Greetings from Cardaddy - Day 2 @ Emory Spine Center

[cardaddy]

Dr. John Rhee at Emory is a highly respected Surgeon in the Spine Community.

You were fortunate to find him.

Best wishes for your fully recovery.

Yes, Dr. John Rhee it was! :dblthumb2: I was given a list of 3 from my physiatrist, one was the lead physician for the Atlanta Olympics, and has a big sports backgdround, the other has been the team physician for the Falcons and Thrashers up through 2011 (or 2012 I don't remember), again a big sports guy background, and the third was John Rhee. He seemed very well rounded, has a NUMBER of different techniques he uses, and excellent patient reviews.

He told my wife that they couldn't believe how bad it really was. Right up till the last minute he was telling me I could change my mind if I wanted, (even after I was prepped). It was going to be a challenge because of where the herniation was located, but they "expected a moderate" herniation. Having it "explode" as it was, was something that took them all by surprise.

When he spoke to her right afterwards he said it was absolutely the right thing that I didn't change my mind, and had I not gotten the surgery it would have gotten MUCH worse. In fact, he was surprised I'd made it as long as I did. (I kept TRYING TO TELL EVERYONE that I already KNEW something REALLY bad was going on.)

Here's to a speedy recovery Tony! Glad to here you came out ok and that things will get better for you in time.

Best wishes for you and the family!

Thanks Kelly!

I got your e-mail, just haven't been at the computer till this evening.
I'll try to get more replies out in the next day or so.
MAN am I friggin SORE! (Never figured my throat would be so sore, or my ribs for that matter.) YIKES!

So your in bed right now Tony? I wish I would have known about AGO back in those days. I just sat there watching Oprah Winfrey lol.

I did have my own personal night nurse too though

Get better Tony, glad your hear posting.

Side Note: Mind if I go off topic Tony with a question for everyone?

YES Art, by all means, lets get "off topic", you'll have no problem from me my young one. rops:

Oprah? OH say you di-ent! :laughing:

Oh we had a pretty cute night nurse ourselves. I told CarMomma I thought I needed a sponge bath.... it'd be OK... :buffing: (She was the ONLY one though that'd fit that bill.)


Whew... MAN.... sitting here for these few replies is-a-killin' me.

Thanks guys for your thoughts, prayers, and messages. I'll get a reply out to you all in the next day or so. For now.... I need to try and go horizontal again. :awman:

 

[oldmodman]

You certainly have my sympathy.

I had three discs cut and trimmed way back in the early 80s I didn't really know what to expect regarding the after surgery pain levels. But when I was brought out of surgery into recovery and woke up all the horrible nerve pain was gone. But the surgical site pain was many times worse. And this was back in the dark ages before they had the self administered pain medication. Luckily my surgeon was right there when I woke up and wrote explicit instruction regarding pain medication. I was to be given as much, and as often as I asked for it. And boy did I ask for it. I was getting morphine, both IM and IV. And it would wear off after three or four hours. It wasn't until three weeks after surgery that I voluntarily lowered my requested dosage. And naturally, by that time I was addicted and went through withdrawal. Which wasn't particularly bad since I was in a hospital after all. After that I was taking Talwin tablets pretty frequently.for the next three months.

If I had the same type of surgery today I would have been out of the hospital in three days. Now they go in through the front with a Lapriscope and remote instruments.

So don't deny yourself pain medications. it will only delay your recovery.

 

[cardaddy]

get well soon tony :xyxthumbs:

Thanks Bill! :xyxthumbs:

God willing.... we'll keep working towards the best outcome we can find.

I can tell ya' that TODAY..... I'm *PAYING* for being on my feet so much yesterday (watching/supervising my daughter, her hubby, and CarMomma). The nerve pain in my upper thigh (front) is worse for sure.

Hey Tony, glad everything went well and you're on the mend.

Medical marihuana is good choice for pain. I used to use it when I was a kid....but I never remember being in pain....I never got a speeding ticket either...:dunno:

:laughing:
Thanks Bobby!
You know, the older I get, the more I think that Medical Cannabis may just be the better choice! (Never have been a "smoker" of any sorts, but as yourself, the college years I seem to remember lots of snacks, and not having to worry about speeding tickets. The MD I had for several decades, from the time I was about 12~13 up until he retired about 30 years later told me there was nothing wrong with it, (as far as being chemically addictive). :dunno: But then my physiatrist told me a couple of years ago that the receptors in the brain react the same with it as they do with the poison we call "prescription narcotics". The only REAL difference is one is natural, the other is man made. Then the fact remains that one is much easier on your body!!!
(Don't think there isn't a lot of money involved, passing hands, one government agency after another after another, all the way to Washington.)

I know I'd be willing to try it, controlled testing and all that jazz. (Without notes, controlled dosages and what not, I'd surely forget what the heck was going on, I can BET YOU THAT!) :laughing:

Glad to see your home.....one day at a time brother.

All though I'm quite a drive away if you need anything buddy you now how to find me.

Thanks Tim, you've been a friend indeed. The door is always open for ya' here, know that brother.

 

[Flash Gordon]

Hope you have a quick recovery sir! Adding to what Flash Gordon said, look for a NKT (NeuroKineticTherapy) certified "body worker".

Neurokinetic Therapy?

I had chronic hip pain for 8 months and my hips were going out of place, left leg almost 1.5 inches shorter than my right. Did one 60 minute session with my "body worker" and have been pain free ever since (~3 months now).

I've been doing two 60 minute sessions each week for the past 6+ weeks. I haven't had any pain in the last 2 weeks. Probably going to scale it down to once a week starting in May and then do the monthly maintanence sometime this Summer. It's very relaxing getting a massage by someone who knows what they are doing

 

[dad07]

I've been doing two 60 minute sessions each week for the past 6+ weeks. I haven't had any pain in the last 2 weeks. Probably going to scale it down to once a week starting in May and then do the monthly maintanence sometime this Summer. It's very relaxing getting a massage by someone who knows what they are doing

Very true Flash......Mrs07 is a lincensed massage therapist. Between chiro and her I am doing better myself.

We also own tens unit, ultra sound unit and far infrared dome that hass made my life better in the last few weeks.....pain scale is 1-10, 10 being worse my pain level was 15!!! Its down to to 5 and I can handle that.

I actually felt very good today and washed my truck...probably done too much but at least it's clean. 6 weeks ago I couldn't hold onto a wet sponge without dying!

Mrs07 is very much involed with alteriative medecines and to be honest it really works.

Flash buddy....I'm glad your doing much better..... And Tony brother sorry for the hijack......and I am glad you are getting better.

 

[cardaddy]

Man... doing it in the old days literally sounds medieval compared to what they do these days. OTOH, they had the same drugs then as now..... go figure. :dunno:

Weirdly enough, these days they want to kick you out of the hospital RIGHT AFTER SURGERY! Had my pain levels not been what they were, they'd have sent me home, then and there. That literally sounds Barbaric to me!!! How do they send you home when you can't even MOVE?!?! But what I found really weird.... was that they'd not allow me out of the bed, kept (alternating) compression sleeves pumping up on my legs every 30 seconds, and all the other measures they were taking. Yet had I been at home, NONE of that would have been happening.

I can tell ya', the cut doesn't look any less medieval today than it did 20 years ago. Just that it's sewn up from the inside out, with the outside glued together. No stitches, no staples, NOTHING. (Of course I remember that "super glue" was invented earlier for another purpose, but ended up being used for battlefield wounds in the Vietnam era, albeit not without it's own problems.) Although it wasn't until 1998 when the FDA approved a new formula, (for the civilian world) 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for use in closing wounds and surgical incisions.

As much as I resisted the "pump" while in the hospital, I'm not totally loony. (Yet some would disagree!) :laughing: So yeah, pain meds it is. But I'm already working on it, and taking less than I was a week ago. Choosing the battles, small victories (and all that). rops:

You certainly have my sympathy.

I had three discs cut and trimmed way back in the early 80s I didn't really know what to expect regarding the after surgery pain levels. But when I was brought out of surgery into recovery and woke up all the horrible nerve pain was gone. But the surgical site pain was many times worse. And this was back in the dark ages before they had the self administered pain medication. Luckily my surgeon was right there when I woke up and wrote explicit instruction regarding pain medication. I was to be given as much, and as often as I asked for it. And boy did I ask for it. I was getting morphine, both IM and IV. And it would wear off after three or four hours. It wasn't until three weeks after surgery that I voluntarily lowered my requested dosage. And naturally, by that time I was addicted and went through withdrawal. Which wasn't particularly bad since I was in a hospital after all. After that I was taking Talwin tablets pretty frequently.for the next three months.

If I had the same type of surgery today I would have been out of the hospital in three days. Now they go in through the front with a Lapriscope and remote instruments.

So don't deny yourself pain medications. it will only delay your recovery.

 

[cardaddy]

I've been doing two 60 minute sessions each week for the past 6+ weeks. I haven't had any pain in the last 2 weeks. Probably going to scale it down to once a week starting in May and then do the monthly maintanence sometime this Summer. It's very relaxing getting a massage by someone who knows what they are doing

Ahhh, the NKT treatment.
As far as I can tell, there is a total of ONE certified practitioner in the state of Georgia. Seriously ONE... now THAT is strange to say the least! At least that's all that's listed on the (OG) NKT site. And that guy, he's a good 2½ hours away (even if he is a "Level 3 Certified" practitioner).

For now though, it's nothing, doctors orders. After 6 weeks I'm going to go to a local physiotherapist that I'd talked to before the surgery.

GREAT NEWS though. Today I took my first decent walk outside! The nerve damage in my right leg has taken it's toll. Prior to the surgery they tested my reflexes, knee, then ankle, both legs. Up until November my left leg was ALWAYS the weakest, (for years now), so it already has measurable neuropathy. My reflex numbers were L= 0 & 1, R= 0 & 0. No matter how they (half a dozen different people that examined me lately) hammered my right leg, it just wouldn't respond. So taking that walk today was/is a BIG DEAL. Getting that leg to start working again, (rather than dragging, sometimes unable to even pick it up, dragging toes upside down).

Today's walk wasn't but about 300 yards total, up the drive, down the street 2 houses then back to the house. But it was without the darned walker! :dblthumb2: (Albeit with 2 canes.):dunno: We'll take what we can get.... baby steps and all.

 

[Vegas Transplant]

Good Luck and God Bless Tony!
Keep your head up hand!

 

[57BORNTORUN]

Get well Buddy.Not feeling good or being able to move as we used too sucks.

 

[wlshephard]

I wish you a very speedy recovery. If you get bored watching all the seasons of the X-files is a great time killer. Or the Patrick Magohan series The Prisoner (except the last episode). If you need a good laugh "Arrested Development" and "Titus" are good.

 

[cardaddy]

Very true Flash......Mrs07 is a lincensed massage therapist. Between chiro and her I am doing better myself.

We also own tens unit, ultra sound unit and far infrared dome that hass made my life better in the last few weeks.....pain scale is 1-10, 10 being worse my pain level was 15!!! Its down to to 5 and I can handle that.

I actually felt very good today and washed my truck...probably done too much but at least it's clean. 6 weeks ago I couldn't hold onto a wet sponge without dying!

Mrs07 is very much involed with alteriative medecines and to be honest it really works.

Flash buddy....I'm glad your doing much better..... And Tony brother sorry for the hijack......and I am glad you are getting better.

Tim brother... not a hijack at all, don't even think of it.

Funny you mention the pain scale thing. I really don't remember the OR, (other than a LOT of lights) but I do remember waking up with the mask on, (being held there by one of the doctors). They asked me what my pain was on a 1~10 scale.... (keep in mind I woke up SCREAMING) and I very promptly, without reservation, said FOURTY!!!!!!!



I need to check into the far infrared dome thingy, that and home ultrasound sounds AWESOME! I've got 2 TENS, and another new Aviva-Stim (muscle stimulator) that have been really good to me. Funny though, when I asked the PT crew before leaving the hospital they said "NO WAY, don't use anything until your 6 week checkup!" :dunno:

No long walks today though, (not after yesterday). Really weird feeling in my right leg just trying to get it to cycle through the motions though.

Good Luck and God Bless Tony!
Keep your head up hand!

Thanks VT! Weird as it all is, just looking forward to how it turns out, (once the swelling and soreness goes away).

Get well Buddy.Not feeling good or being able to move as we used too sucks.

Yeah... the moving part is what's flipping me out lately. Never thought of it like that, just figured because I was in such pain THAT was why it wasn't working. Now it's just a strange feeling, trying to get my BRAIN to tell my friggin leg what to do. Nerve pain is worse today than it's been all week! :dunno:

I wish you a very speedy recovery. If you get bored watching all the seasons of the X-files is a great time killer. Or the Patrick Magohan series The Prisoner (except the last episode). If you need a good laugh "Arrested Development" and "Titus" are good.

I gotta' tell ya'... I'm a TV junkie! I studied architecture in school, then in 98 started designing/installing/selling Home Theater systems (my own business). We have a total of 9 DirecTV tuners available for recording (two 2-tuner and one 5-tuner DVR). Then if they are busy there are several more receivers in the house, although thankfully since we went with 9 tuners that's not happened. :dblthumb2:

I'll record concerts, racing (anything from bicycles to airplanes), TV shows, movies, docu-series, travel shows (love Rick Steves) you name it. Right now we easily probably have 150 hours of stuff waiting to be watched!!!!

X-Files.... now that's been a while since I've watched any of those, although I remember some being on a few weeks ago. I do have the black X Files T-shirt though if that counts. rops:

Speaking of concerts; "It Might Get Loud" with Jimmy Page, The Edge & Jack White is playing lately. I caught part of it before my surgery, recorded it while I was in the hospital. That's a must see if your of that era. :dblthumb2:

Oh well.... that nerve is telling me I've been sitting too long. Time to sing off.

Later guys!

Tony

 

[dad07]

Hey Tony I'll ask Mrs07 to get me some links for the altrasound machine......wasn't exspensive, like 100 bucks shipped.

The dome is upward of around 400 bucks + shipping.

The dome increases blood flow which increases healing.

We have three domes.....they make 2 sizes and I recomend the larger of the two......just more room under it. :dblthumb2:

 

[Pats300zx]

Hope you feel better soon Tony !!!

 

[Paul Mitchell]

Good luck with your recovery.

 

[cardaddy]

Hey Tony I'll ask Mrs07 to get me some links for the altrasound machine......wasn't exspensive, like 100 bucks shipped.

The dome is upward of around 400 bucks + shipping.

The dome increases blood flow which increases healing.

We have three domes.....they make 2 sizes and I recomend the larger of the two......just more room under it. :dblthumb2:

Cool....!!! I'll look forward to it.

Hope you feel better soon Tony !!!

Thanks Pat, it's getting better every day.

Good luck with your recovery.

Thanks to you too Paul. It's like winning the lottery around here lately. One of my strongest pain meds (morphine) I just stopped taking, (2 a day). Nobody told me to, but I just figured it was time. Cut back to 1 for 2 days then quit.

Several others I'm not running out of every day like I was before the surgery, and THAT is a huge win as well. :dblthumb2:

Not thinking I'll be totally pain free, that's ludicrous considering all the other problems in my back that they've not addressed. But getting back to half what I was taking 2 weeks ago is a win win WIN!!!!! THAT I can live with. rops:

Walked and stood today for about an hour, decided to go to the grand opening of a new Gander Mountain store. Then got to the back, looking at all the guns, turned around and realized my leg was shaking so bad I didn't think I was gonna' make it back to the car. Panic was near by I can tell ya' that! Slowly, cane in hand I made it back outside.... thank God for handicapped parking!

Gotta' keep pushing, tired of sitting!

 

[kantonburg]

Hey Tony,

It's been a few years now. How's the back going? We spoke over PM a few years ago saw this thread.

 

[rlmccarty2000]

Post for Cardaddy over on Autopia as he was banned on AG. Can’t remember the reason. He does post infrequently on Autopia.