... and looking forward to it.

No, not penile implants.

After 30 years of pain, plus 2 hip replacements in the last 2+ years, next week I’m having spine surgery – laminectomy and spinal fusion. I can’t wait.

I tried epidural spinal steroid shots in December. Unfortunately, they only worked for a month, and then I wound up in the ER with severe leg pain.

I keep hearing that hip replacements and spine surgery are all pretty normal procedures. Yeah … for someone in their 70’s and 80’s. I just turned 57.

And since the surgery is only handling the symptoms, not the underlying cause – arthritis - I can look forward to some more fixes – knee replacements and more back surgery are pretty much a given.

I know a lot of you have health issues, as do many of my friends, and I'm thankful for hitting 57.

Anyhow, I’m looking forward to getting this done. Thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

See you all when I get back.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Best of luck to you. Any pain sucks, and chronic pain doth sucketh in a very major way.

Hope this round of treatment provides some relief. If my personal experience is any kind of indicator, it's a good sign when the cutters have classic rock blasting in the OR

__________________
1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife

All the best for a successful operation and speedy recovery!

__________________
Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Good luck! I've been putting back surgery off for 5 years due to various reasons, none of them medical...sort of. 3 docs have given me about a 40% chance of walking afterwards, and I'm only 36. I figure that I'll keep going until I drop, then have it done. Too much to do in my life until then

__________________
1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Very sorry to hear that. It sounds like you've had your 2nd and 3rd opinions, but if you wish, PM me and I'll give you contact info for my surgeon.




Or you can wait and see how I come out.

Good luck on the surgery. Did you consider an artificial disc instead of fusion?

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Keep me posted and we'll talk if needed.

__________________
1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Good Luck al.

I had a 5 level posterior cervical fusion almost 5 years ago. Guess I was about your age then. 5 pain free years. Can't beat that.
Easier than by-pass surgery.
A good surgeon and a positve attitude. Winning combo.
Right, Howie?

Interesting, but it wasn't presented as an option. I'll ask sometime before the anesthesia takes over.

Actually - I'll do some research now.

I have a high degree of confidence in the surgeon and the hospital, and I know he's trying to minimize how much tampering he's doing. If anything, I want him to do more - fusing 3 vertebrae instead of 2.

Good luck and best wishes for a total recovery

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

I had a fusion in 1997 on L4/5 I was glad I got it done I am still in pain but it is steady pain that I can deal with.
The most important thing I can say is take it easy let everything heal do not over do it eat healthy do not smoke. I can not stress this enough
Good luck

__________________
1976 240D
1976 240D parts car
1970 220D daily driver

There's a website devoted to artificial discs. I think it's called ADR support. They've been approved for a number of years in the US for the lumbar spine. I'm surprised your surgeon did not bring them up. I know that in some cases, arthritic spines are not good candidates for artificial discs, but I think it's worth considering. I spent a long time researching different spinal surgery options before I had cervical spine surgery a few years ago. I considered going to Europe to get an artificial cervical disc which weren't approved in the US at the time. Howitzer recently got some artificial discs in his neck. Ask him what he thinks.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

My post crossed yours.

As far as I can tell, it looks like I'm not a candidate due to stenosis and spondylolisthesis, and fairly broad-based problems throughout the lumbar spine. I will ask the surgeon.

Hey al76, I think you had a thread back in December about the injections and I mentioned that I was going to be getting them. I just had my first one a couple of weeks ago. Can't say it helped a whole bunch. The pain management doctor actually almost gave me the injection on the wrong side. Luckily I caught him before he actually gave me the injection.

Good luck with the surgery. Like I mentioned before, my problem came a couple of weeks after I had my L4/L5, L5/S1 microdiscectomy. I was getting into my benz and I had the most tremendous shot of pain I had ever experienced. Spent 2 weeks lying on my living room floor. Couldn't sit or stand for more than a couple of minutes. That being said, be sure to take it easy for a couple of months even if you feel alot better. I'm 32 and have 3 kids so it was difficult not to be up and active.

__________________
'83 300D 198,000mi Howard
'03 Saturn Vue CVT 75,000mi(wifeys)