Eddie G Prodisc L4-L5 October 2006

[Eddie G]

Im in the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases. I found an unsecured network to do my updates on. Surgery went well. My blood pressure was a little high but thats expected with all the pain. The fusion took 5 hours on Tuesday afternoon, and I was up walking around today. Only a little but it meant alot to me to get out of bed considering my disk replacement had me stuck in bed unable to even roll over for 3 days. Today is the first day I can eat solid foods since my belly finally woke up. EVERYONE seemed obsessed with me being able to pass gas so every time they walk in the room I rip a loud one and give a big thumbs up. I guess that may be why they stopped asking me.
I hate pain pumps I could hit the button every 6 minutes so when I would fall asleep and miss a few doses I would wake up in horrible pain and have to wait 18 minutes to feel SLIGHT relief. Once they put me back on Oxycontin my pain was manageable. It's an 8 until I get up then tummy hurts up to 10.
Surgery went well. Great surgical team.

[Eddie G]

Day 3 and I still have alot of pain, especially when getting up. I force myself to get up & walk as much as possible though. They gave me a pee bottle but I would prefer using the bathroom, hence the walking. Blood pressure went down. I had a private duty nurses aide who just went home. She was very helpful washing me and giving me ice chips during the night. She also helps me out of bed which is a big procedure since I have the air boots on. I need to prepare myself to go home this weekend. I somwhow need to keep the cats off me when I get home too. That willl be challenging!
Cant wait to play with my Playstation3.

[mmglobal]

Eddie... you home yet?

Do you have Guitar Hero?

[Eddie G]

I got home from the hospital. I now have a hospital room in my living room. I rented an electric bed, I borrowed my Grandma's spare hospital food tray, I have my Playstation3, phone, massager, laptop all here next to me. This isnt too bad. I cant wait until this pain subsides. Should take at least 6 weeks. Im watching football all day today. Ive been looking forward to football for a week since they cut me open.

The only time I got nervous was when I was in the operating room. I was fine with the IV going in and all the probes & wires...no prob. Once they stuck that mask over my face OH BOY! I was claustrophobic!!! I smelled the air coming in and then I was out. I woke up shaking uncontrollably for like 2 minutes. I said to myself, relax relax relax.... Im awake Im awake.... and I finally relaxed. My mouth was super dry so Sweety & my Mom were feeding me ice chips for a while. The whole time I was lying there some woman was moaning LOUDLY! "OHHH THE PAIN!!! OOOOHHHH THE PAIN!!! OHHHHHH THE P A I N N N N!!!!! Over & Over & Over & Over & Over! OMG!!! And she WOULD NOT stop for the whole time I was in recovery!!!! She spent so much energy moaning she could never have gotten herself to relax. I wanted to say: "Hey Lady Shut UP!!! There are sick people here!!!"
I felt EXACTLY the way she sounded but I didnt have the energy to distress everyone else around me by moaning at the tippy top of my lungs. I tried to do as much as I could without bugging the nurses too much. Once I got the hang of it, I got in & out of bed by myself. I only really had to call them for my pain meds. I was up at all hours of the night so I needed my breakthroughs at like 1am....5 am...and I had to call a couple of times to get those after waiting 1/2 hour. I walked as much as I could to wake my stomach up.
I paid to have a nurse's aide stay with me from 8pm to 8am Tues, Wed, Thurs. I figured Thanksgiving would have alot of nurses taking off so I wanted a backup plan. Ive been through this all before so I knew what to expect. The first 2 days were unbearable. I just wanted to sleep. I finally turned the corner on Thanksgiving and was able to get out of bed and pee. I really hate cathethers but I hate even more having to take them out! OUCH!!!!! Ripping off my stomach bandages was no picnic either. The doctor came in and just pulled it right off with no warning. I have to remember to shave my entire body if I ever need surgery again. It looks like I went to a waxing salon in a saloon. (a waxing saloon, get it?) The surgeon made my original scar 2 inches longer and I now have 4 new holes in my back. They cut me on both sides this time. Doc Goldstein said there was hardly any scar tissue and what little he did see he scraped off. Dr. Nalbandian entered my stomach through the other side this time so there was not much to re-disturb. It will take some time to see if this operation worked. Being home isnt too bad. Im actually able to climb a flight of stairs but I am limiting that to emergencies like getting my exercise ball from my room or getting the ethernet cable for the Playstation. My appetite is good and everything is working correctly....EVERYTHING
I'm sure glad the worst is over!
So the plan tonight is to watch more football and if I'm awake Im playing GTA4.
No Mark, I dont have Guitar Hero but I like that game too. I like the old school games too like Space Invaders, Front Line, Pac Man, Dig Dug etc... All the stuff I spent my allowance on as a kid
When I got home the new 3 Stooges set was waiting for me and the latest Benny Hill. I have a pile of Randolph Scott westerns and my Sherlock Holmes book. That should keep me entertained for a few hours.
The cats have been good so far but I know they will jump on me during the night during one of their play fights and I will wake up screaming but I cant sleep with the brace on so I have to hope for the best.

C-Yaaaa!!!!

[Gil Denis]

Hi Eddie

Hope all is well. I read your history and i am wondering how long should i wait to have adr. My pain is 1to4 and still do not take anything for pain. DDD L4-L5 with L3 to L4 disc problems. Suggested fusion at L5-S1.

Best recovery

Gil

[johnb]

Eddie,

I've followed your story and love your sense of humor that you keep despite your challenges. No PS3 for me but I've got my XBOX360 and I've already completed GTA4. Some folks find the content objectionable but its good fun for me. My nephew comes down and begs to play and he's 11 and I say no way, no cop killing for you (his dad is a cop and it just creates a bad image in my mind)

There is one part that is sort of like the FBI and if you walk on their turf, the feds and police come after you. Its good fun. PM me if you have any trouble but it sounds like you have been gaming as long as me so you're probably set.

Let's hope this is the surgery that gives the relief you deserve.

John

[Eddie G]

Yeah it's definitely an adult game. I don't play the game to complete missions against the computer, I only play online with other people from around the world. We set up teams and chase each other around. That's the fun part for me, like virtual paintball in a HUGE city. (except it's not paint) Kids should NEVER play this game, especially play the story line.

My pain is still pretty bad. I had pre-op right hip pain, I have post-op left hip pain. My right leg feels weaker. I have sharp pains in my tummy and back incision pain. Luckily I bit my tongue, cut my finger, and slammed my ankle on the corner of the hospital bed, all within one hour, to help with the pain. Yep that was sure lucky.
I also squatted down to look into the Frigidaire™ and when I got up something popped in my back. Felt like an adjustment. It was either the spine settling or the house settling. Wow!

Hope all is well. I read your history and i am wondering how long should i wait to have adr. My pain is 1to4 and still do not take anything for pain. DDD L4-L5 with L3 to L4 disc problems. Suggested fusion at L5-S1.

I wouldn't have surgery until your pain is unbearable. 1-4 is not bad to me, my normal pain is a constant 7 with spikes up to 10.
I'd wait until you can't sit down anymore, can't have sex, or have episodes of laying on the floor unable to move.
If you're sitting & having episodes of sex on the floor, you'll keep. Don't worry, the doctors with the knives and all the BS with the insurance co's will be waiting for you when you're ready. Plus the longer you wait, the more experience these surgeons get with the discs. There are new technologies coming out and maybe you'll fancy some fancy new procedure.

Plenty of on non-invasive stuff you can try first.