hoskib

iTrader: (1)

in the long list of threads i start when i get back from the consultant/physio/GP, here's the next

wasn't expecting it so quick, but was offered surgery today during my appointment with my consultant.
i was expecting to be given at least another epidural injection, but he basically said it was a waste of time and surgery, in his opinion and if i wanted it, was the only way to go.

i'll be honest, i bottled it! a bit pissed off with myself TBH as i always said i wanted it then got cold feet he has basically said to go away and have a think then get back to him if i want to go ahead with the op.

anyways enough waffling! i know a couple of you guys have helped with advice on my other back problem threads so could i ask a couple of questions

firstly has it solved your problem? (which i assume was sciatic/spine pain?)

how quickly did you recover from the op and what job did you return to?

in a nutshell i'm not overly fussed about having the op itself, it's the recovery time i'm concerned about. if it follows the info i've been given, as a manual worker i could be off 2-3 months and i won't be able to swing a golf club and play footie for 3-4 months. now i know this comes across as a bit daft and maybe selfish, but **** it, these are important things to me. so are these recovery times realistic?

if anyone's still with maybe the longest post of the week could you pass on your experiences please? Ta

DCI Gene Hunt

Mine had bulged in two places, following surgery I spent a week (5 days) in hospital, thereafter recovery was swift. I was back in the office after 6 weeks and 6 months later pretty much back to normal.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

You were once normal?

DCI Gene Hunt

"Pretty much" is as long, long way from completely normal

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

cheers mate again, was hoping to see your reply as yours is a positive case and i want to hear these, just had a poke around on a forum site on back problems. **** me it's all doom and gloom on there! mind you they'd probably look at here at think the same

your recovery seems a little longer than in the info i've got and like you say, you'd consider your recovery a good time. the sticks might get a bit of dust on them i think

there's a few things i really want to get tied up in the next few months and with a probable 3-4 month wait i think a winter lay off is on the cards!

little-ginge

Hey hoskib

My other half had a lumber herniated disc two years ago - after lifting a flower tub in the back garden

Was given the epidural route but that didn't work, so ended up with having the surgery - a microdiscectomy. He was in hospital for 4 days, and weeks of physio. It took him quite a while to get back to any resembelance of normal movement.

To date he still has problems with that area in his back - it continues to play up every so often, and his is unable to lift heavy items - but compared to the sheer agony he was in pre-op, I think he has done well

Obviously there are risks of it happening again, as the disc wall has been weakened, so dependent on what you have done to yourself ( ie which disc etc) and with maunal work i'm guessing you'll have to be extra careful in the future.

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

pleased your other half had improvement, it's alot to go through for no benefit!
from what i've read the NHS don't use a laser to seal the disc after shaving it, which should help towards it not prolapsing again. this info might be out of date, i've got to find out.
i might have to tone down a bit on my aggresive footie game or grow up and stop lol

Ted Maul

my other half had a microdisctectomy. She was in so much pain for so many weeks that there was no choice. Surgery should be the last resort, if you are able to think about not wanting to stop playing golf at the moment then surely surgery is not the answer?

anyway, surgery was a complete success, back home after 2 days, fully mobile after 4 days, still gets the odd twinge etc but that is more to do with the surrounding muscles that suffered before and during surgery rather than the disc

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

glad to hear the missus had a good result 3 good ops out of 3 makes for great reading!

as for the stage i'm at, this is what's holding me back a bit. i'm not at a point painwise where it's un-bearable, i would say about 30% of my time is spent in bad pain and i have controlable pain the rest of the time and has recently started to affect my sleep.

BUT my quality of life is being affected, my work is being affected, personal life is being affected and it really is starting to affect me mentally. yes i can do most of what i want to (golf, footie etc) but i can guarantee that when i plan a nice day out that's when i'll have a bad day and it just ***** it up. and that's getting bloody **** after 2 and a half years.

at no point have i asked for surgery, i've gone along with all the useless physio and other sessions, had the injection and now the consultant tells me i'm at a point where it's surgery or live with it. it's never going to get better on it's own and there's a good chance it'll get worse.

the decision doesn't just affect me to be honest so although it comes across as a bit selfish (ie the golf) there's alot more going on that i'm having to take on board.

should be an easy choice. why am i making it so hard? lol, what a muppet