100 Proof

Hi Guys-

"Fueling box summary" Doug had surgery to get some vertabrae in his neck fused today. Be sure to put in a good word for him with the "Big Bomber In the Sky".

He'll probably be out of circulation for a couple of weeks.

100 Proof

GreenZ

He'll be in my prayers - thanks for the reminder.

Scotty

All the best Doug.

Scotty

Lary Ellis (Top)

Best wishes and a speedy recovery!

Barrett_Fodder

God Speed in your recovery doug... guess ill have to wait to ask u more dumb questions ...lol... good luck and hope all went well

MikeyB

Will do Michael.

Guess Doug will have to drive around with the Van Aaken box set to zero until his neck heals.

MikeyB

2003Ram

Doug - Get well soon and come on back ASAP!

doug

hey thanks millions, guys. feeling well enough to type and thats a bonus! recovery will force some rest and give some time to check in with the board... Boy, that general anethsesia has a way of getting you down!

mudslinger

Good to see you back Doug, miss reading your posts. Get well soon man!

j-fox

Doug, what level did they do? Was there any hardware used or was it a bone job?
I had 3-4 done 6 years ago and now, since I was a good customer, they want 5-6 and 6-7.
I told they not yet, that 6 year old boat will go another year.!

When I left the hospital I asked for a quart of that stuff they gave my so I'd sleep thru it.

doug

they fused 5-6. bone spurs and a degenerated disk was pushing out on and streatching/compressing the nerve root that feeds the right arm. The surgeon said the spurs were so bad that he couldn't fit his smallest scraping instrument in there without touching the nerve and making my arm jump. So de-compressing the nerve took longer than planned.

So they replaced the disk with a donor bone plug and filled in the cracks with the ground up material taken from the site. I have a titanium plate and four titanium screws holding it all together while it fuses.

I'm making good use of hydrocodone!

my nerosurgeon has the reputation of being the least knife-happy guy in town. he went on and on about how docs perform more surgeries than necessary because they get paid by the procedure, and that you dont do surgery unless there are clear indications that surgery is the best option to relieve the presenting symptoms. He wouldn't cut on me for neck pain; he cut me because I had lost 50% of my bicep strength in my dominant arm. He told me that the literature just does not support the cause to do surgery for just pain. But I tell you what, thats what I notice! no more upper back/shoulder/arm pain!

good luck, man. These surgeries are serious business.

j-fox

I was told years ago when I had low back pain that they can treat me for pain but cannot treat me after nerve damage. So, the deciding factor was when I started having nerves damaged.

I hate living on pills but you reach a point and you will take them. Hydrocodone works the best. Then the generic form of it with ibuprofen.
It has been raining here today and this guys body is screaming with pain. I came home early and rested/napped.
But , then it could be worse.

doug

yikes, living on hydrocodone long term is like asking for an addiction. For me it was hard to accept that they won't do surgery until there is nerve damage, but thats where I was at (loss of strength). I'm fortunate that I was able to calm things down to tolerable levels with the steriod dose pack, and then lower levels of hydrocone.

man if I was in your shoes I'd be thinking surgery too. all the best to ya, man. back pain is like you turn a corner and stare the devil right in the face. your story makes me feel fortunate.