- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,306
Hello fellow PM'ers who may have dealt with a similar situation. I figured I would field this question here since we share a common passion that we know we can't live without and I've recently been recommended lumbar fusion surgery (L5-S1) by the first neurosurgeon I consulted with for my sciatica.
I got sciatica for the first time in my life November of last year and it has been getting progressively worse. I'm basically in pain all day long unless I'm lying down. Walking and working out have both become incredibly hard and painful. The sciatica affects my left leg only. It feels like I have knives stabbing me all the way from my back down my glute, hamstring, calf, all the way down to my heel. Tried PT for about two months on top of my usual workout routines and core exercises. I got epidural done as well as cortisone shots outside of the area to no avail. I do not deadlift or squat due to the problem and the few times I've tried with light weights, the situation has gotten worse. Got my MRI done and I have a degenerated disk at L5 S1. The doctor said that the degeneration is moderate and would be non symptomatic for most people. However he said, I have some of the largest nerves he has seen and it's being crushed by my vertebrae (L5 S1). He said there is nothing he can do in terms of a non invasive or non-hardware procedure. I'm down to about 260lbs and tend to stay around a comfortable 13-15% BF and according to the MRI my other disks are in excellent order with no sign of any degeneration.
I've set up a second opinion with a much more renowned surgeon here at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago and will find out what he will say.
I wanted to see if any of you have faced a similar situation and have gotten a fusion or TDR (total disk replacement)? What was your fusion like? How was the recovery? Did the surgery affect your overall performance after your recovery etc...? I've read and watched videos online of the average joes out there but as we know, we're a bit different. We demand a higher level of performance from our bodies. I would appreciate your experiences and advice. Thanks in advance!
I got sciatica for the first time in my life November of last year and it has been getting progressively worse. I'm basically in pain all day long unless I'm lying down. Walking and working out have both become incredibly hard and painful. The sciatica affects my left leg only. It feels like I have knives stabbing me all the way from my back down my glute, hamstring, calf, all the way down to my heel. Tried PT for about two months on top of my usual workout routines and core exercises. I got epidural done as well as cortisone shots outside of the area to no avail. I do not deadlift or squat due to the problem and the few times I've tried with light weights, the situation has gotten worse. Got my MRI done and I have a degenerated disk at L5 S1. The doctor said that the degeneration is moderate and would be non symptomatic for most people. However he said, I have some of the largest nerves he has seen and it's being crushed by my vertebrae (L5 S1). He said there is nothing he can do in terms of a non invasive or non-hardware procedure. I'm down to about 260lbs and tend to stay around a comfortable 13-15% BF and according to the MRI my other disks are in excellent order with no sign of any degeneration.
I've set up a second opinion with a much more renowned surgeon here at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago and will find out what he will say.
I wanted to see if any of you have faced a similar situation and have gotten a fusion or TDR (total disk replacement)? What was your fusion like? How was the recovery? Did the surgery affect your overall performance after your recovery etc...? I've read and watched videos online of the average joes out there but as we know, we're a bit different. We demand a higher level of performance from our bodies. I would appreciate your experiences and advice. Thanks in advance!