Back, shoulder and neck issues... just put me down now

[Jainarayan]

Three years ago next month (in Dec. 2010) I had 3 lumbar microdiscectomies for herniations. My neurosurgeon told me it was from shoveling snow, not anything in the gym. In Sept. 2012 I had surgery for a "massively torn" (as the surgeon listed it) rotator cuff: two full thickness tears, and a vertical split in the biceps long head tendon. It was not from the gym, but an old bone spur in my shoulder.

I was told by both surgeons not to expect 100% functionality. I understood this, but it is better than the alternative... permanent nerve damage in my leg (I had foot drop), and loss of full use of my arm from the torn tendons. Fortunately I regained a lot of my functionality and strength.

But now my lumbar is acting up again. One of the discs that was partially removed is herniating again, causing nerve compression, pain and muscle spasms. It alternates with sciatic pain and foot tinglies.

I come to find the reason for my headaches, neck muscle spasms and tightness. My C2 vertebra is forming a bone spur which may eventually connect with C3. This is causing compression of the "greater occipital nerve" that runs up the side and back of the head, and causing muscle spasms.

So far (and I hope to the gods I don't jinx myself) my shoulder is OK.

So I'm going to be getting physical therapy and chiropractic treatments (again ); It was the chiropractors who caught my back and shoulder problems, ordered MRIs and sent my sorry butt to the surgeons.

Not trying to be a drama queen, but given my track record, I see a scalpel in my future.

 

[Me Myself]

Relax, pray to the gods, listeni to your doctors and have some faith.

May the boddisattvas and the gods aid you in your health and full recovery

 

[Jainarayan]

Thanks. I don't want to go through surgery again. Out of work and on disability for 8 weeks each time, couldn't drive for weeks. The best part was that the meds had me stoned out of my mind, chasing white rabbits and talking to hookah-smoking caterpillars.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'll see if I can arrange a sponge bath by a cute nurse for you.

 

[Jainarayan]

I'll see if I can arrange a sponge bath by a cute nurse for you.

Great thanks! He wouldn't even need an R.N. degree! :biglaugh:

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm here to help!

 

[Jainarayan]

Cool!

 

[BSM1]

Three years ago next month (in Dec. 2010) I had 3 lumbar microdiscectomies for herniations. My neurosurgeon told me it was from shoveling snow, not anything in the gym. In Sept. 2012 I had surgery for a "massively torn" (as the surgeon listed it) rotator cuff: two full thickness tears, and a vertical split in the biceps long head tendon. It was not from the gym, but an old bone spur in my shoulder.

I was told by both surgeons not to expect 100% functionality. I understood this, but it is better than the alternative... permanent nerve damage in my leg (I had foot drop), and loss of full use of my arm from the torn tendons. Fortunately I regained a lot of my functionality and strength.

But now my lumbar is acting up again. One of the discs that was partially removed is herniating again, causing nerve compression, pain and muscle spasms. It alternates with sciatic pain and foot tinglies.

I come to find the reason for my headaches, neck muscle spasms and tightness. My C2 vertebra is forming a bone spur which may eventually connect with C3. This is causing compression of the "greater occipital nerve" that runs up the side and back of the head, and causing muscle spasms.

So far (and I hope to the gods I don't jinx myself) my shoulder is OK.

So I'm going to be getting physical therapy and chiropractic treatments (again ); It was the chiropractors who caught my back and shoulder problems, ordered MRIs and sent my sorry butt to the surgeons.

Not trying to be a drama queen, but given my track record, I see a scalpel in my future.

As I read you post all I could think of is my thirty something son. He is going to have an aortic valve replacement surgery just before Christmas, if not sooner. Not to diminish your obvious suffering and health misfortunes (seriously), I wonder if he would swap with you. I wish both of you complete recoveries.

 

[Jainarayan]

Thanks. Much mettā to him, wishing him the best.

 

[BSM1]

Thanks. Much mettā to him, wishing him the best.

Thanks. Didn't mean to step on your post, he's just been on our minds.

 

[Jainarayan]

No worries, I can understand that.

Despite my o.p. sounding like whining about what is inconsequential compared to others' sufferings and problems, it's actually meant with an irony, having been pretty strong and "built" as a powerlifter, with none of these injuries coming from my weight lifting. But for reasons and stories that would take up a lot of space, suffice to say it's broken my heart to see young guys I would gladly trade places with so they could get a chance to play a sport, or even take a girl to a prom and dance.

 

[Revoltingest]

Everyone's entitled to lament what afflicts'm.
Oh, glorious FSM...spare us from folk who dis our complaints by trumpeting their superior suffering.
May your discs behave themselves once again.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

As you get older things take so long to heal.

You just add them to the list

 

[Jainarayan]

May your discs behave themselves once again.

Thanks.

As you get older things take so long to heal.

You just add them to the list

Yep, there are things we have to learn to live with. When I almost cried because I couldn't lift a 1 lb dumbell after shoulder surgery, and I used to do side raises with 35 lb dumbells, I thought of this. He lost his arms after being electrocuted working on electrical lines:

Fortunately I heal pretty quickly. For each surgery I've had, I was 2-3 weeks ahead of the typical healing process.

 

[DallasApple]

I paid over 5,000 (cash no insurance) to to keep my youngest son back in health.At a chiropractor.

 

[Jainarayan]

I hope your son is in good shape now and stays that way. Fortunately I have very good health insurance through my job, which of course I contribute to. The chiropractor/physiotherapist I was seeing bills differently than the chiropractors I am seeing again (long story for the hiatus). Because they have MDs on staff who do regular examinations, and they have x-ray facilities they can bill it as medical and not chiropractic. My insurance does have a hard limit on chiro sessions, which I used up with the first chiro/physio. Even the traction/compression brace I am wearing now (yep, became necessary ) is covered by my insurance.

 

[DallasApple]

I hope your son is in good shape now and stays that way. Fortunately I have very good health insurance through my job, which of course I contribute to. The chiropractor/physiotherapist I was seeing bills differently than the chiropractors I am seeing again (long story for the hiatus). Because they have MDs on staff who do regular examinations, and they have x-ray facilities they can bill it as medical and not chiropractic. My insurance does have a hard limit on chiro sessions, which I used up with the first chiro/physio. Even the traction/compression brace I am wearing now (yep, became necessary ) is covered by my insurance.

(((HUGS)))

My son had the "head falling forward neck" /a.k.a "military neck. At 13 .Its difficult to describe but in a nutshell his neck was "straight" and we are supposed to have about a 40% curve.(going forward) So he had trouble holding his head up. Like trying to hold a bowling ball up (a 10lb bowling ball) on a tooth pick. His head hung forward. Too heavy to keep holding up.

He was tired. And the only thing was "looked like he had a hunch back" .

His back was not "hunched" .His head was falling forward. And made him "look' like a "hunch back" .(two different problems).

Anyway $5,000 later and 150 adjustments later he can hold his head up.

He has the posture of a ballerina. Not to mention his fatigue and focus problems greatly reduced.

 

[Jainarayan]

A nice success story!

I have an EMG (electromyogram Electromyography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) tonight. It's the 3rd one in as many years. I call the needles "voodoo pins". After a 50 minute ride to work, in a compression and traction brace, I had to take a Soma, a pain/muscle relaxant pill that makes me loopier than I am. That I can type coherently (coherently my ***... know how many times I go back over it!? ) is amazing... I am sitting at my desk stoned out of my mind. It' will be a while before I get up and go for coffee. I am thinking that maybe I could repeatedly recite Medicine Buddha's dhāraṇī.

namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru
vaiḍūryaprabharājāya tathāgatāya
arhate samyaksambuddhāya tadyathā:
oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye mahābhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā

“Homage to the Blessed One, The Master of Healing,
The King of Lapis Lazuli Radiance,
The One Thus-Come, The Worthy One,
The Fully and Perfectly Awakened One, thus:
‘Hail! Appear, O Healer, O Healer, O Great Healer, O King of Healing!’ ”

 

[DallasApple]

a nice success story!

I have an emg (electromyogram electromyography - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) tonight. It's the 3rd one in as many years. I call the needles "voodoo pins". After a 50 minute ride to work, in a compression and traction brace, i had to take a soma, a pain/muscle relaxant pill that makes me loopier than i am. That i can type coherently (coherently my ***... Know how many times i go back over it!? ) is amazing... I am sitting at my desk stoned out of my mind. It' will be a while before i get up and go for coffee. I am thinking that maybe i could repeatedly recite medicine buddha's dhāraṇī.

Namo bhagavate bhaiṣajyaguru
vaiḍūryaprabharājāya tathāgatāya
arhate samyaksambuddhāya tadyathā:
Oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye mahābhaiṣajya-samudgate svāhā

“homage to the blessed one, the master of healing,
the king of lapis lazuli radiance,
the one thus-come, the worthy one,
the fully and perfectly awakened one, thus:
‘hail! Appear, o healer, o healer, o great healer, o king of healing!’ ”

((((hugs))))))))

 

[Jainarayan]

Thanks.