the OTHER shrinking discs....(medical)

john vanlandingham Wrote:
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> Jon Burke Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > got appt. w/Surgeon on Feb 8th...will know
> more
> > then.
> >
> > Jon Burke - KI6LSW
> > Blog:
> > 'Holy Shit!' @ 4:10
>
>
> Probably getting a new knee on Tuesday about
> then.....
>
> John Vanlandingham
> Sleezattle, WA, USA
>
> Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
>

Titanium? 6061 AL? Or chro-moly?

make sure they TIG that fucker on there good.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

BTW....Tahoe is getting fucking DUMPED on this week....going up there and gonna see just how many vicodins it takes to comfortably ski in 5 feet of powder.



That's right....fuck you L4/L5!!!! (...and you too S1!)

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Have fun Jon! After you get a new back you should come out for a weekend or more of riding in Colorado.
PS> I'd start with 2 or 3. If you decide to go stronger, just remember, you cannot counteract the effects of Valium (or likely Vodka) with Red Bull Vodkas. I have a picture of me passed out on a floor and a painful memory of the fractured rib I received that night to prove it.

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Grant Hughes

^^ for sure, my GF's bro lives in Denver and we keep planning on taking a trip out there.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Jon,

I'll jump in here since I'm fighting similar issues.

L4,L5 herniated; stupid things on dirtbikes (it first went out at age 15 trying to lift a heavy 250 up a set of stairs), an amateur ski-racing career and subsequent coaching career, farm life etc, combined with the last 15 years of life as an arborist (tree climber). Mine would go out so bad I could barely crawl to the bathroom, weeks to recover when it got bad etc.

When I was in Seattle, I finally got it MRI'd, properly diagnosed, and saw a sports med physio guy. He gave me a bunch of what seemed to be silly exercises. 4 years and I've hardley had a day down since keeping the right muscles in shape. I can ski bumps, jumps and sit in a car!

I'm not saying don't so the surgery if it really needs it (John's case for instance) but if I keep things well toned I'm good. If it gets bad it means I need to get back on the ball, into the silly yoga poses etc. but I've been happy with the results. Just some non-surgery thoughts.

Good luck however it goes.

Matt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2010 02:12PM by Mad Matt F.

What are these said exercises?

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Grant Hughes

Grant,

My routine is pretty basic, but I'm not sure of all the correct yoga pose names...

Most are core abdominal strengthening ones.

I warm up with Cat's pose, Cobra and Child's pose, basic stretching moves that stretch open up the spine and relieve some of the pressure, pain, and let the nerve stop being hammered.

Then some basic core strength stuff,

plank position,

one where on your hands and knees you extend opposite arm and leg straight out and hold.

Boat pose, where you balance on you butt, lean back and hold you legs 90 degrees to your chest (sort of straight out)

sitting on an exercise ball lift one leg straight out at a time and hold

Just sit on the ball to work at a desk rather then a chair

Mix them up with lot's of stretching in between.

Also another funny one... standing shirt off in front a mirror make sure you're standing straight. Back when my back would go out I would stand and walk crooked to try to alleviate the pain, it actually makes things worse, and you can be doing it and not even notice on a day to day basis.

Truth be told I don't do them as much as I should, but when I start to feel bad I jump in and get it done. Overall time to go through it varies, sometimes I spend 10-15 minutes a day, sometimes 10 minutes a week. Depends on how I'm feeling.

On a similar note, two years ago I spent some time doing a lot of core strength training for a competition. That summer I was in the best shape I've ever been in and I probably benefited enough from that to get me through to last Christmas.

All right I know that's starting to sound just a bit weird from a beer drinking, car driving guy but it has worked for me. I guess seeing the right person, particularly sports med folk who seem to have a good grasp on bio-mechanics and how we can best use abuse our body, is the key.

+1 on the Yoga if you have some back pain.

I just started doing yoga about a week ago (did only twice so far). I found that I felt a ton better if I did a few stretching exercises in the morning, so I went to the next step and started yoga.

I was a bit shy of going to a place, so I used my gf's wii fit (that she never uses) and I have to say that so far I like it verry much!

Yesterday morning I had difficulties walking, felt all tensed, but I did about 20 minutes yesterday night and I'm almost normal today.

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Francois

I'm actually sitting on an exercise ball at work right now. 10 bucks at wal-mart, comes with a pump. good info on those exercises. It's been too long since I actually had a daily stretching routine, that I need to start it again. The pain I've started to feel lately has definitely put me in a grumpy/grouchy/pissy mood the last few weeks too.

I can see why they'd stop with the jaw-joint replacement. AFter a car accident back in '05, I don't have facial paralysis, but part of my face is not 100% perfect. The muscles work, and you can't tell anything by looking, but the actual feeling in it is sort of disconnected. They had to go through a nerve in order to put the Ti plates in my jaw.

--sarge

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---** To be in compliance with the Anarchy **---
Jorden R. Kleier
Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA
1990 Mazdog Protege 4WD
1973

I had occasional spasms/pain that started a few years back. Every 8 months my back would lock up and I wouldnt be able to due much. Last year it got really bad after bending down to pick up a sheet of paper. Went to the Hospital- got drugged up but no use. Got MRI done and turns out I have a herniation at L5-S1. Saw a specialist and they suggested I get Epidural injections (cortizone). Had 2 injections done (BTW these were "surgical" procedures with anesthesia etc...) and so far haven't had any major pain. Once in a while I feel tension and minor spasms, but not to degree that I cant walk for a week.

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rally gods would turn in their graves if they ever knew Lada's were now part of EU rallying!!!

i was one of the younger patients at the sports medicine center in my area to be diagnosed with a herniated disk, it was the lowest disk. in college i was tackled through a coffee table after a night of jungle juice, three months of agony and not being able to do the things a normal person should i saw a doctor, turns out the disk was "pinching" the (sciatic?) nerve that runs through my right leg. i could not sit of drive without my leg becoming useless. the pain was alleviated with percocet. 6 months after the tackle i underwent the needle. local anesthesia followed by a dye of sorts then the steroids. once the anesthesia wore off i sat on a chair and cried, never felt better, to this day i get "locked UP" down there but i make a conscience effort to stretch it out, even though my fiance calls me a bitch.
good luck with yours as i am still awaiting word on a heated titanium offering of spinal column.

Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BTW....Tahoe is getting fucking DUMPED on this
> week....going up there and gonna see just how many
> vicodins it takes to comfortably ski in 5 feet of
> powder.
>
>
>
> That's right....fuck you L4/L5!!!! (...and you
> too S1!)
>
> Jon Burke - KI6LSW
> Blog:
> 'Holy Shit!' @ 4:10


FOUR....it takes FOUR vicodins (all within 90 minutes, on an empty stomach) to get nice and high on the ski slopes and drop some powdery lines.

skied waist high fresh tracks from 9am to 11am (was in line at 7:30am)....by 11am it was getting worse again. And of course I had a nasty chemical hangover the rest of the afternoon.


totally worth it.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

Jon Burke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jon Burke Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BTW....Tahoe is getting fucking DUMPED on
> this
> > week....going up there and gonna see just how
> many
> > vicodins it takes to comfortably ski in 5
> feet of
> > powder.
> >
> >
> >
> > That's right....fuck you L4/L5!!!! (...and
> you
> > too S1!)
> >
> > Jon Burke - KI6LSW
> > Blog:
> > 'Holy Shit!' @ 4:10
>
>
> FOUR....it takes FOUR vicodins (all within 90
> minutes, on an empty stomach) to get nice and high
> on the ski slopes and drop some powdery lines.
>
> skied waist high fresh tracks from 9am to 11am
> (was in line at 7:30am)....by 11am it was getting
> worse again. And of course I had a nasty chemical
> hangover the rest of the afternoon.
>
>
> totally worth it.
>
>
>
>
> Jon Burke - KI6LSW
> Blog:
> 'Holy Shit!' @ 4:10


Jon, I can't legally give advice to someone I have not personnally examined BUT I need to tell you that you are taking dangerous amounts of acetominophen with that dose of Vicodin. Those 4 tabs contain 2 grams of acetominophen which is 50% of the MAX safe amount to ingest in a 24 hour period. I suspect you are needing to take an amount of Vicodin daily which greatly exceeds 4 grams/24 hours. This will very quikly lead to irreverible liver damage and death if continued for a prolonged period. Please, please get in to see your Doctor asap. If your pain is so poorly controlled with the Vicodin there are other options which do not contain acetominophen (but still contain a narcotic like the hydromorphone in Vicoden) STRESS to your Doctor how much pain you are in and be honest about the amount you are taking. Large doses of the narcotic components of these meds CAN be used when indicated but the acetominophen is very very toxic to your liver. Liver failure causes a very slow and humiliating death and you are far to young.

Dave

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Gone fishing

Dave...thx for the advice. That's first time I've ever taken that amount, and I won't do that again. blech.

I actually don't HAVE to take it on a daily basis, which is good....in general, I just save my prescriptions so I have them for active periods when I KNOW I'll need them. I just sit in a cubicle all day, and fortunately sitting doesn't bother me in general (and we have those expensive adjustable chairs at work).

been counting the days to my appt. with the surgeon on the 8th....hopefully she'll come up with something.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/

UPDATE:

So I'v done (twice now) the spinal 'facet' injections...injected some kind of steroid with an anesthesia. First one helped a little but wore off quickly...2nd one is a little better.

Since these injections do stop the pain (albeit, temporarily) its an indicator of where the pain is coming from (from the facet joints, probably being arthritic/whatever)...so the next step is to go in there with a <Dr Evil voice> LAY-ZER</Dr. Evil Voice> and zap the sensory nerves to kill the pain. Sounds cool, eh? I guess these nerves actually grow back so if the pain comes back it'd have to be repeated every 6 months or so. FUN! but at least I'll be somewhat normal again.



I realize these are jusk masking the pain, but the problem is there's no cure for Degenerative Disc Disease, the disc will degenerate whether I have a lot of pain and sit on the couch all day or kill some nerves and go skiing. The only 'cure' is to replace the discs altogether....some Dr. friends of mine have told me to avoid spinal surgery at all costs if possible. At 35, I'd rather not risk major spinal surgery unless its 100% necessary. its not like I'm on disability and can't work or something, I'm really not that bad compard to some, and if I wasn't so active, it wouldn't be much of a problem.....


this blows.

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Jon Burke - KI6LSW
Blog: http://psgrallywrx.blogspot.com/