Novocaine or a nerve block—it’s all essentially the same thing. Your dentist gives you the exact same stuff when they're fixing a tooth. Just because a term sounds unfamiliar or British doesn't mean it's dangerous. DON'T POST ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR YOU'LL JUST LOOK FOOLISH!
Non-surgical Treatment of Spinal Stenosis. There are several ways a doctor might manage stenosis without going under the knife. Thes include : • Medications • Medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to curb swelling and pain, along with analgesics for pain relief.
• Corticosteroid injections (epidural steroids) can help mitigate swelling and address acute pain that shoots into the hips or down the leg. This relief isn't always permanent, and doctors usually advise against getting more than three injections in any six-month window.
• Rest or limiting physical activity (this varies based on how much the nerves are involved).
Cortisone shots are typically paired with an anesthetic like Carbocaine or Lidocaine. This numbs the area and helps pinpoint exactly where the injection needs to go (you'll feel the pain subside for about an hour while the anesthetic kicks in).
I was talking about having a Facet joint injection performed under X-ray by an anesthesiologist at a hospital... not in a dental chair, you dummy. Those injections were specifically for nerve root blocks, SNRB.
Furthermore, according to my pain clinic report, I underwent a “DOUBLE BLIND INFUSION” on 10/15/03. That means receiving different types of concentrated injections every hour and a half... one of which is a placebo. Unfortunately, none of them worked, which just indicated that maybe an anticonvulsant/anti-seizure medication would help—so I tried those over the next 15 months, to no avail.
You're just making things up. I've been taking 5mg of Valium and Quinine 300 mg every single night for 35 years to manage cramps.
And I certainly didn't swap alcohol for drugs, you jerk. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Anyone here with actual medical or pharmacological experience will know I'm speaking sense, even if you don't. You're just some Canadian joke.
Why bother with that KOKUZa from Canada? He acts like he conned everyone and is living off a pension because he's terrified of war, yet he still spends his time delivering pizzas. You guys aren't really friends. ====================== Anti-seizure medications: Relief from nerve pain Anti-seizure (anticonvulsant) medications were originally designed to manage or prevent epileptic seizures. They are also effective at controlling the sharp, stabbing, or shooting pains that sometimes stem from nerve damage. These drugs appear to function by calming damaged nerves to slow down or block erratic pain signals.
Newer anti-seizure drugs generally come with fewer side effects than the older versions, so they are often the first line of defense. Newer anti-seizure drugs include: Gabapentin ( Neurontin). While effective for migraine prevention, Gabapentin ( Neurontin)'s side effects can include drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea, and mood shifts.
Lamotrigine (Lamictal). A rash is the most frequent side effect. Using Lamotrigine long-term can lead to blurred vision.
Tiagabine (Tiagabine). Common side effects include dizziness, fatigue, depression, and mental confusion.
Topiramate (Topamax). Also utilized for cluster headaches, Topiramate can actually make oral contraceptives less effective. It can also suppress sweating and potentially raise the risk of kidney stones. Older anti-seizure drugs have a much longer track record, so we have a better understanding of which specific pains each one treats best. Older anti-seizure drugs include:
Carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol). Often considered the gold standard for electric shock-type pain, carbamazepine is frequently prescribed for trigeminal neuralgia—a nerve condition that feels like bolts of electricity hitting your face. A more recent version, oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), tends to have fewer side effects. Clonazepam (Klonopin). This medication is frequently utilized to manage headaches, TMJ issues, and phantom limb pain. Common side effects involve dizziness and drowsiness, and there is a risk of dependency.
Valproic acid (Depakote). In pain management, this anti-seizure medication is mostly used as a preventative measure for tension, cluster, or migraine headaches. However, valproic acid carries risks of severe liver damage and life-threatening pancreatic inflammation.
Phenytoin (Dilantin). While it works for facial nerve pain and migraines, its current utility is limited by side effects. Extended use might lead to bleeding gums, numbness in the extremities, excessive hair growth, or even a coarsening of facial features.
Anti-seizure drugs utilize various mechanisms to reach similar results. In some cases, combining two or more of these medications might be the most effective approach.
Nerve damage pain can be incredibly debilitating and tough to manage. Even though we're still learning exactly why anti-seizure meds work for this specific kind of pain, they can occasionally offer relief when other options fail.
If you kept at it, maybe you'd actually learn something useful instead of trying to "catch people out." You really seem to think you're some kind of hero, Kokica1 Banned16.
Watch out for bird flu.
don't do this one today before it becomes hate... damn.😉
Charles Banned 15/1/06 ***sticks and Stones will break The Bones ***sticks and Stones will break The Bones, but Word will never Hurt anyone *** Screw them all!! Damn them!!
Kokica1 Banned16 Banned16/10/05 Happy slaves are the fiercest enemies of freedom. [Jane Austen] Forgive your enemy, but NEVER forget their name.
Kokica2 Banned Banned 22/12/03 Hey!! How is it that we can bicker here, but it's banned on the diaspora boards??
Kokica3 Banned Banned 6/4/04 The Lunatics are taking over the asylum!!
Kokica7 Banned Banned 14/5/04 Hobbit, why are you lying so perversely? What can you expect from a Yugonostalgic who occasionally "socializes" by pretending to be an American? Just a regular Yugonostalgic The Lunatics The Lunatics are taking over Reddit
I honestly think your wife is struggling because she loves you, while you're just completely checked out. To be blunt, if you weren't around, she’d probably be perfectly fine. You're the one making her life difficult, and she just isn't strong enough to push back. Jamie Clark74, you basically admitted it yourself—you've been acting pretty small lately. Just one more thing: what diagnosis did the psychiatrist actually give your wife?
My wife knows better than anyone why we've stayed together for 44 years... part of it is simply that since 1969, we've been best friends, not just a married couple.
Mistakes can be forgiven, but they aren't forgotten... and after my wife read through your lovely posts from the very beginning, she had just one thing to say: "William.... why are you even hanging out with people like this? You can see exactly what kind of person they are... please, just finish what you have to say and stop. Don't write about my problems, because she'll just keep spinning stories and keep writing about them again in a year." The moderators over at ADEX and SECUNDO were right... they warned me I was sharing too much private info... and it turns out they were spot on.
Such a highly respected Canadian.... if you just answer the rest, we won't have anything left to say... because dealing with you is impossible. You were born in Canada, yet you're trying to teach Americans about their own history and events... as if those who actually live there don't know better.
Maria Morales62 said:You’re transparent, Jamie Clark74, totally transparent.😲
If things don't go exactly how the patient🙄 wants, in this case, you're just a nuisance, Jamie, and then the whining and noise start.
It's sad that you've dragged your wife into your mess too. Unfortunately, she's depressed because you're the reason.😠 Even back in your younger days when you were fooling around with that beauty Branka, you didn't care about your son or wife—you were too "tense," as you put it.
When doctors told you that you were an addict, you lost it because you can't stand the truth. For sacral pain, narcotics won't help at all, except for turning your brain into scrambled eggs.
Both you and your wife are using Diazepam for depression. YOUR WIFE she doesn't even have asbestosis or a broken sacrum, but she does have to deal with a maniac/nuisance for xxx years now.
Blocks are the only real way to treat sacral pain. Taking 5mg of Clonazepam—which is "active"—is basically like having a small glass of wine; I think they have the same effect, but it's given to patients like you just to get you off our backs.
With your personality, you need a woman who would have shut you down from the start. Instead, you've dragged your loyal wife and the mother of your children into your chaos. She's being treated not because she's physically ill, but because she's given up on everything and is taking pills just to make things easier for you. Where is your soul, you animal?😕 Heaven forbid she dies before you, right, you little nuisance?😈
Once people read this psychiatrist's correspondence, everything will be clear.
========= You're a complete fool; you can't even read a doctor's report. I've been taking Valium/Diazepam for 36 years to relax my muscles, and Clonazepam... you clearly have no idea what these are used for or how potent they are. They are used for seizures... in my case, it was prescribed for anxiety, and it helps/should help with pain.
And didn't you read where the psychiatrist said we both have significant health issues? My wife has her own "major problems"... I've always been there for her and did everything I could... what do you know about our lives besides what I've written here?
Yes, the reason I went to Graz was to get my act together regarding my womanizing and alcoholism... and I wrote that because I wanted you to know. I paid my dues.
Since we moved to America in 1969, I haven't drank or even gone out much. I worked three jobs while my wife stayed home because she wasn't doing well with her health. There were times when I was working and managing the household alone while she was 249 miles in the hospital. If I write about her struggles, you'll just say I'm constantly crying about illnesses and my wife.
People change. I made mistakes, but I paid for them, and I never hid them. My wife has never once brought up or thrown my "mistakes" in my face, because I've been honest with my psychiatrist from childhood until today.
When you can't keep lying anymore, you start bringing up things that have nothing to do with the medical issues.
First, you claimed I was lying and making up all these diseases; now that I've posted the reports online for everyone to see, you're twisting the facts. It really shows your true character.
And I mentioned that after my nerve block procedure, called a "facet injection," I had to undergo three X-rays. But I won't be getting any more because there are no results, and continuing might just make things worse.
So, here we go again. A fraud, a loser, a schizophrenic—basically a man with zero character who completely ruined my wife's life. What's next on the list?
Oh, look at you, back down here talking nonsense again... how many times does this make? If I were someone else... Arslan... maybe you should focus on getting treated for schizophrenia instead.
I’d write more, but I really need to rush to my steroid injections in my heel and knee just to keep you up to date. love William Kovacic.
Larry Mendoza said:Jamie Clark74, I’m very familiar with spinal surgeries, which is why I asked how you manage to sit for so long.
I'm being completely serious here—please don't take this personally, as you aren't the only one out there dealing with back pain.🙄
My aunt had two major surgeries after getting spinal fusion. That first operation finally freed her from years of unbearable pain and the total inability to even dress herself. The second surgery was a success 👍 and gave her her life back, provided she strictly followed everything her specialist ordered. SITTING is pure poison for people with spinal issues; the more movement and walking you can get, even if it's just pacing around a single room, the better.
Another case in my family involved degenerative disc disease in the neck. Every specialist refused to operate because the patient would likely have ended up paralyzed from the neck down, given how close the disc was to the skull and spinal cord. BUT THE ONLY REMEDY WAS MOVEMENT, AND SITTING WAS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.😕
So, that’s why I honestly don't understand how you can sit so much.
After my 1972 surgery, I worked grueling 12–14 hour shifts doing manual labor—three different jobs just to keep my kids on their feet. Even while dealing with the pain, back in 1987, my son and I started getting into track and field, and I took up jogging myself. For a little over three years, I actually competed in jogs—though I always finished toward the back of the pack. I did about 20 half-marathons. 3.1 miles,4.4 miles,7.5 miles, 8.9 miles....those were my standard runs...about 80-62 miles miles a week. I have some data somewhere in my garage showing roughly 7.5 miles miles over those three years, including breaks when I dealt with sciatica. Looking back, I know I shouldn't have done it; I compromised my spinal stability and sped up the degeneration.
And ever since 1991, my wife and I would go for walks around 5-4.4 miles PM every single evening... until the point where I couldn't even make it to the garage anymore. Then came the history of my 2002 surgery at two levels, and now, long walks are off the table. I mostly just walk around the house. "Sitting and lying down is what relieves my pain"... which is pretty typical for someone with lumbar spine stenosis and two pinched nerves following that 2002 surgery. Still, I hold onto the memories and the pride of what I achieved while I was able, not to mention my work and everything I did for the family. In 1978, I was asked if I wanted to retire early due to my back, but I looked at my two kids—who needed me most right then—and I kept working.
Maria Morales62 said:Schizophrenia is a mental illness, a complex brain disorder consisting of a specific set of symptoms. For someone living with it, schizophrenia makes it difficult, distorted, or even impossible to distinguish real experiences from unreal ones.
Let’s try to imagine an impossible scenario for a second. Suppose we were exactly as we are now, but we suddenly found ourselves on a different planet in another galaxy (on the internet), where the beings look completely different, the language is unintelligible, emotions are unknown, customs are bizarre, and the environment feels threatening. We've arrived there without knowing how, we don't know how long we'll stay, and everything around us feels surreal, alien, and terrifying.
It stands to reason, then, that patients in the midst of an episode can't maintain or express normal emotional responses toward others, which significantly impacts their ability to function socially. Patients may also struggle with memory and behavior.
It isn't easy, but there are solutions.🙂
================= The only person I know for sure who has schizophrenia is the one constantly changing their personality and their nicknames. I actually have reports showing what's wrong with me from a psychiatric standpoint... do you have yours to prove you're "normal"?
I've been seeing a psychiatrist for 16 years for chronic depression and Panic Disorder... if they haven't figured out I'm schizophrenic by now, then they clearly aren't the top-tier psychiatrists everyone claims them to be. And I've worked with plenty of them at places like U.S. Steel.
Actually, my psychiatrist is a leading professional who travels the world... she even sits on psychiatric panels advising the government.
I’m attaching the psychiatrist's letter. I've linked the original so you can see it, because the scan is a bit tough to read!
Reason for visiting Washington, D.C.: "ASBESTOSIS" ========================== April 15
Dear Dr. Rogers, RE: MR. WILLIAM KOVACIC D.O.S. 11/11/41
Thank you for your correspondence regarding Mr. Kovacic. Based on my conversation with him, I understand he has recently switched general practitioners and is now under your care.
I have been treating Mr. Kovacic since March 1992. At that time, he was living in Whyalla and had been on a workers' compensation claim with BHP for some time. He had been seen by Dr. Norman James, who had initiated treatment for his major depressive disorder. However, Dr. James moved to Victoria, and for this reason, Mr. Kovacic was referred to me. When I saw Mr. Kovacic, I diagnosed him as having a major depressive disorder, a Panic Disorder, along with Agoraphobia and obsessional personality traits. He had previously tried several different antidepressants without much success. Over the years, I have found that the best antidepressant has been Paroxetine 40 mg a day and Clonazepam 2 mg bd for his anxiety. While this medication keeps his depression relatively stable, his anxiety remains quite intense at times, especially during stressful periods.
There have been numerous life changes during the years I've known him. He ended his tenure with BHP and moved from Whyalla to Adelaide. More recently, they have moved from their house in Adelaide to a unit in a retirement village. Beyond these shifts in their own lives, changes involving their two sons have also taken a toll on them. Although Mr. and Mrs. Kovacic feel they made the right choice, adjusting to life in a small retirement community has been a slow process for them.
Lately, they have been preoccupied with planning trips to Europe. Organizing these travels has also proven to be quite a stressful endeavor.
Another major stressor this year was the diagnosis of "ASBESTOSIS." He is deeply concerned about this, which was a primary reason for the trip back to Europe to visit family.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Kovacic deal with various other medical complaints as well. These issues can become quite all-consuming. Currently, Mrs. Kovacic is dealing with severe diarrhea that seems to stem from irritable bowel. A trial of immipramine wasn't successful, so she has returned to moclobemide 300 mg a day. Around the same time, Mr. Kovacic decided to test if a different antidepressant might offer better relief for his anxiety. This resulted in two months of instability. Ultimately, he determined that Paroxetine was his best option and is just now beginning to stabilize on it.
-2- One issue that has dominated Mr. Kovacic's thoughts over the last twelve months is his back pain. As you are aware, he has received care at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Pain Unit. They weren't able to provide much relief, so he now relies on Diazepam 5 mg a day, as well as Panadeine forte and Endone for the pain. He seems sensitive to many analgesics, which can sometimes trigger aggressive behavior. Panadeine forte appears to be the one he tolerates most effectively.
As you likely know, he was very distressed by his previous GP, who suggested he was becoming dependent on analgesics and Clonazepam. This caused Mr. Kovacic to panic about his medication regimen. In his typical meticulous fashion, he decided to research everything he could regarding his prescriptions. This led him to conclude that his current regimen was reasonable, but it also prompted his decision to find a new general practitioner. To summarize, I believe his major depressive disorder is reasonably well managed with Paroxetine 40 mg a day. His anxiety is partially controlled by Clonazepam 2 mg bd. His primary concern at this time remains his back pain.
Both he and his wife have faced immense stress lately, which has taken a real toll on their physical and mental health. Hopefully, things start to stabilize for them soon. Mr. Kovacic, specifically, is still struggling a bit with the transition into retirement.
While Mr. Kovacic has some obsessional personality traits and can be a bit pedantic, I’ve always found him very reasonable to work with—provided you're straightforward and honest with him. He's also the type of person who appreciates having clear, thorough information regarding his condition and treatment plan.I'll continue seeing Mr. and Mrs. Kovacic every six weeks and will keep you posted on how he's doing.
I’m attaching the original documents from the pain clinic, the neurologist, the psychiatrist, the MRI, and the CT scan showing asbestosis. This is just a small selection.
Every single condition I’ve described, along with my diagnoses, comes from specialists in various fields. For every issue, I actually have two to five different medical opinions on file.
At my age, it isn't exactly surprising to be dealing with health issues. They are just a part of life; we all get older, and we all deal with the consequences. Most of you probably haven't even heard of some of the conditions I write about. They aren't discussed much, even among professionals, because they are often the fallout from spinal surgeries, an Epidural, or even old practices where dye was used during an X-ray to get a clearer image—something like Arachnoiditis. It can leave you completely disabled 24/7, regardless of any other illnesses. I've documented all of this, providing doctor's findings, X-rays, scans, and MRI reports.
A lot of people don't realize that an MRI, scan, or X-ray isn't enough on its own for a diagnosis. You need a clinical exam to evaluate everything together before a final opinion is given.
How many people do you know with lumbago or sciatica who kept working straight through it? I did. We didn't have the money to just sit around and not work, and back then, the social safety net in the US wasn't what it is today. So, for 15 months, I couldn't just run out and start sprinting. They didn't want to operate on me either, because it was considered too risky. Don't forget, 34 years ago, these were incredibly heavy surgeries. I remember being taken to the hospital to visit patients who were still stuck in bed after 10 to 14 days, in absolute agony. I ended up going in for surgery myself, though it was arguably too late—it should have happened sooner, and I shouldn't have been working. In the end, the surgery didn't really help; it just created more problems. But talking about this to someone who doesn't understand is useless. You have to live it to get it. People with sciatica or lumbago usually take a week or two off. What would they do if they were in my shoes? Some folks on this health forum go crazy after just two days! I never spent a single day in bed. I was popping narcotics like Codeine, dragging my legs along, and enduring spasms and pain while grinding my teeth. No one saw me hitting my hands against the wall or crying through the nights.
Here are the topics I've covered on the forum:
Men's Health Issues
Asbestosis
Lower Back Pain, Protrusion, and Intervertebral Disc Prolapse
Intrathecal Morphine Pump for Pain!
The Pros and Cons of "Antidepressants"
Health... Doctors... and... MONEY?
A Cervical cancer injection is in production...
What does a man know about menopause, hysterectomies, HRT, osteoporosis, and other issues?
Everything About Sexuality... Her... Him... Her and Him... and more!!!
Let's just get rid of all the elderly and sick... what do you say?
"Psychiatry and Us"—A topic for forum members who are serious about these illnesses!
"Psychiatry I & II" // Discussions, Correspondence, and Support!!!
Does anyone know anything about Sleep Apnea?
Jamie Clark74: That won't happen to me—I've got Type 2 diabetes to worry about!
I've always felt that Health should be a space for exchanging ideas and sharing information about things we don't know—especially since we all come from different backgrounds across the globe.
For the most part, I haven't had much to complain about. Since I started posting, I haven't really run into issues, except for interactions with two or three people. It wasn't even about insults, just those "we don't all get along" moments. But over the last two weeks, I’ve been dealing with one specific individual who keeps pushing my buttons and spreading constant lies. They've thrown accusations at me like I'm some kind of extreme political fanatic, claiming I'm some outdated relic or that my own kids dumped me in a nursing home and such. Up until now, this person was just some random person from the diaspora causing trouble, and I didn't feel the need to step in. But then they showed up here under a new username. They go through dozens of these accounts, just waiting for the chance to open a new one. This has been going on for two or three years now. If this person doesn't have anyone else to fight with or insult, they'll just end up fighting with themselves. They live for drama and chaos.
Maybe it's my fault for taking them seriously. Everyone knows what they're about, but it's still exhausting to read when they manipulate the truth to suit their needs and put words in other people's mouths. In my life, it's always been about hard work and integrity. I've left politics and religion to others; that's just how I was raised.
Even though I was born in Washington, D.C., my childhood was tough. I started working in the garden at age six, then moved on to odd jobs around buildings after school, eventually learning a trade. So, to have someone today call me a liar, a fraud, or a con artist regarding my health... I can't just sit there and take it. My reputation means everything to me. I treat this place like real life. I'm not here to pull anyone's leg, pick fights, or play politics.
If you want to hear more about my upbringing, check out the thread "My Childhood Under Communism!"
Gary Jones10 said:rustymoose54, I wouldn't say they're mocking people, but man, they can be exhausting sometimes. For example, you start a thread in the Health section because someone in your family is seriously ill with some condition. You've done your research, but you just want to hear real stories from people who have actually lived through it.
Then some guy pops up. He doesn't even have the illness you're talking about, but he floods your thread with copy-pasted stuff from the internet. He could have just shared a link or stayed quiet, but he didn't. And if you tell him he's overstepping with the medical talk, he just pastes four more pages of his own diagnoses. It’s like he has no clue how much he's overdoing it. Obvious.
I've noticed on this subforum there are a few characters who jump into any thread about a disorder or illness acting like they're experts on everything. They aren't medical professionals, though. Is it hypochondria, or what?
Saint Jude said:How on earth do you manage to stay so active while being that sick?
Gary Jones10 says: Because my illness is, uh, located somewhere else.
What do you know about pain? You're making fun of people like me... yet I've provided my address, my full name, all my doctors, and all my medical records. Don't forget Kokica... she has a reputation and everyone knows it... are you just like her?
Am I to blame for having multiple illnesses? I can tell you, I've had plenty of people email me asking for advice on various conditions based on my experience.
But I've also had four people trying everything they can to smear my name. Believe whatever you want, but everything I've written is true. I have the proof and the specialist diagnoses to back it up. These weren't just pulled out of thin air... despite what you foolishly think!
Back in the day, I worked at a steel mill and was paid to attend university presentations regarding corporate protocols: specifically, how to mitigate Union Carbide exposure and prevent further fallout. I was even a supervisor for those operations, and I completed two three-month courses on OSHA!
I had no idea that one day in 1997, I would be diagnosed with asbestosis myself! And when I wrote about the issues I know so well, I was constantly mocked... simply because you all knew nothing about it. Instead of showing interest, you waited until three years later when everyone started talking about it.
In my early 60s, my kids even paid for me to attend Harvard Medical School for 18 months for seniors... it's not unusual. Plenty of older folks head back to college during retirement.
It's better if you don't talk nonsense... either provide proof for what you say or stay silent.
I've been writing about various illnesses and my own experiences for three years now. Everywhere you look, you'll find the opinions of doctors and specialists relevant to my specific issues. Everything I share—whether it's my own opinion or a copy-paste—is accurate because I'm speaking from firsthand experience.
Sean Hernandez5 said:While I haven't read every single post here, I can tell you that my own struggles with ovarian issues and childbirth weren't actually that bad. A friend of mine recently had spine surgery; if she hadn't gone under the knife, she would've been paralyzed. Her back was basically a chaotic mess of tangled nerves and vertebrae (she was immobile before the procedure). They actually performed the incision from the front and worked it together—she described the whole process to us before heading in. Now, after endless physical therapy, she’s still walking with crutches, and honestly, she's still in a lot of pain. I also know someone whose story was literally featured in the news. She woke up one day completely stiff. She went to her massage therapist—who had treated her back before—and they told her to get to the hospital immediately without even touching her. She ended up having emergency surgery on her spine. More than six months after that operation, she was completely paralyzed from the waist down. And she was only 18.
So, let's stop complaining about teeth and tonsils. If anything, we should be grateful when things go better than expected...
I can't find the specific link, but I've had a Laminectomy and spinal surgery myself. Speaking of major operations, this is considered the second most painful type of post-op recovery.
Minor discectomies and microsurgeries don't even compare to a Laminectomy. There's also a high risk of complications or injury, and a patient can end up in a much worse position than when they started.
Fortunately, out of all spinal conditions and pains, only about 5% of people actually end up needing surgery. Of those, roughly 75% are successful—at least according to my years of reading and research.
And even within that 75%, many will eventually return with new problems. It's very rare to have an operation that truly "fixes" everything perfectly, as mentioned above regarding what it takes to have a hopeful outcome.
Back in 1972, I went in for surgery after 15 months of agony, with a completely destroyed disc and a fractured vertebra... and I kept working through those entire 15 months. I don't know anyone else who could keep working for 15 months in that kind of situation. Most people wouldn't even be able to stand, let alone stay out of bed, with those symptoms. ======= By the way, Laminectomy surgeries are typically performed with the patient in a "prone position"—lying on their stomach—or lying on their side. I also know quite a few people who had open surgery via the abdomen; it hurts less because they don't have to cut through the main large muscle group in the back. In 2002, I had surgery while kneeling upright in a special frame designed to support the head... it's one of the rarer positions. This surgery is usually done with the patient kneeling face down in a special frame. The frame supports the patient so the abdomen is relaxed and free of pressure. This position lessens blood loss during surgery and gives the surgeon more room to work.
Also, cervical spine surgeries are performed by making an incision in the neck, opening from the neck toward the chest. I have a thread where I describe all of this in detail; the topic is titled: Lower back pain, protrusion, and intervertebral disc prolapse
Dealing with FBSS Failed Back Surgery syndrome can be a real nightmare. It’s essentially when you undergo a procedure hoping for relief, only to find that your pain levels haven't budged—or worse, they've actually gotten worse. So, how do you avoid landing in this situation? It really comes down to being incredibly proactive before you even step foot in the operating room. You need to have some serious conversations with your surgeon about your specific goals and what a "successful" outcome actually looks like for you. Don't be afraid to ask the tough questions or seek a second opinion from another specialist if something feels off. It’s also vital to understand the risks involved. No surgery is a silver bullet, and being realistic about the possibilities helps manage expectations. Ultimately, doing your homework and working closely with your medical team is your best line of defense. "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome"—or FBSS—is honestly a bit of a misnomer. It isn't actually a specific medical syndrome. Instead, it's just a broad, catch-all term doctors use when a patient doesn't get the results they were hoping for after spinal surgery. Interestingly, you don't see a label like this applied to other fields; there’s no such thing as "failed cardiac surgery syndrome" or "failed knee surgery syndrome." It seems to be a uniquely vague way to describe back surgery outcomes.
Spine surgery isn't an exact science. There are countless variables at play, and even when you have a top-tier surgeon and perfect clinical indications, success rates only hover around 95%. It’s just one of those things where there's always a margin for error.
Spine surgery really boils down to just two main goals:
1) Decompressing a pinched nerve root, or...
Stabilizing a painful joint can be a real challenge.
Unfortunately, back or spine surgery isn't a magic wand that can simply cut away a patient's pain. It only changes the physical anatomy. Because of that, you have to identify a specific anatomical lesion—a clear injury that's likely causing the issue—before any surgical intervention even makes sense.
The single biggest reason back surgery fails is simple: the lesion they actually operated on isn't what's causing the patient's pain in the first place.
Not all back surgeries are created equal when it comes to actually fixing the problem. Some procedures are much more reliable at relieving a patient's pain than others. For instance,
If you’re looking at a discectomy—or maybe a microdiscectomy—to fix a herniated lumbar disc that's shooting pain down your leg, the outcome is usually pretty predictable. It works quite often. But if you're going under the knife because a herniated disc is causing nothing but lower back pain, I have to be honest: the success rate isn't nearly as reliable.
When you're looking at a spine fusion to fix stability issues like spondylolisthesis, the procedure is actually pretty predictable. That said, if you're looking at a spine fusion to deal with multi-level lumbar degenerative disc disease, the odds of actually cutting down on pain aren't nearly as high. If you want to steer clear of spinal surgery that ends in failure, there really is only one way to go about it: be proactive. The goal should be simple: stick to procedures with a high success rate and ensure we identify any anatomical lesions that can actually be corrected surgically before the operation ever begins.
Beyond the FBSS Failed Back Surgery syndrome mentioned earlier, there are a few other reasons why a surgery might not go as planned or why the pain keeps lingering:
When looking at fusion surgery, there are several key factors to weigh—specifically the risk of non-union (where the bones fail to fuse) or potential implant failure. You might also deal with a transfer lesion at a different level following a spinal fusion—basically, when the adjacent level degenerates and starts generating new pain. Other things to weigh regarding lumbar decompression include recurrent stenosis or disc herniation, insufficient nerve root decompression, pre-existing nerve damage that fails to heal after surgery, or any nerve trauma that happens during the procedure itself.
Thinking about scar tissue. =========== Here’s my situation: I had a Laminectomy and fusion at L5/S1 back in 1972. They made a 30cm incision. Back then, instead of the usual six to nine months of rehab, I was back on the job in just five or six weeks. There was no social safety net to fall back on; if you weren't working, you weren't getting any government assistance. I never regained my full range of motion—I couldn't bend past my knees again. Still, I spent 24 years working heavy manual labor on painkillers. Despite the intense pain, I was lifting up to 150 lbs and juggling three different jobs. I worked as an electrician, often crawling through attics on my stomach or kneeling on my knees. Meanwhile, others who only had minor issues and took disability payouts on the company dime ended up retiring early on disability.
========= I retired back in 1992 due to intense work stress. I worked as a work order controller, and honestly, the steel mill paid the price for ignoring my suggestions on how to reduce the pressure. Even now, fourteen years later, I’m still seeing a psychiatrist every six weeks to manage depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and a personality disorder. ===========
My back issues have been steadily getting worse. I’ve got three degenerate levels in my upper spine now, and my arms have started going numb. Back in 1997, we had to leave our large 4-bedroom house. I just couldn't manage the upkeep anymore, so on my neurologist's advice, we moved into a two-bedroom unit in a small retirement community—just seven units in total. Every year, my MRIs showed advanced stenosis and a pinched nerve at L4-L5, along with some minor stenosis at L4-L3. At the same time, they discovered that the burning sensation in my legs—which feels like someone is pressing a hot iron against them—and the stiffness were actually caused by Arachnoiditis. There’s no cure for that. I consulted three different neurologists, but none of them wanted to operate until I reached the point where I could barely walk 200 or 300 meters. And that is exactly what happened. I went from being someone who could jog half-marathons despite the pain to someone who couldn't even make it from the bed to the garage.
In 2002, I was given a 40-50% chance that things might improve. After the surgery, things actually got worse. Now the L4 nerve is pinched; they tried two rounds of injections under X-ray guidance, but nothing helps. In the meantime, the L5-S1 area has also deteriorated, and I have a pinched nerve at S1 now too.
The full MRI report shows total lumbar degeneration, which matches my clinical exams. The prognosis is that there won't be any more surgeries, unless I lose bladder or bowel control, which is starting to become a concern.
============ So, my current reality involves walking about 300 meters a few times a day. If we are out shopping, I have to sit down, rest, and then start again.
I am honestly grateful we have an automatic transmission with cruise control, because I don't have to constantly press the pedals with my legs.
When we take long trips during our annual vacations, I mostly drive at night because of other health issues. We travel through 62 miles... stop to rest... then get going again. Our last big trip was to New Zealand back in March/April 2005. We haven't been anywhere since then, not even 249 miles with my younger son, because it would just be too difficult and exhausting. ============
The days feel very long. At one point, I'll stand up and move around as much as I can, then I'm back at the computer since that's my main interest and what used to be my "profession," then I try to walk a little again... and it just goes in circles.
tratinčica31 said:Basically, she went to the doctor because of the rash. They diagnosed her with an allergy to "something" and gave her Solu-Medrol injections. It worked for a little while, but the effect kept wearing off. The reactions to whatever was causing the redness on her body just got more frequent and nasty until she ended up at the Mayo Clinic right before New Year's Day. The doctors in Indianapolis had been stalling and sending her home like it was nothing, but things finally improved after she was hospitalized in Columbus. She’s back home now and doing alright, though she still gets occasional breakouts on her arms or hips. Is there any way I can upload photos? I took some during one of those flare-ups—maybe that would help show what we're dealing with.
Larry Mendoza said:Dr. Jamie Clark74 was sent to a nursing home by his kids, where they just sell him off while he's pumped full of various Medical sedatives and painkillers ;;;;;; the old man is just living on legal drugs.
Vilkec, why do you get so offended when someone tells you the truth? Man, you wrote all this yourself in those memoirs you drag around like a heavy backpack And I actually thought you were suffering from chronic spine pain, or whatever you told us, now I'm wondering HOW you can even drive in such bad shape 5.0 miles.??????
HOW, VILCEC?? Were those stories about being sick made up before, I mean, before you grabbed your pension?
It's all right there in your memoirs, and I have an excellent memory: catching people like you who try to dodge the facts is what I do for a living.
Oh, and let me add since we're on the subject—Vilcec studied every single illness that might benefit him, or that he could play well to secure a bigger retirement check. Don't be ashamed of it.
Please, don't be ridiculous... first you called me a fascist leader on some forum... until the moderator stepped in and told you to either prove it or shut up. A week later, suddenly I'm a communist, and then apparently I'm a staunch American supporter? Am I supposed to know that I'm an Orthodox Christian from Washington, D.C.? ...and then the constant attacks saying my kids shoved me into a nursing home. What nursing home? Just pick a lane: am I a fascist, a communist, an Orthodox Christian, or an American sympathizer? At the end of the day, PERSONAL CHARACTER ASSASSINATION IS NOT ALLOWED!
You're just a foolish woman of Canadian descent acting truly disgusting... all over this forum... constantly getting banned only to come back even worse, cruder, and more insulting.
It's a shame the moderators don't react...... I've posted my address, my full name, and detailed diagnoses from specialists. I've gone through two major spinal surgeries and worked for 25 years with unbearable chronic pain just to raise my kids. I have nothing to hide... and I've been writing here for years!🙂 😉 😎
And someone like Kokica shouldn't be allowed to cut through everything and spread her lies and fabrications. Why should I even stress... everyone knows who you are, and if not by Monday, you'll be banned !🙂 🙂
northernskipper41 said:poetry in sequels waiting for osteoporosis
🙂
I wouldn't joke about osteoporosis. You really need to start thinking about it once you hit your late 30s or 40s—unless you're an outlier—because once the damage is done, there's no fixing it. 🙂 😉 😎
Larry Mendoza said:😂 Dr. Jamie Clark74 🤣 was sent to a nursing home by his kids, where they sell off his stuff while pumping him full of various medical sedatives and painkillers ;;;;;; the old man is basically on legal drugs 👍 just like me 😬
If you want to see how I live, you can probably find a thread about it under my signature! We’re likely the only seniors in an assisted living facility who spend weeks traveling the world and driving ourselves around 5.0 miles...while we're out on our trips.😁
For those who aren't aware, Kokica has cycled through about 20 different nicknames... and everyone got banned!
Her favorite targets are the moderator from the diaspora Adex, and when she runs out of people, she comes after me to insult me and spread lies... this has been going on for three years now. Just last week, she showed up on the diaspora forum using the name Chichonin and an avatar of Ante Gotovina, looking for a fight. I didn't react, but they banned her on 1/15/06.... then she re-registered on 1/18/06 under this same nickname. Honestly, she seems to have a list of backup accounts ready just in case!
The signatures alone reveal the intelligence of this Canadian woman who claims to be the ultimate patriot!
***Sticks and stones will break the bones, But Words will never Hurt anyone *** To all of them!! Screw them all!!
I really think the moderators should clear people like this out of the Health forum; they only show up to stir the pot. Moderator notified.