Is There A Doctor in the House?

[edwardofhuncote]

Got another matching one now... ain't seen it yet. 


Chime in again sometime. I was just wondering the other day how that sad old Epic 5 fixed up. At the time I was hunting for a thread on a stripped-out Elan 5. I know it's here somewhere. 

[cozmik_cowboy]

I don't have any pix of my hardware - but I could probably pay off the mortgage with all the titanium in my back.

About 6 weeks ago, I mowed the lawn - I mowed the lawn (which I'd done twice already this year with no problem) - and irritated my left S5 joint to the point it was the worst pain of my life.  Bear in mind as you read that "worst pain of my life": 4 back surgeries and once face-first through a closed (non-safety-glass) car window into a brick wall.


Finally got the injection 2 weeks ago today; I really hope the improvement continues, because the thought of surgery #5 is not one I relish.


Glad you're doing so well, Greg.


Peter (who is still in the doghouse for having to cancel our planned June 3-week, 5-grandkid road trip......)

[tbrannon]

Got another matching one now... ain't seen it yet. 


Chime in again sometime. I was just wondering the other day how that sad old Epic 5 fixed up. At the time I was hunting for a thread on a stripped-out Elan 5. I know it's here somewhere. 

the Epic is sanded and sitting.   Life kicked off with some new time consuming requirements and it's been shelved for a bit. 

I have electronics in hand....just need to carve out some time to figure out the refinish and a possible refret.    someday! 

heal up!

[edwardofhuncote]

Stitches out today.... and I got permission to retire the compression stockings.    My rockstar neurosurgeon peeled off the surgical bandages, says everything looks good. I got some coconut oil for treating/disappearing the incision, and giant band-aids to keep that stuff where it belongs and offa' my clothes. (this worked out great last time)

Nothing to do now for 6 weeks but wait for fusion to happen. This a lot like watching grass grow or paint dry. I'll get x-ray'd near the end of August to see how it's going, and should probably start physical therapy in September.

The only things of concern; lost some more weight. Not a big deal yet, but need to turn a corner on this. And two; I'm often waking up with a headache. It goes away almost immediately when I sit up and get the pressure off my neck, so for now we're going with that. If they don't stop, or get worse, we gotta' find out why that's happening.

Best of all, I am cleared to walk further now than just to the mailbox or the stop sign at the end of the street, so I'll probably start taking advantage of that freedom. It's a little awkward wearing the cervical collar, but I'm pretty much used to it. Like I told someone else earlier - the collar is your friend.

I haven't played a note yet, or even wanted to. All in good time. It frustrated me last time, and I won't make that mistake again. I have been binge-listening to music though. It's in my head real good!


Summer is here.

[pauldo]

Thanks for the update.  Sending healing thoughts your way… you got this!

[David Houck]

... I have been binge-listening to music ...

Wondering if speakers can be mounted on the collar.

[KR]

Glad you're progressing, Greg.

[edwardofhuncote]

Thanks fellas. 


I dunno' Dave, probably. It's got this little button-catch in the back for an attachment, I think it's for unfortunate folks who have to wear a full halo thing. (supports/immobilizes your whole cranium...) I have just gotten used to it for my purposes though, and dumb as this sounds, it's hard to wean yourself off of it when the time comes. I've purposefully been trying to leave it off when I'm not doing anything, and making an extra effort to sit up straight.


I got a couple decent sets of headphones for the audio therapy though.   

[edwardofhuncote]

Had to revisit for an epilogue... it's a week short of a year since the last fusion surgery. I've healed up and life went on. My Rockstar Neurosurgeon is retired, and I will be too pretty soon. He says by the time I need another level done (C7-T2) the operation will mostly be done by robots. We hope it'll be another 5 years or more before this happens, but for now I feel pretty good.

At this moment, my Mom is in the OR undergoing her 8th fusion surgery. She will be 80 come mid-July. If genetics hold out, I got a little time before the real trouble starts. Was tellin' someone the other day, I used to think the Ol' Man was tough. He's just hard-headed. Mom is tough. irony is, my degeneration started at the top, hers at the bottom of the spine. At least I know what she'll be feeling like when she wakes up here in a little bit.  😬

I never did post the pics of the Titanium upgrades last year. It's absolutely amazing how they can do all this work. And all the time they are working on and around your spine, there are sensors that were placed all along the pathways that track the electrical conduction from brain to extremities. They can see improvement in real-time as the impinged nerves are relieved. Wild.

[KR]

Those are some clear x-rays. Glad you're mending well.

[cozmik_cowboy]

The Lovely & Charming Mrs. Cowboy had a C2-C4 laminectomy & C2-C5 fusion May 20; hoping to get the 24/7 hard cervical collar off July 2.  She is a hurt pup - not helped by her reluctance to take the hydrocodone they prescribed.
My own hardware is L2-L5, with cages at L2-L3 and L4-L5.
No art on either one, or I'd share, too.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

I steered clear of the hydrocodone too... just too many unpleasant side effects for me. I found that there's a brand of popsicles that not only felt great going down, but I swear they released natural endorphins. I brought some up to the hospital tonight for Mom.

Outshine. Natural fruit. Kroger stores sell them here in Virginia. I two-fisted those things when it hurt.

*Mom came through great. Surgery took longer than planned,  but they got her fixed up. She can already feel her hands again. That's a good sign.

[cozmik_cowboy]

I gobbled that stuff like M&Ms - like peanut M&Ms! I don't like pain; pain hurts!  And if I can get a nice floaty buzz to boot, well, that's something I've always been sort of OK with.......


And I will add that when it came time to quit (3 times, more than a year on it each time; 3 years the last time - getting up to 6 each 10mg hydrocodone & 50 mg tramadal daily), I quit: It was not a particularly pleasant week/week.5, but it wasn't hard.  2nd time I did it with a month & a half supply in the dresser & 2 pills in my pocket the whole time.


Anywho, I told TL&CMC about your surgeries, and She was wondering how much range of motion you retain (a month+ in the collar & She can'r move attall, attall, and is worried).
May I allay Her fears?


Peter 

[edwardofhuncote]

The physical therapy takes care of the range of motion/mobility. First thing they do is measure that for a baseline. I can turn my head further to the left than the right side, and lean forward more than back, but 8 weeks after surgery and the collar still 'my friend', I couldn't move much without pain. I did... something like 2 months of PT this go-round to get where I needed to be to do the physical requirements of my job. I still pull rubber thera-bands for 5 minutes every morning before work. It's just become a daily routine. She'll get there. The worst part is over.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Thanks; I'll pass that on to Her.  And She already has 2/week PT scheduled into November.

Peter