Monday, December 19, 2011

No Surgery...Yet

Went over the MRI images with a neurosurgeon Friday. Herniated C5-C6 and C6-C7. Same as the January results, but apparently something decided to give during sleep. Doc doesn't want to operate...yet. Says I'm young enough that there's a good chance the symptoms will recede with traction and rest. I see him again in two weeks and then in a month. If after a month I'm not completely (or near completely) symptom free he'll start talking other treatment options. Says the surgery would defintely be a two-level fusion (ACDF). I'm pretty sure Peyton Manning and Tito Ortiz only had a one-level fusion. I asked about long-term prospects for active living including BJJ (assuming no surgery). He said to follow the common sense rule: If it hurts, don't do it. In other words, so long as I'm symptom free I can continue training. First sign of symptom reemergence I need to rest. Makes sense, but I'm not entirely sure he knows what BJJ is and the pressure it can exert on the neck. I'll discuss more with him in two weeks.
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5 comments:

  1. David J. HirshDecember 20, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    I've got three consecutive herniations from L5S1 up. Add spinal stenosis and my legs go numb when I stand over the counter preparing a meal for more than five minutes at a time. Add periodic burning or "electrical" pain in my quads and severe ache in my IT bands (that's pretty effing painful). And yet the neurosurgeon I consulted twice said I'm not a surgery case. Apparently I have to go impotent, pee myself, and fall down alot before they'll consider surgery. I'm with you Rick. Take it easy/

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  2. RickDecember 20, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    Feel for you about the back trouble, but thanks for the chuckle and mental image of you peeing yourself. Glad your able to train. Take it easy though.

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  3. Deborah ClemDecember 21, 2011 at 1:00 AM

    Oh dear that sounds awful. I know someone has probably suggested this to you, but have you tried a yoga class? I practice Bikram and it works wonders.

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  4. RickDecember 21, 2011 at 12:46 PM

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  5. Deborah ClemDecember 22, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    I go to La Mesa and El Cajon (they are affiliated). I heard the studio on Washington is a little obsessive. Someone told me they crank the heat up over 105 degrees AND lock the door. I cannot speak from firsthand experience, but I am definitely not okay with that kind of high stress environment in a yoga class of all places.

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