Back surgery soon

[bman123]

I didn't know where to post this but maybe his section will be fine.

I'll give ya some info about me and what's going on about the surgery, feel free to chime in and offer advice guys.

I'm 25yrs old. I have 3 herniated discs in my lower back. I did that when I was only 14 and I have no clue how I did it. Now I have major sciatic pain going down my right leg into my foot. I went to the speicialist 2 days ago and they scheduled surgery for this coming tuesday. I basically have a disc that is bulged out and is pinching my nerve completely against a bone in my spine and it's causing extreme pain thru my back all the way down my leg into my foot.

They have to put me under to do the surgery and this is what they have to do.
Cut thru the muscle in my lower back to get to my spine, then cut a chunk of bone out of my spine so they can get to the nerve. They will move the nerve out of the way and then grind down the disc that is pinching the nerve then stitch me up and I'll go home the same day.

I've never had a surgery before and I'm quite nervous about It since they have to put me under to do it.

I just got a baby Mack snow leopard gecko 2 days ago and I have to take care of her also. My girlfriend won't do anything with my Leo so I'm gonna have to do everythhing for her.

Feel free to offer any advice if you have any to give, thanks guys I needed to vent a little because I'm kinda scared..

 

[bman123]

They said the earliest I will go back to work is July 6th but it will probably be around the 16th when I can go back. I do alot of heavy lifting at work for 10hrs a day, I'm constantly picking up car doors and trunk lids so it's anywhere from 40lbs to 150lbs all day long.

They have no light duty so I'm thinking it's gonna be around the 16th when I go back because I need to be feeling great when I go back, or i won't be able to go back.

I have about 140small crickets right now so I'm hoping that will last my lil Leo for awhile, hopefully 2 weeks or more. I've only had her 2 days but the first day she ate 6 and yesterday she ate 2. She is little and scared of me so hopefully it won't be too rough to feed and water her.

The ole lady won't touch crickets so I have to feed her so it's gonna be a rough one when I come home after this surgery, at least 2 weeks will be really rough but I gotsta take care of my lil girl lol..

 

[Mel&Keith]

My had a serious neck injury (cracked 3 and 4) when he was a teen and some of his vertebra are fused and and/or have bone spurs. It's gotten to the point after lots of initial physical therapy and chiropractor visits (about 2 years) that he's completely pain free most days. Some times if he sleeps funny and gets a bad neck ache but most people even with out spine issues have that problem. Think positive, you can make a full recovery!

 

[bman123]

It's just a little scary because I've never been put under for anything plus I've never had surgery so I don't know how I'm gonna feel when I wake up.
Just the idea of them cutting the muscle in my back, then cutting a chunk of bone out of my spine then grinding down the messed up disc gives me the heeby jeebies.

They doped me up pretty good tho. My regular doctor gave me 60 vicodin on the 25th of last month and he expected it to last me 30days. I took all the vicodins in two weeks. I was taking 5-6 of them every day.

I went without pain pills for a few days until I saw the specialist. They gave me 60 loratabs (spelling ?) and these things are strong. My back and leg still hurt due to it being a nerve problem but I am so stoned sometimes I feel sick to my stomach. Sometimes I get so high from these pills that I have to lay down and take a nap..

 

[bman123]

It sucks feeling like this. I have a 4yr old daughter who loves to run around like a chicken with it's head cut off and I can't really play with her too much because of the pain. My girlfriend is pregnant with our second child and she has naseua so bad she spends most of time in bed when she is home.

It's a little difficult at home with money since I've been off work for almost a month and I'll be off for another month or longer. I get short term disabity thru work but it's only $240 a week. It pays the rent and utilitites but that's it.
She has been missing some work to since she always feels sick. She buys all the groceries and misc household items we need. It's been a little rough over at my place lately but things will get better..

 

[ILoveGeckos14]

you have my well wishes,

 

[bman123]

I think now I'm only 25 yrs old I can't Imagine how I'm gonna feel when I'm 40

 

[sunshinegeckofarm]

I hope everything goes well for you and after the surgery you feel alot better once you heal up. I just hope you have a good doctor since they all aren't the greatest at here they aren't. I hope that things go better for you guys with one child and one on the way. I hope your wife can help a lil with your gecko or geckos. i know if my husband had something done i would help him with things. let us all know how everything goes once your up to getting online.

 

[bman123]

If i'm able to hold my iPhone I will be online, not like I have anything else to do while I'm on the couch other then watch cartoons, Hannah Montana, wizards of waverly place lol.

As long as I'm not to doped up and sleeping I will let you guys know on Tuesday. It's a same day surgery and only takes a hour to do so I'll be home that day if it all goes right.
My girlfriend won't help she's scared of lizards but my daughter will.

Bless her little heart, she helps me do everything with the gecko. She's only 4 yrs old but if I ask her for something she knows what it is. I let her shake and bake the crickets, she loves doing that. She makes sure I change the water and offer the Leo food everyday. She even tells me to leave it alone if I'm tinkering around in the tank.

I've got about 130 crix now, my mom said she will pick more up if I need em and shell bring them over to my place for me. The hardest thing to do will be clean up poo and change the water since I have to lean over to do it.

My dr is pretty cool I saw him 10years ago when I first hurt my back so he's not a rookie. But as we all know anything can happen so I just pray it all goes well. There is a possibility that it won't work, will work, partial or full paralysis Thats why I'm so nervous.

Whatever happens happens tho. I can't control it my health is in someone elses hands and hopefully it goes good. My mom is very worried and so is my girlfriend. So they are kinda rubbing it off on me.

My daughter is such a big help and I know if I need anything she will help me. The bad thing is gonna be when I'm home alone. My girl works 5-11pm and my daughter goes to her grandmas from 5-9pm so if I need something I'm gonna be all alone and I will have to tough it out. I will have company on Tuesday but she works weds and that should be fun.

I will keep you guys updated, hopefully I will get online Tuesday when I come home, it's not like I'm gonna be going anywhere lol

 

[bman123]

Gotta love YouTube you can find anything on there. I have to get a laminotomy first then a disckectomy. Here is a video of the disckectomy surgery, I can't find a laminotomy video that's good but when I do I will post it. Here ya go

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=/&gl=US#/watch?client=mv-google&tspv=1&v=cdIupbLvq9E

go ahead and watch that video guys, I really got the heeby jeebies now. I can't wait to get this done and over with, I can't wait to be able to walk normal..

 

[bman123]

I found a good video on YouTube for the whole procedure and it's animated to so no blood, my stupid iPhone won't let me copy and paste for some reason, must be my pain pills. The name if the other video is
endoscopic laminotomy discectomy
it will be the very first video, it actually tells ya what's going on, I figured some body may be interested in what is really happening and this video actually describes what they are doing lol..

I pray that this works out and I come out of it and everything still works that worked when I went in. Reading online and watching a dr talk about the surgery has me worried about what may go wrong after the surgery.

Unable to control my bowels, pain could be worse, unable to feel buttox and or my private area, blood clot, infection, spinal fluid leak, pain in the other leg, difficulty breathing and bad pain near the heart (blood clot) increased swelling, partial or complete paralysis.

I've got to do it, I just hope I come out walking, and able to control and feel my private and bowels.

Thanks for the kind words guys, I really appreciate it. Please keep me in your prayers as Tuesday can be a life changing experience for me, good or bad...

 

[CallDr]

If it's an outpatient surgery then you should be OK. Just take it easy and if you have any problems then call the Dr. Men are known to put things off. I hope you have someone to watch or care for you for at least a few days around the clock.

 

[sunshinegeckofarm]

I hope all goes well. if no one is around keep a thing to use for potty if you can't get up well to make it to the bathroom and keep a cooler with ice and some drinks and snacks by you if you are thristy or hungry. tho i dont think #2 would work well without a toilet but at least your a guy and peeing into a bottle or something isn't too difficult lol. I hope you do have someone around for the first week to help you since your worst pain will be then.

 

[bman123]

Well my surgery is today at 10:30 am and I'm pretty nervous lol. I took a Xanax to calm my nerves and help me sleep tonight. I'm past my time that I can't eat or drink anything til i have my surgery.

If I'm not too wasted off percocets I'll get online and let ya guys know how I'm doing. Thanks for the advice and help you guys I appreciate it..

 

[goReptiles]

good luck.

my boyfriend has recently ruptured the last vertebrae in his spine, and he's got some -osis where the ligament is no longer there. The vertebra just floats around. His options were surgery and a 3+ month recovery or a cortisone/steriod epidural. He opted for the epidural to get him through a few more years bc he can't take off work for 3 months.

What's sad is it is a work related injury that spurred the whole thing. He will have a hard time when he goes back, having to use a manual floor jack to raise/lower and pull 1200lb pallets plus lugging around 5 gallon jugs of water all day.

 

[Ga_herps]

hate to hear you have to go through surgery. I myself had cancerous tumors in my lower spine, and after tons of chemo, and 10 surgeries I am thankfully cancer free. I have one heck of scar running down half my back, and a couple of other residual side effects, but no worse for the wear. Maybe one day I will actually tell the whole story on this one, but no tonight. Good luck and just be thankful its not any worse of a problem. Oh and if they ask you if you need something for nerves before surgery take it

 

[tangerine863]

lol im only 13 and have had......... 5 surgeries, 24 stitches, 1 broken bone lol. i wouldnt be scared, they just use gas to knock you out real quick.

 

[Kristi23]

I hope your surgery went well and your recovery is quick.