You should reach out to POCKETWOLF here on AZ. He just had surgery and plates installed this last November. By mid jan he was getting back into the game again. He might be able to give you a fresh perspective.
Fused discs and playing pool
- Thread starter Cdryden
- Start date
I wanted to say thanks to everyone for your comments and PM's. It really helps to talk to some people who have been down this road before. I am going to see another specialist tomorrow but unless he sees something the others didn't I will probably be postponing the surgery for now.
I have swore off the pain killers and switched to ibuprofen and Alieve. It's like a flea trying to stop a freight train but it's still better than dealing with a dependency which is what I think they were becoming.
So, back to diet and exercise for now and it looks like I may have to limit the amount of pool playing I enjoy. No more playing pool for 12 hours straight! I guess time is catching up with me.
I have swore off the pain killers and switched to ibuprofen and Alieve. It's like a flea trying to stop a freight train but it's still better than dealing with a dependency which is what I think they were becoming.
So, back to diet and exercise for now and it looks like I may have to limit the amount of pool playing I enjoy. No more playing pool for 12 hours straight! I guess time is catching up with me.
I'll try and keep a long story as short as possible... I had 8 spinal surgeries in a seven year span due to degenerative disc disease (every one has it,.. just to different degrees). Always had a bad back since I was 22 years old. Wish I could say I did something stupid when I was younger but can't. Once I got into my early forties, L4-L5 blew out. I had a piece of disk wedged into my spinal cord so surgery was a no brainer. After two failed Discetomies it was fused. Then L3-L4 blew (Added stress above and below from the fusion) resulting in a Discetomey. Then L5-S0 blew (Insert line above here.) resulting in a Discetomey. Then L5-S1 (Insert line above here). Then somehow the hardware from the fusion shifted and they had to take it out (end result was drop foot in my left leg. Nerve got pinched off at the spine). Then... I snapped a disk in my neck C6-C7 ended up with another fusion.
Bottom Line... Unless you're begging someone to put a bullet in your head (to put you out of your misery) try at all cost to avoid any surgery. If you just have pain, it's a good thing,.. but if you have numbness,.. that's bad! I means a nerve if slowly dying (not good!).
The best surgeon in the world cannot guarantee successful surgery. At best he'll say it's 50/50 and possibly you could be worst then before the surgery. WTF is with that??
The issue is with scar tissue. Every one gets it,.. and until you actually get surgery done,.. no one can determine how much and where it will form,.. around the spinal column. And once you get it,.. they just can't go in and cut it out because it will only re-occur.
P.S. Life is good, I can still shoot pool and as I always tell people, I'm not complaining, It could be worse,.. I could be in a wheelchair.
Take Care of your back!!
Bottom Line... Unless you're begging someone to put a bullet in your head (to put you out of your misery) try at all cost to avoid any surgery. If you just have pain, it's a good thing,.. but if you have numbness,.. that's bad! I means a nerve if slowly dying (not good!).
The best surgeon in the world cannot guarantee successful surgery. At best he'll say it's 50/50 and possibly you could be worst then before the surgery. WTF is with that??
The issue is with scar tissue. Every one gets it,.. and until you actually get surgery done,.. no one can determine how much and where it will form,.. around the spinal column. And once you get it,.. they just can't go in and cut it out because it will only re-occur.
P.S. Life is good, I can still shoot pool and as I always tell people, I'm not complaining, It could be worse,.. I could be in a wheelchair.
Take Care of your back!!
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