Back surgery is here so prayers welcomed :)

[hoghntr]

On 2/18/2020 at 2:06 PM, PRDATR said:

How are you doing Mike, getting better?

I was transferred to a hardcore pt/ot rehab facility where I have to do 3 hours therapy a day. My arthritis always makes everything harder to recover from but the added mess of a bad nursing staff at prior hospital and some gut issues really set me back. 

I can honestly say Encompass Health is the absolute best place I have ever been and I feel when they release me I will be better ready for home than I have ever been sent home post op. The whole staff here works as a team, heck they find you wherever you are to give you meds or do sugar check etc THEY WILL FIND YOU L.O.L

If I have a 7 am pt they will wake me at 6 to get meds on board so I can have successful therapy session 👍👍👍 

I am at 67th av and Thunderbird I think they have 3 locations and they deal with everything here so keep it in mind if you or a realative needs any kind of intense rehab and a nursing facility is not enough. I give this place a A+++

Had to crop those lovely love handles outta pic but staples are 8-10".

BTW the main nerve pain we went after has been alleviated. for years ever step was like driving a knife into my femur (we thought it was all my hip surgeries and replacements) if I stood on just my right leg it felt as if that knife went all the way into knee and once I took weight off leg it was even worse as if you twisted the knife and was pulling out slowly. I am praising God and thankful for some pain relief!!! Heck I almost had hip split open last May and a new hip done so thankful God intervened and led me in this direction. 🙏 I'm still gonna have a ton of issues but 1 less pain is so overwhelming I have had a few crys thinking of a future a bit more normal. 🤷‍♂️ luckily the docs understand the emotion is pretty normal after such a bout with long term chronic pain issue especially when Va just kept ignoring it or saying all was fine with my spine. 😡 my thoracic and c spine are similar so pretty sure more to come but for now recovery is #1. 

I know a few of you Gulf War and Sommlia vets can relate!!! 

 

Thanks for all the prayers, Mike

[wildwoody]

Great to here.

[hoghntr]

Well I am home! Got some Fast Eddie's steak and eggs + hash browns with chz, jalapenos & tomatoes today so 🤗, Took my 1st cruise in 1 of those costco electric scooters today L.O.L. I have said no to them many times bedore but i went ahead and sucked it up and used 1 today. 🤷‍♂️ 

Mixed feelings about the surgery, i had a few weeks of no leg pain but now after some therapy and me using it I have right leg pain and weakness again... this could just be sorting of issues, like back issue that caused pain in my leg might be better but now I am getting a strong reminder of all the hip surgeries and nerve damage because I am actually now using my leg muscles and stirring up the nerves. It is confusing and the pain sucks but hopefully we can sort thru it and figure it all out. The old hip nerve damage has been controlled by burning nerves in the past so after some more healing it may be worth re visiting that. I just want a leg I can trust!!!

The Encompass Health rehab facility i was in at 67th av & Thunderbird I cannot say enough good things about them they were that squared away and good!!

 *As for Banner Desert surgical center at 101 & 60 I would not go there again if my life depended on it!!! 

 

Thanks for all the prayers and I ask that you continue to pray for us. I know I am having some doubt and I really need to shake that off and just push thru this and give it my all! 

 

No tags here, hope ya'll did good with the draw! I was shocked my kiddo did not draw elk again. 

[Couestracker]

Hope you heal well and soon Mike!

[PRDATR]

Heal fast Mike but don't push it.

[nw07heavy]

Mike,

Great to hear you are recovering. The very best wishes and prayers to you.

I too, just underwent back surgery, a four level S1-L5, L4-L5, L4-L3, and L3-L2 lumbar fusion surgery at Mayo Clinic. I was having excruciating pain while standing and walking due to spondylolisthesis and scoliosis. The first 3 to 4 weeks were brutal (due to pain) to get through, but now in the 5th week after surgery, PT and home exercise, especially walking a couples of miles per day are very quickly improving my walking and ambulatory abilities. Pain began to diminish about the 4th week after surgery. I am still on a limited activity level, but abilities are improving every week. I'm looking forward to getting out fishing and hunting. Fortunately my Mayo Clinic diagnosis, pre-op, operation procedure, and continued follow up were absolutely impeccable, and the previous back/hip pain are fully gone. 

Hang in there with therapy, and patience, and you'll hopefully soon be back to normal. The very best to you in your recovery, from someone in the same situation! Unfortunately, should you not achieve a satisfactory result in your back pain you may want to consult Mayo to see if they can help. Keep at anything that can help you get rid of that disabling/excruciating pain. Best wishes sir, because I understand!

[hoghntr]

On 3/5/2020 at 11:10 AM, nw07heavy said:

Mike,

Great to hear you are recovering. The very best wishes and prayers to you.

I too, just underwent back surgery, a four level S1-L5, L4-L5, L4-L3, and L3-L2 lumbar fusion surgery at Mayo Clinic. I was having excruciating pain while standing and walking due to spondylolisthesis and scoliosis. The first 3 to 4 weeks were brutal (due to pain) to get through, but now in the 5th week after surgery, PT and home exercise, especially walking a couples of miles per day are very quickly improving my walking and ambulatory abilities. Pain began to diminish about the 4th week after surgery. I am still on a limited activity level, but abilities are improving every week. I'm looking forward to getting out fishing and hunting. Fortunately my Mayo Clinic diagnosis, pre-op, operation procedure, and continued follow up were absolutely impeccable, and the previous back/hip pain are fully gone. 

Hang in there with therapy, and patience, and you'll hopefully soon be back to normal. The very best to you in your recovery, from someone in the same situation! Unfortunately, should you not achieve a satisfactory result in your back pain you may want to consult Mayo to see if they can help. Keep at anything that can help you get rid of that disabling/excruciating pain. Best wishes sir, because I understand!

Sounds like you way more than understand! Wowzer I have known a few folks or should say i have met a few folks that have gone thru similar to what you have and although their recovery was rough they all have felt so blessed to he fixed. 

Unfortunately my leg pain is not gone. 1 of my leg pains was removed (Praise God) with back surgery and i was hoping it would all be gone but now it is very clear i can't run from the 4 hip surgeries done on right side. I really need my back to heal 1st of all since my Gulf war illness/reactive arthritis (that's what happens when Va doesn't wanna just call it what it is 🤷‍♂️ interesting cuz now all service connection appeals say reactive arthritis also known as Gulf war illness 🤪) anyways my immune system is jacked and any surgery I have I end up with stitches or staples in a extra 10-14 days cuz even off meds I don't heal as fast as most. So i need to heal then either neurosurgeon or hip doc needs to figure out how to help me cuz I am really close to just throwing in the towel and riding a electric scooter the rest of my life. 

I had a hip doc do my revision 8 years back and thought for sure even though tests said prosthetic stem was secure all my symptoms said it was loose but when he went in stem was secure but the head was too small and had been dislocating and that made me destroy line within a year so replaced head and done.. so yes that removed a massive leg pain but still had pain in leg then back came along etc etc... well my original replacement was done anterior so thru the front because less chance of dislocations and really it is way less painful and you are feeling fantastic in 2 weeks but they forgot to mention how common nerve damage is with the anterior approach. 2nd anterior factor that might weigh in here is the stem is really short like half as long as a regular hip prosthetic stem.. So a theory from that same surgeon who did revision but not original hip and he also hates the type of hip I have, his theory is it just doesn't match my body type. I am 6' 2" and near 300lbs. He said most anterior hips are going in 100lb 80 year old women L.O.L. he thinks it is as if the prosthetic is just trying to bust outta my bone non stop cuz too short but x-rays show no fractures or anything so that is just a theory. A new normal length hip requires full revision and cutting part of femurnout to tap old stem out which risks breaking femur. even if it comes out then new goes in deeper then they screw that piece of none back on and wire things together... Unfortunately this might end up being what has to happen... 

I have been dealing with this so many years in am just sorta at my wits end... The key pain is truly mood altering and I feel bad cuz I often let that creep out on my family. pain just is not a excuse to be a jerk!!! 

 

I pray you continue to heal up well and i am thankful Mayo had the answers for you. Btw i would be at Mayo but Va/Triwest has a rule the facility must reply within 1 week or my referral gets dumped and i must go to primary and start it all over again, unfortunately Mayo and Barrows take a very long time to review your records and decide if they will take your case. Since Va never sends my records it is no suprise I never get accepted by Mayo to be a patient 🤬

 

Sorry for long post I needed to vent a little today. L.O.L.

[nw07heavy]

Mike,

I too was an Army vet, but during the Viet Nam War era. I am so very sorry to hear that VA has pretty much left you in a bad situation, very sorry! I was told that VA would always cover my medical regardless, but that was a lie. You have had many back surgeries at this point, and you will likely be reaching a point at which most back surgeons will not want to treat you.

A suggestion, if so inclined to do so: At your own expense, Call Mayo and ask for a Neurosurgeon/spine specialist consultation. Ask Mayo during your call what this consultation would cost you out of pocket. If you can afford it I would state my condition, and provide ALL my surgery X-ray, and MRI imaging, as well as all your textual reports. You must let Mayo know up front that you have had no real success from any past doctor or procedure. If you can get a suggestion as to treatment/treatments that would/could correct your issues, as best as possible, you might want to contact a VA appointed advocate. Many of these guys are incredible and persistent in helping you through the VA Charlie Foxtrot, to get you the action you need. It is worth a try, after all it is your back. I am going to be 69 soon, and I suspect you are far younger than I, and if so you have many years more of life to hope to enjoy. I have two neighbors that had VA issues, in one case a neighbor went to Senator McCain's office, the other neighbor went to Senator McSallys's office. In both cases the VA had its 'Act immediately' orders, and both issues were resolved immediately.

I am now seven weeks out of surgery, and my current issues being worked out are strength and coordination of my left foot and leg. Due to my scoliosis and arthritis my right leg muscles became very strong and overwhelming. During my operation the largest leg muscle was cut, to allow a more balanced strength between the left and right sides. The instrumentation within the lumbar area is so far proving to of no issue as far as pain. The surgeon stated that the right leg would take up to six months or more to bring up to normal strength. This is where I have been having neuropathic pain issues, but all in all everything is responding well to therapy and exercise. I can walk a from 1.6 to 4.0 miles, on moderate trail surfaces. I avoid any hard impacts, and plan my steps accordingly. These hikes bring on quite a bit of exhaustion and some pain, but everyday things improve. Like anybody else I get impatient and feel like things are taking too long, but I find that common with most of us. Here is an article covering the typical things and issues to expect after spine fusion: https://www.mommyrunsit.com/recovery-from-spinal-fusion-surgery-or-what-to-expect-when-your-bones-are-fusing/ 

Mike, I hope you soon improve to your satisfaction either with the doctors you are working with, or the surgeons you may have access to. Remember, you will reach a point at which most doctors will not accept you as a patient. VA needs to support and aid the veterans who served to protect the United States, period. No piece of paper, whether The Constitution, Bill Of Rights, or any other document ever gave any country or its citizens the freedoms they earned through war. It is only the soldier, or veteran, armed with his rifle, or nuclear missile, standing on that wall, that ensure our rights and freedoms.

Please let me know how you fare, and the very best of luck to you!

Please feel free to PM me at any time.

[hoghntr]

On 3/22/2020 at 10:45 AM, nw07heavy said:

Mike,

I too was an Army vet, but during the Viet Nam War era. I am so very sorry to hear that VA has pretty much left you in a bad situation, very sorry! I was told that VA would always cover my medical regardless, but that was a lie. You have had many back surgeries at this point, and you will likely be reaching a point at which most back surgeons will not want to treat you.

A suggestion, if so inclined to do so: At your own expense, Call Mayo and ask for a Neurosurgeon/spine specialist consultation. Ask Mayo during your call what this consultation would cost you out of pocket. If you can afford it I would state my condition, and provide ALL my surgery X-ray, and MRI imaging, as well as all your textual reports. You must let Mayo know up front that you have had no real success from any past doctor or procedure. If you can get a suggestion as to treatment/treatments that would/could correct your issues, as best as possible, you might want to contact a VA appointed advocate. Many of these guys are incredible and persistent in helping you through the VA Charlie Foxtrot, to get you the action you need. It is worth a try, after all it is your back. I am going to be 69 soon, and I suspect you are far younger than I, and if so you have many years more of life to hope to enjoy. I have two neighbors that had VA issues, in one case a neighbor went to Senator McCain's office, the other neighbor went to Senator McSallys's office. In both cases the VA had its 'Act immediately' orders, and both issues were resolved immediately.

I am now seven weeks out of surgery, and my current issues being worked out are strength and coordination of my left foot and leg. Due to my scoliosis and arthritis my right leg muscles became very strong and overwhelming. During my operation the largest leg muscle was cut, to allow a more balanced strength between the left and right sides. The instrumentation within the lumbar area is so far proving to of no issue as far as pain. The surgeon stated that the right leg would take up to six months or more to bring up to normal strength. This is where I have been having neuropathic pain issues, but all in all everything is responding well to therapy and exercise. I can walk a from 1.6 to 4.0 miles, on moderate trail surfaces. I avoid any hard impacts, and plan my steps accordingly. These hikes bring on quite a bit of exhaustion and some pain, but everyday things improve. Like anybody else I get impatient and feel like things are taking too long, but I find that common with most of us. Here is an article covering the typical things and issues to expect after spine fusion: https://www.mommyrunsit.com/recovery-from-spinal-fusion-surgery-or-what-to-expect-when-your-bones-are-fusing/ 

Mike, I hope you soon improve to your satisfaction either with the doctors you are working with, or the surgeons you may have access to. Remember, you will reach a point at which most doctors will not accept you as a patient. VA needs to support and aid the veterans who served to protect the United States, period. No piece of paper, whether The Constitution, Bill Of Rights, or any other document ever gave any country or its citizens the freedoms they earned through war. It is only the soldier, or veteran, armed with his rifle, or nuclear missile, standing on that wall, that ensure our rights and freedoms.

Please let me know how you fare, and the very best of luck to you!

Please feel free to PM me at any time.

I just saw this thank you. Getting ready to post another prayer request for another surgery in a few hours. 😕