I'm gonna need back surgery, AGAIN, #$%^%#@#%^!!!!!

[ricky]

Yes, this will be my 5th one too. I went to see my doctor on Monday, to get the results of the CT scan I had done about a month ago, and got hit with the bad news. I've got another fracture of a previous fusion in my lower back this time. The last one was in my neck, and I just had surgery to fix it in March.

He told me that it wasn't going to cause me to become paralyzed or anything soon, and that the surgery time would be up to me. But since I have some plans for early next year already, I'm going to shoot for a surgery date around September or October, so I'm healed enough to go on these trips I've got planned next year.

But isn't this wonderful news?!!!! NOT!!!!

If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any at all. The only good thing that he told me was that I wouldn't need to have the same 14 1/2 inch long incision up the middle of my back this time like the last lower back operation. That one just about killed me.................I'm so tired of this.

But, another thing that could be good about this is that he might be able to fix the bend in my back so I can stand up straight again, and that would be fantastic! I could probably be able to walk without my cane finally. YAY!!!!!

So wish me luck, and pray for me, I need all the help I can get, and thanks for the support.

Rick

 

[chevre]

Sorry to hear it, buddy. That's never good to hear, but at least it sounds like things are looking up a little if you'll (hopefully) be able to ditch the cane in the not-so-distant future. Good luck and here's hoping that this 5th one is the last one you'll need.

 

[Kokuei]

I wish you luck in your surgery and healing process. I know they say once you have back surgery you will be having it for the rest of your life. But i hope this is not the case with you.

I wish you a safe surgery and a fast recovery.

^_^

 

[Mesmerale]

Yay, walking!!

But... Will you keep the cane anyway? Please? I like imagining you as House. ^_^

~~

Good luck, and here's to a fast recovery and no need to do it again. (Oh yeah, my first time getting drunk will be as a toast to you, I hope you're happy. :tongue

 

[Takashi]

:hug: Hope this going quick with little to no pain.

 

[bobbyjeff]

Im sorry to hear of your pain. I fear that I am just beginning the journey down this path as well. I wish you good luck and good health, and hopefully you will have a speedy recovery.

 

[Pramrider]

Yeeesh!!! Man, you can't catch a break with these continuing back problems. :sad: Wish you the best outcome with this, hopefully FINAL, back operation. Well, sounds like there will be good coming from it if you'll be able to walk straight without a cane, so here's hoping all the good far outweighs the bad by a large margin! Keep us posted!

~Pramrider

 

[h3g3l]

Son of a ... my comment didn't get posted (no bandwidth at the time).

The gist was this: HOPEFULLY they can straighten you out and permit unassisted walking. It must be agony to be pulled--even very slightly--to the side, and your muscles must be screaming.

Failing this, maybe they can just lacquer your spine with titanium so that at least you won't experience further fracture. :smile1:

 

[Boogeyman]

Don't worry ricky, I hear they let you eat all the ice cream you want!

 

[ricky]

Sorry to hear it, buddy. That's never good to hear, but at least it sounds like things are looking up a little if you'll (hopefully) be able to ditch the cane in the not-so-distant future. Good luck and here's hoping that this 5th one is the last one you'll need.

Thank you, me too!

I wish you luck in your surgery and healing process. I know they say once you have back surgery you will be having it for the rest of your life. But i hope this is not the case with you.

I wish you a safe surgery and a fast recovery.

^_^

Well, I think I'm proving the saying true here. My wife works where she sees a lot of people in my condition, and it's surprising how many people keep having to have surgery after surgery. Thanks for your support.

Yay, walking!!

But... Will you keep the cane anyway? Please? I like imagining you as House. ^_^

~~

Good luck, and here's to a fast recovery and no need to do it again. (Oh yeah, my first time getting drunk will be as a toast to you, I hope you're happy. :tongue

Hmm, House huh? LOL! Thanks! I wish I had his money and access to a hospital! Oh, do you think I'd be a good thing to get drunk over? But I appreciate the sentiment!

:hug: Hope this going quick with little to no pain.

Thanks Takashi.

Im sorry to hear of your pain. I fear that I am just beginning the journey down this path as well. I wish you good luck and good health, and hopefully you will have a speedy recovery.

I hope you aren't going down this road, it's a hard one to travel,. Be careful, whatever you do, and remember, lift with your legs! And thanks for the well wishes.

Yeeesh!!! Man, you can't catch a break with these continuing back problems. :sad: Wish you the best outcome with this, hopefully FINAL, back operation. Well, sounds like there will be good coming from it if you'll be able to walk straight without a cane, so here's hoping all the good far outweighs the bad by a large margin! Keep us posted!

~Pramrider

Thank you Pramrider, I know, it seems like it's a never ending cycle with me. I hope I can be straightened up with this one, the leaning to one side is really taxing on me. I'm going to hope for it, but I'm not going to count on it. I'd love to get rid of this cane once and for all.

Son of a ... my comment didn't get posted (no bandwidth at the time).

The gist was this: HOPEFULLY they can straighten you out and permit unassisted walking. It must be agony to be pulled--even very slightly--to the side, and your muscles must be screaming.

Failing this, maybe they can just lacquer your spine with titanium so that at least you won't experience further fracture. :smile1:

You have no idea H3g3l! If it wasn't for my cane, I would be in a wheel chair by now. I can only walk a short distance without it before my back is hurting so bad I have to sit down to relieve the pain and pressure. And I've often wondered if they ran those rods from top to bottom if I'd be any better off, who knows.

Don't worry ricky, I hear they let you eat all the ice cream you want!

LOL!!! I think you're getting having your tonsils out mixed up with back surgery, but it's funny anyway, thank you!



---------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm going to try to get my surgery scheduled around the end of September or the first part of October. That way I'll hopefully be recovered enough to do the things I've got planned early next year, one of which is our annual trip down parts of old route 66. I'll be really disappointed if I miss that.

I'll keep you all posted when I find out anything. And thanks again for all your support. I'm glad that there are people that care, even for someone they've never met. Take care everyone. God Bless.

Rick

 

[Darkfinn]

At what point do you become The Million Dollar Man/Borg/Lord Vader/etc?

"We have the technology, we can rebuild him."
"Resistance is futile."
"He's more machine now than man..."

 

[Trevor]

Ugh! That's not a good thing to hear and even less to have to deal with. I hope it will turn out to be an overall improvement for you once it's all said and done. You deserve something better out of all this.

 

[Pojo]

Maybe you should start eating blue M&M's

 

[ricky]

At what point do you become The Million Dollar Man/Borg/Lord Vader/etc?

"We have the technology, we can rebuild him."
"Resistance is futile."
"He's more machine now than man..."

Hmm, good question, I'm not so sure yet. But I think I've got some of the high grade parts, they just forgot to install the battery to run them with, LOL!!

Ugh! That's not a good thing to hear and even less to have to deal with. I hope it will turn out to be an overall improvement for you once it's all said and done. You deserve something better out of all this.

Thanks Trevor, it is hard to deal with a lot of times, especially when I've forgotten to take my meds. I really do hope this next one will straighten my up so I can do away with this cane.

Maybe you should start eating blue M&M's

LOL!! Yeah, I saw that just tonight too! You know now there's going to be a shortage of blue M&M's as people read this and go out and stock up!!!
Thanks for the tip Pojo.

 

[ricky]

update

Well, the ball is rolling. I got a call yesterday from the doctors office and was told that the paperwork has been started for the surgery. The exact date hasn't been set yet, but I'm hoping for the 15th of September or something close to it. That gives me time to finish some home projects, but more importantly, it gives me time to heal enough to go on our annual route 66 drive next March. That's one thing I really want to do each year and I don't want to miss it this time.


Take care all, and God Bless.

Rick

 

[h3g3l]

...it gives me time to heal enough to go on our annual route 66 drive next March. That's one thing I really want to do each year and I don't want to miss it this time...

That's insane. Mainly because I used to live up there and used Route 66 is a regular road.

It's hard to pull yourself back from your immediate surroundings and say, "hey, this road is historic and plays a HUGE role in automotive/motorbike history!"

 

[bobbyjeff]

Good luck man. I've always wanted to drive Route 66 end to end, as I love the road the way a heroine addict loves the needle. Its both a pleasure and a pain, as I'm sure you're well aware of.

 

[ricky]

That's insane. Mainly because I used to live up there and used Route 66 is a regular road.

It's hard to pull yourself back from your immediate surroundings and say, "hey, this road is historic and plays a HUGE role in automotive/motorbike history!"

Yeah, I guess if you're there all the time it would be hard to see the significance of it and why other people might be fascinated by it. It's just like the town of Tombstone here in Arizona. Most people are thrilled to visit it since it's considered the last wild west town, but I live just 20 miles from it, and my son goes to high school there, and to us, it's just another town. It all depends on your perspective I guess.

Good luck man. I've always wanted to drive Route 66 end to end, as I love the road the way a heroine addict loves the needle. Its both a pleasure and a pain, as I'm sure you're well aware of.

Being an old car nut, I do understand what you mean. I like to imagine what it was like when my car was new, and who might have owned it, and if it had ever gone down that road before in it's life. Plus you get a lot of compliments from the old timers you meet, and even from the young people. They just love to see the old cars on the road.
Yeah, I know what you mean. One day you'll get your chance, don't give up on it.

 

[dogboy]

Sorry to hear that there's one more surgery. I liked the House comment. Sometimes that's the only way you can look at these things. As you know, my wife has been getting around in her electric cart/wheel chair for the last 4 years. We think we may finally be getting to the end. She had another foot surgery in June after school finished, and the damn foot is finally healing.

So I wish you that kind of luck. It would be awsome if you could stand up straight. I will pray for you. I do anyway.

As for route 66, I have always wanted a '40 Ford. A month ago, a neighbor of mine was selling his. I didn't even know he had one. The irony of that is my wife retired at the end of June on disability. Our hospitilization is balking about paying for her dialysis, by next June, so we will not be spending money on things that are not essential. I said to her, God sure knows how to rub it in!

So get that back healed and hit route 66 for me. There's just something here that's completely understood, I have a fuel injected stingray sitting under my hood!

 

[secretdl26]

Maybe you should start eating blue M&M's

Saw that in the Independent in Scotland! There was an inset of a mouse inundated with blue dye, it was blue and white! (Scottish flag colors).

On Topic; Sorry to hear that Ricky, I know from your posts that your previous surgeries have been very hard on you. Good luck, and look forward to your trips. I only wish I had the means/car to go on a trip like that.