The Knife Awaits...

[Guest lyrik]

So this Wednesday I go under the knife. They are going to be doing a discectomy and removing a part of my last lumbar disc. I've been laid up on my back for almost two months now trying different things to get better (shot to the spine etc) and this is the last effort...other than this its full disc replacement or spinal fusion YAAAAAAA ME!

I haven't been put under in well....I don't think ever...at least since I was a toddler. The surgery doesn't scare me its the whole sedation thing...weird I know I just don't like being without control and aware of whats going on around me...I'd rather be awake and suffer through the pain.

[ryan2772]

i went under when i got my wisdom teeth removed...it was very strange, i didn't like it. but i have a feeling it's much better than being awake, and it's much better than them hitting you over the head with a mallot to knock you out.

just be careful the doctor doesn't do dirty things to you

[Guest Marina22]

I have a herniated disc that I found out about three years ago while picking up a kid to put him on a swing. I was hunchbacked for a few days (couldn't walk without my hands on my knees) and then I chiropracted, massaged and electroed (no, not the music) for a cpl of months after. I don't believe in chiropracters just excercises to strengthen your core. I assume you have to undergo this surgery no matter what. However, all I heard from people with back problems, since mine, is that you should avoid surgery at all costs. Good Luck with yours and enjoy the drugs they give ya at least..

[V. Barbarino]

I had it done on my L4-L5 and L5-S1

My brother had the same surgery 11 years prior though with ours they do it differently. They take wire, feed it thru the muscle to the spine column, then they put a "straw" over it, then a bigger one, then a bigger one then a bigger one, then they pull out the middle now it gives them a tunnel to your discs. They chip off bone to make the passage bigger, then they cut off part of the bad disc. I was under for about 2 hours, threw up everywhere because of the morphine when I came to.

Your toes may go numb when you wake up, don't panic, it's normal. Getting in and out of bed is an 2 hour long event, yes it's that painful. You have to walk and do your physical therapy, it totally helped me. Hamstrings, hamstrings hamstrings! You have to work your hammys and pump up your abs in order for you to live a pain free life. You have a 2% failure rate, you'll be fine, just don't do a replacement or fusion, they will ruin your life.

I figured out how to use the MRI cd, one day I'll frame the screen shots of it pod will blow them up for me. So I got on google and learned how to read the MRI, took a few weeks, and sure enough when the doc looked at them, I pointed them out and I was right. By looking at the pics below it may seem easy but it's not, they are screen captures an MRI cd, slices thru the body, so you have to find the right slice and position, it's really hard.

Here they are I put arrows in so you can see them. The 1st one is L4-L5, that little bump is the disc, it should be round but where the bulge is, is where they cut it off. In this pics, the left side of the body is on the right. Your back is on the bottom.

[V. Barbarino]

I have a herniated disc that I found out about three years ago while picking up a kid to put him on a swing. I was hunchbacked for a few days (couldn't walk without my hands on my knees) and then I chiropracted, massaged and electroed (no, not the music) for a cpl of months after. I don't believe in chiropracters just excercises to strengthen your core. I assume you have to undergo this surgery no matter what. However, all I heard from people with back problems, since mine, is that you should avoid surgery at all costs. Good Luck with yours and enjoy the drugs they give ya at least..

if your pain didn't radiate all the way to your ankle, then you don't have a herniated disc. Herniated discs don't cause back pain and chiros are scam artists.

[Guest lyrik]

I had it done on my L4-L5 and L5-S1

My brother had the same surgery 11 years prior though with ours they do it differently. They take wire, feed it thru the muscle to the spine column, then they put a "straw" over it, then a bigger one, then a bigger one then a bigger one, then they pull out the middle now it gives them a tunnel to your discs. They chip off bone to make the passage bigger, then they cut off part of the bad disc. I was under for about 2 hours, threw up everywhere because of the morphine when I came to.

Your toes may go numb when you wake up, don't panic, it's normal. Getting in and out of bed is an 2 hour long event, yes it's that painful. You have to walk and do your physical therapy, it totally helped me. Hamstrings, hamstrings hamstrings! You have to work your hammys and pump up your abs in order for you to live a pain free life. You have a 2% failure rate, you'll be fine, just don't do a replacement or fusion, they will ruin your life.

I figured out how to use the MRI cd, one day I'll frame the screen shots of it pod will blow them up for me. So I got on google and learned how to read the MRI, took a few weeks, and sure enough when the doc looked at them, I pointed them out and I was right. By looking at the pics below it may seem easy but it's not, they are screen captures an MRI cd, slices thru the body, so you have to find the right slice and position, it's really hard.

Here they are I put arrows in so you can see them. The 1st one is L4-L5, that little bump is the disc, it should be round but where the bulge is, is where they cut it off. In this pics, the left side of the body is on the right. Your back is on the bottom.

Ya I am kinda worried about the throwing up. I can read my MRI's pretty well now too since this has been about an 8 year deal with me...tell ya the truth Nick your MRI's look a hell of a lot better than mine. My last two lumbar spaces are completely black and my last lumbar herniatian extends a lot further out. I've been reading all about the surgery. I didn't realize there would be that much pain after. I mean I can barely walk as it is with the pain in my leg and ass. Was it a lot of pain near the incision area? i don't have any lower back pain right now. Its actually weird because since I have orig. hurt my back 8 years ago I have run the table with different pain from reaggravating it...and yup I hear on the disc replacement and fusion I don't want anything to do with that shit.

[Guest lyrik]

Oh and that straw method you described I believe is one of the newer methods...I think they are going to do the standard procedure on me. The one inch incision and the laminectomy first through the muscle/tendon layers to expose the spine and disc and then the removal of the herniation along with any bone and excess fragments.

[Bling]

being put under scares me as well. i had a hernia operation when i was 6 and was put under. since then i havent but that stuff traumatizes u at that age. prolly why i havent had my wisdom teeth removed yet even though they bug me time to time and prolly fucking up my entire bite even more......

[Guest swirlundergrounder]

...I'd rather be awake and suffer through the pain.

YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

The last thing you want to do is have 'anesthesia awareness' which (if you don't know already) is the event that you wake up prematurely during surgery where you feel the pain of the surgery and you can't move, speak or do anything.

I think it occurs something like 1 in 1000 surgeries.

So if I were you Rex Grossman, I would take back what you said before it's to late...

[Guest lyrik]

...I'd rather be awake and suffer through the pain.

YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

The last thing you want to do is have 'anesthesia awareness' which (if you don't know already) is the event that you wake up prematurely during surgery where you feel the pain of the surgery and you can't move, speak or do anything.

I think it occurs something like 1 in 1000 surgeries.

So if I were you Rex Grossman, I would take back what you said before it's to late...

Ya thats another thing that freaks me out...especially since I do have sleep paralysis.

[Guest swirlundergrounder]

...I'd rather be awake and suffer through the pain.

YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

The last thing you want to do is have 'anesthesia awareness' which (if you don't know already) is the event that you wake up prematurely during surgery where you feel the pain of the surgery and you can't move, speak or do anything.

I think it occurs something like 1 in 1000 surgeries.

So if I were you Rex Grossman, I would take back what you said before it's to late...

Ya thats another thing that freaks me out...especially since I do have sleep paralysis.

Then you should have your mental patterns monitored while you are under.

Surgeons have access to these monitors that reads a persons brain sctivity during surgery.

Only about half of the hospitals that have these use them even though they are available to them.

[Guest jona7]

oh i thought you meant the restaurant..

[V. Barbarino]

I asked about feeling pain even though I am out, since I saw it on the discovery channel, I asked the Doc, I can't remember if they did a test or not but he made me feel comfortable so I was ok with it.

The pics you see, don't tell you how bad it really is, the pics are done by me, I'm sure other slices tell a different story but the doc will look at the nerve to determine how bad it is. The doc told my parents when I was done that I was in extreme pain that my nerve was extremely inflamed. Plus this is not an exact science, they must go in there and look to get the full story. My doc literally wrote the book on this surgery. They will use the Xrays for the surgery not the cd anyways.

See here

I don't know why they would use the old technique, makes no sense to me to rip open the muscle like that, that's how they did my brothers, but our post surgery was about the same.

Zero pain in my incision spot which is about 1 inch long vertical which is the same as my brothers.

I know your pain, I walked around like that for 2 years, I had no insurance at the time. I wanted to die, yes die, I was to the point it was either surgery or death, luckily I quit my job with no insurance and got one with and got my surgery in oct of 05.

The pain will be intense, but they force you to walk, they need the nerve to move around or it can get stuck. When my toes went numb the next morning I was scared but at the same time that morning 80% of my leg pain was gone, mind you I didn't get out of surgery till about midnight So it was only 6 hours. I had this mental picture of my nerve just un-twisting like a garden hose, it was amazing, it was like a miracle. I wanted to hug the surgeon.

Seriously it will take you 2 hours to get out of bed. Funny thing is my brother and I compared stories and we used the same technique, roll onto your stomach and slide off inch by inch over 2 hours, use your upper body. When your pain finally goes away and you can walk, I remember just starring at my leg with amazement there was no pain. Even till this day, I still stare at it in amazement.

6 weeks out, you are healed and you can what ever you want, including lifting weights. You need to understand this is a life long battle. The pain will come back and disappear without surgery. The key is loosing weight, working your abs, sitting up right, use pillows for your back in your car or office chair, you can get them at walgreens and stretch your hammys. Take your post op serious, if you don't you could ruin your life. Make sure the PT's know you had a surgery and not suing someone, they will treat you better.

I can do anything I want these days, I can induce slight pain by certain positions or positions in the gym, so you learn over time not to do them. My brother had a flare up for 2 weeks over the summer, he's fine now. He bought a new bed, ditched his water bed and listened to me about stretching.

Once I was done throwing up, when I got back into my room, I was burning up so bad, they had to cover me in ice, morphine is some sick shit,it's evil and I hated it. I hit that button so many times to induce more into my IV hopefully so I'd pass out, but the computer shut it down. I've had zero back pain during my entire trama, all the pain was down my butt, to behind my knee, to the outside of my ankle. I would seriously kill myself if i had to do it again, it's inhuman.

You are probably like me, you would rather take a chance of dying on the table then live another day like that. I paid my dues.

[Guest lyrik]

I asked about feeling pain even though I am out, since I saw it on the discovery channel, I asked the Doc, I can't remember if they did a test or not but he made me feel comfortable so I was ok with it.

The pics you see, don't tell you how bad it really is, the pics are done by me, I'm sure other slices tell a different story but the doc will look at the nerve to determine how bad it is. The doc told my parents when I was done that I was in extreme pain that my nerve was extremely inflamed. Plus this is not an exact science, they must go in there and look to get the full story. My doc literally wrote the book on this surgery. They will use the Xrays for the surgery not the cd anyways.

See here

I don't know why they would use the old technique, makes no sense to me to rip open the muscle like that, that's how they did my brothers, but our post surgery was about the same.

Zero pain in my incision spot which is about 1 inch long vertical which is the same as my brothers.

I know your pain, I walked around like that for 2 years, I had no insurance at the time. I wanted to die, yes die, I was to the point it was either surgery or death, luckily I quit my job with no insurance and got one with and got my surgery in oct of 05.

The pain will be intense, but they force you to walk, they need the nerve to move around or it can get stuck. When my toes went numb the next morning I was scared but at the same time that morning 80% of my leg pain was gone, mind you I didn't get out of surgery till about midnight So it was only 6 hours. I had this mental picture of my nerve just un-twisting like a garden hose, it was amazing, it was like a miracle. I wanted to hug the surgeon.

Seriously it will take you 2 hours to get out of bed. Funny thing is my brother and I compared stories and we used the same technique, roll onto your stomach and slide off inch by inch over 2 hours, use your upper body. When your pain finally goes away and you can walk, I remember just starring at my leg with amazement there was no pain. Even till this day, I still stare at it in amazement.

6 weeks out, you are healed and you can what ever you want, including lifting weights. You need to understand this is a life long battle. The pain will come back and disappear without surgery. The key is loosing weight, working your abs, sitting up right, use pillows for your back in your car or office chair, you can get them at walgreens and stretch your hammys. Take your post op serious, if you don't you could ruin your life. Make sure the PT's know you had a surgery and not suing someone, they will treat you better.

I can do anything I want these days, I can induce slight pain by certain positions or positions in the gym, so you learn over time not to do them. My brother had a flare up for 2 weeks over the summer, he's fine now. He bought a new bed, ditched his water bed and listened to me about stretching.

Once I was done throwing up, when I got back into my room, I was burning up so bad, they had to cover me in ice, morphine is some sick shit,it's evil and I hated it. I hit that button so many times to induce more into my IV hopefully so I'd pass out, but the computer shut it down. I've had zero back pain during my entire trama, all the pain was down my butt, to behind my knee, to the outside of my ankle. I would seriously kill myself if i had to do it again, it's inhuman.

You are probably like me, you would rather take a chance of dying on the table then live another day like that. I paid my dues.

Ya you hit the nail completely on the head. Apprehension about the surgery aside I would rather die than go through life like this with the pain and restriction of movement. I mean I cannot even enjoy taking a shower...everything is a chore.

Ya I don't know why they are choosing the older method, but I am reassured by the facility I am having the procedure done at...very upscale and the fact that I have been really taken care of by everyone so far.They have made it really comfortable for me. The last time I hurt my back in Miami I sat in this stupid ghetto ER room (Baptist South) at the recommendation of the ambulance crew - it was suppose to be quicker...I was sat in a wheelchair for 6 hours...rubbed my elbows so raw they were bleeding and they wouldn't give me a bed...never again. I learned my lesson about that shit and ambulances.

My surgeon is pretty well recognized and skilled (I made sure to do my homework). I've been told by the docs just how you described the recovery in addition to the success rate so I am looking forward to putting this behind me.

Truth be told this shit prob. happened from me moving out here to Dallas in the past year and putting back on 15 or so pounds. I had dropped about 85 pounds back when I was in Miami. I was stupid and was trying to move around about 200 lbs of bricks in my garage after I had already aggrevated my back in the gym a week earlier. After this shit I am going to commit myself to lose at least another 45+ pounds.

[V. Barbarino]

Weak abs lead to a weak back.. When the abs can't handle the load your back takes over which is bad. However this doesn't cause your problem, most people have herniated discs, just they are facing away from the nerves. We just got unlucky and they hit the nerves. Taking jogging out of your vocab, swimming is the cure of all cures.

98% success rate, just make sure you realize this is a life long battle, do your follow up, take it serious, get educated and you'll learn to smell the flowers again.

Also for the people around you, who didn't understand what you went thru, you were probbably a dick to them since you were in so much pain, they don't understand how painful it is, so make sure you repair your relationships.

[Guest lyrik]

Weak abs lead to a weak back.. When the abs can't handle the load your back takes over which is bad. However this doesn't cause your problem, most people have herniated discs, just they are facing away from the nerves. We just got unlucky and they hit the nerves. Taking jogging out of your vocab, swimming is the cure of all cures.

98% success rate, just make sure you realize this is a life long battle, do your follow up, take it serious, get educated and you'll learn to smell the flowers again.

Also for the people around you, who didn't understand what you went thru, you were probbably a dick to them since you were in so much pain, they don't understand how painful it is, so make sure you repair your relationships.

Ya been doing some heavy reading as of late and the swimming is probably the first thing I'll be doing along with walking. The doc said my back looks like that of a much older person and more than likely I will need to have something done down the line. I'm just hoping with proper excercise and building up the strength in my stomach, abs and back I can prolong that as much as possible.

The most I've done to my friends is just ignore their calls and put them off. My wife has been pretty much taking care of me, which I totally feel for her she is 5 months pregnant now. I've actually been pretty ok with my spirits...of course when the pain comes from moving and going to appts there is not much I can do but bite my lip...I certainly couldn't take it on her she has done so much. Thank God I haven't had any blowups...you know from dealing with something like this for 2 years...you just kind of know how the pain is coming before hand and just deal...there have been some pretty aweful days, but to me I think I just sound all whiney so I acctually apologize to her for sounding so annoying.

[V. Barbarino]

From when I hurt my back to the day of my surgery, there was only pain, never once did it go away, pills wouldn't do shit, I was dead on the inside. They rated my pain at a 10 out of 10, I walked this way for 2 years. My brother couldn't imagine how I made it, looking back, it's a miracle I"m alive.

[Guest cire]

Wow, glad you're better and good luck to the other. May all go well!

[Guest lyrik]

From when I hurt my back to the day of my surgery, there was only pain, never once did it go away, pills wouldn't do shit, I was dead on the inside. They rated my pain at a 10 out of 10, I walked this way for 2 years. My brother couldn't imagine how I made it, looking back, it's a miracle I"m alive.

Just got back from all the pre-op teaching and consent...tomorrow at 545 pm is the day. I'm so freakin ready I had to do so much walking today I'm ready to just pass out...and from waiting for elevators in pain with rude ass people cutting in front of you... fuckin asshole it was easy to see how much pain I was in from me being basically doubled over...guess his fuckin package he had to drop off was more important than common courtesy...DIE SCUMBAG! I had to lay on the floor in the office and have my wife take the computer totourial...pain is a humbling experience when you can only get relief from laying on your back and not being able to sit or stand. You really value the littlest things in life such as walking up a flight of stairs. One more day.

[V. Barbarino]

They will make you put on these stockings that are tight, pretty weird. They will pre sedate you before they wheel you in. As soon as you hit the OR, it's freezing up in there. Once the mask comes on, the next thing you'll know is you are in pain, your are hot, probably throwing up, and you feel like you did 345723498574398572345897498 sit ups but you'll be smiling. Don't expect the pain to disappear, the nerve has to heal. More than likely one of your discs is fine, it's probably not hurting you, but they do both while they are in there. You should see a 80% reduction in leg pain when you wake up, your toes will go numb, because the signals are now hitting them for the 1st time in a long time. When you wake up, the doc will visit you, and they probably will make you walk around the hospital for a few laps. Word to the wise, hospitals are noisy, buy some ear plugs!!! I wish I had them, in fact, bring an ipod, and man up, send the wife home for the night. Dont' make her stay there.

They will give you some percs, you will feel like a 100 year old guy walking wise. The ride home you need to be perfectly seated vertical, and drive slow, no bumps etc. Wear gym clothes, be comfortable.

[Guest lyrik]

They will make you put on these stockings that are tight, pretty weird. They will pre sedate you before they wheel you in. As soon as you hit the OR, it's freezing up in there. Once the mask comes on, the next thing you'll know is you are in pain, your are hot, probably throwing up, and you feel like you did 345723498574398572345897498 sit ups but you'll be smiling. Don't expect the pain to disappear, the nerve has to heal. More than likely one of your discs is fine, it's probably not hurting you, but they do both while they are in there. You should see a 80% reduction in leg pain when you wake up, your toes will go numb, because the signals are now hitting them for the 1st time in a long time. When you wake up, the doc will visit you, and they probably will make you walk around the hospital for a few laps. Word to the wise, hospitals are noisy, buy some ear plugs!!! I wish I had them, in fact, bring an ipod, and man up, send the wife home for the night. Dont' make her stay there.

They will give you some percs, you will feel like a 100 year old guy walking wise. The ride home you need to be perfectly seated vertical, and drive slow, no bumps etc. Wear gym clothes, be comfortable.

Ya I was thinking the same about the ipod. I already told the wife as soon as I am out of surgery for her to head home...its too fuckin cold in there anyway for her and she needs to take care of the dog too...oddly enough my poor dog has had some pain in his last disc in his spine, we've had him on infmammatory meds and some new protein all nat. things called enzymes and he has made a full recovery. They only have me slated for one disc to be worked on in the orders and the the other didn't seem to bad...but shit do it while they can.

[Guest lyrik]

Back from surgery...must say it went pretty damn smooth. They knocked me out and next thing I know I'm talking about getting beers on the way out of the surgery room going to recovery. Leg pain is basically completely all gone...no nausea/throwing up....able to get up and walk with a little strain...def not that much pain. Just a little uncomfortable with the bandage and the slight burn from the incision...other than that it went with flying colors. My surgeon was bomb.

[V. Barbarino]

Back from surgery...must say it went pretty damn smooth. They knocked me out and next thing I know I'm talking about getting beers on the way out of the surgery room going to recovery. Leg pain is basically completely all gone...no nausea/throwing up....able to get up and walk with a little strain...def not that much pain. Just a little uncomfortable with the bandage and the slight burn from the incision...other than that it went with flying colors. My surgeon was bomb.

good to hear, again though, it takes time for the nerve to heal, so listen to the post op advice. You got a second chance, use it wisely.

[Guest lyrik]

Back from surgery...must say it went pretty damn smooth. They knocked me out and next thing I know I'm talking about getting beers on the way out of the surgery room going to recovery. Leg pain is basically completely all gone...no nausea/throwing up....able to get up and walk with a little strain...def not that much pain. Just a little uncomfortable with the bandage and the slight burn from the incision...other than that it went with flying colors. My surgeon was bomb.

good to hear, again though, it takes time for the nerve to heal, so listen to the post op advice. You got a second chance, use it wisely.

ya that pca pump in the hospital was heaven sent...wish I could have brought it home with me. I just passed out for like 6 hours and there was considerable pain when I woke up - I let the meds wear off too much, but now I'm good after dropping a few. Just have that worry in the back of my mind of the pain coming back. Leg pumps...leg pumps. Thanks for all the heads up it helped...if nothing more than to let me know what to expect.

My surgery day was so chaotic...the scheduling nurse told me 545 pm and I even confirmed it like 5 times with diff people...the day comes and they call me at 645 am saying where was I...I had to rush to the hospital...my wife overdosed my dog in the confusion because he was on meds too for his back...she thought she was giving him this all nat. supplement we have him on, but instead gave him 3 dog aspirins and a half of his prescribed inflammatory...so she rushed me to the hosp..left me...rushed back for the dog...took him into the vet they made him throw up and kept him...as I woke from surgery other than the beer I was talking about drinking I aked about my dog first.

[Guest Buck White]

Lyric, what did you do to f*ck up your back in the first place ? If you explained already...I missed it. ???