Tr1boy

Despite being in the UK, I'm posting this in here because I know there are about eleventyzillion (that may or may not be a real number) Nurses and Drs here. I'm not a Dr and have never played one on tv, so here goes:

Long story short: Last Sept/Oct my L4/L5 disc broke into 3 pieces, and one piece broke off, shattered into discy type shrapnel and found a new home in the nerves of my right leg This caused much crying on my part as it felt like my leg was on fire, and much crying on Mrs TB's part because she had to support me and I weigh 85 kgs and she weighs 48kgs Plus we were in Italy on holiday which didn't help.

Got home, rang my health insurance, rushed to hospital for an emergency decompression. Loads of time off of for rehab, tragically no cycling, running or swimming. Made a good recovery until early Jan then had a total relapse at work one day. Back in hospital for a 4 joint caudal facet something or other, didn't work. More girlieboy crying on my part.

Two weeks after that, another decompression (revision) operation, and more recovery. All going well until 15 days ago, with another relapse, but less nerve pain (although I still can't feel my toes in my right foot). I can walk a bit but crawling commando fashion is actually easier.

Saw the surgeon yesterday and we are now bombarding it with drugs, but it looks likely that I will need a 'Wallis Ligament' operation (no mention of Grommet). I think it's some kind of plastic clip? Surgeon reckons it's the best option for someone who wants to get back to competitive sports. I have no clue either way (but I do know that running won't be an option for me).

Hoping some of the medical sages might've heard of this?

Trying to keep my chin up, but have only worked 3 weeks since Sept, job is being held for me and I get my pension, car allowance and insurance paid, but no basic pay since Feb (that's not a huge issue thankfully). I'm a glass half full guy, but getting a bit down about it all now, especially with Ironman season underway

Sorry, that was really long, and a pit of a pity party.

carolinephillips

Sorry you are going through such pain and can't do your sports: it isn't girlyboy crying when that happens.

The Wallis ligament is an implant that has a spacer and two bands to stabilise and support the areas where you had the damage. Supposed to be minimally invasive procedure. The old supraspinous ligaments are detached and the implant is attached to the spinous processes (knobbly bits sticking out of the vertebra) where the degenerative disc is and the bands go around the knobbly bits to stabilise it. Then the ligaments are reattached.
This stiffens the area.

Hope it works for you. Think of it as a crumbly wall that has to be strapped and braced to prevent it bowing.

Tr1boy

Hi Caroline,

Thankyou very much for that explanation. It's very hard to take this stuff in when I'm in with the surgeon sometimes.

Now, any suggestions on how I can get the Nuffield to install Sky tv so I can watch the cycling?

carolinephillips

No, sorry- I'm not a techno geek!!!!!

moneypenny20

I have absolutely no idea but just wanted to say 'ouch' and wince a bit on your behalf and hope that it gets fixed soon and you're back on the bike in the near future.

Tr1boy

Thanks for your kind wishes MP. I have a ton of appts this week and looks like a decision will be made on Friday about which direction I'm headed.

I was trawling the net for a bit of inspiration today. Found something that combines my two favourite things, Ironman and guitars I'll probably never be able to do these anymore, but even if there's a small chance, I won't give up hoping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPekmfnyS7U

Tr1boy

Bit of an update.

Still struggling after the last op and having relapses in the disc. Saw a different surgeon last week in London, a spinal specialist with over 30 yrs experience in this kind of thing. He ordered more scans after spending a lot of time with me. He ruled out the Wallis Ligament (and fusion in the end).

Well, the surgeon rang earlier, and he told me the good news was that above L3 my spine and joints are extremely healthy . The bad news is that 4/5 in his words are 'completely stuffed and beyond hope'. He said I have zero chance of having an active/mobile and endurance sport focussed life in the future. Worse news to come was that the disc below the one that was operated on has buckled under the extra pressure.

So I need an artificial disc, not one but two Apparently will be a 4.5-5hr op. I still have to have a bone density test but that should be ok and hope to have that done by the end of the week.

I will be getting two of these, check 'em out. They look very good and all, but I'm not sure will happen to me when the Decepticons decide to activate the little b@st@rds

I'm laughing now but seriously cr@pping myself!

http://www.spinesurgerylondon.com/pa...sc-information

Get some funky tools used on me though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=867iiQDQhfI

Looks like the return to Oz might have to wait a bit longer.

carolinephillips

Ouch- my sincere sympathies, and best wishes for the op. Spines are lovely when they work, but awful when they go wrong. It is like a house of cards, as when one bit goes it puts pressure on the bits either side of it. (C6/7 in my case and affecting joints either side.)

So sorry that your Triathlons are over- it hurts to lose a big part of your life. (I lost the acting/musicals part 4 years ago.) You do find things to fill the gap, but it isn't the same as when you can follow your dream and do well at it.
((hugs))

Tr1boy

Thx Sorry, I didn't write that well at all. What I meant to say was that there would be zero chance of endurance sport if I did not have this operation. He's pretty hopeful of a positive sporting outcome after the op.

irishbloo

All the best for a full recovery.

carolinephillips

Ah ha- much better news then. Go for it!

moneypenny20

Wow, that looks so cool - iykwim As in the medical science pov. How long will you be flat on your back or front before you're back on your feet again?

Tr1boy

In the consultation last week we were talking about recovery times etc, then it was only a possibility that I'd need a new disc as I hadn't had the scans. He said he tends to have to start restricting people 'like me' after a month or so (not sure if he meant sporty or stubborn) as we tend to feel that we can do more than we should.

Looks like I could expect to be in the pool late in the first month but I doubt he meant swimming with any speed, and possibly back on the bike after 2 mths. However that was when we were talking about one disc, not sure with two.

I was amazed to find the there is a forum for this kind of thing, and recovery times from the folks on there seem to vary dramatically, but the M6L disc is fairly new (don't think you can get it in the US, something about about case with an existing artificial disc mfr). It looks like in general, the younger and less sedentary types fair a bit better in recovery.

I read one story about a guy that was playing squash after 2mths and another where a guy is struggling after still after 6mths. But far more positive stories than negative ones.

moneypenny20

Everyone's so different, it's nigh on impossible to tell. There are forums for damn near everything. We found a fantastic blog/forum for Tiddler's op, his recovery was way longer than hers and they were pretty identical issues and ops.

Tr1boy

I know you're all losing sleep until I post the next exciting update in the ongoing in Tr1boy's Spinal Tap (this one goes to eleven ).

Had some extremely bad news re my bone density tests that needed to be done prior to my disc replacement surgery. The density in most of body is ok, but in my spine it is too low for ADR surgery and the operation will 100% fail if we go ahead

Surgeon reckons there are 2 or 3 likely causes (ruled out Calcium and Vit D deficiency through tests). Could be thyroid leakage but I've been tested for that and it's ok. Lack of weight bearing activity could be a likely factor, and my surgeon said men with low testosterone can have low bone density. So I guess all those years of shaving my legs have finally caught up with me

All the scans are showing continued disintegration of my disc. But happily there is alternative to ADR. I can have these bad boys thrown in there.

http://www.globusmedical.com/transit...w-system-works

http://www.globusmedical.com/transit...dure-performed

It's 100% reversible, so if in the future I still have problems, and my bone density is high enough then it can be removed and the ADRs can be put in. It will take approx 2yrs for my bone density to be high enough (if ever).

It all looked pretty high tech until I saw the bloody great coach bolts they screw in there, uughh, I predict 'pain'

4hr op, happening mid to late Aug. Bring it on!