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The Original O'l Farts Club.

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I'll try to remember, since it's been a once a year treatment for me so far it will take several years to really have the necessary data to give a meaningful report. I would suggest by asking your doctor if he/she thinks it's a good option for you. It's not for everyone. Also if you do decide to try it, if the insurance requirements are the same for you as they were for me they'll make you go thru a test first. The test basically consists of loading up the problem areas with novacain, if that gives you 80% or better relief then you passed the test and can get the procedure done. If it's less then 80 relief I guess the insurance companies feel it isn't worth it but that's just a guess.
I had the shots to see if I was a candidate for RFA and it didn't work. Those weren't the nerves causing the pain.
 

jokerman

Well-known member
Premium user
A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students. The teacher asked, "Harry, what's your problem?" Harry answered, "I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!" Ms. Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office. While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed. Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test. Principal: "What is 3 x 3?" Harry : "9." Principal: "What is 6 x 6?" Harry: "36." And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know. The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, "I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade." Ms. Brooks says to the principal, "Let me ask him some questions." The principal and Harry both agreed. Ms. Brooks asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Harry, after a moment: "Legs." Ms. Brooks: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?" The principal wondered why would she ask such a question! Harry replied: "Pockets." Ms. Brooks : "What does a dog do that a man steps into?" Harry: "Pants." Ms. Brooks: What starts with a C, ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin, whitish liquid?" Harry: "Coconut." The principal sat forward with his mouth hanging open. Ms. Brooks : "What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?" The principal's eyes opened really wide and before he could stop the answer, Harry replied, "Bubble gum." Ms. Brooks: "What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?" Harry: "Shake hands." The principal was trembling. Ms. Brooks : "What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of heat and excitement?" Harry: "Firetruck." The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, "Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last seven questions wrong...
 

HempKat

Just A Simple Old Dirt Farmer
Veteran
Therapist and chiro both said the same thing when I asked about surgery.
They said no way cuz any place they started would be the wrong spot.
He said there's more in his magic bag of tricks before even thinking going under the knife.
Which is good I was just feeling them out for alternatives
One thing I learned from my father is that surgery on the spine isn't usually a good idea unless choosing to not get the surgery is likely to lead to paralysis. My father had numberous ruptured disks from 4 years in the Navy and 4 more years as a Marine and then a number of years (not sure how many) playing in a semi pro football league. It was all up and down his spine but the earliest problems were in his neck. The first time he got operated on the standard practice was to remove the ruptured disk and then sow you back up. This was okay for a bit but without the disk keeping the vertabre apart over time the vertabrae would collapse into each other thereby causing more disks to rupture (known now as degerative disk disease). The next time he got operated on they had updated the procedure to include a bone graft to keep the vertabre from collapsing. This involved removing the ruptured disk, then carving some slivers of bone from the hip to wedge in between the vertabre to keep them sufficiently apart, I'm not sure what the official term was for this but my father always called it a fusion, because once it heals up the sliver of hip bone fuses with the vertabre effectively turning two vertabre into one big vertabre with the big problem of less flexibility (especially in the neck since there's only 7 vertabre to work with). Now for some they get this done once and go on to live happily and pain free for many years and that is deemed a success. My father had that done a total of 3 times and after each his pain and problems got worse so his were deemed unsuccessful. Statistically speaking this procedure done in the neck is/was said to have an 80% chance of success.

Later in life his injuries caused major problems in his back. So he talked to his doctor about getting a fusion or two done in his back. The doctor said no to the idea. This was because in the back that procedure was said to have only a 50% success rate and therefore, based on my Father's experiences with his neck, his doctor said he would only consider surgery in the back if to not do surgery meant he would definitely become paralyized, due to the lack of success my father had with the neck surgeries. The reason being that when a back fusion fails the likely result is paralysis. I don't think they had options like RFA's back then. Now it should be noted that I had all of this explained to me by my father who had a history of embellishing things, so I can't say how correct all of that information was. I do know however that usually they try to avoid the back fusions unless absolutely necessary.
 

kevinn

Well-known member
Morning everybody, hoping I get to go home by Friday. They opened my knee back up Monday morning, no pus but lots of fluid and inflammation. Washed it out real good and changed the block and cement. Now I have some really nice nurses taking care of me. It's the nurses that do most of the work.

@Gypsy Nirvana hope they make it all good for you, and hope your bed is more comfortable than mine.
My wife needs to have hear knee replaced, but right now would rather have the pain. If I tell her your story, it most certainly will never happen.
 

Gypsy Nirvana

Recalcitrant Reprobate -
Administrator
Veteran
Speaking with him as I type. He is fighting a new printer...
Oh - I have fought and lost against so many printers - that these days - having learned from my past failures - I have abso-frikk'in-lutely NADDA to do with them - and if a printer is ever needed - I employ a small boy (my son) - to battle against the bastiges - life is sooo much more peaceful and pleasant - because of that VERY important decision -
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
One thing I learned from my father is that surgery on the spine isn't usually a good idea unless choosing to not gt the surgery is likely to lead to paralysis. My father had numberous ruptured disks from 4 years in the Navy and 4 more years as a Marine and then a number of years (not sure how many) playing in a semi pro football league. It was all up and down his spine but the earliest problems were in his neck. The first time he got operated on the standard practice was to remove the ruptured disk and then sow you back up. This was okay for a bit but without the disk keeping the vertabre apart over time the vertabrae would collapse into eeach other thereby causing more disks to rupture (known now as degerative disk disease). The next time he got operated on they had updated the procedure to include a bone graft to keep the vertabre from collapsing. This involved removing the ruptured disk, then carving some slivers of bone from the hip to wedge in between the vertabre to keep them sufficiently apart, I'm not sure what the official term was for this but my father always called it a fusion, because once it heals up the sliver of hip bone fuses with the vertabre effectively turning two vertabre into one big vertabre with the big problem of less flexibility (especially in the nex since there's only 7 vertabre to work with). Now for some they get this done once and go on to live happily and pain free for many years and that is deemed a success. My father had that done a total of 3 times and after each his pain and problems got worse so his were deemed unsuccessful. Statistically speaking this procedure done in the neck is/was said to have and 80% chance of success.

Later in life his injuries caused major problems in his back. So he talked to his doctor about getting a fusion or two done in his back. The doctor said no to the idea. This was because in the back that procedure was said to have only a 50% success rate and therefore, based on my Father's experiences with his neck, his doctor said he would only consider surgery in the back if to not do surgery meant he would definitely become paralyized due to the lack of success my father had with the neck surgeries. The reason being that when a back fusion fails the likely result is paralysis. I don't think they had options like RFA's back then. Now it should be noted that I had all of this explained to me by my father who had a history of embellishing things, so I can't say how correct all of that information was. I do know however that usually they try to avoid the back fusions unless absolutely necessary.
The reason that I rejected a spinal fusion is:

It wouldn't stop the pain, only keep it from getting worse.

There is a 15% chance of complications.

It would limit me to lifting no more than 25lbs for the rest of my life.
 

HempKat

Just A Simple Old Dirt Farmer
Veteran
The reason that I rejected a spinal fusion is:

It wouldn't stop the pain, only keep it from getting worse.

There is a 15% chance of complications.

It would limit me to lifting no more than 25lbs for the rest of my life.
Well that's a good reason to refuse in my book, choosing to become that limited isn't really much of a choice except maybe there is no other option to help you cope with the pain.
 

OleReynard

Well-known member
Yup - I'm being sensible now - after having a pain-med denial spat - the other day - and paying a very painful price for my chagrin - in the face of tumultuous and very ugly pain -
so now I follow what the doctors tell me - and absorb as much pain medication - as they encourage me to take - without let or hindrance - to the trained pain doctors advice - having been so humbled by my own stupidity - learning an important lesson - the drugs work - to stop the hurt - and I don't want to hurt any more -
Happens like that
Meds and smile
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
My wife needs to have hear knee replaced, but right now would rather have the pain. If I tell her your story, it most certainly will never happen.
Tell your wife that I've had both knees replaced and Grayfox has had one replaced. No complications and it makes the pain go away.

After all the worrying, you fall asleep in the operating room and when you wake up it is all done.

She will need some hand-and-foot TLC for a week or so at home and a good way to pick up endearment points.
 

HempKat

Just A Simple Old Dirt Farmer
Veteran
My wife needs to have hear knee replaced, but right now would rather have the pain. If I tell her your story, it most certainly will never happen.
I know it will never happen in my lifetime but maybe in some far off future when your body becomes so broken that you can no longer enjoy life, they'll be able to make a clone of you and just transfer your old brain into a nice young body. Or better yet a super human android body that can fly and shoot lazer beams from it's eyes. :biggrin:
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Ride horsey.jpg
 

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
Mentor
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I know it will never happen in my lifetime but maybe in some far off future when your body becomes so broken that you can no longer enjoy life, they'll be able to make a clone of you and just transfer your old brain into a nice young body. Or better yet a super human android body that can fly and shoot lazer beams from it's eyes. :biggrin:
We've already started a piece at a time. I have two bionic knees and two eye lens replacements so far..........
 

kevinn

Well-known member
Tell your wife that I've had both knees replaced and Grayfox has had one replaced. No complications and it makes the pain go away.

After all the worrying, you fall asleep in the operating room and when you wake up it is all done.

She will need some hand-and-foot TLC for a week or so at home and a good way to pick up endearment points.
She had her shoulder done and got a blood clot in her lung. That is her major concern
 

Putembk

One Toke Over The Line
Premium user
I know it will never happen in my lifetime but maybe in some far off future when your body becomes so broken that you can no longer enjoy life, they'll be able to make a clone of you and just transfer your old brain into a nice young body. Or better yet a super human android body that can fly and shoot lazer beams from it's eyes. :biggrin:
I would rather come back as a dog and find a dog lover.
 

Boo

Cabana’s bitch
Veteran
Hey folks, I’m down, but I’m not out at least not yet. I went to the gym today to see if I could feel a little bit better and it made me feel much better. After that I want to see my doctor to make a game plan for what direction I’m gonna have to go with this new disease that I’m sporting . Then I went out, got a blood test and ended up buying a new printer which I’m fighting with now my biggest issue right now is complete and utter fatigue. I appreciate all the warm thoughts and miss the banter of every day online….
 
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