Posts by Casey Kern

Dealing with spinal issues? You should seriously look into minimally invasive spine surgery.
The perks: no major incisions, less blood loss, less pain after the procedure, fewer painkillers needed, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and getting back to your normal routine sooner.

I took the "minimally invasive" route myself.
Had the procedure done at a clinic on Fifth Avenue back in August 2009. No big cuts, minimal bleeding—but honestly? It was a total bust. I just had an MRI and an EMG on my legs, and the disk is actually bulging even further out than before, plus there’s damage to the disks right above and below where they operated. After dealing with unbearable pain, I've ended up with chronic, severe nerve damage in my left foot. I spent three days in the hospital, but I never actually recovered. As for meds? Now I'm popping 4-5 Zaldiars and 2 Normabels (5mg) every single day. I've been out on disability for 14 months already. At this point, I'm just prepping for traditional open surgery. Model year: 1976.

Dealing with spinal issues? You might want to seriously look into minimally invasive spine surgery.
The perks: no big incisions, less bleeding, less post-op pain, fewer painkillers needed, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and getting back to your life sooner.

I actually gave minimally invasive spine surgery a serious shot.
Had it done at a clinic on Fifth Avenue back in August 2009—no incision, minimal blood loss. Fast forward to now: I just finished an MRI and an EMG on my legs, and the disk is even more herniated at the exact same spot, plus there’s damage to the disks right above and below where they operated. After dealing with unbearable pain, I’ve ended up with chronic, severe nerve damage in my left foot. I was in the hospital for three days, but honestly, I never really recovered. As for meds? I'm currently popping 4-5 Zoldars plus two 5mg Normabels every single day. I've been out on disability for 14 months already. Now, I'm prepping for traditional open surgery. Model year: 1976.

Not sure if anyone’s touched on this yet, but here’s a little tip that actually worked wonders for me. Aside from staying clean and using wet wipes, I’d highly recommend trying the "Kneipp" water therapy method. He basically explains it like this: hemorrhoids are just swollen veins caused by too much blood rushing in, stretching everything out. To fix them, you have to shrink those veins back down, which means getting your circulation back on track. And you can't just target one spot; you have to work the whole system. Kneipp suggested that whether you're in the middle of a flare-up or just trying to prevent one, taking short, cold sitz baths 3 to 4 times a day is huge. You can do these during the day or even at night, maybe 2 or 3 times, but they should never last more than a minute—and when you're just starting out, even a few seconds is plenty.
Instead of messing around filling up a whole bathtub with cold water, I just aim a gentle stream of ice-cold water right where it counts for about a minute after I shower. Trust me, it makes a difference.
According to Kneipp, this process helps address the issues in the lower abdomen that cause the whole mess in the first place.