Back to the drawing/operating board

[DMiller]

Been awhile since I posted anything on my back issues. Had pretty well died off to background but never quit aching. Ben on PT for several weeks now with the only improvement that the pain won't find a nest. Poor little gals working me over(love having 30 somethings young ladies man handle me) have come to conclusions, I am working very hard to correct what they find, they find something different occurring week to week starting with SI joint, moving to tight muscle/tendon groups, now they have tried 99% of what they have in the torture box and all they can do is swap points of pain. Tech today said is writing letter to back Doc, either more/other/missed stenosis, herniated disc or the arthritis already noted in my lower discs has advanced to degeneration. Nothing more they can accomplish, he needs to get imaging done to see what is happening inside. Next Thursday the 25th 8:10am. Will know something from then.

 

[kshansen]

Good luck, I have been living with a bad back since the 1970's. Not anything as bad as yours but if I over do it one day the back reminds me for the next week, mostly while trying to find a comfortable way to sleep then again the first couple hours in the morning till I get moving.

 

[Junkyard]

I can't imagine what you've been and are going through. I've had some back issues but they seem trivial in light of yours. On occasion I'll overdo it and pay for it usually the second or third day. No major accidents or anything just not taking care of my body as good as I should have. I hope they get it sorted out and it doesn't involve another invasive procedure!

Junkyard

 

[wornout wrench]

I feel your pain.
Herniated L4, nothing they can do.
I'm lucky, it isn't that bad, I can live with it most days.

But the days when it hurts, OUCH.

I did a stupid thing last week and have been paying for it all this week. Have to rely on painkillers to get some sleep.

Good luck with the imaging, and like Junkyard says, I hope they find an easy way.

 

[DMiller]

This ongoing chit is for the birds! Manage to get thru a day, feel semi-OK lay down and within a few hours have to get up as the stabbing/grabbing will not relent until I do.

We got that presumed issue SI joint to roll back where it belonged, had no effect on the pain problem where the tech stated yesterday it was a symptom not a cause. Some days looks like I was born with scoliosis, next my hip rolls out then something grabs from behind and I limp as if my right leg is too short or drag it like a wooden one just won't square off and fight fair. If I go out to the shop and piddle around I can get it into a background mode, stop for any reason, crap, lunch, wife needs to talk and BANG back again, is STUPID! And pain meds don't seem to do anything but make me loopy, hate that feeling with still having pain issue so won't take the stuff.

Doc knows severe arthritis L3/4 down, not certain where it will go if that is source. Maybe end up fusing it as considered thirty nine years ago.

Thanks for watching boys, mind your own backs as when they quit it is as if there is nothing you can do. Find someone that will at least look at repairs EARLY, I suspect waiting this long gave me new options that did not used to exist but may have been at too late in the game plan.

 

[Labparamour]

Sorry the surgery didn't prove to be the fix.
Hope the MRI provides some more clues and treatment options.

DB

 

[wornout wrench]

Just the other day at work I was yelling at a couple of 20something kids that were doing track rollers on a D8, grabbing them and throwing them around like I used to be able to do.
Told them the story of the herniated disc and how much fun it is and how enjoyable my life is now.
Don't think that you are invincible, like I did.

I'm sure that when I turned my back they had a laugh and just kept going.

As DMiller say's, Watch your back boys.

 

[DMiller]

Well the boss was a bundle of joy this morning. Confirmed expectations, have severe arthritis lower four discs, they saw the bottom three first hand last August. Bottom two appear to be self fusing so no real need or urgency for surgery just pain management as I figured would come of it. Tramadol as needed with Tylenol chaser, Celebrex as a anti-inflammatory once a day a few days a week along with liberal liquid dispensed pain inhibitor/numbing agents!!
His last comment was I needed to reduce the level of impact within my regular job, HA, as I informed of pending retirement he gave full approval.

Well won't take the sting out or off but heard what I knew was coming and can deal with this as need to.

 

[fast_st]

I'm waiting for the titanium and teflon spine and to have Junkyard put it in.

 

[Junkyard]

Lmao! That's a bit beyond my ability I think. I may need one of those put in someday myself. I'm hoping I've decided to take better care of myself at a young enough age I can prevent some of the issues most mechanics seems to get. I've had family go through some of that stuff and it's no good. Sometimes you come out worse. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. My aunt went in for a small procedure on her neck and came out paralyzed. Years of rehab and therapy and she can walk using a walker, can hardly write or do anything she used to.

Backs, spines, bones etc are serious $hit!!

Junkyard

 

[DMiller]

Doc had no options beyond this today. We could go in for a fusion but would lead into others and others, self eating watermelon. His take is fall back to pain mitigation so here I am and here I go!! I will have the Jug of bourbon from now on!! Would have been nice to hear they could fix it, really had my doubts as they performed the x-rays and MRI, all said same thing: Man, how are you walking? Scared hell out of me.

Effects of 40+ years of beating myself like a b*****d red headed stepchild!!

 

[wornout wrench]

Effects of 40+ years of beating myself like a b*****d red headed stepchild!!

Ain't that just the truth of the whole thing.

I'm 5'9", in my prime about 185 lbs, some fat but not too much. My dad always said that I was built like a brick house.
Pretty much thought that I was indestructible, time has changed that view.
Too many years of using myself as a human crane

I feel your pain brother.
Look after yourself.

Brian, the Wornout wrench.

 

[Junkyard]

I hate it for you. For anybody dealing with it. Maybe modern medicine will figure it out.

 

[DMiller]

I managed almost 40 years limping and gimping, had a few good months before this kicked I suppose to remind me of what I missed and will be missing but same old same old is pretty manageable. After neck heals a bit more will go back to anti-inflammatory with a whiskey chaser, should keep me moving a few more good years, just have to pace it now and no hurries. Worn-out, you sound like me, in my heyday I was 145-160# 6'2 with a bad attitude, could nothing beat me down, now down to 6' 1/4", over 240 where the doc says 200 would be better, and the only cranes I will be using will be a-frames and engine hoist!! No more swing Cat, Cummins or Mack heads like they were light duty, was stupid way too long.

 

[Junkyard]

Those anti-inflammatories can be hard on your stomach. Then again what isn't bad for you or hard on you, maybe the whiskey will even things out. Too bad you're not closer I'd come throw the heads around for ya! If it's any consolation it's damn sure made me rethink how I do things. My youngest won't graduate until I'm 54 or thereabouts and by then I'd like to think I'll have a grandkid or two as the oldest is 18.

 

[DMiller]

Wish some days we had made a few, no kids here so all I generally have for help or cheerleading is the three of us; Me Myself and I and no grandkids to come. Learned or self taught all so many years ago to do things on my own by myself working off leverage or whatever method I could get. A lot of chain falls and come a longs in my tools chests, would even scavenge other machines on job sites to use for lifting as I could. ONE of the crazier things I ever did was climb up into the mast pocket of a loaded dump truck and changed the line to the cylinder so the guy could offload, got it empty then reset the bed on blocking so could get the line efficiently tight. Like the other post, some days you eat the bear, the bear is on my own arse now!

 

[Junkyard]

You inspired me today. I was swapping rollers on a little Deere today. After wrestling one under by hand I thought to myself this is stupid. Drug an old scissor jack out and made myself a little roller lift.

 

[DMiller]

Looks like something I would do!! Looks good and saves trying to hold with one had set bolts with the other as I am certain we both have done. Nice safety boots TOO!! I resemble that remark as well!

 

[Junkyard]

HA! I thought you might notice that. I hurt my foot a couple years ago and some days my boots just aren't comfortable. 55-60 hours a week in them I feel like my feet need a break and they need to air out! I'm sure I'll catch heck for wearing them working, mainly because they'll be dirty. Oh well.

 

[hvy 1ton]

Scissor jacks are good for all kind of stuff as long as it's not lifting cars up. One winter me and dad milled up walnut baseboard for the whole house from 5/4 we had sawed. The store bought roller stands were driving me nuts, they would try to turn sideways or slip down. I cut into them and replaced the height adjustment with a couple of scissor jacks from the stockpile. Worked slick.