Update On My Spinal Issues: Surgery, Long Recovery Ahead (Photos)

As many of you know, I had surgery on June 20th, to remove to the disc between my L5 and S1 vertebrae. After the procedure, I felt amazing.  Sadly, the joy was short lived.

By June 30th, I had to have my first epidural to help ease the pain.  The pain was so bad, they completed a series of MRIs to verify that I didn't a hematoma in my spine.  I didn't.  The epidural had no effect.  I had two additional epidurals on July 14th, and again on August 4th.  Again, no results.

I had a chance to see my surgeon last Friday, the 19th.  Normally when an MRI is completed so soon following a discectomy, the films are typically very difficult to read.  There are numerous air pockets, shadows and open spaces that can be misinterpreted by the radiologist.  When it came to my images, however, the radiologist made it very clear:  The partial disc remaining in L5/S1 had re-herniated in the space left open by the removed disc.  It was now pressing up against my spinal cord.

My doctor said he always go in and remove the rest of disc, and end it at that.  The problem with that option, is that there is the likelihood that in three months I would be back in surgery.  Also, the two discs above my L5/S1 are having problems.  Considering my weight and frame, my spine could eventually tumble like dominoes.

The route we decided to go was a two-part surgery.  I am having a graft implanted, and then a fusion between my L5 and S1.  I am scheduled for the implant on the morning of September 19th.  The fusion is scheduled for scheduled for September 20th.

In case you were wondering about the process involved, I brought pictured and diagrams.  Pour yourself a drink.  Take a seat.  This may take a moment.

Everything takes place over the course of two surgeries.  During the first one, an incision is made along my "bikini area", (I look amazing in a bikini, BTW) and my intestines are gently set aside.  My surgeon will make an incision at what would be the front of my spine, and scoop out the remaining pieces of disc that are currently in there.  He will then insert a plastic graft, sort of like a fake disc.  It looks like this:

Model of graft in L4/L5 disc

The photo above is one that I took of a model at my surgeon's office.  The graft that you see is much like the one that will be implanted in my spine.  It's hollow and will be filled with bone fragments, that, from what I think I understand, will eventually turn into bone?  There are a couple of major differences between the one in the pic and the type that they'll use on me.  In the model, the graft is in the L4/L5 slot.  My herniation is in L5/S1, so imagine the graft one place lower.  Also, since L5/S1 is the lowest disc on the spine, and the one closest to the hip bone, the long/rectangular graft that you see would bump into the hip bone if inserted.  I will need a thicker graft, with more of a square shape.

Since my surgery isn't scheduled until 11:30AM, they won't have enough time to complete both procedures on the same day.  The next morning is when the magic happens.

An incision is made - this time on my back (cue suspenseful music).  A set of four screws are set into my vertebrae, two on each side to secure, what is essentially a titanium brace, to my spine.  My first two questions, as I'm sure are yours:  Will I set off airport metal detectors? And, Is the fusion magnetic? Can I still get an MRI?  Fortunately, the answer to both are No.  I can still get an MRI.  Titanium is not magnetic.  From what I have been told the placement of the "anchors" should not be painful since bone does not have any nerve.

Keep in mind, the placement of my fusion will be one slot lower than that of the picture, since the model has a fusion of L4/L5, and I need a fusion of L5/S1.

So, what's in store after that?  A lot of lying down.  I'm required to wear a back brace for the next four months, as well as those really tight thigh highs that keep you from getting blood clots (I forget what they're called).

For the first four months after surgery, I'm not allowed to bend over, lift anything over 5 pounds or sit for more than ten minutes at a time.  To put it simply....

• Sleeping
• Netflix
• Video Games
• ...and a metric shitload of blogging.

My wife will be working full time, and Lennon will be in preschool (since there's no way in Hell I'll have the ability to care for her).  So, I apologize in advance for the posts on "this commercial I saw", or "Have you ever noticed how Coke makes you burp more than other sodas?"

I'm not going to enjoy it anymore than you will, believe me.

I'm Still Here...Just Technologically Stinted

Hey everybody.

Just a quick update for the three of you subscribers that are left....LOL.  I haven't been able to post anything since last Friday as my laptop has crapped out on me.  The Geek Squad seems to think that my hard drive is in the process of going kaput.  If that is the case, I'm looking at a minimum of about $450 (that I don't have) to get it fixed.  Considering that my battery life is currently at about 15 minutes per charge, and that my computer crashes the entire network for a half an hour every time I turn it on, I think it might be worth an extra $150, and just get a new laptop.

That being said, it's going to take me a couple of days to transfer everything over from my old hard drive and get back to where I was before this whole fiasco started.

I also have an appointment with my spine surgeon tomorrow afternoon, and an epidural scheduled for Thursday.  Needless to say, this isn't going to be a fun week.  I don't know whether I'm more nervous about the prospect of having another surgery, or the possibility of being told that I don't need one.  I am hurting so bad right now.  I can't even describe how I'm feeling.  I try my best to get by without pain killers, since they usually don't work anyway, but it's getting difficult.

So...long story short....I will be posting later on this week.  I have some very interesting stuff in the pipeline.  Just bear with me.

Thanks.

Quick Medical Update aka I'm Having Surgery Tomorrow

So, I don't remember what I talked about on my last medical update, and it's 11PM, and I'm in no mood to read through past blog posts right now.

Here's what's going on......

Turns out that the disc that is between my L4 and L5 is herniated.  I knew that.  What I didn't know what that it was cutting off my spinal cord.  The disc above that one is almost just as bad.  Fortunately, it's still a couple of millimeters away from the cord at this point.  This explains the loss of bowel control and the inability to walk over the last three months.  In fact, for the last three days, I have had problems walking.  I have been stumbling and collapsing worse than any other time since this ordeal started.

Long story short,  I'm having spinal surgery tomorrow.  I have an excellent surgeon.  When Jennifer Grey injured her back on 'Dancing With the Stars', she flew to Scottsdale, AZ, after filming to see my doctor.  He is the official surgeon for the Phoenix Suns, the Phoenix Coyotes, and a number of other NBA teams.  I am in good hands.

I have, for obvious reasons, been feeling despondent in recent weeks.  I have a long, and motionless, recovery ahead of me.  For the next three to four weeks, per doctor's orders, I am to lie on my back in bed.  No walking.  No driving.

Maybe I'll start writing again.  I don't know.

Medical Update (Possibly The Last Post For A While)

The last two weeks have seen much of the same.  I'm starting to lose the ability to walk again.  As of last night, I'm lurching when I walk, and am losing bowel control off and on.

If there is any good news to take away from these last two to three weeks, I am officially disabled.  I received notification from Social Security on the day that I came home from the hospital a couple of weeks ago, that my latest appeal was approved.  Medicare goes into effect in October.  My first Social Security check should be in the mail next month.  This is from my initial claim regarding my Tourette's Syndrome and PTSD.  I'm approved through May of 2015.  Once I get this current situation figured out, I should be golden for the rest of my life.

Speaking of my current condition, I saw a spinal surgeon on Wednesday.  He first read the reports from my spinal MRIs and said that I should be helped with pain medication and therapy.  Then he pulled up the images.  The first word out of his mouth was "Jesus".  He said the report was "highly underestimated".  There is a disc herniation near my tail bone that is almost pressing on my spinal cord.  He immediately ordered an epidural for the pain to be administered at a local hospital. (It has to be approved by insurance first, so I probably won't have it until mid next week.)  He also ordered a standing MRI.  There is a possibility that the disc is pushing out further while I am sitting or standing than when I am laying down.  If so, it could be pinching my spinal cord or a nerve that controls my leg or bowel functions.

About 3 weeks ago, I had an SSEP.  It's a test to measure how quickly your nerves pass a signal from a point in your body to your brain and back.  When you have it done on your legs, an electrode is placed on your knee.  When the shock goes to your knee, your big toe is supposed to twitch.

The first test I had, they couldn't get the big toe on my right foot to twitch.  My neurologist ordered a second test, thinking the technician did it incorrectly.  They didn't.

I had it done a second time last week.  This time around, not only did the big toe on EITHER toe not twitch, but I couldn't feel the shock at all in either of my knees.  My neurologist called me Wednesday night to go over the results of the second test.  He said that I had some "latency issues".  When I pressed him for some additional details, he said, "In simple terms, your brain never got the signal.  It reached your back and stopped.  Basically, your brain doesn't know that your legs exist."  Two weeks prior, I had normal readings on my left leg.  Now, they can't get a reading at all from my left leg.

He was going to call my new spinal doctor at home and recommend spinal surgery.  As far as a time frame goes...I don't know.  Hopefully, the MRI will provide some answers.  If not, he may need to open me up, and just start looking around.  Needless to say at this point, I have some serious neurological shit going on.

I am stressed out beyond imagination.  At the moment, I am visiting friends in Tucson.  I don't want to deal with this.  I don't know how to deal with this.

Right now, I don't want to write anymore.  Not for a while, at least.  I just don't have the energy for it.  Seems more and more like there are 19 things I want to write about, but I only have it in me to do one or two quick little blurbs.  It does nothing but frustrate me, and that's the last thing I need right now.