Wazzup

[T.Q.]

Just checking in.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Had crazy herniated disk 4 months ago. Ended up in the ER.

We were on vacation in Hawai’i and actually flew to Ft. Lauderdale so I would be closer to home. 18 hours of travel in sheer agony.

Ended up getting emergency laminectomy. Screws and cages. L4/L5 and L5/S1.

Anyone had this? Hoping to golf again some day.

Close to a Magnum rewatch. Been 4 years now.

Cheers

[metalmoose]

I have a screwed up and crushed L1 disc. Had surgery after several months of nerve pains and numbness all the down my leg. 7 weeks later I still can't do any real work and don't feel too much better. I am 50, in good shape, very active and not overweight. I'm about %50 better. Hope you get well, being injured sucks!

[Nikita70]

Sorry to hear TQ. Back pain ain’t no joke. Take it easy and recuperate. Pass the time rewatching Magnum!

[80s Big Hair]

My body went from being completely great to everything going wrong at around your age (I was 51, now 52). My nonstop medical appointments (not exaggerating, as many as 4/day, but that is unusual) keep me from working full time. But I can work from home and do things when convenient for me to do so. So that is good, whereas you have a job where you have to physically be somewhere. Your back will get better, not completely better, but that is how it is. You should be able to adapt to the new circumstances and cope with doing things that you can no longer do as you did before. My therapists are very impressed with how I adapted so it is doable. I wish you the best. I am awaiting a time that I can vacation. The constant medical appointments kill that idea straight off. I do not want to go to Hawaii or any place special, just my house in the north woods of Wisconsin. I wish to be either on my boat or dock with some great Grateful Dead show playing, my dog lounging around, and me sipping on drinks and snacking on unhealthy foods. That is my dream.

Strive for your dream!

[T.Q.]

Thanks for the well wishes.

Yes, I realized I am old at 50.

When I turned 40, I lost 70lbs (265-195) and at 45 I was best shape of my life. Felt like Superman.

Then poof... A back injury at 48... And downhill pretty fast from there...

Imma fightin' it though.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Thanks for the well wishes.

Yes, I realized I am old at 50.

When I turned 40, I lost 70lbs (265-195) and at 45 I was best shape of my life. Felt like Superman.

Then poof... A back injury at 48... And downhill pretty fast from there...

Imma fightin' it though.

Sorry to hear that, T.Q. How did you injure your back at 48? Heavy lifting? Weight lifting?

I just started jogging again after not having jogged for about 4 years. After our son was born any and all exercises pretty much went out the window. Lots of walks and strolls outside either with baby carriage or tricycle but nothing that you could call a jog or even a power walk. I used to jog pretty regularly few times a week after work. Now I'm getting back into it, trying to do it at least every other day, weather permitting (don't want to do it in extreme heat/humidity). I'm not much into weight lifting or anything like that. I used to do stretches every morning. Don't do it too much anymore, though I'm still fairly flexible. Mostly I focused on jogging but don't want to overdo that either as I hear it messes up your legs especially when you get older - arthritis and all that fun stuff.

I've also had back pain over the last few years. Even changed the mattress on our bed to make sure it's very firm. Soft or even semi-firm mattresses just cause terrible discomfort to my back, especially when I wake up in the morning. Firm mattress is much better. Though I still have a stiff back every morning. Not sure where the pain is from. I sit behind a desk all day (maybe not sitting properly?) and don't really lift heavy stuff or do weights. I think once you hit 40 all sorts of things start popping up. I guess it'll get better at 50.

[T.Q.]

Back problems are the worst. Sorry to hear.

My L5/S1 degenerated over the years. Disk was gone. Maybe the strain on the higher levels (and herniation) came from the stress on them.

I hurt it 5 years ago when I fixed my childhood mini-bike and rode it down to the beach. I twisted and lifted to get it over soft sand and bang. I was corkscrewed like crazy. Mucho pain for 3 months. Never recovered fully. Then the disaster happened.

May it’s a blessing afterall. We’ll see.

[Pahonu]

Just checking in.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Had crazy herniated disk 4 months ago. Ended up in the ER.

We were on vacation in Hawai’i and actually flew to Ft. Lauderdale so I would be closer to home. 18 hours of travel in sheer agony.

Ended up getting emergency laminectomy. Screws and cages. L4/L5 and L5/S1.

Anyone had this? Hoping to golf again some day.

Close to a Magnum rewatch. Been 4 years now.

Cheers

I didn’t just have a herniated disc L4/L5, it ruptured about six years ago. The fluid from the disc leaked out and was pressing on the root nerve into my right leg. Nerve pain is horrible and the medications available for it aren’t great. I was prescribed hydrocodone just to sleep and that only lessened the pain. It was the worst pain of my life. I talked to a coworker months later and she had something similar happen and said the pain was worse than giving birth to her kids!

I delayed surgery as someone I know had a laminectomy for spinal stenosis go very wrong long term and still has significant pain associated with the area. After about two weeks or so my neurologist scheduled a steroid injection into my spine. Just a day or two before that procedure, and three weeks of missed work, the pain significantly reduced. The fluid was absorbed by my body as he said often happens and the pressure on the nerve finally subsided.

Long term, the disc is damaged, so I have low level pain often, but it is pretty easily managed with anti inflammatory meds. Maintaining good core muscle strength really helps. I’m still pretty active, but lengthy activity can lead to increasing pain. Good luck.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Back problems are the worst. Sorry to hear.

My L5/S1 degenerated over the years. Disk was gone. Maybe the strain on the higher levels (and herniation) came from the stress on them.

I hurt it 5 years ago when I fixed my childhood mini-bike and rode it down to the beach. I twisted and lifted to get it over soft sand and bang. I was corkscrewed like crazy. Mucho pain for 3 months. Never recovered fully. Then the disaster happened.

May it’s a blessing afterall. We’ll see.

Ouch! Yeah that can happen. You might not even be lifting something very heavy but just the way you stand or position yourself while lifting can have some serious consequences. Be careful!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

T.Q., metalmoose, 80's Big Hair, Ivan, Pahonu,

I have been sitting here feeling sorry for myself since June 10 when I slipped and smashed my knee, unable to leave the house as I have no command of my leg post surgery, and can't go down/up
stairs, stuck sitting except for eating/bathroom.
But after noting your various travails its time to get off the pity pot and be grateful that by November I hopefully will be healing and able to go out again. 
 
You guys woke me up and I feel much better morale wise. You recall when we were young and the geezers would say -
"forget money, health is everything" and you would roll your eyes?
Now I get it.

Words to live by:
"If you don't know who the mark is at the poker table, it's you."

[80s Big Hair]

T.Q., metalmoose, 80's Big Hair, Ivan, Pahonu,

I have been sitting here feeling sorry for myself since June 10 when I slipped and smashed my knee, unable to leave the house as I have no command of my leg post surgery, and can't go down/up
stairs, stuck sitting except for eating/bathroom.
But after noting your various travails its time to get off the pity pot and be grateful that by November I hopefully will be healing and able to go out again. 
 
You guys woke me up and I feel much better morale wise. You recall when we were young and the geezers would say -
"forget money, health is everything" and you would roll your eyes?
Now I get it.

Words to live by:
"If you don't know who the mark is at the poker table, it's you."

How I look at things I always think that while my life was not ideal it was much better than the lives of something like 95% of the human population. Since I hang out at hospitals in "Serious F'ing Sh*t" areas my thinking is constantly reinforced when I see people much worse off than me. The best thing to do is stay positive and defy the odds. My religion also helps out a lot in several ways.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

T.Q., metalmoose, 80's Big Hair, Ivan, Pahonu,

I have been sitting here feeling sorry for myself since June 10 when I slipped and smashed my knee, unable to leave the house as I have no command of my leg post surgery, and can't go down/up
stairs, stuck sitting except for eating/bathroom.
But after noting your various travails its time to get off the pity pot and be grateful that by November I hopefully will be healing and able to go out again. 
 
You guys woke me up and I feel much better morale wise. You recall when we were young and the geezers would say -
"forget money, health is everything" and you would roll your eyes?
Now I get it.

Words to live by:
"If you don't know who the mark is at the poker table, it's you."

How I look at things I always think that while my life was not ideal it was much better than the lives of something like 95% of the human population. Since I hang out at hospitals in "Serious F'ing Sh*t" areas my thinking is constantly reinforced when I see people much worse off than me. The best thing to do is stay positive and defy the odds. My religion also helps out a lot in several ways.

Ain't that the truth! That's what we always forget - we have it so good. No matter how "bad" it's actually still very good! My country where I was born is at war for the last few years. Meanwhile we have peaceful skies over our heads here in the U.S. Always be thankful for that!!!

[T.Q.]

T.Q., metalmoose, 80's Big Hair, Ivan, Pahonu,

I have been sitting here feeling sorry for myself since June 10 when I slipped and smashed my knee, unable to leave the house as I have no command of my leg post surgery, and can't go down/up
stairs, stuck sitting except for eating/bathroom.
But after noting your various travails its time to get off the pity pot and be grateful that by November I hopefully will be healing and able to go out again. 
 
You guys woke me up and I feel much better morale wise. You recall when we were young and the geezers would say -
"forget money, health is everything" and you would roll your eyes?
Now I get it.

Words to live by:
"If you don't know who the mark is at the poker table, it's you."

LND, metalmoose, 80's Big Hair, Ivan, Pahonu,

Thanks for everyone's stories of getting old and pressing on.

Luther's Neph Dobie, you can do it.

This is my actually back X-ray taken a month ago.



I'm taking it slow but I'm back to walking 4 miles in the morning, doing light weights, and gingerly hitting golf balls.

Take it slow, listen to your body, but don't give up!

Lots of life to still live.

P.S. Our hero Magnum (Selleck) apparently has had crippling painful back arthritis for many years. He ain't let it force him to quit yet.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Hey T.Q. I'm wondering if lifting weights (even light ones) is a good idea in your condition? I would think any kind of weight lifting would be bad for your back (especially post-op). What say you?

[T.Q.]

Hey T.Q. I'm wondering if lifting weights (even light ones) is a good idea in your condition? I would think any kind of weight lifting would be bad for your back (especially post-op). What say you?

MEH.

I go by pain and/or discomfort.

I only do bench press, flies, and rows, all on bench with plenty back support.

My bicep and tricep curls are only a measly 10lbs a side each. It's nothing.

I am more concerned/cautious about swinging the golf club. I'm a (well used to be) a long ball 280 yrd player. Meaning if I'm not real careful my brain may go back to "Grip it and Rip it" mentality. Opening myself up to damage.