Laminectomy Back Surgery

[gumby73]

? What's that? ?

That's when getting old Gumby can't flex, cause of some (aging 58 year) bone spurs in L4/L5, playing whack-mole, up against his spinal nerve (Ouch!)

Gum's is diagnosed with serve spinal stenosis for over a year now..

Reads of something truly to this..  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10895-laminectomy-surgery-for-back-pain

With recovery? surgery stories. with the results of these.... https://comments.emedicinehealth.com/lumbar_laminectomy/viewer-comments_em-2556.htm   wtf?

So ?.... Last Tuesday,(11-2) I started my day, hitting the coffee pot.. to proceed... to hit the floor, with tens machine, because the right calf muscle & foot are now paralyzed up in nerve pain, to lock down a grown ass man ...To Standing up? Relaxes, with-in 30-60 minutes of cussing hell.. I made it through work with the tens machine on back most of the day Weds. & Thurs... I shut myself down from work? After Thursday..My Doc, shut me down until next Saturday the 13th.. with hydrocodone.. 

My Neuro-Surgeon..wanted me to try physical therapy.. attended 5th session this past Friday... The good news is? I go to the Pain & Spine Clinic on Wednesday the 10th... My only relieve? Seems to be in waiting of a 3rd steroid injection?  

Yourself? Family? Friend? ....ever been through any of this?  I'd just like to digest any advise given

Thanks! Gumby73  (meanwhile....I'll be doped up.. to watching a lot of football ?  

[mjp28]

Hey Gumby we hear you.  An accident in 1987 left me with a fracture and dislocation of my C6-7 (brief version) had my neck wired and fused with a cadaver bone and a full halo brace -and- a 6½ month hospital visit.

Left me with spinal nerve pain down my left side to my toes, right not much.  Also sciatic pain left. hip.

I've had/tried TENS, ANS, bio feedback,  epidural shots, OT, PT with no or limited results among others.

And pain meds I've been through the whole routine and now go to a Pain Clinic for Rx to try to keep a lid on it.

Hang in there pal !  mjp

[mjp28]

@gumby73 said:

? What's that? ?

Thanks! Gumby73  (meanwhile....I'll be doped up.. to watching a lot of football ?  

Oh yeah watching football ? definitely helps !     GO BROWNS !

[Axe]

I've had both RFA and A2M procedures recently. ️

I understand.

[gumby73]

Best Victory Monday 4 pm phone call I could take ?

Pain & Spine Clinic moved my appointment up to tomorrow @ 12:30... ?

My right ankle & shin can't wait to dance into there.. ?

[TexasAg1969]

Good luck with that. I avoided surgery back in the 70s with severe lower back spasms from a hard tennis serve (gave up the game for racquetball which does not require that repetitive motion). I had to spend 6 months laying down and doing constant stretching exercises instead of opting for a few weeks in hospitalized traction with bedpans, etc. The options available today are so much more refined it's night and day. But I understand the pain involved. No fun whatsoever. I'm sure you will recover fine with rehab after surgery.?

[gumby73]

@gumby73 said:

Pain & Spine Clinic moved my appointment up to tomorrow @ 12:30... ?

turned more into a consultation 

Took a few Lanacane shots to lower spine..2 good ones to calf muscle.. added prescribed muscle relaxer to sleep

nerves seem to have calmed down...

Return this Thursday...Doc's .. Big Shot injection Day

So...

[TexasAg1969]

@gumby73 said:

turned more into a consultation 

Took a few Lanacane shots to lower spine..2 good ones to calf muscle.. added prescribed muscle relaxer to sleep

nerves seem to have calmed down...

Return this Thursday...Doc's .. Big Shot injection Day

So...

Take two shots of this and call me in the morning. ?

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

[gumby73]

@texasag1969 said:

Take two shots of this and call me in the morning. ?

Thanks Ag..

That's about what I needed about 4am... after those Lanacane shots wore off... HydroCodone, with no made Coffee in site was still excellent...

I'm scheduled to return to work with 700 mailboxes by Saturday ... ?...Man !... by Thursday, she better have some miracle needle ready.. Therapy Friday..  

[gumby73]

@gumby73 said:

I'm scheduled to return to work with 700 mailboxes by Saturday ... ?...Man !... by Thursday, she better have some miracle needle ready.. Therapy Friday..  

in short.. 

Thursday's Steroid injection shot to L-4/-5 swung me to the best I've felt all week...

Friday.. Woke-up to same right calf muscle flaring up with running (spiders) running around with pins & needles & foot numbness.. Physical Therapy went great.. got all flow settled down.. I knew my mail route would be a mess..(gone a week)  Reported into work.. to re-case failed attempted mail 2.5 hours(that's bad)

Woke Saturday... to great pain in right calf again.. But knowing, I can work it out with rubber restraint exercises.. Feeling about 85%...so I'm up to, rolling out this mail & packages galore..

Hoping I can push myself & ? to get this past Christmas?

Balancing all my new meds.(skittles) & leg cramp stretches with God's help might get me there? 

Call me...'day to day' ?...(back to Family Doc next Happy Friday)

Gumby Out! (this damm house!)

and Thanks...

Leaving here with a small game-day Sunday tip...   

Baker Mayfield heads to Tom Brady's house... Bake will be the ball slinging actor to Tom Brady ?  Go Browns & Go Gumby !

[mjp28]

@texasag1969 said:

Take two shots of this and call me in the morning. ?

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

Those things always remind me of premium cigar box and cigar wrappers.  

[gumby73]

@gumby73 said:

Woke Saturday... to great pain in right calf again.. But knowing, I can work it out with rubber restraint exercises.. Feeling about 85%...so I'm up to, rolling out this mail & packages galore..

Call me...'day to day' ?...   

Went better than I expected... 

I found,

that standing, twisting and bending to lift parcels off concrete floors for 4 hours was the hardest part.. (stressed back/knee's & calf muscle)

I needed to cheat the dress code to reduce swelling/nerve tingling.. Got in the truck & switched shoes to crocs ?.. what a relieve, the other 5 hour drive time was !

No Codine, no meds at all this morning needed..did restraint exercises... and were out the door for a Family Breakfast & some Lord..

a Victory Monday sure would help !

#onedayatatime

[TexasAg1969]

@gumby73 said:

Went better than I expected... 

I found,

that standing, twisting and bending to lift parcels off concrete floors for 4 hours was the hardest part.. (stressed back/knee's & calf muscle)

I needed to cheat the dress code to reduce swelling/nerve tingling.. Got in the truck & switched shoes to crocs ?.. what a relieve, the other 5 hour drive time was !

No Codine, no meds at all this morning needed..did restraint exercises... and were out the door for a Family Breakfast & some Lord..

a Victory Monday sure would help !

#onedayatatime

I'll bet you can get your Dr. to write a "prescription" to wear your crocs at work at all times. No supervisor will ever try to go against that "order" from an MD.

[gumby73]

@texasag1969 said:

I'll bet you can get your Dr. to write a "prescription" to wear your crocs at work at all times. No supervisor will ever try to go against that "order" from an MD.

see him Friday.. won't hurt to ask... thanks!

[mjp28]

@gumby73 said:

see him Friday.. won't hurt to ask... thanks!

Oh yes the "click-click" treatment works wonders 98.6% of the time.   Used by athletes everywhere.

Oh well it's GAME TIME !

[TexasAg1969]

@gumby73 said:

see him Friday.. won't hurt to ask... thanks!

Just let him know how much better you felt when you switched to them in the truck. There are also orthopedic shoes made specifically to ease your problem too I think.

[gumby73]

On Wednesday Nov. 17th, the official tap-out workday had arrived..

Employer & said Employee (me) agreed, I can no longer preform my job duties.. FLMA papers will be filled out by my doctor at 10:40 am today Friday the 19th..

Surgery time has arrived..

This past work week... the double load out of parcel deliveries is mandated upon every carrier.. Management had no issue with giving me crocs relieve, wearing them on the route (i'll need a wet day plan) or staying in my work station, this week..For Twice.. they also gave me other employee parcel assistants on my route.. 

Few downfalls?

1) don't lift parcels straining your back..use your legs...in Medic teams.. I no longer have a right leg calf muscle firing properly due to the nerves not firing (as of Nov.2).. was causing odd swelling areas in calf muscle area (therapy suction cups, are a wonderful rubber thing)   

2) Drivers can have no driver restrictions.. time/extra miles driven are mandated upon all drivers/carriers Xmas season .. I've been stressing my L/4 L/5 nerve area, with just taking 1 trip of 51 miles/5 hours..almost a year.. but never had to deal with this new pain that arrived in calf muscle/shin area at start of Nov.

Employer/Employee, hope is? We have agreed to not let FLMA, kick-in until 3 days prior to pending surgery date.. so.. in ending, short terms..I feel like..

I'm a grown as$ 58 year old man... Waiting on my Maternity leave ?    very blessed at this time to carry over ? paid leave days..

my untraveled path life chosen? seems to be lying ahead me... reaching my Retirement goals have not changed.. I'll bounce BacK !     

[gumby73]

Told Friday..11-19

1) Doc..."I'll give your employer through Wednesday to get a sub trained on your mail route". Thanksgiving Day starts your FLMA leave, through mid Feb.. I'm stopping Yourself !

2) Per Surgeon..Went to Day Hospital also Friday..  Got checked out for possible blood clots in right calf area.. Flexsion Extension spine X-Ray done to detail surgery process. 2nd Nerve Conduction test also completed..

Happy Friday! hospital gown showings ended about 8 hours into the 1st one ?.. Happy life.. Happy Wife.. had homemade Lasagna coming out of the oven on my arrival home  ?

[Westside Steve]

I always worry about back surgery.  Good luck and best wishes to whoever gets it

WSS 

[gumby73]

@gumby73 said:

Told Friday..11-19

2) Per Surgeon..Went to Day Hospital also Friday..  Got checked out for possible blood clots in right calf area.. Flexsion Extension spine X-Ray done to detail surgery process. 2nd Nerve Conduction test also completed..

Bosses gave me the day off to get these results moving into the right hands... Raining of C-town yesterday around these parts.. but 66 degrees I'll take..

Victory Monday approach in style...

Elf cap & Baker Mayfield #6 Jersey I'm walking in their house with !

may a Bagel, Steelqueer or Ratbird fan be out to talk ? today ! 

edit-- ultrasound showed no blood clots..ruptured disc? cause of calf pain/swelling.. expect call, with x-ray result/surgery plan, after thanksgiving.