Having another surgery soon. Real soon. Like next week soon.
 

Another spinal fusion, plus something called a lumbar laminectomy to free up the sciatic nerve.

So I'll be unavailable for a few days next week. Surgery is on Tuesday the 29th. I know, it's really sudden, but the hot-shot ace pilot neurosurgeon seems to think it's go time.

If on the off chance I don't survive I'd like to donate my GFY nick to science. :winkwink:


The really crazy thing is how far medicine has come since my last back surgery, which was in the late 70's. I had a spinal fusion done back then and it was a year-and-a-half-long ordeal involving me being in a body cast for 6 months prior to surgery and 9 months after. Today that same procedure has you in and out in a few days, and you're walking around a few days after that, no brace or cast whatsoever. Amazing.

I'll be MIA for a few days next week.


Let me know if you've had any major surgeries lately, and how it's affected you work-wise, home-wise, or if you can no longer perform in the bedroom-wise. :Oh crap

No surgeries myself, but wishing you all the best with yours and hoping you have a swift recovery :)

Thank you brother. Much appreciated words. My last surgery for anything (appendectomy I think) was over 25 years ago. Compared to how it was back then I think it really will be a swift recovery for sure.

lol why would you post this? ego?

good luck on the surgery. i'm sure it will go fine. the drugs they knock you out with are super strong and you will be groggy and out of it for a day+ after the surgery day. at least that's my experience.

I hope you wake up mid surgery lol

Thanks. Based on past experience I actually prefer to be out of it during that time. :winkwink:

For that surgery 25 years ago they gave me demerol, and I swear my hospital bed became an F-14. I vaguely recall flying that thing in a dog fight. With a space ship.

Damn I miss demerol.

Hope you get well.take it lake a man

good luck buddy!

Always good advice.

I know you're going to wake up mid surgery

Scary shit when you are dealing with general anaesthesia -- I know from experience how happy you will be when you wake up and can feel the pain -- been there twice in the past 5 years.

See you in a week or two :)

Best wishes, CD! You'll rock it.

Why is it scary?

Best wishes man.
Compared to your previous experiences this should be a piece of cake. :)

That is correct...Just had 3 surgeries since August myself, one this past Thursday. #propofol :thumbsup

Best wishes buddy.

Best of luck.hope it all goes well

good luck

Any kind of surgery where you get put under sucks. I hope everything is successful and as painless as possible. Good luck man!

well we all will be waiting your first post after surgery

Pray to the baby Jesus and enjoy the morphine drip the first few days after surgery.

That's one of the few things about this that has me at least a bit concerned. When I was 16 they gave me morphine during my first back surgery and it kind of frazzled my nerves for a few weeks after. In the first few days after the surgery no one could walk by the door to my room without me nearly jumping out of my skin.

Enter the wonderful aforementioned Demerol. In the two smaller surgeries I had in the 10 years after that one that's what they gave me, and it was to put it mildly... great.

But they don't use Demerol any longer, or if they do it's only extremely rarely. I think they're going to go with the morphine again for me on this one, so it's going to be interesting to see what effect it has. I am after all nearly 40 years older than I was at the time of my surgery in '79.

All the best ...

ask your surgeon about dilaudid instead of the morphine

Good luck on Tuesday, sounds like a big operation. The surgeons these days area amazing though, you'll be alright :thumbsup

I'd wish you luck - but hopefully luck isn't a factor. Instead, I'll say best wishes for a successful procedure and speedy recovery.

I had surgery a few years back for a pinched sciatic nerve also. All went well and it got me back to functioning normal. :)

Hope your surgery goes well !!

20 or 30 years ago that was true. Today this kind of spinal microsurgery is pretty routine. I won't say it's a MINOR surgery, it's still pretty intense as far as surgeries go, but I wouldn't put it in the same class as a heart transplant. :D

Thanks, that right there is about the most encouraging thing I can hear right now. Misery loves company, but success loves company too, at least where having surgery is concerned. :thumbsup


Thanks everyone for the kind words, or in JohnnyClips's case, the thread bumps.

:1orglaugh

I wish you a merry procedure and a happy recovery!

In the weeks leading up to the surgery, some of the pain had diminished to the point it was almost tolerable. But it came back with a vengeance the morning of the surgery, to the point they had to wheel me down to the OR instead of having me walk.

When I woke up, there was still the same level of pain before the operation, but I knew it was gradually gonna get better as it healed - and it did. The worse was over. I actually walked out of the hospital under my own power while the wife went and brought the van to the front doors. She gave me hell for gettin' outta the wheelchair...but I'm stubborn that way, lol.

I went through a month of physio rehab and then got back to work - good as new.

i was in icu 3 weeks hearing people dying. they thought i was done so they send this priest in throwing water on me. i remember a guy riding a motor cycle died. they checked my pulse every 15 mins it was really bad. i had a morphine box piped into my heart and a breathing tube. oh and a mother of 3 died next to me in the circle they have in icu. peace be with you. nothing is solid when going under the knife.

Good luck CD. Hope you have a fast recovery.

Hey CD, good luck man. Hope it helps

Good luck with your surgery!

good luck & have a fast recovery!

Good luck and fast recovery i could not imagine being in a cast for such a long time.

Good Luck CD! Hope all goes well and you have a quick and speedy recovery.

Some hot chick will make you feel much better after the surgery

"back with a vengeance" ... that's the phrase I'm also fond of using to describe this sciatic nerve bullshit. Standing in one spot is the most painful of all for me. You'll be in a store and have to get in line at the checkout, and the pain level goes up up and UP, and if it's really busy that day and the wait is exceptionally long it's all you can do to not just abandon your cart and hobble out to your car and go the hell home. Walking -- forget it. A few blocks is tolerable, but any more and my left leg goes dead right to the foot and I start dragging it like Quasimodo.

So good as new is sounding pretty good to me right about now. Hell even if there's a 50% improvement I'd be happy at this point.

You paint a bleak picture, I'll give you that. The thing is I spent 15 years through the 80's and 90's working in front line health care at a large urban medical center, including both ICU's, Neuroscience, and the Cardiac step-down unit. I know full well what a war zone certain parts of a hospital can be at times. Also the success rates for surgeries these days that weren't even possible 20-30 years ago.

I'm prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best. What else is there?

Thanks luv.

Thanks luv. :D

:thumbsup

:thumbsup

It was during my early high school years to boot. All of grade 10 was spent looking like a turtle. ha

Thanks man. Are the Wild making the playoffs? Jets are out, every other Canadian-based team is out, I have to live vicariously through someone.

There's always a hot nurse, isn't there?

I got bumped!

Surgery is now set for Apr. 5th. Reason given was there was an inordinate amount of emergency OR procedures during spring break. See kids? Your hard partying ways have far-reaching repercussions, like... pushing my surgery back a week!

to show what universal healthcare allows you to get :2 cents:

Best of luck on your surgery. I had a few but nothing that major.

Standing was bad...but sitting was even worse for me. Hell, I couldn't even find a comfortable position lying down on the bed. I was up to two oxycotins every two hours...and that wasn't taking the pain away. Sometimes I'd take three...still not much better. The upper leg felt like a constant charlie horse...like I'd been kicked by a mule. And several toes on my foot were completely numb. I was starting to think it'd be a chronic, permanent condition. I didn't hesitate to opt for the surgery...despite the risks.

The surgeon I had was one of the best - he'd been doing the sciatic nerve surgery for decades...even had it done on himself. I had total confidence in him - and he did a great job.

You'll do fine. And once the healing's done you'll likely be surprised how much better you'll be. I'm back to 100% and have no pain even after hiking trails for miles.

I wish you the best of luck..... Hope to see you on the other side.

This was posted about a week ago so I assume you are close - I have prayed to everyone - Including the devil and the agnostic 'thing' - You should be covered...

don't worry too much man. i would check out the people doing the surgery. as well as the anesthesiologist. my mom checked them all!! :1orglaugh

I know the feeling. Good luck. :)