©ALL CONTENT OF THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHTED AND CANNOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE ADMINISTRATORS CONSENT 2003-2020



My Back Surgery

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
So I've had back pain for quite sometime, it was debilitating and got worse and worse. I could only stand for 1-2 mins before EVERYTHING waist down to the bottom of my feet was completely numb then followed with intense pain. I had MRI's and a CT's down. My L4-L-5 disc was really thin and worn out and protruding. At my L5-S1 my spine had shifted at least 50% which was a crazy amount, they normally measure people's shifts in mm mine was in cm. I also no longer had any disc at my L5-S1 and it was bone on bone. They also found they I had a broken bone off one of my vertebrae's which was putting a lot of pressure on nerves as if there wasn't already enough with everything else, so I was quite depressed for awhile as I really couldn't do anything.

I found one of the best neurosurgeons in the country that specializes in spines.

The Surgery: They first went in my back and realigned spine and used screws and rods to accomplish that, they removed that broken bone an did a bone graph from my understanding. They did a Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion with an Anterior Interbody Fusion. So when they closed my back up they then went in through the stomach to the other fusion and but in disc implants that were part plastic material and steel wrapped and the disc implant had donor bone in the middle and they screwd those in from the front into the donor bone.. So they got me from the front and back they called it a 360 and fused from the L-4 to S-1. They also put in screws in my iliac to reinforce and strengthen everything..


Let me tell you about pain it was unreal!
 

Concreteguy

Super Moderator
Mar 12, 2013
2,608
0
0
Pa
Good God man. Sounds terrible. You and poor BIO have gone through hell and back dealing with spine issues.
How will your training be effected as a result of this?
 

*Bio*

Super Moderator
Oct 30, 2012
2,454
5
38
I feel your pain man!

- L4-5, L5-s1 Laminectomy - 1998
- L4-5, L5-s1 Fusion - Dec 2014
- C5-6, C6-7 Fusion - Aug 2015
- C7-T1 Fusion - June 2018
- C4-5 Foraminotomy & Laminectomy - Oct 2018
- C4-5 Fused From Ankylosing Spondylitis
- L2-3 Microdiscectomy - Dec 2018
- As I listed above, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. It's an auto immune disease that is an arthritis/inflammatory disease. It causes arthritis and fusions of the spine and and other joints of the body. I take Humira for it.

That L4-s1 fusion was a very painful recovery! The surgery was one thing but then, unbeknownst to me, I had the AS on top of it (wasn't diagnosed yet) which caused extreme inflammation on top of the normal surgical recovery pain. But what can you do? LOL! Just heal as best we can and start getting quality of life back.

So where are you at in the recovery process now with PT, lifting, etc?
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
I feel your pain man!

- L4-5, L5-s1 Laminectomy - 1998
- L4-5, L5-s1 Fusion - Dec 2014
- C5-6, C6-7 Fusion - Aug 2015
- C7-T1 Fusion - June 2018
- C4-5 Foraminotomy & Laminectomy - Oct 2018
- C4-5 Fused From Ankylosing Spondylitis
- L2-3 Microdiscectomy - Dec 2018
- As I listed above, I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. It's an auto immune disease that is an arthritis/inflammatory disease. It causes arthritis and fusions of the spine and and other joints of the body. I take Humira for it.

That L4-s1 fusion was a very painful recovery! The surgery was one thing but then, unbeknownst to me, I had the AS on top of it (wasn't diagnosed yet) which caused extreme inflammation on top of the normal surgical recovery pain. But what can you do? LOL! Just heal as best we can and start getting quality of life back.

So where are you at in the recovery process now with PT, lifting, etc?

I just got out of the hospital little less than 2 weeks ago. So I'm not really doing anything but walking with a walker (I don't rely on the walker its just there for safety purposes) a few times a day. I probably walk a few hundred feet at a time. I just got my stables out of the stomach and back the other day, I was doing few PT exercises 2 x day that the PT guy in the hospital wanted me doing but the nurse at my neurosurgeon office said not to since there wasn't any PT personnel there at home with me. all of them are seated so I think I am going to start doing them again they don't cause any threat of my falling. They pain has been awful especially the few days after the surgery as they couldn't control my pain at all since I was on a lot Percocet's prior to surgery, the brought in a pain management team and switched my drugs around and tried a few different things till they found a protocol that made it bearable.
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
Sounds terrible, I hope the surgery fixes everything for you. Were you a heavy squatter? Big t-bar rows?

Thanks man. I used to squat heavy but gave it up a long time ago for real deep squats with 225 a more reps. I did do pretty heavy T bar and close grip with a barbell in the corner. I also wrestled for many years when I was younger. One PA of surgeon I first saw but did not go with for the surgery said I could have been born with the condition.
 

*Bio*

Super Moderator
Oct 30, 2012
2,454
5
38
I just got out of the hospital little less than 2 weeks ago. So I'm not really doing anything but walking with a walker (I don't rely on the walker its just there for safety purposes) a few times a day. I probably walk a few hundred feet at a time. I just got my stables out of the stomach and back the other day, I was doing few PT exercises 2 x day that the PT guy in the hospital wanted me doing but the nurse at my neurosurgeon office said not to since there wasn't any PT personnel there at home with me. all of them are seated so I think I am going to start doing them again they don't cause any threat of my falling. They pain has been awful especially the few days after the surgery as they couldn't control my pain at all since I was on a lot Percocet's prior to surgery, the brought in a pain management team and switched my drugs around and tried a few different things till they found a protocol that made it bearable.

Be careful doing anything PT related this soon. Listen to the surgeon and not the PT in the hospital. I never had any type of PT until 2 months post op. A member at PM, Stumpy, had a lumbar fusion surgery and the PT at the hospital had him doing exercises right away. He screwed up his surgery and is in a lot of pain! He told his surgeon and the surgeon said, "I didn't prescribe any PT for you" and wasn't happy. Waaay too early. Just rest and recover. I never had a walker for mine. I just walked slowly with small steps.
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
Good God man. Sounds terrible. You and poor BIO have gone through hell and back dealing with spine issues.
How will your training be effected as a result of this?

That's a good question, I really don't know yet since it's so recent not even 2 weeks. I've been out of the gym for a long time now since my back had been messed up for quit sometime before surgery and didn't have insurance for awhile, I could have gone and did some seated things I guess but I was just down about the whole situation. I'vr put on a lot of bf since but my outlook has completely changed since my surgery and can't waite to get back in the gym. I did a ton of research on spine surgeons and was lucky to find one of the very best in the nation and world locally who is a Neurosurgeon that specializes in just spines. We talked about my past in bodybuilding and competing and he thought he could get me back to where I was and will be able to do it again. He said the surgery went excellent so thats great news. One of the ladies on his team told me her brother had the same surgery and he was able to get him back doing jiu jitsu so that was encouraging. I see him again this week and am going to talk to him more about my PT and when I will be able to start training again.
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
Be careful doing anything PT related this soon. Listen to the surgeon and not the PT in the hospital. I never had any type of PT until 2 months post op. A member at PM, Stumpy, had a lumbar fusion surgery and the PT at the hospital had him doing exercises right away. He screwed up his surgery and is in a lot of pain! He told his surgeon and the surgeon said, "I didn't prescribe any PT for you" and wasn't happy. Waaay too early. Just rest and recover. I never had a walker for mine. I just walked slowly with small steps.

THANK YOU!!!!!!! He had me squeezing me knees together with a pillow in the middle, glute squeezes, seated knee marching, and seated extending your leg out straight and then moving the foot to the outside and holding for 2-3 seconds.
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
Be careful doing anything PT related this soon. Listen to the surgeon and not the PT in the hospital. I never had any type of PT until 2 months post op. A member at PM, Stumpy, had a lumbar fusion surgery and the PT at the hospital had him doing exercises right away. He screwed up his surgery and is in a lot of pain! He told his surgeon and the surgeon said, "I didn't prescribe any PT for you" and wasn't happy. Waaay too early. Just rest and recover. I never had a walker for mine. I just walked slowly with small steps.

Did they go in from both the back and front for your L4-S1 like they did with mine?
 

*Bio*

Super Moderator
Oct 30, 2012
2,454
5
38
Did they go in from both the back and front for your L4-S1 like they did with mine?

Just Anterior, through the front. I don't have any rods. Here is a picture of my L4-s1 fusion. My L4-s1 Laminectomy and L2-3 Microdiscectomy were through the back.

You're going to be ok. I was so grateful once I healed. I don't deadlift or squat. Life will be different on that end but even as far as range of motion goes, it's almost the same.

When I got out of the hospital it was a Saturday. I was really happy to get out because there was a big UFC fight on that I wanted to watch. I got home, moving very slow, in fact every little bump on the ride home was murder. I got myself propped up in bed, we have an electric box frame, and I remember watching these guys and realizing how helpless I was. If someone broke into the house, I would have just told them to leave us alone and take whatever you want..LOL! I'm sure you understand!!

BTW, those exercises sound ok. I'm glad you're not doing anything that puts pressure on the low back!

There are a lot of us here that have had some serious issues and we don't give up. CG's recent brush with death showed his resolve. Whenever I have a surgery, I measure my recovery down the road on my return to the gym. It's a lifestyle and ingrained in me. I've made the adjustments I've had to make but I always return and do it smart. I don't let ego get in the way. It's about quality of life and longevity in the gym for me. Hats off to those of you that have had injuries, illness, adversity and keep coming back!!
 

Attachments

  • L4-s1 Fusion Hardware Resized.jpg
    L4-s1 Fusion Hardware Resized.jpg
    125.3 KB · Views: 75
Last edited:

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
Just Anterior, through the front. I don't have any rods. Here is a picture of my L4-s1 fusion. My L4-s1 Laminectomy and L2-3 Microdiscectomy were through the back.

You're going to be ok. I was so grateful once I healed. I don't deadlift or squat. Life will be different on that end but even as far as range of motion goes, it's almost the same.

When I got out of the hospital it was a Saturday. I was really happy to get out because there was a big UFC fight on that I wanted to watch. I got home, moving very slow, in fact every little bump on the ride home was murder. I got myself propped up in bed, we have an electric box frame, and I remember watching these guys and realizing how helpless I was. If someone broke into the house, I would have just told them to leave us alone and take whatever you want..LOL! I'm sure you understand!!

BTW, those exercises sound ok. I'm glad you're not doing anything that puts pressure on the low back!

There are a lot of us here that have had some serious issues and we don't give up. CG's recent brush with death showed his resolve. Whenever I have a surgery, I measure my recovery down the road on my return to the gym. It's a lifestyle and ingrained in me. I've made the adjustments I've had to make but I always return and do it smart. I don't let ego get in the way. It's about quality of life and longevity in the gym for me. Hats off to those of you that have had injuries, illness, adversity and keep coming back!!

LOL every bump on the way home was murder!!! I have an electric base to that does legs, lumbar, upper body lift and head tilt it definitely helps out and I have a new Sleep Number 360 iLE which is so amazing. I definitely feel the same way on the helplessness like you said. Thanks for the encouraging words brother!
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
A look at my back (x-rays)

here's 1
 

Attachments

  • BACK PIC 1.JPEG
    BACK PIC 1.JPEG
    77.9 KB · Views: 66

ASHOP

AnaSCI VET
Aug 28, 2005
4,435
0
36
ashop.in
That's some serious stuff my friend. Those x-rays are telling. Hope you continue to progress and get well soon.
 

Jim550

Registered User
Oct 26, 2012
555
0
16
That's some serious stuff my friend. Those x-rays are telling. Hope you continue to progress and get well soon.

Thanks, did you see how long those Iliac Crest/pelvis screws are? They are serious, cause some major pain.
 

pitshack

Registered User
Dec 10, 2014
98
0
6
I actually had a hard time looking at those pics. Best of luck to you my man and I wish you a speedy recovery so you can get back to hitting it at the gym.
 

odin

AnaSCI VET
Feb 2, 2007
1,769
0
0
Those screws look very long. The pain must be bad. Seeing your pics make me want to change my back training. I can see similar issues ahead if I carry on with heavy deadlifts.