Degenerative Disc Disease and Facet Joint Arthritis

Post by **WLLady** » Wed May 25, 2016 10:01 am

LOL i love your thinking ross! i want to be at the wyoming sale this weekend. Then it's a total possibility/probability.
so far so good for today!

Post by **WLLady** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:41 am

well, good appointment today....a bit scary, voluntarily saying "yes please, drill holes in my head and legs and stretch me on a rack and then screw all those pesky vertebrae back into a straight line". which is basically what i just did. LOL
so. degenerative disc disease, severe facet arthritis and rotary scoliosis and regular scoliosis with a 68 degree major curve angle and a 58 degree compensatory curve all between L1 and L5. L5 is fractured, in 2 places. they'll remove the pieces of bone that are just floating around in there. L4 will get the whole back part taken off to free up the pinched nerves. cages at L4-5 and L5-S1 and probably L2-3 as well. bone grafts-but he thinks he'll be removing enough bone from my spine that he won't need to go into my hip. 2 rods. screws in T11, T12, L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, S1 and S2. 16 inch or so incision, thinking a cover up tattoo may be in order after that. they did bending xrays too, manhandled my spine around (where are my painkillers again?) and they can actually straighten it out so prognosis is very good for a full curve reduction. so i should get my 1.5 inches in height back! wouldn't that be a novelty! 6 weeks minimum (up to 3 months) off work, more if needed, 6 months of reduced activities and lots of physio, then hopefully by a year or 18 months i'll be back to doing just about everything-including lifting 50 pound feed bags (maybe even stronger than before because my back shouldn't hurt!). horseback riding may not be on that list....certainly mastering the sitting trot will never be attainable....LOL. that's okay, molly is too bouncy anyways. yikes. they won't need to go in from the front, just from the back, so that's good. and sounds like i might even get copies of the xrays afterwards LOL
he's looking at 6 months from now or so, given that the curve didn't progress in 4 weeks (good thing) and it's flexible. until then he's going to try to get me into some facet injections for the pain...
3 surgeons, plus all the staff, blood reclaiming devices, possible revision surgery if there are complications, hopefully there won't be.....keep doing my core strengthening now and no impact stuff....so. it's in the system. so, might be a weird christmas present this year, but just want it over with. he says that things should be okay afterwards, hopefully a full recovery, and a long time of moving around again afterwards. if i don't do anything now i will probably not be ambulatory in 5-10 years. so. given that option, i'll do the surgery....

OMG.....seems totally overwhelming right now.....but at least there's a bit of a time frame, and i can plan, and get on with things....that just makes things feel a little less up in the air. phew

ross · Post by **ross** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:42 pm

Talk to Al , Kathy maybe he can find yu a nice "snakes & ladders " tatoooo .
Luck , onward & upward .

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 12:51 pm

Best of luck with everything Kathy!

HappyHomesteader · Post by **HappyHomesteader** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:23 pm

Sending love your way ♡. It's a hard decision to make sometimes (lesser of 2 evils situation). If you need anything let us know, we're here for you.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 1:40 pm

This is great news!! You're going to be you again!!! What more can one ask? Well, we could ask for you to not be in this position period, but you are, so this is the best possible outcome I gather from talking with you and reading what you have written (and seeing your struggles to get around

)

Let's get'er done!!

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:37 pm

It does sound scary, but if all goes to plan, you will be as good as new, before you know it.
The scar disappears (almost) quite fast, and only now 30 years later, I see it puckering a bit with old age.
My injuries weren't anything as extensive as yours, but generally speaking the portion of what I call my "re-enforced " spine is functioning much better then some of my other "bendy" parts.
Stock up on some good reading, you will be bored silly, but we will be here to keep you occupied and distracted, whenever you need us.
ps, seastar's post reminded me, part of my hip bone was used for the fusion, and that incision was more annoying then the one on my back.

Seastar · Post by **Seastar** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:41 pm

My surgeon never mentioned any hip doner bone. I had enough of my own for the grafts, but if there wasn't enough,they have cadavers to harvest. The physio team had me up and walking the next day.
Best of luck with all that work to be done.
John

redninja · Post by **redninja** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 2:54 pm

Glad to hear you have a date set. One less thing to worry about. Also sounds good that there wasn't significant change in the last 4 weeks.
If I lived closer, I'd offer you help with daily chores. Any way we can help, let us know.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed Jun 15, 2016 10:24 pm

Good luck with everything WLLady and hopes for a speedy and complete recovery!