Topic: Been sitting in emergency for 12 hours

[Dime]

Our health care system sucks. It is giving me a chance to do some research however.

I am at emergency cause the old injury from my time in army is bitting me in the ass. Back is very messed up. I am 38 and the thought has definitely crossed my mind that I might be bed ridden let alone ride again.

Got two discs damaged and a copious amount of arthritis.  As Garth Brook said I am much too young to feel this dam old.

[RAFster122s]

Dime, sorry to hear, worst is VA tries to blame lots of injuries as not being related to service injuries...often ya suck it up and self medicated and things don't get documented due to culture...
Hope DRs can get you some relief and get things to calm down. Back injuries you need to pretty much do exercises to keep gut and back strong for life to minimize the issues. Until it gets so bad you have to have things fixed, and even then those repairs develop some issues sometimes. Gotta be careful for life on how you pickup heavy things with back injuries and get help on the heavy stuff.It is nuts how back injuries are so limiting, spasms can keep you from walking and moving with your hands empty, much less full.
Is it disc issues or spurring or fractures or otherwise?

I find pelvic tilt exercises help me a lot and cool and cold weather brings soreness, continuous pain and compression related neuropathy increases, so living in the desert lessens the amount of that weather related window of time.

[newday777]

Sorry to hear that Dime
I have L3 & L4 that ruptured in 2010 that I live with daily.

[Kevin]

Sorry to hear it, and thank you for your service!
Yes, our healthcare is awful. And if there is one thing everyone should have learned during covid, it's that most doctors are morons.

I hope that you get your back issues resolved soon.

Sent from my SM-S908U1 using Tapatalk

[Dime]

Thanks guys.

Was in emergency for 16hrs. They gave me a muscle relaxer which was very relaxing, LOL. My wife drove. The pain meds never took the edge off.

They sent me home with a script for muscle relaxers, a steroid and referral to neurosurgery, physiotherapy, massage and chiropractor.

I have degenerative disc's in L4, L5 S1 and copious amounts of arthritis.

Will see how the steroids do along with the other ongoing treatments. Hopefully I can get some relief.

Please don't thank me for my service. Thank a veteran. I wore the uniform sure but I was dishonorable discharged after I almost beat my Master Corporal to death. I was undiagnosed at the time with Bi Polar and the infantry life did a number on me. No excuse though.

[calj737]

They sent me home with a script for muscle relaxers, a steroid and referral to neurosurgery, physiotherapy, massage and chiropractor.

I have degenerative disc's in L4, L5 S1 and copious amounts of arthritis.

The steroids are to handle the inflammation of the soft tissue. The muscle relaxer is to help reduce the spasms caused by the fluid in your discs seeping and causing the spasms (that fluid is very caustic to the soft tissue surrounding the discs). If you don’t have severely herniated discs, a competent Neurosurgeon won’t touch you (or shouldn’t). Disc replacement surgeries are not approved for multiple levels, and with multiple levels at issue, only replacing one will cause peripheral issues. So probably not a candidate for that.

I’ve got decades of personal experience with very similar issues. What has worked really well for me was to find a very good acupuncturist and have that woman treat me. Chiro never provided me enduring relief, but acupuncture has/does. Certainly core muscle therapy is a great treatment and stretching regimens, but for episodic relief, acupuncture has really been a lifesaver.

It’s important that you drink huge amounts of water after an episode. The fluid that has seeped from your disc takes several days to lose its potency. Drinking helps your body flush these toxins from your organs, but doesn’t really flush that soft tissue area.

Believe me when I tell you, I know your pain. I’ve been to the hospital on 3 separate occasions when it was so bad that it required an injection to appease my pain. And I would have eaten a bullet if only I could have stood and reached the nightstand drawer otherwise.

[HondaMan]

Sorry to hear of this, Dime: my back was broken when I was just 6 years old (1957) but no one ever knew it: I grew up with a distorted and very damaged S1-L3-L2-L1  section that was in constant pain: I actually thought it was normal for everyone until I was 16 and lost the ability to walk from stocking heavy products onto store shelves (first job). After intensive chiropractic to try to restore some space between the collapsed discs and their bones I was able to walk again, but the pain remained. When I turned 68.5 years old a courageous back surgeon agreed to try to let me walk (I was losing the ability again) upright and 'shrank' all the bones (L1 on down) by grinding their edges all away, a sort of 'laminectomy' execution, and it got me off of highly dangerous pain killers I had been on for a long time, just to live. Today I feel 30 years younger at least!

It’s important that you drink huge amounts of water after an episode. The fluid that has seeped from your disc takes several days to lose its potency. Drinking helps your body flush these toxins from your organs, but doesn’t really flush that soft tissue area.

I echo Calj737 completely: taking pain killers of any kind for the back (or damaged shoulder ligaments, something I also went thru) can help the most if the secretions from the damaged discs (or torn ligaments) can be flushed away, something I learned a LOT about between the 1990s and the back surgery. It also mitigates the side effects of the pain killers you might have, as certain types will try to stay around and 'sneak attack' on you after exertion (not a real controllable situation!). I'm so glad to be out of that now. I didn't know the world had so many smells: that sense returned a year after the too-much pain meds, too!

[Dime]

Thank you both. I am headed to the chiropractor tonight to see how that goes. Going to  schedule an appointment with physiotherapy/acupuncture today.

[Dime]

Had my appointment with my chiropractor tonight. He shared with me in detail the results of my MRI. Three separate tears, four narrowings, four bulged disc's and two deteriorated disc's.

He can no longer do any major adjustments. All he can do is drop table work. Which helped but not like a major release would.

I have contact info for acupuncture and physiotherapy. Also a Brother of mine his wife is doing her massage therapy program so she is trying to get me taken on as a client for cheap student massages.

Lots of water and ice packs. Keep moving and doing what I can. No good to try to rest it away. Can't overdo it either.

Thanks for the support fellas.

[Don R]

 Bench press helps build my abs which helps my lower back. From time to time I use a lot of ice packs. My cousin had a bad surgery, (wrong disc) the second try caused a heart attack on the table and he passed from another one a year or so later. My nephew had three surgeries, the third surgeon said he should have come there first, it would have been easier to fix before the bad work was done.
 I decided to live with it.

[Dime]

Bench press helps build my abs which helps my lower back. From time to time I use a lot of ice packs. My cousin had a bad surgery, (wrong disc) the second try caused a heart attack on the table and he passed from another one a year or so later. My nephew had three surgeries, the third surgeon said he should have come there first, it would have been easier to fix before the bad work was done.
 I decided to live with it.

I hear so many stories of bad experiences from back surgery. This is why the doctors leave it till it is absolutely unavoidable.

Ice packs have been my friend here this last week. I am going to be doing a form of yoga that helps with lower back issues as well.

[HondaMan]

Had my appointment with my chiropractor tonight. He shared with me in detail the results of my MRI. Three separate tears, four narrowings, four bulged disc's and two deteriorated disc's.

He can no longer do any major adjustments. All he can do is drop table work. Which helped but not like a major release would.

I have contact info for acupuncture and physiotherapy. Also a Brother of mine his wife is doing her massage therapy program so she is trying to get me taken on as a client for cheap student massages.

Lots of water and ice packs. Keep moving and doing what I can. No good to try to rest it away. Can't overdo it either.

Thanks for the support fellas.

I wish that you could go to the Spine Center an the Anschutz Hospital in Aurora, CO, and see the head doctor there: he's the one I 'drew' purely by chance (if one believes in chance, I don't necessarily in events like mine). I was scheduled to another doc and then the Center called a week after my appointment was made and asked if I'd be willing to "take a vacancy that appeared on their schedule", 2 weeks earlier than planned. I jumped at it and got this guy (Dr. Kleck) who'd never seen me, only my xrays and MRIs (quite the collection) in which literally 'no problem was visible' that caused the immobility and pain. There was barely a 'ghost' in the xrays around the affected area, that was all that could be seen. He went in, found the trouble in real time, and fixed almost all of it: I was supposed to be in surgery 30-45 minutes and was there for over 3 hours. I WALKED OUT the next day and DROVE MYSELF HOME, having somewhat less pain than before: after 2 weeks I was completely on my feet and feel 30 years younger! I got nothing but praise for that guy.

[Dime]

Had my appointment with my chiropractor tonight. He shared with me in detail the results of my MRI. Three separate tears, four narrowings, four bulged disc's and two deteriorated disc's.

He can no longer do any major adjustments. All he can do is drop table work. Which helped but not like a major release would.

I have contact info for acupuncture and physiotherapy. Also a Brother of mine his wife is doing her massage therapy program so she is trying to get me taken on as a client for cheap student massages.

Lots of water and ice packs. Keep moving and doing what I can. No good to try to rest it away. Can't overdo it either.

Thanks for the support fellas.

I wish that you could go to the Spine Center an the Anschutz Hospital in Aurora, CO, and see the head doctor there: he's the one I 'drew' purely by chance (if one believes in chance, I don't necessarily in events like mine). I was scheduled to another doc and then the Center called a week after my appointment was made and asked if I'd be willing to "take a vacancy that appeared on their schedule", 2 weeks earlier than planned. I jumped at it and got this guy (Dr. Kleck) who'd never seen me, only my xrays and MRIs (quite the collection) in which literally 'no problem was visible' that caused the immobility and pain. There was barely a 'ghost' in the xrays around the affected area, that was all that could be seen. He went in, found the trouble in real time, and fixed almost all of it: I was supposed to be in surgery 30-45 minutes and was there for over 3 hours. I WALKED OUT the next day and DROVE MYSELF HOME, having somewhat less pain than before: after 2 weeks I was completely on my feet and feel 30 years younger! I got nothing but praise for that guy.

That is awesome HondaMan. Praise God! I can't currently travel state side due to an old conviction otherwise I would try to avail of his services.

Today I am seeing a chiropractor/acupuncture specialist. Hopefully some plan and relief comes. That being said the past three days have been good and I am getting alot done.

[newday777]

Had my appointment with my chiropractor tonight. He shared with me in detail the results of my MRI. Three separate tears, four narrowings, four bulged disc's and two deteriorated disc's.

He can no longer do any major adjustments. All he can do is drop table work. Which helped but not like a major release would.

I have contact info for acupuncture and physiotherapy. Also a Brother of mine his wife is doing her massage therapy program so she is trying to get me taken on as a client for cheap student massages.

Lots of water and ice packs. Keep moving and doing what I can. No good to try to rest it away. Can't overdo it either.

Thanks for the support fellas.

I wish that you could go to the Spine Center an the Anschutz Hospital in Aurora, CO, and see the head doctor there: he's the one I 'drew' purely by chance (if one believes in chance, I don't necessarily in events like mine). I was scheduled to another doc and then the Center called a week after my appointment was made and asked if I'd be willing to "take a vacancy that appeared on their schedule", 2 weeks earlier than planned. I jumped at it and got this guy (Dr. Kleck) who'd never seen me, only my xrays and MRIs (quite the collection) in which literally 'no problem was visible' that caused the immobility and pain. There was barely a 'ghost' in the xrays around the affected area, that was all that could be seen. He went in, found the trouble in real time, and fixed almost all of it: I was supposed to be in surgery 30-45 minutes and was there for over 3 hours. I WALKED OUT the next day and DROVE MYSELF HOME, having somewhat less pain than before: after 2 weeks I was completely on my feet and feel 30 years younger! I got nothing but praise for that guy.

That is awesome HondaMan. Praise God! I can't currently travel state side due to an old conviction otherwise I would try to avail of his services.

Today I am seeing a chiropractor/acupuncture specialist. Hopefully some plan and relief comes. That being said the past three days have been good and I am getting alot done.

Mark
God's hand of providence that Dr. Kleck stepped up and took a look.

Good to hear it is doing better Dime, praying for relief for you that it will come through the pins guided by God's hands.

[Dime]

Had my appointment with my chiropractor tonight. He shared with me in detail the results of my MRI. Three separate tears, four narrowings, four bulged disc's and two deteriorated disc's.

He can no longer do any major adjustments. All he can do is drop table work. Which helped but not like a major release would.

I have contact info for acupuncture and physiotherapy. Also a Brother of mine his wife is doing her massage therapy program so she is trying to get me taken on as a client for cheap student massages.

Lots of water and ice packs. Keep moving and doing what I can. No good to try to rest it away. Can't overdo it either.

Thanks for the support fellas.

I wish that you could go to the Spine Center an the Anschutz Hospital in Aurora, CO, and see the head doctor there: he's the one I 'drew' purely by chance (if one believes in chance, I don't necessarily in events like mine). I was scheduled to another doc and then the Center called a week after my appointment was made and asked if I'd be willing to "take a vacancy that appeared on their schedule", 2 weeks earlier than planned. I jumped at it and got this guy (Dr. Kleck) who'd never seen me, only my xrays and MRIs (quite the collection) in which literally 'no problem was visible' that caused the immobility and pain. There was barely a 'ghost' in the xrays around the affected area, that was all that could be seen. He went in, found the trouble in real time, and fixed almost all of it: I was supposed to be in surgery 30-45 minutes and was there for over 3 hours. I WALKED OUT the next day and DROVE MYSELF HOME, having somewhat less pain than before: after 2 weeks I was completely on my feet and feel 30 years younger! I got nothing but praise for that guy.

That is awesome HondaMan. Praise God! I can't currently travel state side due to an old conviction otherwise I would try to avail of his services.

Today I am seeing a chiropractor/acupuncture specialist. Hopefully some plan and relief comes. That being said the past three days have been good and I am getting alot done.

Mark
God's hand of providence that Dr. Kleck stepped up and took a look.

Good to hear it is doing better Dime, praying for relief for you that it will come through the pins guided by God's hands.

God has seen me through so much. He is not going to stop now.

My grandmother used to say "take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves".

While that is sound financial advise it also applies to my relationship with God.

If God trusts me with the little things I need not worry about the big picture stuff as God has it handled. I just need to do my due diligence.

Right now that is looking after my family. I do that by looking after myself.

It is like when on an airplane and the emergency air masks fall down. I have to put on my own mask first otherwise I can't help anyone else and actually become a liability.

The word says to consider others greater than ourselves. By making sure I can serve to the greatest level possible I make sure to put others ahead.

So for me making sure my physical health as well as my mental health is sorted I can be diligent with the little things. God has got the rest.

2 Corinthians 5:7 walk by faith not by sight. Whatever God puts I  our path to handle is enough to worry about. Faith takes care of the rest.

Stay blessed

[Dime]

Had acupuncture for the first time tonight. Will have to wait and see how I feel but overall the experience was a good one. The doctor also did adjustments as she does both. See what tomorrow brings.

[HondaMan]

Acupuncture saved my wife's face!
I went in for a chiropractic bout one day (about 25+ years ago) and mentioned to my doc that my wife's face that morning was all drooped on one side, and she had a headache, wondered if he maybe could help? Turned out he also does the needles, and he told me to "go get her immediately", which I did. Turns out she had Bell's Palsy attacking that morning. He inserted 6 needles and applied some 9 volt battery current to them (I had to go to the convenience store next to his practice for the batteries, his were dead!) for about 30 minutes. Her face firmed back up and about 2 days later it looked normal again: it only looks slightly droopy now when she is very, very tired. That same month, 2 other ladies in the choir at our church were hit with the bug: we sent one to acupuncture (a different doc) and the other wouldn't go: the first one recovered like my wife, almost 100%. The other one lost control of that side of her face for months and it was years before she could smile at all on that side. Apparently, it is a virus,  but acupuncture can arrest its progress if taken quickly after the attack.

I've seen (and had) other acupuncture episodes: it does work!

[Dime]

Acupuncture saved my wife's face!
I went in for a chiropractic bout one day (about 25+ years ago) and mentioned to my doc that my wife's face that morning was all drooped on one side, and she had a headache, wondered if he maybe could help? Turned out he also does the needles, and he told me to "go get her immediately", which I did. Turns out she had Bell's Palsy attacking that morning. He inserted 6 needles and applied some 9 volt battery current to them (I had to go to the convenience store next to his practice for the batteries, his were dead!) for about 30 minutes. Her face firmed back up and about 2 days later it looked normal again: it only looks slightly droopy now when she is very, very tired. That same month, 2 other ladies in the choir at our church were hit with the bug: we sent one to acupuncture (a different doc) and the other wouldn't go: the first one recovered like my wife, almost 100%. The other one lost control of that side of her face for months and it was years before she could smile at all on that side. Apparently, it is a virus,  but acupuncture can arrest its progress if taken quickly after the attack.

I've seen (and had) other acupuncture episodes: it does work!

That is pretty cool HondaMan. I will definitely do doing it again. If nothing else I am far more relaxed.