling like crap for months on end.

Fkna!

Tell me about it!

Unbelievable what one week can do.

I have almost totally dropped of pain meds, i only take the last two days of NSAIDs for the post-op swelling. No need to take meds,even in the night.
No nerves of fire down the legs,no breath stealing twinges in the back and no mind numbing throbbing in the arse..ewww!




After couple days i could start to take short walks, well,kind of walks around the block. Now i can make 2-3km walks 3 times a day! Feeling still a bit stiff,especially the buttocks,but it´s getting better.
Luckily the numbness in the shin and feet+toes is dissapearing slowly.
I cant stick needles in my toes anymore, but that was a lousy party trick anyway..
Optimistic that within the next week i might have close to a normal feeling in my little piggies.Obviously i propably will have different kind of setbacks, i´d actually would be quite suprised if there wouldnt be any.


Stiches go off next week and after that i´ll go and visit my physiotherapist and we´ll start to work on the next two week plan. Some cautious strechings,breathing stuff,upper body conditioning and getting prepared for the water running.
Thats gonna be fun.
To do some water running training in the pool with geriatrics that pee and poop in it.
I should propably get some vaccines for that one.


Hopefully the therapist is some hot chick.Baywatch style or something?


Ps.Skuff, man, take care of your back! Although i know it is futile to try to convince people with back problems to do 24/7 conditioning on it. I didnt do it..But still.

[The Dad]

Heal well and quickly.

I was diagnosed with a herniated C5/C6 disc plus a couple of malformed vertebrae seven years ago when my left arm went from a little painful to literally paralyzed in half an hour, during a dinner party we were hosting. So far, I've managed to keep it under control without surgery, thanks to several months of PT (which added an inch around my neck and forced me to get all new dress shirts), followed by occasional chiropractic care.

PT was the big winner, though. Work with a good one.

[Meathelmet]

Week 4 Post-Op

Sweet.

Stiches went of 2 weeks ago, now there is only a tidy 1" incision left, looking like i would have had a mole removed.
Welll,actually not. I had a mole removed from the same area and it is looking like shite,and this new one it smoove like a Lindsey Lohans nose job.

Been walking about 5-10km´s a day, doing light "pincha di anale" trainigns and very,very light streching. The doc and physio vere quite adamant that before week 6 no rehab should be done. Just moving around and being active. It is nice that it´s summer now, it is much easier to get distracted by bikinis and stuff and not get all giddy about working out..


Finally managed to start to sit in a car about week ago. AND i could sit during a dinner. Now every day is better in that sense, i can sit for 1 1/2hours in one strech, without too much discomfort. Obviously i have to be carefull and change position and stuff. But still. Being able to sit after 3 months of not being able is cool.Waay cool.And being able to take a shit without passing out or standing is cool too...

Tried driving a car few times. I can do that for,what,20km? After that it starts to feel a bit uncomfortable. Since i am not allowed to drive and i dont want to kill anyone i think i am gonna skip that for couple of weeks.
Luckily i have a designated driver appointed (read.wife) so i am not in a particular hurry either.Godbless.



Now there is 2 or 3 physios before the meeting with the doc (2 more weeks) before i get the green light for physio and some light biking.
I just have to get the bike together before that..that´ll take the two weeks i guess.




But : Going slow and not so strong, but going anyhow. I like it.

I was diagnosed with a herniated C5/C6 disc plus a couple of malformed vertebrae seven years ago when my left arm went from a little painful to literally paralyzed in half an hour, during a dinner party we were hosting. So far, I've managed to keep it under control without surgery, thanks to several months of PT.

Aww, my buddys wife has that same too. A really scary thing. And the operation is way more hardcore than in the lower back. She has also avoided the surgery, but she was told if that if it is neccesary, it has a very good outcome and prognosis.
And the docs start to be quite good at that shit nowadays, especially at the university hospitals (at least around here).
But,hopefully you´ll avoid it.
Gettin a MikeTysonesque neck might help?

[Meathelmet]

Week 7 Post-Op.


Sweet.


Finally got to the doctors for a post-op assesment.
Thought that it would be a thorough examination but after hearing that i have allready been 3 weeks in physio and been going 2 weeks to the gym, she just ended up checking my scar and asking when i will go skiing.

She ended giving me a release that i can go cycling (whoo!!) but i still should wait for 5 weeks untill i start running. Wich is okay,tried to take few running steps and although i didnt feel any straight forward pain,things still were a bit, well,stiff and uncomfortable. But maybe some chilled out hillrunning in the next weeks..



The physio have been a blast.
Real professionals,way best that i have so far encountered in my life. Compared to the previous ones that hasnt been so much sport orientated, theese really understands athletes.Maybe because almost everyone is or has been an competing athlete themselves.
So nothing "you have to watch more tv,you cant propably ski anymore,you have to take it easy for now on" shite,but strict,straight and supportive stuff.
But the regimens itself have been quite mellow. Nothing like all the peeps that have had their knees fixed " Bleed and suffer motherfucker" kind of stuff. Quite gentle and conserving stuff.
Been mainly working out the core muscles back to life after few months of inactivity,wich are still apparently were in extremely good shape. Wich was quite suprising to me and the physiotherapist.
But the back musles were in quite dire shape though. Especially the right side was very,very sleepy, so there is a huge field to work on..



Wich is okay.
Hitting the gym has been a blast (i know,weird huh??) and today,i just came back from a 40 minute run with my bike!!!

FKNA! What a feeling to buzz along the fields in a slight rain and feeling the wind and all that romantic stuff.
And fkna in what shape can a person pummel in 6 months of inactivity..

The next 5 weeks will go with a 3xweek a gym session and 3xweek some cyckling action..
After that i will meet a guy that specializes in training national/international level football players...

I guess the sweating will start then.
Big time.