Texas Jack Black Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 I was cleared for light sports activity and did my first practice all went well I am sore and the back is telling me to take it easy. I am looking forward to a great shooting season. This will be my first year back shooting since 2019. I miss the fun. Best Wishes 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHOOTIN FOX Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Had mine done Oct 24th 2023. See the Doc nextWednesday. Fingers crossed I will get cleared for EOT. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Fingers crossed for both of you. Keep working towards it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 28 minutes ago, SHOOTIN FOX said: Had mine done Oct 24th 2023. See the Doc nextWednesday. Fingers crossed I will get cleared for EOT. Just take it easy and follow your Doc's orders. I am sore back surgery is not for the faint of heart. I walk and do light weight training. Best Wishes and shoot straight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonmouth Mark Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Best wishes to both of you. While I have not had fusion, I did have bone and cartilidge removed as I had 5 herniated discs that were impinging on the nerve outlets as well as the cord itself. My wife has asked me, "Is your back fixed?" No, they just broke the check engine light for that LOL. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 5 minutes ago, Cottonmouth Mark said: Best wishes to both of you. While I have not had fusion, I did have bone and cartilidge removed as I had 5 herniated discs that were impinging on the nerve outlets as well as the cord itself. My wife has asked me, "Is your back fixed?" No, they just broke the check engine light for that LOL. After three surgeries for disc issues I finally needed the fusion. I will still have pain maybe not as much. Best of luck with your back. Best Wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Buck Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Had this done in December. Gonna be awhile before I can shoot Bucky calls me more cyborg than human. JB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted January 14 Author Share Posted January 14 34 minutes ago, Johnny Buck said: Had this done in December. Gonna be awhile before I can shoot Bucky calls me more cyborg than human. JB Being opened up like a fish is no fun .I wish you well Best Wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 (edited) I had the lumbar section fused and the erector set installed in December of 2005. With intensive physical therapy and using a custom made brace, I shot the monthly match in March of 2006 without any problems. I was back on my motorcycle May the first of that year and with the exception of two tiny cysts that had to be removed arthroscopicaly, I have had little pain and have been able to do most anything I wanted to since! Follow doctors’ orders and DO THE THERAPY RELIGIOUSLY!! Edited January 15 by Blackwater 53393 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHOOTIN FOX Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 I do therapy 3 times a week. I am up to 50 squats after all the other exercises. I do have a brace and a cane when necessary. No pain, thank goodness. Doc told me to not screw this up. Thanks for the well wishes. See you in Phoenix. Fox 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waimea Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Going to a back surgeon this Thursday for a Meet and Greet and specifically what they can do for my back issues. I have other issues too but the wife says surgery ain't gonna help those. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Irish Shooter Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 8 hours ago, Cottonmouth Mark said: Best wishes to both of you. While I have not had fusion, I did have bone and cartilidge removed as I had 5 herniated discs that were impinging on the nerve outlets as well as the cord itself. My wife has asked me, "Is your back fixed?" No, they just broke the check engine light for that LOL. Just had my second surgery 12/21 and like you both times had bone and disc removed. Still recovering and this time around it is a slower process. Unfortunately I am still having nerve pain and numbness in my right foot which I had pre surgery. Hoping to avoid fusion but seems this may be unavoidable. Never felt 100% after my first surgery in 2018 and looks like this one may be the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, Old Irish Shooter said: Just had my second surgery 12/21 and like you both times had bone and disc removed. Still recovering and this time around it is a slower process. Unfortunately I am still having nerve pain and numbness in my right foot which I had pre surgery. Hoping to avoid fusion but seems this may be unavoidable. Never felt 100% after my first surgery in 2018 and looks like this one may be the same. After my 3rd back surgery I also still had nerve pain and numbness. This fusion seems to have helped .I still have a bit of nerve pain and slight numbness .Doc says time will tell how much of the damage will recover. Best Wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Irish Shooter Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 45 minutes ago, Texas Jack Black said: After my 3rd back surgery I also still had nerve pain and numbness. This fusion seems to have helped .I still have a bit of nerve pain and slight numbness .Doc says time will tell how much of the damage will recover. Best Wishes Another thing for me is the incision they cut on top or your spine, that’s where mine have been. Mine have been open back surgery and the muscles never felt good after the fact. Heck after my first surgery I always had a softball size mass over the incision that never would quit hurting. Wife and I went to the store for groceries today and just walking through the store brought on numbness and nerve pain and pressure in my lower back. I’m not really feeling this surgery is going to take all my pain away and it saddens me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 10 hours ago, Johnny Buck said: Had this done in December. Gonna be awhile before I can shoot Bucky calls me more cyborg than human. JB Yours looks a lot like mine. I had it done in June of 1992, lots of things have changed since then procedural wise but your instrumentation looks very similar to mine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 My prayers are with you all . My back is all jacked up and my Doc Has told me for years at some point your going to have to do something. I'm in pain daily. Problem for me is every person I have ever talked with that has had back surgery says . I'm in as much pain or more after the surgery or they say . I wish I never did it ! So it don't give me much encouragement to have the surgeryIt's And It's getting worse every year . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Bill Burt Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Have a quick, full recovery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Pick your facility and surgeon carefully it makes a major difference. kR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHOOTIN FOX Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 When it is time, your body will tell you. Usually the longer you wait the worse it gets. When I had to sleep sitting up to rel the pain, it was time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Certainly praying for all of you to find relief in some way or fashion someday. I have herniated L4 & L5 years ago but (knock on wood) it has never degenerated into the pain you are experiencing. Hang in there guys and maybe science will catch up and develop a true solution for you. Respectfully Gateway Kid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Buck Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 As Kid Rich said, "pick your surgeon and facility wisely." This is my 3rd go-around. The first time the rods came apart where they were coupled together mid-back. All the hardware was removed and replaced during the second surgery. Problem was they had me overcorrected. I looked like Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein all hunched over. They also crushed my peroneal nerve and now I have foot drop. Due to the misalignment and stress induced by the physics involved, both titanium rods broke down by S4-S5 (closest to the tailbone). Needless to say, the daily pain and inability to get around was a real detriment. I finally found a good surgeon in Charolette, NC. After 10 plus hours of surgery, everything was replaced, I was straightened up as much as he could, and am now on the mend. What the x-ray doesn't show is that the rods go all the way to base of my neck. My surgeon said it was the longest rod he had ever used! The surgery is not to be taken likely, even with drugs it is quite painful. however, I really had no choice! Before you or anyone decides to undertake such an endeavor, try physical therapy and make sure you do your homework! I hope to be back shooting in another year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Buck Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Rooster Wayne don't give up hope! While the pain may never go away completely it can be relived to a point where life is manageable, and you can function daily! This is my third and last rodeo! I am 4 1/2 weeks out and while I am still on some meds its getting better! The pain from surgery is short lived. Only you can make that decision. However, being miserable is no way to live! Rehab has been really hard on my pocketbook..........................gun broker, guns America, guns international............................. Jb 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster Ron Wayne Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 6 hours ago, SHOOTIN FOX said: When it is time, your body will tell you. Usually the longer you wait the worse it gets. When I had to sleep sitting up to rel the pain, it was time. Right . That's where I'm at now . For the last year . I have to be in my recliner with a pillow behind me one under me and one on each side of me all propped up and I can sleep for two or three hours a night . Life is really starting to suck . But hay the bight side is I'm still dragging myself to work everyday for a half day of work . Then go home and take some meds and start the game all over again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvertip Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Rooster like as already been said pick your doctor, even if you have to travel. I had two surgeries for disc problems and one surgery for a one level fusion i 2018. Last January I had a L2 to S2 fusion and have not had any nerve pain or numbness since. I worked with my doctor for over 30 years and trust him completely.Walked a lot and did therapy when he let me. It was well worth it. ST 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) My original ordeal was over twenty years! My original spinal surgeon had repaired my father’s first surgery and he refused to do surgery on my back for seventeen years. This included therapy sessions and medication that allowed me to function while technology advanced. When he retired, he referred me to another top surgeon who also avoided getting me onto the operating table for three years, all the time warning me that if any of several symptoms appeared that I should immediately call him and head to the hospital. I wasn’t able to hold out quite long enough. When my foot went numb while walking across the shop floor one afternoon, I made the call. He asked if I needed for him to send an ambulance, but I was able to get home and pack a bag. I say that I couldn’t hold out long enough. The surgery took almost seven hours and they split me open from just above my exhaust port to just below my shoulder blades. They glued and taped my hide back together and sewed the muscles back together and wrapped me in a custom made brace that I wore for six months, any time I was not laying flat on my back. If I had made it another year, they could’ve done that surgery in a minimally invasive manner where they would not have had to cut all those muscles or open me up like a zippered bag! As I said earlier, the therapy and the doctor are the keys. I asked a lot of questions and talked to a bunch of people. I asked those questions over and over and studied the situation for a long time. I found doctors that had proven success and many many satisfied patients. Patients who recommended those doctors without reservation. It took a while for me to heal and my patience was tested. It’s been over eighteen years since my surgery. The doctor who performed it has retired. The doctor that he turned me over to just did Schoolmarm’s surgery seven months ago and it too was perfect. Do your research and get multiple opinions. Talk to other patients of the prospective doctor. If you can ask nurses and operating room technicians about your doctor, do that too. Don’t rush into anything, but don’t put it off too long! Edited January 16 by Blackwater 53393 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc McCoy, SASS #8381 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Best wishes to you and hail to any of us who weather the scourge of surgical fixin. Mine was a rotator cuff repair, I’m still recovering 4 years later. Later in life is a challenge. Hooray to the survivors! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Rooster, as others have said find a good surgeon but putting it off can really present problems the longer you wait. My rods have been in for 30+ years and had I not had it done I wouldn’t be around, they gave me 6-9 months without the surgery. I still experience back pain, especially if I over do it but you learn in time what your limitations are and how to avoid it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Buck Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Rooster Wayne don't give up hope! While the pain may never go away completely it can be relived to a point where life is manageable, and you can function daily! This is my third and last rodeo! I am 62 and 4 1/2 weeks out from surgery and while I am still on some meds its getting better! The pain from surgery is short lived. Only you can make that decision. However, being miserable is no way to live! My doctor is in Charolett, NC. You can always travel and medicate for the trip home! Rehab has been really hard on my pocketbook..........................gun broker, guns America, guns international............................. Jb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Welcome back!! Hugs! Scarlett 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) Looks like I'm about to join the club. I'm in the hospital now. I've had years of low back pain, with progressive levels of pain and loss of function. I've now lost most of the strength and function in both legs; can't stand long enough to shower; can't walk more than a few steps with a cane Laying on the metal beds of the MRI and CAT scanners was sheer torture. Meeting with a neurosurgeon tomorrow. I dread this. LL Edited January 27 by Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jack Black Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 Look at the surgery as a journey to better times .I went through this same experience and was not a happy cowboy. I am now looking forward to playing Cowboy again. Get well and see you on the range. Best Wishes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 41 minutes ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said: Looks like I'm about to join the club. I'm in the hospital now. I've had years of low back pain, with progressive levels of pain and loss of function. I've now lost most of the strength and function in both legs; can't stand long enough to shower; can't walk more than a few steps with a cane Laying on the metal beds of the MRI and CAT scanners was sheer torture. Meeting with a neurosurgeon tomorrow. I dread this. LL Prayers up LL for a successful surgery and quick recovery. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 1 minute ago, Eyesa Horg said: Prayers up LL for a successful surgery and quick recovery. Gracias, amigo. LL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 52 minutes ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said: Looks like I'm about to join the club. I'm in the hospital now. I've had years of low back pain, with progressive levels of pain and loss of function. I've now lost most of the strength and function in both legs; can't stand long enough to shower; can't walk more than a few steps with a cane Laying on the metal beds of the MRI and CAT scanners was sheer torture. Meeting with a neurosurgeon tomorrow. I dread this. LL Sorry to hear about your issues with your back. Mine was relatively easy to repair. Hope yours is too. Keep us posted. BTW, your PM box isn’t accepting messages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Buck Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Loophole, please keep us posted! I wish you the best and a speedy recovery. It will, however, take some time! As opposed to dreading the visit and the procedure look at it as hope for a new life! One with less discomfort. Consider investing in a nice Lay-z-boy recliner, one that will help stand you up, has heat, a light massage, etc. My wife bought me a guitar for rehab. It's been 6 weeks and I'm just starting to be able to sit long enough to try and learn to play. As I mentioned before, the pain may never all go away but the hope is to make it manageable so you can live a constructive life. I'm 63 and I want another 20 years at least with my bride! She's a hoot! So many places to see, so many people to meet, and so many matches to shoot! Keep us posted! JB 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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