Should I have surgery now...or wait?

[naptown78]

I thought I would add my 2 cents to this thread. I am fused to the sacrum. I am one of the small percentage who had a complication after surgery and developed a sagittal imbalance. I will be undergoing a revision 2 weeks from today to correct this. Hopefully will be good as new afterwards (I pray)... Now, as far as fusing to the sacrum goes and the flexibility issue, I have not found that a problem. I can bend, I can pick things up off of the floor, I can put my shoes and socks on, I can cut my toe nails. It is a little difficult to put the bottom sheet on my king size bed but what are husbands for anyway???
Most of my problems are caused by my lack of lordosis. I am 50 so am naturally losing flexibility anyway, I wasn't doing backbends before surgery and don't miss doing them now!

[Tall Paul]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. Over the past few days I've met with a few post-op adult degenerative patients. The first was 8 weeks post-op fused T-12 to L-5 through a minimally invasive procedure. She is currently off pain pills and has lost some mobility, but she hasn't started physical therapy yet. The second I met yesterday and she is 9 years post-op fused T-12 to the sacrum with iliac bolts. While all the hardware was removed 3 years ago, I was blown away by her flexibility. I really couldn't believe it. It really make the decision so much easier. My problem is that I've hear about so many patients going into surgery in terrible pain and being able to control mine through a altered lifestyle makes the decision to move forward more difficult. I think because this disease is degenerative it has slowly limited me more and more each year and I think this has become my comfort zone. My friend tells me I've forgotten what life is like with a healthy back. Thanks again for all the comments.

[Lorraine 1966]

Hi Paul, I honestly would not hesitate. I have been "done" for 44 years now and honestly am very flexible can ever bend a little but at the waist where I am fused, don't ask me how but I can, just a little.

I can assure you as I am now 58 and having a problem with pain, if there was an operation I could have to stop that, I would be over there in a second to have it done. Luckily you have that opportunity so go for it, you have a lot of living to do yet.

Lorraine.

[jrnyc]

Hey Paul
i know what you mean about slow degeneration....i had to early retire 3 years ago...and i loved my work! and it is true...i dont remember what a good back was...probably never had a really good one, though it took a long time to get this bad! i started having back pain at age 30....but even then, i could do anythng and go to the gym as often as i liked...never did any heavy lifting, but i never cared to....

since i saw Dr Lonner Monday, i have been getting serious about having the surgery...am fooling around with when i can work it out, and the logistics...and whether it will be sooner or later within the next 12 months...i guess what flexibility i have left now is not worth being able to do little to nothing because of pain...and i found out when i had to take the bending x rays laying down on the table how not all that flexible i actually am...or am not....

it is a very hard decision for some of us...especially when we (generic "we") believe that what we have is worth hanging on to at all costs...it helped that Dr Lonner is going to do minimal invasive on me...made all the difference, actually...and that he practically lit up when telling the visiting doctor how much of my back he can fix...and how he'll do it......he turned to me smiling and said "you are SUCH a good candidate for this"... i was kinda amazed!

can you go to a surgeon who does minimal invasive, Paul?

best regards whatever you decide...

jess

[Tall Paul]

Jess,

Yes I do have a minimally invasive doctor that I trust. He is one of the pioneers and this new procedure so i know i will be in good hands. But as you pointed out I think we try to hang on to what we have (flexibility) because we've had it for so long. The positive feedback I'm getting from others who've had this surgery keep me going.