newsbroom, i ATTEMPTED to play rugby for The Deerslayers at Montana State. In first game i was hit in my lower back. I flew back home to Alabama the following day for emergency surgery. They removed a large portion of lower disc. There were no other options at the time. So basically, if you have a ten story building and you were to remove half of the first floor, in time, that building is coming down, by way of gravity to fill that empty space. Thats pretty much what happened here. After that first surgery, i returned to school 6 weeks post and had no problems. i really didn't give it a thought. i was young and invincible. Then, in 2005, i awoke one morning in horrible pain. tried to hit the bathroom and passed out from the pain. Then began my series of never-ending back surgeries. I always tell people with back problems, surgery should be the final choice you make. Only once you're passing out from the pain do you go under the knife.
After the first few surgeries, i was on more pain meds than a terminal cancer patient and it wasn't helping. I had doctor after doctor tell me i was going to have to learn to live with it. I could not. I planned my suicide. i was 35 and couldn't fathom this being the rest of my life. On what was to be my final night, i Googled "Christopher Reeves back surgeon", because Superman had to have the best. I found a Dr Jack Zigler with the Texas Back Institute. I stayed alive that night and called the next day. They were VERY nice and i flew to Dallas the following the week. Doctor Zigler was the first surgeon in the US to perform a totally disc arthroplasty with ProDisc implants. After a couple more trips, I ended up being one of the first US patients to have a two stage procedure. It saved my life. My back will always suck, but its manageable with medication. I had that surgery in '09 and even then, we knew L2-3 would eventually give me problems, but a 3 stage arthroplsty just wasn't an option. Insurance, at the time, would only cover one stage of what was then "experimental". in 2009, a single stage surgery was $125,000, out of pocket. Insurance paid for one and i paid for one. As if having your front side opened up from chest to below belly button isn't bad enough, you have to pay 125k for the honor.
Glad to hear the inversion table is working for you!! Like i said and you know already, surgery is the final gasp. Only when out of breathe do you go under the knife. as it is so with so many things, once you open it up, it'll never be the same again.
Damn, am i long winded or what?!?!
Harris, damn man, you and i, it seems, have walked a similar path!! i’ve tried all the meds, from Oxy-everything to Hydro-everything, Methadone and everything in the middle. The truly lifesaving medication for me has been the Fentanyl patch. i currently use the 75mcg/h duragesic patch and Opana (oxymorphone) for break through pain. i change the patch every 72hrs and sometimes i’ll forget to change it. Once its worn off, my backpain/nervepain lights up like a pink floyd concert. If you haven’t yet and should you find yourself in need of a pain med, might i recommend something in the Fentanyl family? either a ’50 or ’75? They are exquisitely prepared for your using pleasure, served on a plastic film with a beautiful and adhesive backside. We, at Nate, recommend it be accompanied from something in either the -Morphone Family or the -Done Family. Just ring your bell and someone from the pharmacological dept will be at your table posthaste
Orley, I’m attempting to coordinate this surgery between my surgical professional and my “psychiatric health professional” in an effort to prevent me from ever returning to my “usual self”. I’ve been told that, in addition to my lumbar artificial disc implants, i’m a strong candidate for a personality transplant…if only we can find an strong donor with the characteristics i so desire.
D, i actually carry a wallet ID from my doctor for when i travel. No joke. As you said, the implanted pieces are the ones that last. It seems, between dental and spine and other “donated parts” inc BBs from my bother, i collect foreign objects which are then stored inside me. someday my casket will be filled with dust and a collection of copper, steel, magnesium, and other exotic composites
FunkMetal, Please fill out an application. We, at Nate, are always seeking well qualified, enthusiastic individuals seeking a career. Simply complete an application and someone from our HR department will contact you. We at Nate know you have many options when seeking employment and we thank you for considering us.
