I may be having serious back surgery

[Bones4]

Long story short, I have retrolisthesis, degenerative disk disease, and a bulging disk at L5-S1. It's been this way for 16 months. The Air Force is in the process of deciding to give me the boot or not. Anyway, I'll type more of the story later.

I was told today that I have the option of spinal fusion of L5 and S1. Does anyone know anyone with similar problems or surgery?

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[Dionysusan]

thats stuffty

how much will it cost or will insurance cover

[Velateen]

will there be any risks
are you going to be okay?

[SlayerZ99]

I herniated a disk weightlifting a few years back and had shooting pains down my left leg for awhile. I spent a year in physical therapy and doing a lot of core exercises helped and I was finally able to run again after barely being about to walk when it first happened. I went in for an MRI and they also discovered that I have arthritis in my back. Laying down after a long day hurts and I often walk up either in the middle of the night or in the morning with back pain but nothing too bad. I also work at a lumber yard and if I lift anything over like 90lbs and I lay on the ground after it feels like my back is decompressing and the pain is so intense Im like paralyzed for a minute or two. Sucks big time but good luck to you. If the benefits of a fusion outweigh the risks you should do it.

[Bones4]

The fusion would be free if I do it while I'm still in the Air Force. :/

[SeventhSandwich]

My math teacher had a fusion done in his lumbar spine for sciatica issues. It helped him a lot, but the recovery time is many weeks.

Pay for the best surgeon you can because failed back surgeries really really suck.

[SlayerZ99]

The fusion would be free if I do it while I'm still in the Air Force. :/

I'd say if the doctor thinks it will help reduce any pain now or in the future go ahead and do it. Dont they also make artificial disks you can get put into your back? I want to get those eventually

[Alyx Vance]

Damn man, I'm in the same boat barring retrolisthesis (as far as I know), my disk at S5 and L1 is bulging out and its degenerating. I hope you a good recover, I know the pain. Especially the sciatic pain, so many times I've had to prop myself up because the leg refuses to work, period.

[Bones4]

fortunately I don't have leg problems from nerve pain. They said it was mechanical pain.

[Legodude77]

Read the title as serious black surgery.

[Alyx Vance]

fortunately I don't have leg problems from nerve pain. They said it was mechanical pain.

Man, you're fortunate as can be.
I can deal with the back pain but the leg pain gets so bad at times that it renders my leg useless, trying to use the leg will result in it collapsing because it can no longer hold up.

[carolcat]

my mom had a bulging disk in her neck a few years ago. they replaced it with some metal disk or something. now she's got some pretty nasty stiffness in her neck but other than that she's fine

[devildogelite]

fortunately I don't have leg problems from nerve pain. They said it was mechanical pain.

I went to the doctor and I have disc bulging and a ton of leg pain. The orthopedic sent me to the back doctor for mechanical back pain which I have almost none of.

[blockguy™]

the Air Force gives Pvt. Bones the Green Weenie

[Alyx Vance]

I went to the doctor and I have disc bulging and a ton of leg pain. The orthopedic sent me to the back doctor for mechanical back pain which I have almost none of.

Good luck with doctors, it took me 2 months just to get a MRI scan to diagnose my disk. My doctor kept arguing that I didn't need it, I finally got the MRI and he just says it again. "you didn't need it"