Well, after nearly three years of trying...

gunnerbob

gunnerbob

PEW Professional
I was finally referred to see a neurosurgeon to repair my herniation of the disc between L5 and S1! After being in and out of physical therapy, different pain medications and asking for an MRI... I saw a new doctor who sent me right away to get imagery done last Friday. We met today and he laid it out for me and wondered why the hell it took this long to get the MRI. So, I'm awaiting the referral to see one here in town and go from there. I have less then a year left on active duty so the sooner the better, I can spend the last six or seven months of enlistment recovering before I separate and begin school.

Who here has had the same or similar surgery, what can you tell me about your experience?
 
I have at least 3 bulging and or herniated discs,i feel your pain brother,let us know how the surgery works for you
 
I herniated the L4-L5 disk a few years ago. PT did the trick for me. As long as I do the exercises, I do fine. When I slack off (as usual), my back gets stiff. Surgeon opted for PT instead of cutting at that time. I have heard good and bad for the surgery. Hope things work out for you.
 
Bob, be careful what you wish for. I serve 19+ years active and reserve. In the beginning of my 20th year, I injured my back as a traditional reservist. On duty. In the line of duty. On active duty orders for more than 30 days. End result. MEB. Not fit to serve. See you later. Not hurt enough for active duty retirement and no civilian job out there. Ugh.
Good surgeon. The radiating down my leg pains never returned. I lost some range of motion--it is slowly improving. My back still hurts every day and I know which days I don't take the anti inflammatory meds. The service paid for surgery. And three months of time after. I have a job now. I think the surgery helped-but it wasn't a return to normalcy.
 
gunnerbob said:
I was finally referred to see a neurosurgeon to repair my herniation of the disk between L5 and S1! After being in and out of physical therapy, different pain medications and asking for an MRI... I saw a new doctor who sent me right away to get imagery done last Friday. We met today and he laid it out for me and wondered why the hell it took this long to get the MRI. So, I'm awaiting the referral to see one here in town and go from there. I have less then a year left on active duty so the sooner the better, I can spend the last six or seven months of enlistment recovering before I separate and begin school.

Who here has had the same or similar surgery, what can you tell me about your experience?
Click to expand...
Good luck, Gunner, BTW, you need to MAKE SURE all of this is documented in your service records in case you ever need to service-connect it for the VA.
 
5 bulging disks here, three lower back, two cervical. Constant pain, numbness. My dad had 8 back surgeries and 3 neck. Every one was a failure. He had osteomyelitis, arthritis, lost leg bones (replaced).

So much pain anything would set him off into a stark raving maniac who liked to terrorize his 8 kids, me included.

He finally found relief after a terminal leukemia diagnosis by committing suicide with a .22 caliber rifle. For his sake, I wished he had used a larger caliber.

So there you have it. I'm not having any surgery done until I can't get out of bed or can only walk backwards (don't laugh, I've had to do that several times when my back went out!).

Maybe other surgery recipients may chime-in with their knowledge and outcomes.
 
gunnerbob said:
I was finally referred to see a neurosurgeon to repair my herniation of the disk between L5 and S1! After being in and out of physical therapy, different pain medications and asking for an MRI... I saw a new doctor who sent me right away to get imagery done last Friday. We met today and he laid it out for me and wondered why the hell it took this long to get the MRI. So, I'm awaiting the referral to see one here in town and go from there. I have less then a year left on active duty so the sooner the better, I can spend the last six or seven months of enlistment recovering before I separate and begin school.

Who here has had the same or similar surgery, what can you tell me about your experience?
Click to expand...

I have degenerative disc disease and had L3 thru S1 fused in '02. I'm not sure if fusion is the kind of surgery you'll have for a herniated disc though. Do you know yet what the general repair job consists of? If it's fusion, I can tell you a lot about it. If it's something else, I could still tell you what I went through (which wasn't fun at all, even with all the high-grade pharmaceuticals), but it would just be like me sniveling about a surgery that doesn't apply to what you're preparing for. LOL

Either way, I hope all goes well for you. Let me know if it's fusion and I can tell you a bit about what you should expect.

Blues
 
I've got a bulging disk at L4-L5 with a pinched sciatic nerve. So far I haven't had to have surgery. Initially they tried me on PT for the pain and that did not help at all. In fact it made everything worse. Then I got the MRI that showed the L4-L5 problem and pinched nerve. I was referred to a back surgeon who sent me to a pain management doc who has been shooting me with a steroid. The first time it worked for about 6 months. The next time for 14 months. This last time - about a month ago - doesn't seem to be working as well. I may have to go back to the surgeon. Waiting to see. I'll give it about 2 months to see it the shots really helped or not. I don't really want the surgeon cutting on me, so it is a wait and see for now.
Good luck to you and, yes, make sure you get it all documented and get your own copy of your medical record before you get out. Records have been lost before.
 
Thanks for the replies. I won't know for sure what the next course of action is until I meet with the surgeon, but my doc and I discussed a microdisectomy... he thought it would be the likely procedure. However, I could get there and the surgeon may want to try steroids first... idk. I'll be sure to update the forum after the first surgeon visit.

r1derbike said:
5 bulging disks here, three lower back, two cervical. Constant pain, numbness. My dad had 8 back surgeries and 3 neck. Everyone was a failure. He had osteomyelitis, arthritis, lost leg bones (replaced).

So much pain anything would set him off into a stark raving maniac who liked to terrorize his 8 kids, me included.

He finally found relief after a terminal leukemia diagnosis by committing suicide with a .22 caliber rifle. For his sake, I wished he had used a larger caliber.

So there you have it. I'm not having any surgery done until I can't get out of bed or can only walk backwards (don't laugh, I've had to do that several times when my back went out!).

Maybe other surgery recipients may chime-in with their knowledge and outcomes.
Click to expand...

Sh!t, man... that's horrible.

BluesStringer said:
I have degenerative disc disease and had L3 thru S1 fused in '02. I'm not sure if fusion is the kind of surgery you'll have for a herniated disc though. Do you know yet what the general repair job consists of? If it's fusion, I can tell you a lot about it. If it's something else, I could still tell you what I went through (which wasn't fun at all, even with all the high-grade pharmaceuticals), but it would just be like me sniveling about a surgery that doesn't apply to what you're preparing for. LOL

Either way, I hope all goes well for you. Let me know if it's fusion and I can tell you a bit about what you should expect.

Blues
Click to expand...

Thanks Blues, I don't think they'll fuse anything... but, we'll see.

John P. Jinnette said:
I've got a bulging disk at L4-L5 with a pinched sciatic nerve. So far I haven't had to have surgery. Initially they tried me on PT for the pain and that did not help at all. In fact it made everything worse. Then I got the MRI that showed the L4-L5 problem and pinched nerve. I was referred to a back surgeon who sent me to a pain management doc who has been shooting me with a steroid. The first time it worked for about 6 months. The next time for 14 months. This last time - about a month ago - doesn't seem to be working as well. I may have to go back to the surgeon. Waiting to see. I'll give it about 2 months to see it the shots really helped or not. I don't really want the surgeon cutting on me, so it is a wait and see for now.
Good luck to you and, yes, make sure you get it all documented and get your own copy of your medical record before you get out. Records have been lost before.
Click to expand...

I'm not thrilled about going under the knife either... but, if that is what needs to be done I'd like to get it over with. Oh yeah... I'm making sure the records include this stuff. I request my records from time to time to make sure everything's in there.
 
The surgery works for the majority of people, it didn't help me. The disc ruptured again a week later, and they wouldn't touch it again. Of course the injury preceded the surgery by 8 months thanks to the insurance company playing games.
 
JohnD13 said:
The surgery works for the majority of people, it didn't help me. The disc ruptured again a week later, and they wouldn't touch it again. Of course the injury preceded the surgery by 8 months thanks to the insurance company playing games.
Click to expand...

I've had the herniated disc for almost three years... I'm sure the doc will tell me about how that'll affect treatment.
 
I had 2 Laminectomies at L5-S1 in 1989 and C6-C7 fusion in 1991. Then in 2010 had a titanium clamp on L4-L5. Curvature of the spine from other blown discs that luckily aren't pressing on nerves. I've had the shots, years of PT, relaxation therapy, work hardening, swim therapy. Aug 7th had spinal stimulator implanted, first GOOD night of sleep in 24 years!
I guess you can say the surgeries were a success. I was able to stand and walk for more than 20 min's at a time. A lot of PT and even more pills and patches later the Spine Stimulator is definitely a Heavenly inspired gift from God.
Good luck Gunner!
 
Hope all goes well Gunner. I had 6 weeks of PT and believe it or not I used a chiropractor between PT sessions for 3 herniated disks. Doing great now :) I'm afraid of knives that's why I carry guns.
 
I finally got a hold of my MRI images and paperwork... here is the write-up:

At L5-S1 there is disk desiccation, mild disk space narrowing, and a bulging annulus fibrosus. There is also indication of bilateral pars defect and there is a less than grade 1 spondylolisthesis of L5 with respect to S1. As a result, there is mild right foraminal stenosis and severe left foraminal stenosis with compression of the left L5 nerve root.

Summed up: L5 spondylolysis with less than grade 1 spondylolisthesis, severe left foraminal stenosis, mild right foraminal stenosis.

Sooo, yeah...
 
Sounds like you were reading parts of my MRI results. In addition to the bulging discs and stenosis, I have fractures in my vertebrae. I had the surgery you are contemplating and have had nothing but pain ever since. I have sciatica so bad now it is nearly impossible to sleep at night or walk. I take several Lortab pills and 800mg Ibuprofen pills every day. Hard on the stomach but that is all that has helped so far. The shots never did work for me. As was mentioned earlier, be sure to fill out the paperwork for possible VA disability payments. Rather than get better, you will probably get worse over time but you will have the groundwork laid.
 
Your story sounds real similar to my own.

Herniated disk at L5-S1 also, after 3 years of telling my primary doc there was a problem and him just sending for xrays they finally did the MRI and yes it was quite apparent on the MRI. After a few trips to the neurosurgeon, prescribed physical therapy with no luck they finally wanted to do surgery. In which they would remove the disk material and let it fuse, and be out of work for 6 weeks and light duty for a time after that.

At the time, I worked construction, I was recently married and had a son on the way, new place and there was no way I could do that amount of time out of work. The other option was to live with it and continue the PT and hope for the best. Now this was almost 20 years ago, so things may have changed with the surgeries, but I opted to live with it. After about a year of PT and anti-inflammatory meds the pain started to vanish, and now it's been around 10 years with no pain. Occasionally I will get a flare up, but nothing like it use to be.

I didn't have the surgery, but this was my experience with a similar situation and it did work out for me. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.
 
I've discussed it with a guy I work near who had the surgery last year and so far... he's doing better than before the surgery. We have some pretty good docs here, so with any luck I can have success. I've been in and out of PT since 2010, hasn't been working... so, now we're talking to the surgeon.

I'll post an update after I have the sit down on Wednesday.

P.S. Oldgrunt, you're making me feel greeeaaat.... lol.
 
Gunner, I can't help with respect to telling you I have the same problem and what you should expect, but I can put you on my prayer list. I wish you the best.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Threads

Members online

Total: 179 (members: 1, guests: 178)

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
49,523
Messages
610,661
Members
74,992
Latest member
RedDotArmsTraining

Share this page

Back
Top