Classicamiga Forum Retro Edition
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Thread: Having surgery 16th of March
Demon Cleaner 13:56 1st March 2017
I mentioned that I don't have so much time to play games, although I still can manage to play enough, I just wanted to mention that I will have some time soon.

I already had a back operation (disc prolapse) in 1990, since then my back is regularly hurting, nothing too bad, but annoying nonetheless. Got worse with the years, and the discs above and below the one concerned, are now also already pretty damaged.

But since approx. 10 month, my toes and half of my right foot are numb, so I went to MR imaging (end of November), and indeed, the discs are almost none existing anymore, plus the nerve is infected and wrapped in cartilage, thus the numbness in my foot, and meanwhile also lower leg and knee. Sometimes the pain is just unbearable and I have to stay home, as I can't sit, walk or stand.

Went to neurologist, nerve is still working, still sending the signal, so it's not damaged yet, but has to be treated, otherwise this could stay for my whole life.

Did infiltration (cortisone injection) to the nerve, usually lasts for 4-6 months, helped 3 days for me, then the pain and numbness were back.

Then the doctor told me that there is only one solution, we need to fix the back. So I got appointment to be in hospital the 15th of March and the operation will be the next day, 16th of March.

They will put one metal bar attached to 8 screws fixed on 4 vertebra. Operation takes 5 hours and I will have to stay at least one week in hospital. After that comes recovery, which takes quite long. I will not go to work for 6 months, until mid September, and I will have to rest at home, meaning I will have all the time in the world to play games.
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Kin Hell 14:14 1st March 2017
Heck fella. Is that the same as having Vertebra fused together, to immobilize the damaged discs??
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Demon Cleaner 16:33 1st March 2017
Originally Posted by Kin Hell:
Heck fella. Is that the same as having Vertebra fused together, to immobilize the damaged discs??
Don't know, I guess, kind of. It's basically to immobilize the damaged discs, so that the vertebra don't touch each other, or squeeze the nerve. They're not "fused" together, but I get your point.

My mobility will of course be reduced, but apparently not that much. Bending over will be limited, so that I can bend 10-15% less than now, but that's not so relevant, as you still CAN bend.
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Harrison 23:47 1st March 2017
That's quite a major operation on your back. Good luck and i will be thinking of you when you go in.

Much better to attempt to fix the issue now though, rather than just continue with the injections and other pain blocking short term fixes. I hope it works and you end up pain free.

So will you get full wages from your job for the whole 6 months? Will you have to do any work from home?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
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Kin Hell 09:57 2nd March 2017
Jeepers DC. I wish you all the luck with that one. Anything to do with the spine is serious shit! If it's any help for you not to worry, check this out....

I just had Surgery in a private dentist on Feb 28th @ 9am. After administering a Sedation, (not General Anesthetic) they removed my 7 last upper teeth, cut my gums, drilled 4 holes into my upper Jaw/skull, screwed some Swiss made implants in, stitched me up, screwed some abutments onto the Implants & then screwed in a Titanium Bridged Denture. I walked out with Deb driving me home @ 3.15pm with what they call "A One Day Smile", but I have to wait 3 months before they fit my final Denture which isn't yet finished. Stitches come out on March 13th.
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Demon Cleaner 14:53 2nd March 2017
Originally Posted by Kin Hell:
Jeepers DC. I wish you all the luck with that one. Anything to do with the spine is serious shit! If it's any help for you not to worry, check this out....

I just had Surgery in a private dentist on Feb 28th @ 9am. After administering a Sedation, (not General Anesthetic) they removed my 7 last upper teeth, cut my gums, drilled 4 holes into my upper Jaw/skull, screwed some Swiss made implants in, stitched me up, screwed some abutments onto the Implants & then screwed in a Titanium Bridged Denture. I walked out with Deb driving me home @ 3.15pm with what they call "A One Day Smile", but I have to wait 3 months before they fit my final Denture which isn't yet finished. Stitches come out on March 13th.
Doesn't sound funny either

Originally Posted by Harrison:
So will you get full wages from your job for the whole 6 months? Will you have to do any work from home?
Full wages, no work from home. Just relaxing plus reeducation. Plus the doctor said that if the recovery would somehow take even longer, he would write me off even longer. I'm government employee (state official), so I have quite a lot of advantages that others don't, I can f.ex. miss at work in a case of sickness for 52 weeks straight without any trouble, if you work in some private sector or public employee, after a certain time, f.ex. 26 weeks, your boss can kick you out of the company or just cause you trouble if he wants.
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Kin Hell 15:19 2nd March 2017
Originally Posted by Demon Cleaner:
Originally Posted by Kin Hell:
Jeepers DC. I wish you all the luck with that one. Anything to do with the spine is serious shit! If it's any help for you not to worry, check this out....

I just had Surgery in a private dentist on Feb 28th @ 9am. After administering a Sedation, (not General Anesthetic) they removed my 7 last upper teeth, cut my gums, drilled 4 holes into my upper Jaw/skull, screwed some Swiss made implants in, stitched me up, screwed some abutments onto the Implants & then screwed in a Titanium Bridged Denture. I walked out with Deb driving me home @ 3.15pm with what they call "A One Day Smile", but I have to wait 3 months before they fit my final Denture which isn't yet finished. Stitches come out on March 13th.
Doesn't sound funny either

Originally Posted by Harrison:
So will you get full wages from your job for the whole 6 months? Will you have to do any work from home?
Full wages, no work from home. Just relaxing plus reeducation. Plus the doctor said that if the recovery would somehow take even longer, he would write me off even longer. I'm government employee (state official), so I have quite a lot of advantages that others don't, I can f.ex. miss at work in a case of sickness for 52 weeks straight without any trouble, if you work in some private sector or public employee, after a certain time, f.ex. 26 weeks, your boss can kick you out of the company or just cause you trouble if he wants.
That's amazing DC. Sounds like you are working for a company that look after their workers to that degree.
Not many I know of here in the UK, unless you have private insurance. Bupa only pay you per night depending on the scheme you take out. When you read horror stories of a 93 year old guy being told by his GP that his visiting costs won't be covered by Bupa this time, despite the fact the 93 year old had just paid a £1,700.00 Premium to Bupa the day before why bother?

My crap started just before Xmas. Run down with my own back issues from May 1st 2016, I'd been in and out of work with numbness in my right toes, foot, lower & upper leg, knee, hip & right up to L4. Even my right bollock was having a tough time.
Just as I was about to return to work in early December 2016, I got a sinus infection & then watched my right tooth collapse into the crumbling Jaw bone once I'd got the infection cleared for a 10 Day do NOT drink Antibiotic. I've done quite well despite the hereditary Gum Disease on my mothers side. That and poor house keeping on my part I guess, but I had 15 teeth pulled in blocks of 5 from 2001 to 2006 & 4 of those were perfect wisdom, but useless with nothing to support against. Our teeth support themselves & when you loose one, the two each side will collapse in without support each side.

Before & 5 hours after surgery:

Teeth B4-2.jpg Teeth after-2.jpg

....I also have full use of my Leg again atm.
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Demon Cleaner 10:19 3rd March 2017
Looks a lot better after

The bar with screws will cover L3, L4, L5 and S1.

Btw, the government is not a company Anyway, you're always fully covered in Luxembourg when you have something bigger. Teeth of course is a different story, you pay about 80% from your own pocket, so you can do the math when you renew a lot of your teeth in one go, you're quite at 10.000€+.
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Kin Hell 13:15 3rd March 2017
Yes DC, same here. Government Job environments do offer nice cover, but it's an entirely different story in the private sector.

L3 to S1 is your last two Vertebra to your Pelvis. No wonder you are finding this difficult now. Thankfully, my MRI last November brought up nothing despite 6 months of absolute Agony & little sleep.

Convinced my teeth would still have been getting by if I hadn't been so run down & ending up with a Sinus infection from a cold. Prior to 10 days of Antibiotics, my right front tooth moved Sixty Thou (1.5mm) to my right. Never had a gap until early December.

Pics aren't the best quality, but thanks for the Thumb.

Everyone close to me say they look absolutely fantastic, so natural & suit my smile/fascial features. Still a couple of months to go yet, but so far, ......WOW!

Anyhow fella, be sure to keep us posted. After the trauma I've been through recently with my Back & Teeth, I sincerely extend my heart felt respect for you, now facing this new adventure in your life. There will be deep emotions, perhaps some you never realised you had. Concerns of procedure; - Failure of procedure; Concerns of recovery & long term health, all sprinkled again with more emotion thereafter.

Try & focus on the benefits of the procedure are going to put you right. Shut out the detail stuff unless you genuinely are interested. I was.....

Meantime fella, take it real easy & chill.
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Demon Cleaner 16:32 3rd March 2017
At the moment, I try not to think too much about the operation, I'm looking forward to be home for 6 months, playing games, watching movies and series, and working on my PC a bit. I'm trying not to worry too much, as otherwise I will make myself crazy. My girlfriend is momentarily more concerned than me, I'm looking at the bright side of it.

Went to the neurologist and anesthetists this morning, got my heart checked, which is fine. The nerve although is not reacting like it should, signals are way to slow, but there's not a lot of power left in my right leg.

Everything will be fine
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