Anyone have lower back surgery?

[Romo 2 Austin]

I most likely will have to be having in within a few weeks, I had a few questions for anyone who has had it.

1; How long until you can expect to walk again?
2; How long until you can expect to work out again?
3; Will you be able to run without pain?
4; How long for pain to subside?
5; Do you have to do physical therapy?
6; Will I be able to start college come Sept1. or would I be better off waiting and starting a semester late?

I have asked my doctor these questions aswell, but doctors from my experience usually sugarcoat things such as that, especially considering my age, so I was wondering if anyone here had experience and woulds share their experiences.


Thanks

[JonJon]

Why do you need back surgery?

[Hoofbite]

Why do you need back surgery?

Probably got a bad back.

[Eskimo]

What is your diagnosis and what back surgery is being proposed?

[Bigdog]

You might want to get a second opinion. Back surgery is the last resort. Have you tired physical therapy or going to see a chiropractor? I had some friends that had back surgery and it did not do any good. They went to a chiropractor and felt so much better.

[bbgun]

We talking muscular problem or bulging disk?

[Faerluna]

I have scoliosis, and have been dealing with back issues for almost 30 years.

I'd advise against back surgery unless it was the very last resort. Find a good chiropractor and have some visits (more than one or two) before committing to surgery.

[Romo 2 Austin]

4 fractures, 2 at the l4 level 2 at the l5 level. I've had 3 opinions, and it has been a year.

[Romo 2 Austin]

What is your diagnosis and what back surgery is being proposed?

Spondyolosos with 10% sponsylothis

[Plankton]

I have two herniated discs and lower lumbar arthritis. I have had this for 13 years, and have avoided surgery. As long as you keep your core strong, and lift things using correct form, you can live with it. I don't know anyone who has had back surgery who ended up happy with the results.

[Yeagermeister]

Dang dude....didn't you just get out of the hospital for something else?

[Eskimo]

Spondyolosos with 10% sponsylothis

Just to correct your spelling, you have spondylolysis and Grade I spondylolisthesis which is a condition in which fractures through the pars interarticularis of your vertebrae have allowed one vertebra to slip 10% forward relative to the adjacent vertebra.

Yours is quite unusual with two levels involved. Do you have the traumatic type or isthmic type?

What was the cause of this?

Anyhow, I guess they must be proposing fusion of the involved levels. Have they given a 3-6 month trial of high grade bracing of the spine with a hip spica attachment?

[Romo 2 Austin]

Just to correct your spelling, you have spondylolysis and Grade I spondylolisthesis which is a condition in which fractures through the pars interarticularis of your vertebrae have allowed one vertebra to slip 10% forward relative to the adjacent vertebra.

Yours is quite unusual with two levels involved. Do you have the traumatic type or isthmic type?

What was the cause of this?

Anyhow, I guess they must be proposing fusion of the involved levels. Have they given a 3-6 month trial of high grade bracing of the spine with a hip spica attachment?

Spelling was horid as I want on my phone, still am. Your right, I had bracing for nearly a year with electrical things to try to trigger healing. No hip spica, and football was the cause. Hard tackle, they said it's up to me repair or fusion, I was leaning towards repair as if it works in a few years I can have the metal removed and possibly still become a police officer

[Romo 2 Austin]

Dang dude....didn't you just get out of the hospital for something else?

Yep, colitis just officially in remission Monday, same day I got this news. Can't catch a break medically at all

[Romo 2 Austin]

I have two herniated discs and lower lumbar arthritis. I have had this for 13 years, and have avoided surgery. As long as you keep your core strong, and lift things using correct form, you can live with it. I don't know anyone who has had back surgery who ended up happy with the results.

The doctor said at my age, the chances of a repair working are remarkably high, he said otherwise he would recommend not doing surgery until the pain required it, currently it only hurts bending hyperextending and running, and it is bearable aslong as not running full speed

Other problem is since I'm 17 he said it's next to 0% chance I can go the east of my life without this getting worse, he said now is the time to do it, as I can easily take a semester off without messing up the rest of my life at this point

[Yeagermeister]

Yep, colitis just officially in remission Monday, same day I got this news. Can't catch a break medically at all

Good luck with the surgery

[Romo 2 Austin]

Good luck with the surgery

Thank you

[Eskimo]

The doctor said at my age, the chances of a repair working are remarkably high, he said otherwise he would recommend not doing surgery until the pain required it, currently it only hurts bending hyperextending and running, and it is bearable aslong as not running full speed

Other problem is since I'm 17 he said it's next to 0% chance I can go the east of my life without this getting worse, he said now is the time to do it, as I can easily take a semester off without messing up the rest of my life at this point

I suspect the chances of surgical success for repair are probably quite good but such a decision is very personal.

Has there been evidence of progression of the amount of slippage over time? Has there been evidence of instability in different postures? Have you really stretched out your hamstrings?

Anyhow, good luck with everything.

BTW, if you had colitis have you been on steroids? Did they do a spine DEXA? Is there still activity at the area on bone scan?

[big dog cowboy]

R2A good luck with the surgery. I would strongly encourage you to fix everything you can while you are young. You still have most of your entire life ahead of you so don't screw around with your health.

[Hoofbite]

I suspect the chances of surgical success for repair are probably quite good but such a decision is very personal.

Has there been evidence of progression of the amount of slippage over time? Has there been evidence of instability in different postures? Have you really stretched out your hamstrings?

Anyhow, good luck with everything.

BTW, if you had colitis have you been on steroids? Did they do a spine DEXA? Is there still activity at the area on bone scan?

Members like this and their willingness to contribute absolutely make this site one of the best sites going.

BTW, good luck R2A.

[Romo 2 Austin]

I suspect the chances of surgical success for repair are probably quite good but such a decision is very personal.

Has there been evidence of progression of the amount of slippage over time? Has there been evidence of instability in different postures? Have you really stretched out your hamstrings?

Anyhow, good luck with everything.

BTW, if you had colitis have you been on steroids? Did they do a spine DEXA? Is there still activity at the area on bone scan?

We are doing tests on all that this week, but he suspects not. I last did the tests in November, and from late December-Mid April was on virtual best red for the Colitis, spending nearly a month in the hospital. He said the fact that it did not heal with that means it will most likely not heal at all without surgery.


I was on high dose prednisone, at one point it was 60mg a day. Have not checked activity yet, and no spine DEXA.

[Romo 2 Austin]

R2A good luck with the surgery. I would strongly encourage you to fix everything you can while you are young. You still have most of your entire life ahead of you so don't screw around with your health.

Thank you.

[Romo 2 Austin]

Members like this and their willingness to contribute absolutely make this site one of the best sites going.

BTW, good luck R2A.

Agreed.


Thanks.

[Eskimo]

We are doing tests on all that this week, but he suspects not. I last did the tests in November, and from late December-Mid April was on virtual best red for the Colitis, spending nearly a month in the hospital. He said the fact that it did not heal with that means it will most likely not heal at all without surgery.


I was on high dose prednisone, at one point it was 60mg a day. Have not checked activity yet, and no spine DEXA.

The thing I wonder is if the healing process was delayed by the illness and steroids.

the other thing to consider is the bed rest and high dose steroids could have weakened the bones quite a bit so it might not be a bad idea to get a DEXA before the surgery to make sure bones are not too brittle.

The other thing about the bone scan is your ongoing symptoms may not be due to the spondylolisthesis but due to the steroid as you can get avascular necrosis or compression fractures from everyday activity. These conditions can often be missed on plain xray but bone scan, MRI and CT are usually pretty good at picking them up.

[Romo 2 Austin]

The thing I wonder is if the healing process was delayed by the illness and steroids.

the other thing to consider is the bed rest and high dose steroids could have weakened the bones quite a bit so it might not be a bad idea to get a DEXA before the surgery to make sure bones are not too brittle.

The other thing about the bone scan is your ongoing symptoms may not be due to the spondylolisthesis but due to the steroid as you can get avascular necrosis or compression fractures from everyday activity. These conditions can often be missed on plain xray but bone scan, MRI and CT are usually pretty good at picking them up.

On Thursday I am getting a MRI & a CatScan, are there any other tests I should ask my doctor about?

[Eskimo]

On Thursday I am getting a MRI & a CatScan, are there any other tests I should ask my doctor about?

The only thing would be a bone scan. This can show how much ongoing bone activity there is at the site of injury.

The CT should sort out if there are any insufficiency fractures and both are reasonably good at looking for signs of avascular necrosis.

[Romo 2 Austin]

The only thing would be a bone scan. This can show how much ongoing bone activity there is at the site of injury.

The CT should sort out if there are any insufficiency fractures and both are reasonably good at looking for signs of avascular necrosis.

Thank you, there has been no nerve damage as of November, and he said since I was relatively physically inactive it is not very likely there is now.


I greatly appreciate the help, how do you know so much about back surgerys?

[Eskimo]

Thank you, there has been no nerve damage as of November, and he said since I was relatively physically inactive it is not very likely there is now.


I greatly appreciate the help, how do you know so much about back surgerys?

MD by trade, but not a surgeon. However, I work in the neurology realm and often deal with people with spine issues.

[Romo 2 Austin]

MD by trade, but not a surgeon. However, I work in the neurology realm and often deal with people with spine issues.

Very cool, and must be a very fulfilling career.

My spine doctor is the former surgeon of the NYGiants, he also is recommend to all injured NYPD/Nassau/Suffolk who get injured with back problems, he has pictures of all the athletes he has performed back surgery on, and from quick google searches all of them, every single one, returned to their sport if they were sill active at the time of the surgery. That is very impressive.

[CowboyMcCoy]

Spondyolosos with 10% sponsylothis

I have a lower "spondylo"...and i never had back surgery, but I never fractured my back either.

We'll be thinking about you. Keep us up to date and let us know how you're recovering, bro.

[CowboyMcCoy]

Yep, colitis just officially in remission Monday, same day I got this news. Can't catch a break medically at all

I had this as well. I got it from the antibiotics they gave me after my appendectomy... dude, that was no fun at all. Just yuck.

[Romo 2 Austin]

I have a lower "spondylo"...and i never had back surgery, but I never fractured my back either.

We'll be thinking about you. Keep us up to date and let us know how you're recovering, bro.

Thanks man

[Romo 2 Austin]

I had this as well. I got it from the antibiotics they gave me after my appendectomy... dude, that was no fun at all. Just yuck.

It is truly awful, no one knows how bad it can be unless they had it themselves or know someone who had it.


I spent over 3 weeks in the hospital in Jan, and a week in March.

[BraveHeartFan]

Very sorry to hear you have back problems, especially at such an early age. I will pray that you make a full recovery. Back surgery is a big time decision but it looks like, from this thread, that your family has researched it, and done all they can to find out as much as possible before having the surgery, so good luck on it.

[CowboyMcCoy]

Very sorry to hear you have back problems, especially at such an early age. I will pray that you make a full recovery. Back surgery is a big time decision but it looks like, from this thread, that your family has researched it, and done all they can to find out as much as possible before having the surgery, so good luck on it.

Hey, DBrave, long time...I'm still not on the 'ole xbox much lately, but i'm itching to be. Will drop u a line real soon.

Seriously, bless the guy's heart. Having these sorts of problems this young isn't fun, but in the long run it will make him stronger inside.

But yeah, the spondylo..er, something, thesis, i'm no dr. But that sucks. When it happens, it feels like someone hit you with the butt of a gun in your back. And you go around walking at a 45 degree angle.

One thing I find that does help it tho. Exercise. Yup. The good kind.

Might wanna give that a shot at "healing" your painful problem....

Nah, kidding aside. I can totally sympathize with him on both accounts. Although we're spoiled brats if we think things couldn't be worse.

[Romo 2 Austin]

Very sorry to hear you have back problems, especially at such an early age. I will pray that you make a full recovery. Back surgery is a big time decision but it looks like, from this thread, that your family has researched it, and done all they can to find out as much as possible before having the surgery, so good luck on it.

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words.