I am a 53 year old chemical engineer that suffered for 5 years after a horse fall.
I landed on my back flat and was injured at L3/L4. Tore ligaments and made the joint unstable. It caused me soreness from sitting daily. Finally saw 3 docs, all said different things. One said he could fix me with fusion surgery.
I went through with it 4 mos ago. It was not bad at all after surgery. No pain at all. They have so many good medicines that you would have to be really a pansy not to be able to tolerate this. Very minor. I had an Xlif. I recommend it-minimal muscle issues after due to small incision. Anyway, after the procedure you just watch TV and get waited on like a king. Then you spend a stiff 3 weeks
or so , very immobile and sore. The pain meds make you constipated . Get off those and the muscle relaxers fast -they are no good anyway. You should be off in 3 weeks. They do help you relax and sleep at first and are needed.
After 2 months , I was back at work. After three on a treadmill and lifting weights. Walking is huge in the recovery. I feel 0 pain after 4 months. Just like new. I do have some numbness in hip at area of opening. Doc says that will
go away. Key is get a great doctor. Second key is believe this and not the drug addicted and people that don't want a life to scare you to death. Some of these
people have real problems and bad experiences-my sympathy to them-some are
message board whiners and unstable. Be positive and see past all this. Good luck.
Let's see...are you comparing your simple, one level minimally invasive surgery to someone who had a multi- level fusion, perhaps both ALIF and PLIF? Would that be who you're calling a "pansy" because he/she might be in pain after being in surgery for 9 hours??
Or perhaps it is because the person is "unstable" and didn't have the sense to find a "great" doctor.
It's lovely that so far, your surgery has had a good outcome...but don't try to give anyone the impression that all patients are a candidate for a minimally invasive procedure, and that it is simply a matter of the patient choosing to have it.
Do not insinuate that any other patient would have an experience similar to yours. No two surgeries are ever alike, because no two people are identical. It is naive to think that just because you had a problem-free surgery and uneventful recovery that this is the norm.
The following 2 users give hugs of support to: teteri66 janiee08 (04-27-2011), jeanniebugs71 (04-28-2011)
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to teteri66 For This Useful Post: janiee08 (04-27-2011), jeanniebugs71 (04-28-2011), musiccitygirl (04-28-2011)
Teton, Thanks for telling the original poster how it really is. You simply can't compare my 8 level fusion and laminectomy to a one-level minimally invasive one. My surgery was even done at the world class Cleveland Clinic and I still ended up many times worse after surgery than before. I had this surgery so I would not have to be on pain meds anymore, and now I have to be on stronger pain meds. I almost lost my life during the surgery because I threw blood clots into my lungs. mckend: You just don't know what you're talking about...janiee
Second key is believe this and not the drug addicted and people that don't want a life to scare you to death. Some of these
people have real problems and bad experiences-my sympathy to them-some are
message board whiners and unstable. Be positive and see past all this. Good luck.
To add to Teri's post I'll say this. Most people here are looking for information so they can make an informed decision based on others personal experiances. All that you get from doctors are the "yep I can fix you" or "I recomend this" with out the benifit of how it will actually feel. Anyone that posts on here with any frequency will be the first to tell you (or anyone else) that the people that have had a successfull outcome no longer have a need for this board but there are others that had found this board so helpfull that they continue to post so they may help others. Fourtunately most people who post on here (new or vetran) do not incinuate such a poor attitude toward the users of this site
While I am glad you had a positive outcome, only a lunatic would believe that everyone should feel the way that you do or WILL have the same outcome that you did (if you did at all). Let me be the first to tell you that I had a PLIF and it hurt like hell, even with the medication. My doctor was first rate and still has my utmost trust. I am no stranger to pain and have a fairly high tolerance for it. No one person is the same, tolerate pain the same, metabolize medication the same and God knows heal the same.
__________________ Herniated L5-S1 in 2005
Herniated L2-L3 in 2008
Dynamic stabilization L2-L3 in 2008 (failed-spondylolesthis of L2)
PLIF L2-L3 in 2009
PLIF failed to fuse
The following user gives a hug of support to joebob254: jeanniebugs71 (04-28-2011)
The Following User Says Thank You to joebob254 For This Useful Post: musiccitygirl (04-28-2011)
Let's see...are you comparing your simple, one level minimally invasive surgery to someone who had a multi- level fusion, perhaps both ALIF and PLIF? Would that be who you're calling a "pansy" because he/she might be in pain after being in surgery for 9 hours??
Or perhaps it is because the person is "unstable" and didn't have the sense to find a "great" doctor.
It's lovely that so far, your surgery has had a good outcome...but don't try to give anyone the impression that all patients are a candidate for a minimally invasive procedure, and that it is simply a matter of the patient choosing to have it.
Do not insinuate that any other patient would have an experience similar to yours. No two surgeries are ever alike, because no two people are identical. It is naive to think that just because you had a problem-free surgery and uneventful recovery that this is the norm.
WAHOOOOO YOU TELL HIM TY TY TY TY TY FOR ALL YOU DO FOR US!!!!!!
__________________
This Is My Life NOT MY PAINS!! I Will Not Let You Take It!!
The Following User Says Thank You to jeanniebugs71 For This Useful Post: joebob254 (04-28-2011)
While I don't necessarily agree with EVERYTHING the original poster said (or how s/he said it), I will say that as a relative newbie to this forums, who originally came here looking for hope and reassurance, most of the threads here were anything but that.
In retrospect, I am happy to have read all the 'horror' stories about XLIF here because it made my own procedure seem like a breeze. But on the other hand, it was extremely daunting to read almost nothing but negative comments about XLIF. This is why I've made it a point to post my monthly progress and to offer a positive perspective to others who may be anxious about XLIF, just as I was. I really think this is the most appropriate recourse and I wonder if this is what the original poster's attempt was.
Granted, I know that the majority of folks who are regulars here are dealing with A LOT compared to my 'easy' L3-L4 spondyolithesis and my heart goes out to you. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. But there is a big difference between writing informative posts that are critical of a procedure or medical opinion and just being a troll and hijacking multiple threads and interjecting your own opinion as fact on this (and other) forums. Even though there are only a couple of trolls, sometimes they end up overshadowing everyone else.
I wanted to be the first to say that I am extremely happy for you. I do love to hear about people who have had success and to see thier pain diminish to nothing. Although, it may make many of us envious (myself included)
Your post was exactly that... "informative" and "well written" but it was in no way demeaning. Please continue to post your progress because you are right, there is not enough posts of people's success.
Also, please don't downplay your injury because I can bet that it was one of the worst experiances that you have had therefore making it bad injury. I'm in the same boat, I don't have the worst injury compared to a lot of people in here however, it dominates my life right now.
I hope that you fully return to an active life and return to your beloved Quarter Horses. Maybe one day I can ride again.... hmm been since I was in 4H as a child. Scary how long its been.
Best of luck to you,
"Joe"
__________________ Herniated L5-S1 in 2005
Herniated L2-L3 in 2008
Dynamic stabilization L2-L3 in 2008 (failed-spondylolesthis of L2)
PLIF L2-L3 in 2009
PLIF failed to fuse
The Following User Says Thank You to joebob254 For This Useful Post: QHShowoman (05-02-2011)
Don't let fusion scare you ! It can be great 
