I'm gonna get wired up I guess Aug 2.

[greybeard]

Well, after multiple steroid injections, phy therapy attempt, 3 neurosurgeon consults, it has been decided there is no surgical fix for my back. In one neurosurgeon's own words

"I know you came here hoping for some relief, but I've looked at your imaging 3 times now, talked to my associates and you have so much damage in L5/S1, L4/L5 are already fused together and so much wear and tear on all the other joints, I have to tell you I know of no surgical fix for you and to be honest, with all that is wrong, I wouldn't even know where to start. You must have lived a hell of a life up to now."

He has no idea.....
I guess picking cross ties up and carrying one on my shoulder to drop in a post hole wasn't the greatest idea..or unrolling 2200 ft of 12ga wire on a pole stuck thru the roll..5 times each side. All thse 6-71 cylinder heads I used to just pick up, carry and set down on the block probably didn't help, not to mention pulling slips and slinging tongs on the rig floor. Wrestling rough cows on the end of a rope, pulling and running to get her snubbed off close to a tree before she ran me over or thru. All those cans of 50 cal and pig ammo I carried... And of course, those years burning the candle at both ends chasing women till one caught me ... Young, bullet proof and able to jump tall buildings....I once was. Now I can barely get up from a toilet or get my own wranglers on. That old man barely hobbling around town with a cane and the Vietnam vet hat on..well, that's me.

You young ones, take care of yourself!! Time and tide wait for no one and it will catch up to you!!

The plan now, is to insert some leads up in or near and into T8, connected to some electronic gizmo outside me, and try to change how my brain interprets the nerve signals. I'll still hurt, but brain won't know it. If it works, they wil go back in later and put the wires and controller inside/under my skin, probably under over on one side. A 10 year battery life, which will probably out live me. This will be the 2nd piece of hardware put in me permanently, the other is deep in my heart.

If it just works well enough to allow me to drive more than 10 miles without having to get out and walk around a bit, I'll take that as a success.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I'm only in my 40's but I've slowed down a LOT.
I won't be doing any of things u mentioned. I'll use some sort of equipment every chance I get or I'll get help somehow. Things hurt longer than they used to. And I wear out a lot more easily.
I had a hernia repaired a few years ago. It took something from me. I've not been able to leap those tall buildings any more.

I was talking with the guys at work the other day about 50 gallon drums. I told em I used to be able to bear hug one of them s.o.b's and put it in a pickup bed. They called bullfeathers. 10 years ago, I'd a proved it to em!

A buddy has one of those electric things implanted in him for his back. He can run circles around me! The pain is gone he says. Tho some times he's a bit stiff.

I agree about slowing down. I should've done it years ago. When I leave my day job today, I'll go sit in the nice air conditioning of the swather til about midnight. Or whenever I get that last 60 acres laid down. That's slowing down, right?

 

[504RP]

Well Greybeard I hate to hear that for you. I am afraid I am going to get news soon from a neurosurgeon telling me there's not much can be done for me.

Have a friend who was told about the same thing you were told. The last Neurosurgeon that saw him told him with the problems he has and surgeries that has already been done. There was nothing he could do. Told him about a medical college that was experimenting with implanting some kind of implants in the spine that is controlled with wires coming out of his back. Bothers me just listening to my friend tell me what the surgeon told him about how this experimental implant stuff is supposed to work.

From listening to my friends experience's and your story. And some others. Seems like there is a connection that all these people has went through. Starts with their MD setting them up to have an MRI done, then they are referred to a neurologist that sets them up for physiotherapy and shots for pain management. Then if that fails they refer you to a neurosurgeon.

I went through most of that myself 2 years ago. Up until they wanted me to do the physical therapy and injections for pain management. At that point my pain would come and go. Lot of muscle spasms and bad cramps, legs on the inside of my thighs felt like someone had run a half inch drill motor with a 3/4 inch wood bit into the inside of my thigh and twist the ligaments wrapping them around the bit. Unimaginable pain, only relief I could get was to climb in a tub of hot water as fast as I could get in it.

The muscles above my knee of my right leg up to my waist stayed numb all of the time. Few months later both legs were that way as far as staying numb. Now the numbness symptoms are gone but now I have non stop pain in L4-L5, S1. On a scale of 1-10 it stays a 4 between episodes that goes beyond 10 to hurting so bad I wish I could pass out so that I could stop hurting. Whatever scale you use when that happens it's the maximum number on the pain scale that I reach when I have a cramp episode. You wish you could pass out during those episodes.

I had just finished filling out the paperwork for my appointment to see a neurologist August 14th. When read your post. I give and am willing to do physical therapy or injections, whatever they say now.

The reason I didn't want to do the physical therapy was because I didn't and don't now think physical will help with what I have going on. Didn't want to have injections for pain management because I wanted to always be aware of how bad my back was getting. Always thought the shots deadening the pain could cause me to do more damage. Sort of like if you was to break your leg and took some kind of pain pills that kept you from feeling the pain and you didn't know your leg was broke. You could tear the muscles, ligaments, nerves and do more damage than you would if you was able to feel the hurting anytime you moved wrong. Thought that would keep you from putting weight on it if it hurts when you do verse putting weight on it because you are numbed up with pain killer and not feeling any pain.

Maybe I am looking at it wrong. But I am like you now. Wish now I knew back when I was lifting and pulling on things like I was Superman and indestructible that I would have been thinking along the lines that I was messing myself up. But that ship has done sailed, can't change the past. Can only hope maybe I can salvage what's left.

 

[Nesikep]

Hope that works for you.. both!
I'm 45 and I've slowed down a lot in the last 5 years or so, for me it's my shoulders and back, and I've had tendinitis in my arms many times now

 

[greybeard]

old him about a medical college that was experimenting with implanting some kind of implants in the spine that is controlled with wires coming out of his back. Bothers me just listening to my friend tell me what the surgeon told him about how this experimental implant stuff is supposed to work.

I spoke first by text on a different forum, then by phone to an on-line friend of mine (another old Marine) that had this done over 10 years ago and he swears by it. It's been around awhile.

I started phy therapy a few months ago and the pain was more than I could stand, plus, the therapist himself told me it could well be causing more harm than good.

An injection in my right hip at Baylor Scott and White medical Center Temple worked great for about 5 days... supposed to have had good effects for about 30-60 days. the ones in my spine had no effect at all other than hurt when they did the injection.
The neurosurgeons were my last good hope other than the pain block thing with the wires. It doesn't always work but I'll give it a whirl.
I am, for the first time in my life on a pain med. Something called Tramadol 1-3x/day. I've never taken more than 2/day and I absolutely hate it. No one told me a side effect would be constipation and extremely disturbing and strange dreams. (there's a reason I'm up at 4 am this morning..always afraid the dream will restart if I go back to bed)
Don't get me wrong. I can still do a lot of physical stuff, but driving or sitting for very long isn't among them. I try very hard not to drive if I've taken a Tramadol.

 

[Kentcal]

"That old man barely hobbling around town with a cane and the Vietnam vet hat on..well, that's me."

Damn, but that description hurt.

Pushing 83 now. Sadly, I resemble all those symptoms. Even sadder is that it doesn't ever get better. Long way from that indestructible team leader SSgt in early (66) Nam.

Learn to live with the meds and the pain and the sad reduction in physical abilities. That's the price we pay for the life we've lived.

Nothing comes free.

Best to you all.

 

[jltrent]

Interested how this turns out as some of this works good. Good luck GB as I hope you can get some releif.

 

[SmokinM]

Hope that works for you.. both!
I'm 45 and I've slowed down a lot in the last 5 years or so, for me it's my shoulders and back, and I've had tendinitis in my arms many times now

The tendinitis is the only thing that bothers me. My elbows have been killing me for the last couple months. You find anything that really helped? Can't grip, lift and twist hardly any weight right now.

 

[SmokinM]

Best of luck GB. Hope it works well for you. Like Chris Ledoux said it ain't the years boy it's the miles.

 

[TCRanch]

Wow, GB! Sure hope it helps.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Well, after multiple steroid injections, phy therapy attempt, 3 neurosurgeon consults, it has been decided there is no surgical fix for my back. In one neurosurgeon's own words

"I know you came here hoping for some relief, but I've looked at your imaging 3 times now, talked to my associates and you have so much damage in L5/S1, L4/L5 are already fused together and so much wear and tear on all the other joints, I have to tell you I know of no surgical fix for you and to be honest, with all that is wrong, I wouldn't even know where to start. You must have lived a hell of a life up to now."

He has no idea.....
I guess picking cross ties up and carrying one on my shoulder to drop in a post hole wasn't the greatest idea..or unrolling 2200 ft of 12ga wire on a pole stuck thru the roll..5 times each side. All thse 6-71 cylinder heads I used to just pick up, carry and set down on the block probably didn't help, not to mention pulling slips and slinging tongs on the rig floor. Wrestling rough cows on the end of a rope, pulling and running to get her snubbed off close to a tree before she ran me over or thru. All those cans of 50 cal and pig ammo I carried... And of course, those years burning the candle at both ends chasing women till one caught me ... Young, bullet proof and able to jump tall buildings....I once was. Now I can barely get up from a toilet or get my own wranglers on. That old man barely hobbling around town with a cane and the Vietnam vet hat on..well, that's me.

You young ones, take care of yourself!! Time and tide wait for no one and it will catch up to you!!

The plan now, is to insert some leads up in or near and into T8, connected to some electronic gizmo outside me, and try to change how my brain interprets the nerve signals. I'll still hurt, but brain won't know it. If it works, they wil go back in later and put the wires and controller inside/under my skin, probably under over on one side. A 10 year battery life, which will probably out live me. This will be the 2nd piece of hardware put in me permanently, the other is deep in my heart.

If it just works well enough to allow me to drive more than 10 miles without having to get out and walk around a bit, I'll take that as a success.

Know of several that have gotten relief.
Others as myself had nerve ablation.

 

[Ouachita]

My mom did a two or three month trial and decided it wasn't for her. On the hand, my brother-in-law has had one going on 8 or 10 years and says it's a miracle. It allowed him to stop all pain meds. Hoping it works for you.

 

[Travlr]

Well, after multiple steroid injections, phy therapy attempt, 3 neurosurgeon consults, it has been decided there is no surgical fix for my back.

The plan now, is to insert some leads up in or near and into T8, connected to some electronic gizmo outside me, and try to change how my brain interprets the nerve signals. I'll still hurt, but brain won't know it. If it works, they wil go back in later and put the wires and controller inside/under my skin, probably under over on one side. A 10 year battery life, which will probably out live me. This will be the 2nd piece of hardware put in me permanently, the other is deep in my heart.

If it just works well enough to allow me to drive more than 10 miles without having to get out and walk around a bit, I'll take that as a success.

Best of luck. I don't know any people that have had great results with back issues and the horror stories are many. But some are "better" if not great, and that may be the best you can expect. Anything better is what we pray/hope for.

 

[Nesikep]

The tendinitis is the only thing that bothers me. My elbows have been killing me for the last couple months. You find anything that really helped? Can't grip, lift and twist hardly any weight right now.

Taking an anti-inflammatory helps, helps best if you know you screwed it up and take it right away.. Naproxen is an over-the-counter (aleve)... other than that not much

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Keep us updated! Good luck.

 

[504RP]

I spoke first by text on a different forum, then by phone to an on-line friend of mine (another old Marine) that had this done over 10 years ago and he swears by it. It's been around awhile.

I started phy therapy a few months ago and the pain was more than I could stand, plus, the therapist himself told me it could well be causing more harm than good.

An injection in my right hip at Baylor Scott and White medical Center Temple worked great for about 5 days... supposed to have had good effects for about 30-60 days. the ones in my spine had no effect at all other than hurt when they did the injection.
The neurosurgeons were my last good hope other than the pain block thing with the wires. It doesn't always work but I'll give it a whirl.
I am, for the first time in my life on a pain med. Something called Tramadol 1-3x/day. I've never taken more than 2/day and I absolutely hate it. No one told me a side effect would be constipation and extremely disturbing and strange dreams. (there's a reason I'm up at 4 am this morning..always afraid the dream will restart if I go back to bed)
Don't get me wrong. I can still do a lot of physical stuff, but driving or sitting for very long isn't among them. I try very hard not to drive if I've taken a Tramadol.

I am taken Diclofenac 1-2x/day as needed. Am trying to not take any at all unless I just absolutely can't bear it no more. Or when I have the unexpected leg contractions at which point I would take any thing to stop those. Have some kind of meds for leg muscle cramps that doesn't do much at all.

Was talking to my friend who is going to have the implant surgery and told him I don't know why doctors want you to do physical therapy for back injuries. I don't think there is any kind of physical therapy that can help relieve back pain. My friend says physical therapy is more an insurance thing than anything thing else. Said insurance companies want to try the less expensive treatments first which if I owned an insurance company could probably understand. Same goes for injections.

But looking at it from someone who has severe back problems. I am afraid that physical therapy and injections could cause more damage to a back injury. And am afraid to have either of those treatments done. But it looks as if I am going to get insurance to pay for my medical bills I will have to do whatever the doctors tell me to do.

I know what you mean about the driving too. I shouldn't be driving period. Really shouldn't be driving on the freeway ever. When I have a muscle contraction attack. I don't have very much time at all to react. Have learned that usually coming inside out of the heat into air conditioning is what triggers the muscle cramps. Have never had an attack like that happen while driving yet. Usually they happen after I have been out in the heat all day bailing hay, between that and using the clutch on the tractor all day and then walking into the air conditioning is what triggers the muscle contractions.

 

[kenny thomas]

Try drinking some dill pickle juice for the muscle cramps. Half a teacup does wonders for me.

 

[sstterry]

Try drinking some dill pickle juice for the muscle cramps. Half a teacup does wonders for me.

I have leg cramps in the middle of the night and dill pickle juice and yellow mustard are the only things that work for me.

I hope the dorsal column stimulator works for you GB!

 

[Travlr]

Try drinking some dill pickle juice for the muscle cramps. Half a teacup does wonders for me.

And quit drinking any kind of carbonated soda...

 

[Nesikep]

I was talking with the guys at work the other day about 50 gallon drums. I told em I used to be able to bear hug one of them s.o.b's and put it in a pickup bed. They called bullfeathers. 10 years ago, I'd a proved it to em!

I've done this.. built an engine in my basement suite then carried it out and put it in the car. Yeah, I feel it now