Hybrid L4/L5, ALIF L5/L6 too young? what activities can I go back too in say a yr? :)

[larae]

Hi everyone-
This is probably a very repetitious question. This is such a good sight...very informative! thanks.
ok, my surgeon (who I went to school with) wants to do a hybrid. I am scared (Kbear knows...thanks for your answers).
I am not scared of the ADR, but of the fusion. And, I am diagnosed with Lyme and significant bilateral hip dyslasia...am 37...but dealing w/ this for many years.
Ok, a few surgeons have tried to say "you are too young"...I totally do not agree w/ that. Some say...wait until you get the Lyme treatment finished (which causes pain) and then think about it. One said, "if you are apprehensive, o with your gut"...WHO isnt???
I don't think I can bear anymore disabled pain from this...it's like waking up to a swollen ankle every morning and then burning. all the tests point to surgery and annular tears, black disc.
But, as a physical therapist...I have seen the good,bad and ugly. I just don't want to know that after I have this surgery, I may no longer get to ski or hike or bike... although I have pain, @ least I know I cannot do much more damage.
Any great encouragement...like "go for it!" My surgeon swears how great I will feel afterwards...especially w/ the start of arthritis in L5/L6 (yes, have an extra vertebrae).
Thank you all-
blessings,
barb

[Hooch]

37 is too young? Do they want to wait until you are in the nursing home?

If you're otherwise healthy people who pull up well are mostly restriction free. Basically avoid high impact, hyperextension.

Here's someone who did very well.
ADRSupport Community

I dunno much about your other health problems, but I've heard Lyme is a bastard, but you recover eventually? The surgery will do an absolute number on your body, so you're really going to have to take that into account.

You've seen the good, the bad and the ugly, so you know it's not a game. I went until I was pretty broken and then a bit further, but I wasn't living the life of a chronic pain patient. I kept pushing until I did a number on my head, but if it was/is a bad outcome, I had to be able to look myself in the mirror and say I was at that point where it was disability or surgery.

This is a nice happy study for the the op you're considering.
SpringerLink - European Spine Journal, Volume 19, Number 2

Btw sounds like you're under the pump, keep your chin up! you'll see the back of this.

Chris.

[larae]

Thank you- I will read the threads tonight!
Yes, Lyme is a *@#!*...to say the least. It has plagued me in my brain, my heart, connective tissue, to the point of feeling like I am/was truly dead. Yes, with the right care, you can come into remission. But treatment is so expenssive and exptrememly multifaceted. right now, I am on high doses of antibiotics. (ok back to the back)
I was a collegiate v-ball player...so no v-ball after this?? not ever?
hmmmm.
So, you did or didn't get to the point of being disabled by this? The surgeon is very experienced and is going to do the anterior approach...in which I keep reading through some of your posts that this is not a good approach???
B 4 they diagnosed me w/ lyme, I was ICU bound just for a simple day surgery. But, my body is stronger now.
Are you 100% pain free? Did you ever use the pool for rehab? Yes, I too believe that getting the back fixed is pivotol for everything going on. At least I think it is ....
thanks Hooch,
Barb

[Hooch]

Barb I'm only 4 weeks out so it's early days for me yet, yeah I'm doing some hydro and core work. Anterior approach is standard.

Volleyball? Yeah if you pull up well why not. But I'm not a surgeon. I'd like to play full contact footy again but that's not gonna happen. Probably the least of my concerns.

[ajj1001]

Hi, I had my two level adr when i was 36. I couldn't walk and then started to loose bladder and bowel control so it was pretty essential. I have skied since, though i did need some lessons to examine my technique and make sure I was using my core appropriately.

Getting something done now that is going to last you 40 years + is the most important thing (if you look at my signature you'll see mine didn't last )

[larae]

yes, yours was quite essential to say the least! that was a black and white decision. Yeahhh! you skied again.
now, didn't you then proceed to have the fusion?

I think I got freaked out because of a conversation w/ someone who said she wished she never had surgery (a microdisectomy though). it's an emotional roller coaster. One minute you are completely confident & excited, the next, someone jabs you. p.s. I had one surgeon tell me about the surgeon I am going to.."all he likes to do is hybrids, he'll tell everyone they need one". uhm, not true. And, I am glad most of his work is a hybrid. practice makes perfect. He is relatively young though. But trained w/ the best.
youth has nothing to do w/ this in my opinion.
I had a nucleoplasty done this past summer & the forgot I was layed up for about the same amount of time as expected for this procedure. the hardest part in that experience...the pain during the surgery!!! and the , excuse my frankness, bowel issue (impacted), post. Very poor communication w/ the surgeon & staff.
hooch...yes, playing football is probably the least of your concerns. how are you doing, just 4 weeks out? on your own yet? prayers for an excellent recovery.

[Hooch]

I'm on track. I reckon I'll start driving soon, might swap my ute for an auto tho. I don't know what your surgeon told you but it's a long recovery with a fusion, 6 months to see the bulk of improvement for most people.

Remember it's not a surgery you have to jump into if you're not ready, for the vast majority of people the condition remains static. Good luck!

[KBear]

Barb- Here is a good thread about healing times, what surgery (surgeries) people had, if they regret them or not, etc.
How long did it take you to heal from surgery?

[larae]

Thanks Kbear . I did read some, not all. Very good idea.
I wish there was a live chat session... wow, that would be great.
I wonder...As a physical therapist, I noticed that the people who waited the longest for knee replacements, hips replacements etc., actually progressed worse. There was so much DJD, muscle atrophy, and ligament/tendon softening that their recovery was really hard and range of motion was not as successful. I wonder if it's the same for the back?
As I have no radicular pain, just local. I think I'm just gonna go for it. The aspect w/ Lyme is that you have pain in all your joints. (and my body is feable). however, the back feels like rebar, broken, swollen, stiff. But, so do a lot of my other joints...NOT EVEN remotely to this degree. I take 2-5 vicodin a day and 3 neurontin.
I'm ready. But I fear i do not have that 100% confident feeling ppl are saying you need to be in "otherwise it won't work"... hmmm. Again, thank goodness for the diskograms. I can't believe on physiatrist said that he doesn't believe in them.
I did hear that the ADR promotes muscle spasms post op. Because of the Lyme, they are worried, my tissue won't heal as well. (the bacteria likes to feed on ligaments, tendons, etc.).
Barb

[KBear]

I wonder...As a physical therapist, I noticed that the people who waited the longest for knee replacements, hips replacements etc., actually progressed worse. There was so much DJD, muscle atrophy, and ligament/tendon softening that their recovery was really hard and range of motion was not as successful. I wonder if it's the same for the back?

I'm obviously not a doctor, but in my opinion yes. I think that's why I took longer to heal, versus some of the people who report they are pain free in 3-6 months. There is a fine line between jumping the gun and having a possibly unnecessary surgery or waiting too long and causing more damage.

I'm ready. But I fear i do not have that 100% confident feeling ppl are saying you need to be in "otherwise it won't work"... hmmm. Again, thank goodness for the diskograms. I can't believe on physiatrist said that he doesn't believe in them.

We all waver and wonder if we are really doing the right thing, but I think for me I knew that I couldn't live like that anymore and surgery was my best shot at getting better. I still had second thoughts before surgery and questioned if I had really tried everything conservative (which I had, and many of them more than once), if I really needed surgery. This is very normal, as no one wants to have back surgery. Unfortunately no one can decide for you what is best, but I will say you will know when you've had enough and it's time.

I think that the healing can also be based on attitude, if you think that your surgery isn't going to work, then it probably isn't going to. You need to research like crazy, and make the best decision you can and decide that regardless of outcome that you did the best you could and that it was the best choice for you- no regrets. Better technology will come out, some wait for newer, but then there will be better than that on the horizon, so do you then wait indefinitely since new is always coming? So you have to decide that you are willing to go with what is available now, not be upset or regretful when something better and newer comes out and have a positive recovery attitude.