"I am going to have steroids injected into my disks. This could help
>with the pain, but the doctor doesn't think that it will. If it
>doesn't help then surgery is inevitable. Spinal fusion."
>
>if anyone has any prayers to spare, she isn't yet 21, and this is >really scaring her. >
Vicki, Prayers are incoming! I just found out that I have something majorly wrong with my vertebrae (missing parts of bone, things don't line up correctly, ect.), and I'm in constant pain. Surgery is the only lasting pain relief that would work (supposedly). I'm only
I *know* the pain your daughter is in, and hope that the shots give her some relief from the pain.
On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 22:13:05 -0400, vj wrote (in message ):
She's in my prayers, and you can tell her that this is the exact operation I'm recovering from as I type. I am on huge doses of steroids as a routine thing, so I didn't bother with the steroid injections. My brother got the injections, and he ended up with the spinal fusion surgery a month before I did.
The surgery isn't the tough part, surprisingly. The doc has a couple of choices which will greatly affect recovery, your duaghter might want to put in her input beforehand:
1: Bone Grafts: You can donor bone from a cadaver, or self donated bone from an incision in your hip. The donor bone is used whenever possible, because the resulting hip pain from self-donated bone is supposed to be excruciating. The only gotcha is that the body sometimes rejects the donor bone, so the surgery will eventually need to be redone. This is quite rare however, and in anyone with a healthy immune system, donor grafts are the way to go.
Plates, screws, assorted hardware: If the spinal fusion is in a good place for this, the doc can put in a whole bunch of assorted hardware to support the spine while healing, and provide an extra measure of protection to the spine. This means less time healing, usually. However, like any foreign body, it can be rejected and may someday have to be removed.
After care is the big freaking deal with this surgery. Your daughter will be down, unable to care for herself for at least a month. Both my brother and I had this surgery recently, and we were down and out almost a month to the day. I had a week in the hospital which made my recovery a lot better. Bro had his as day surgery, and he was a hurting puppy for quite a while afterward.
There is also the requirement that you spend at least three months on very light duty. You didn't mention where her fusion is, but mine's in my neck, which requires constant use of a hard cervical collar for a period of at least three months post surgery. Also, no matter where on the spine the surgery is located, there is a mandate that the patient lift no more than 5 lbs. or two kilos.
My biggest question for your daughter at this point would be, "Who is going to take care of you post surgery?" Is coming home an option? Or having a friend or relative stay with her? She's going to need the help, for at least the first two weeks, and maybe up to a month.
Please keep us updated on her condition, and we'll be sending powerful healing vibes.
Kathy N-V
P.S.: I had a sort of similar surgery at age 20 (putting me back together after an auto accident) and my experiences were almost identical to the ones I had at age 40. Only big difference was that I spent the whole recovery time in the hospital, and I got to have a private room in the children's ward.
On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 1:15:06 -0400, Valerie wrote (in message ):
Don't be in a huge rush for surgery, unless the pain is unbearable, or because the broken parts are resting on nerve roots. My surgery gave me back all my movement, but the pain has gone from unbearable 24/7 to pretty rotten, with only bouts of unbearable. I'll be going to a pain clinic once the surgery site is completely healed.
Oh yes, for those of you having the surgery on your neck: The incision is in front, which seems counter intuitive. You'll end up with a lame scar that looks like the wussiest suicide attempt, ever. I've been making up stories to tell people who ask rude questions. (They ask plenty of them about the collar)
But, if you have to have the surgery, it's a pretty common thing. I had been petrified that if the docs screwed up, I'd be paralyzed, but it turns out that the spinal cord, the fluid or the dura (a heavy duty sack holding both) aren't involved in the surgery at all. There are supposed to be no spinal headaches afterward, and you do not have to lie flat afterward.
At 22, I wouldn't be too worried about it, as long as you're otherwise healthy. Depending on which vertebrae are involved, and where the pressure is taking place, you might be able to get away with less than the full blown operation.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :
]At 22, I wouldn't be too worried about it, as long as you're otherwise ]healthy. Depending on which vertebrae are involved, and where the pressure ]is taking place, you might be able to get away with less than the full blown ]operation.
well, it's been getting worse since she left boot camp, and they've had to take her off of her assignment, because she can't wear her equipment belt. she's seen several doctors, a neurologist, and a surgeon now, who all take one look at her MRI scans, say 'yes, she needs surgery'. she has degenerative disk disease. at the very base of her spine. probably aggravated by all those years of gymnastics and judo, and then high-impact aerobic exercise on concrete floors at the Navy RTC. my girlfriend's son had the surgery while he was in the Navy, recovered, and went on to become a Navy seal. one of the problems is whether after the surgery she will still be able to touch her toes or not [to pass the physical and to get back to duty]. i'm trying to talk her into letting me take her to the Spine Center in San Francisco while she is home on leave - even if i have to pay for it myself.
]Prayers for you too, kiddo.
thanks - i'm practically a basket case worrying about her.
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :
]My biggest question for your daughter at this point would be, "Who is going ]to take care of you post surgery?" Is coming home an option? Or having a ]friend or relative stay with her? She's going to need the help, for at least ]the first two weeks, and maybe up to a month.
The Navy would send her home [actually, i would be there for the surgery and then bring her home] and she would stay home until she was ready to go back to active duty. they give her medical leave and just extend the length of her service to account for it.
trust me - i'd watch her like a hawk - and wait on her hand and foot if need be.
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.
thank you - all of you - and those who sent e-mail.
she is finally "finding her place" and this is just SO not what she needs. [no, no one does, but she was finally finding her own way, and this has really thrown a monkey wrench into the middle of everything!]
she's trying really hard to deal with all of it on a day-by-day basis
- some days are easier than others!
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.
I plan on it. I'm not lover of spine surgery! But it's also not an option right now, since I don't have insurance. I'm just dealing with the pain day by day.
Good pain days, and bad pain days. Ain't that the truth! All days are pain days, but some are better than others. Good luck to your daughter Vicki! I'm crossing my fingers for her!!!!
She's going to need more than surgery. She's going to have to live her life very differently ---- minus the equipment belt, high impact sports and work etc. It'll involve changing her whole picture of herself. I'm surprised she got into the military with such a bad back.
I'm not being unsympathetic. But I do want to point out the surgery might be easier on her than the change of self image she'll need to survive physically. And also that the surgeon needs to take into account not only what can be improved now, but also how it will effect her 50 years from now. We can get good medical treatment, but we still have just our one single body. And though we can make changes to make things work in our "working" years. We usually have a larger portion of years after that to get through. And we still have that same body.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :
]She's going to need more than surgery. She's going to have to live her life ]very differently ---- minus the equipment belt, high impact sports and work ]etc. It'll involve changing her whole picture of herself. I'm surprised ]she got into the military with such a bad back.
well, so far all the surgeons she has seen have said that she should be able to go back to work and do the job she wants.
but i have an appt at the Spinal Center in SF for her while she is here on leave. [and her back wasn't a problem UNTIL she got past basic training. that was the proverbial straw, evidently - all those high-impact aerobics on concrete floors]
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.
Aww thanks Sooz! I'm learning how to live my life differently that's for sure. I hate being unable to do the things I did before. But I've got to deal with it, it isn't going away anytime soon.
You know, that's funny...my back problems started a month after I got out of the military (never made it past basic training-got discharged for non-medical things). Hmmm....
I have a wonderful chiropractor who has made a difference in my pain. Not much, but enough to be able to deal with it. Standing time went from 10-15 minutes to over a half an hour, and he gave me guidance on how to limit what I do. Laying down on my back is pretty much the only comfortable position, even sitting doesn't work. I've got a good pillow to prop myself up too, if I want to bead or something. I'm just learning to limit myself, I know when I've overdone things. What other forms of body manipulation are you talking about? I know of one for people who can't move very well, and for the elderly, but I can't remember what it is called.
I hear you. Helpless is an unwelcome state. So when I get that way, I try to see what I can do by non-material means, like visualizations, sending energy, etc.
Sometime's that's the only option you've got. And I have seen those non-material things help often enough so I no longer think of them as substitutes for doing something 'real', but as *doing* something real. Period. End of story.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Deirdre S. :
]Sometime's that's the only option you've got. And I have seen those ]non-material things help often enough so I no longer think of them as ]substitutes for doing something 'real', but as *doing* something real. ]Period. End of story.
**smile** thanks!
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
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Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[VALERIE]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] and {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{VICKIE'S DAUGHTER}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
It's not fair that both you young things should have such major back problems. :(((((((((((((((((((( Prayers and my very best wishes for the both of you sweet darlings. hugZ, Linda
: >if anyone has any prayers to spare, she isn't yet 21, and this is : >really scaring her. : >
: : Vicki, : Prayers are incoming! : I just found out that I have something majorly wrong with my vertebrae (missing : parts of bone, things don't line up correctly, ect.), and I'm in constant pain. : Surgery is the only lasting pain relief that would work (supposedly). I'm only : 22. I *know* the pain your daughter is in, and hope that the shots give her : some relief from the pain. : : Valerie :
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