Remember Tony - ADR2002?
 

He was very active in the first ADR forums... had 2-level ProDisc as a training case in December 2002. Early success turned to problems when he experienced severe subsidence as a result of too small and poorly located prostheses. (They don't call them training cases for nothing.) The start of HO (autofusion) was apparent on 6 months post-op xrays.

He had a tough few years after his surgery, but I'm happy to report that he's doing well. Not nearly as good as he'd hoped, but he's still working and living a good life without a ton of meds. He doesn't sustain the activity levels that he used to, but he's adjusted to his limitations and is functioning well. It was great to catch up with him today. Join me in wishing Tony all the best...

Mark

Tony,

I'm sorry things didn't turn out as you expected... nor did they for me, but we're both doing the best with can with what we got, which is a far sight better than we were before. I hope that I can say the same thing when I too reach 4 years post-op.

Welcome, Dale

If Tony is the one that I am thinking of from Texas who is/was a rancher, I am glad to hear that he is doing well. His case was one of the first that I had heard of regarding HO / auto-fusion.

I hope he can post on here soon and give us his progress report. Thank-you for updating us Mark.


Poncho

Yeah... Tony is the Texas rancher that was slinging bales of hay, sledge-hammering concrete and laying sewer pipe at a few months post-op. In spite of the subsidence he experienced, his early result was excellent. He's a good guy... it was nice to reconnect with him after more than a year and to hear that he's doing well.

Mark

thanks for update
 

Mark,
thanks for update on Tony. I remember reading about his activities post op and thinking that was incredible superhuman type of activity tho probably what he was used to pre injury!

Tony,
Wishing you the best with increasing improved results over the years.. sometimes I think our bods just adjust and finally give us some relief ~
Take good care ~ Maria

Tony - it takes a lot of guts to get through something like that - congratulations on making the adjustment and all the best.

Rob

Alive and kicking!
 

Mark pretty well summed up my current state. I have pretty much come to terms on my condition following the surgery. My biggest problem now is that the subsidence at L3-4 changed my lumbar curvature from normal to kyphotic. So, in the past 4 years, I've had facet rhysotomies twice at the L3 through S1 levels to relieve pain. I'm avoiding narcotic meds except when no other method works. I have half of a 90 count bottle of 10mg Vicodin that I got about a year ago.

I still do most of the things that I used to do on the ranch albeit somewhat reduced in intensity and duration. It has not stopped me from getting things done--it has made the doing take longer. My favorite thing to get done now is related to three grandchildren who were born in the past 3 years. :D

Grandchildren are our reward for putting up with all this stuff.

All the best to you, Dale