Cross your fingers

[Ric]

I feel your pain...

[crocmommy]

Thankfully, I don't have any back or other serious health issues at this point. About to start bike riding again to get back in shape, so hope I don't mess myself up doing that.

[Red Oak]

My broken and fused vertebrae, displaced discs, bone spurs, sciatica, and arthritis give me trouble and constant low level pain; but fortunately not enough to require daily medication. But something tells me that day is coming.

[Ric]

My spine is fused from top to bottom. Have endured 12 back operations since 1982. They still have to go in every few years and clean up scar tissue. Fortunately, I am not so debilitated that I can't still get around, though most of the time, it is with a cane.
My wife is in constant severe pain. She is pretty much in a wheelchair when we go anywhere. She rarely ventures out without me because of that. At one point, she was a heavy hydrocodone user. But after many years, she stopped that, wanting to have a clear head, and the pain was nearly the same sans the drugs anyway.
Steroid injections have helped me some this past year, and she begins that same regimine next week.. so, in keeping with the original theme, we are keeping our fingers crossed.
I had no idea so many here were afflicted with these maladies..

[crocmommy]

Red Oak and Ric....What caused your back problems? Just curious....

Tried to ride the bike this morning...oh boy am I out of shape.

[Red Oak]

A reckless youth, mostly.

Forty years ago I had a serious motorcycle accident, and fused vertebrae as a consequence. Followed by assorted falls and an auto wreck or two. I was also tromped by a Brahma Bull once.

About four year back I fell off of a roof I was decking and broke a couple more vertebrae and injured a few discs, I didn't snap back as quickly as I had before. The arthritis I inherited, thankfully it is not the rheumatoid variety.

I take things a little easier these days, and thankfully I can do about anything a man my age can do, with the exception of bending over for long periods and heavy lifting. My knees and hips are in good shape also.

[Ric]

mine is mostly hereditary. I have spinal stenosis, along with Degenerative Disk Disease.. I wish mine was from a reckless youth.. though, as a younger man, I worked for a beer company, throwing cases.. and kegs.

[grouchy]

mine is mostly hereditary. I have spinal stenosis, along with Degenerative Disk Disease.. I wish mine was from a reckless youth.. though, as a younger man, I worked for a beer company, throwing cases.. and kegs.

I thought you used to work at Le Bare. I am sure that Ben told me.

[ann jusko]

I have had 3 cervical discs fused and one broken neck repaired with an artificial C3 vertebrae. Also met this neurosurgeon when he did a simple L5 (about a one inch incision). Dr. Weiner was very concerned when he couldn't tell what it was at the L5 and moved up the surgery. Heheh, it was a ligament! I was home in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Who else has ligament that fall off? But, he had assisted at the second fusion. I had no idea, but then I never saw him. I knew he was the one I wanted to repair the broken neck. He is amazing. Although at the time he did it, he was "traveling". He made me guess where. I never guessed he'd be operating in Dubai! He has a helicopter and a Russian fighter jet and I kept guessing he was flying to some vacation spot. While he was extremely concerned about the broken neck, he usually has a twinkle in his eye, so I knew it was serious. He asked me if anyone showed me the artificial disc. No. So he walked me down to radiology to show me. It looks just like a domino! So, I have had successful repairs and am very grateful.

[Ric]

mine is mostly hereditary. I have spinal stenosis, along with Degenerative Disk Disease.. I wish mine was from a reckless youth.. though, as a younger man, I worked for a beer company, throwing cases.. and kegs.

I thought you used to work at Le Bare. I am sure that Ben told me.

Oh yeah. That, too.

[crocmommy]

Sangersteve, Are you doing any better now?