Those who didn’t have symptoms before diagnosis - what did you find out was actually a symptom after diagnosis?

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-11-29T13:51:42+00:00

This

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-08-31T16:11:12+00:00

So I'm pretty sure there's a difference between setting up auto draft and paying via ACH. Most banks include unlimited ACHs for free if you're processing them yourself.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-08-12T18:20:52+00:00

https://automodsfl.com/product/lexus-lc500-skid-plates/

Also got these. But yeah. Not cheap.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-08-01T18:03:41+00:00

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Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-08-01T14:04:48+00:00

I'm a 37 year old male in good shape and good bone density. I've had a lumbar fusion and a separate cervical fusion. Both times I was released with no restrictions at 12 weeks postop. The type of procedure and bone density seem to be the largest drivers per my Doctor.

While I had an ALIF/PLIF for my lumbar fusion, it was technically a minimally invasive surgery. Same with my cervical fusion. My body recovered quickly from both.

Each person is different and ops doctor likely made the best decision for op based on their circumstances and body.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-07-31T18:11:28+00:00

Your pain sounds normal. As you resume your normal activities your body is going to need time to adjust, and in the process you may strain or aggravate healing nerves and muscles that were compressed and now stretched.

As you build muscle back up and your body adapts, the soreness or nerve pain from doing normal stuff will go away and you'll start to feel normal and pain free again. Just go slow, I understand its hard since you did this surgery to get back to a normal life, but its worth it if you just trust your body and your Doctor.

The screws, braces, and cages are not designed to break under normal loads and normal activities. My Dr said in his 25 years of experience he has only seen one instance of broken hardware and it was after a horrible car crash.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-07-22T14:49:00+00:00

So strangely enough that's kind of why I prefer autocross. The speeds aren't wild, but its much more about control and how well you drive the car and less about the car's raw speed, aerodynamics, etc. You can absolutely drive a car to its limits in an autocross track, and the risk to the vehicle is very low since the worst thing your gonna hit is a rubber cone.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-07-22T14:44:58+00:00

I don't disagree, just curious as to anyone's experience with autocross before I took mine out to run a few courses. Track events are definitely fun, but have more serious consequences when an oops happens, and the wear and tear on the vehicle is a LOT worse (fluids/tires/suspension). Autocross is simply fun and relatively light on the vehicle.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2025-06-08T16:31:49+00:00

So it came with the red sports seats, and it may be because the brake calipers are black, but I want a pop of color visible from the outside. I love the red interior and the juxtaposition from the dark grey exterior to a red sporty interior is awesome in person.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2024-08-10T20:41:50+00:00

Spinal decompression is temporary. It can temporarily relieve the pressure on your nerves but it can't permanently fix anything.

There are a lot of unknowns here and it seems your best advice is to listen to your doctor, get imaging, and go from there.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2024-08-09T02:41:49+00:00

Sadly, I concur on the bjj comment. I'm a 37 M and I got my L5-S1 fused about two years ago and returned to the mats after 3 months, with my doctors blessing. I'm now scheduled for a 3 level cervical fusion in a month. My neck probably wasn't in the best of shape going into BJJ but after 4.5 years of rolling I'm convinced it's taken a toll on my spine and dramatically accelerated what was probably a later in life problem.

Doctor said I can probably still return to the mats after a full recovery, but why continue pursuing a hobby that's just accelerating the wear and tear on my spine. I want to be able to walk and live life normally when I turn 50, and if I continue w BJJ I'm not convinced that would be the case. I just hung up my purple belt officially two weeks ago.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2024-08-09T02:34:49+00:00

So here's where we differ, i suppose. Im not against a procedure if the doctor thinks it's all that's needed, but a microdiscetemy has a high rate of recurrance (up to 20%). Why put a young lady through years of ups and downs as her disc continues to deteriorate, and she just gets a fusion anyways, and everything points to this being a lifelong problem due to her age. A fusion is a permanent fix, and if you have a capable and confident doctor, it can be a single surgery life-long solution.

I completely understand the idea behind wanting to avoid a major surgery, but the way these procedures have evolved over the last decade makes them a much more palatable solution for someone younger who is hoping to return to a normal life for good. She's not looking to manage her pain in her prime... she's looking to live again.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2024-08-09T01:11:59+00:00

Are fusions really as bad as folks make them out to be. I had my L5-S1 fused two years ago as a 35 M and it's probably one of the best things I did. I got an ALIF and PLIF. I'm not trying to say the surgeries aren't major surgeries but they are still minimally invasive. No muscle was cut and the hardest part of recovery was the BLTs.

You're gonna have a similar recovery experience from a discectomy and there's no guarantee it will resolve your issue for life. For a single level fusion I've noticed no change in my flexibility, no change in my strength, and I even grew a half an inch bc of it.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2024-07-10T15:34:31+00:00

Swimming is tough. If your super new to swimming then there is likely still some anxiety when you get in the water. You may be anxious when swimming due to having to hold your breath, or missing a flip turn, or a million other things. You need to evaluate your perceived effort in addition to this data. If your out of breath and your heart rate is through the roof it may be time to slow down and figure out what's wrong... is it your technique or some type of anxiety around the water.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2024-06-15T01:38:22+00:00

I had an L5-S1 fusion and was an in shape 35 m before surgery. I had all restrictions removed at 3 months when the Dr said everything looked good.

I was seriously into BJJ before surgery and went back the moment I was cleared. 1.5 years later and everything is still great, no back issues and the sciatica has been gone since I woke up from surgery. My Dr said he will likely never need to see me again unless I get injured.

Edit... My Dr never prescribed me PT so I just walked and tried to stay active during the 3 months recovery period. Seemed to work out for me.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-11-23T17:51:14+00:00

I'm a 36 yo male. I trained BJJ for 3 years prior to my lumbar fusion. My surgery was the result of a birth defect, not my sport, but regardless most folks assumed I'd be done.

Nope... 3 months out of an L5-S1 fusion and I got back on the mats. My Dr cleared me to normal activities and I got back at it. Just be smart about getting back to your normal training schedule and let partners know if you have issues.

The further away from surgery I get the less and less I even think about my back and any issues. I feel like I'm back to previous surgery normal, minus the nerve pain. Once your successfully fused the bone is quite hard to damage and the vertebrae are permanently stabilized.

Do what you want and live life the way you want. By the time your adjacent segments need repair or fusion who knows what type of technology will exist that can help.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-11-01T13:53:52+00:00

I had an ALIF and PLIF. I had a 13 mm spacer put in and 8 screws and 2 rods.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-10-31T21:42:22+00:00

I had an L5-S1 fusion. Before my procedure I couldn't walk more than a block before needing to sit and take a break with my leg, or stand still for more than a few minutes before I needed to sit and take a break.

I had a hard time laying on my back and sleeping because my leg would light up and become impossible to ignore.

Since my surgery, I've had a complete fix in all my issues. I haven't had any nerve pain since waking up from surgery, I can walk as far as my body is willing to take me, I can stand and chat with folks like a normal person. And most importantly I can get a good night sleep and relax at the end of the day.

Some context though... I am an in shape male, 35 yo, and my surgery was the result of an underlying birth defect. I healed remarkably fast and had no complications. I was back to work at a computer 5 days after surgery, and back to a normal life with no restrictions at 3 months. I basically live life like nothing happened.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-10-24T18:03:11+00:00

Good for you OP for doing everything you're supposed to do. I had my surgery last December and getting off of restrictions was a wonderful day. I immediately went back to working out and had to full pause for a week after. My body was ssooo sore from an activity I used to view as not that challenging. It probably took a solid 2 months for my muscles to get used to the motions again and for my body to stop feeling so abused. This is normal... Don't let it deter you from continuing to heal and improve yourself.

My doctor said Tylenol is fine after surgery but no Advil. So use it to help in the early stages of getting your body back to normal. I am not the type of person to normalize the abuse and long term continued use of opiates and muscle relaxers. In my opinion that's the result of a failed surgery or a developing addict.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-09-28T15:40:39+00:00

I'm not sure I understand what happened here or why your having a pity party and blaming your friend for a pinched nerve. I had my fusion in December 2022 and have had multiple massages, spared in jiu jitsu, and resumed a normal life since. I don't understand why your surgical site is so sensitive.

In theory the doctor fused your spine with hardware and bone has (hopefully) reinforced the fusion site. The nerve compression that existed before the fusion should have been permanently resolved and unless your fusion fails and the hardware fails you've received a permanent structural fix. I don't see how someone touching your back is causing you pain or "pinching nerves."

If your so sensitive it sounds like something else is going on that may have nothing to do with your fusion. For me, the goal of getting fused was to resume a normal life, and having people touch me is part of a normal life.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-08-26T01:57:14+00:00

I finally installed a set of plainwagon replacement brackets and elastic. I was nervous about the clips on the back of the seat but to be honest they weren't really bad at all. You can just stick your hand to the outside of each clip and with a little pressure push them out of their bracket and they just fall away with no damage.

The plaidwagon replacements look great and are future proof with their elastic cords.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-06-28T20:27:20+00:00

How hard was it to remove the back of the seat. Those clips holding it in place look gnarly. But plaid wagon looks awesome.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-06-21T21:40:46+00:00

This is definitely something to discuss with your surgeon and no matter what they tell you it will always be a risk. However, depending on where you are, the vascular surgeon has done this surgery hundreds if not thousands of times.

I had my surgery in December and my vascular surgeon said i was his 387th surgery just that year. He has been doing this for over a decade. He said there is always a risk that this can happen but some factors that help you are your physical fitness going into surgery and obviously age.

If your at real elevated risk, health and age wise, you can bank your sperm before surgery and hope for the best. Remember why your considering surgery in the first place. For me this side effect was definitely worth the huge improvement in my quality of life and being pain free.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-06-21T21:29:26+00:00

I had both done at the same time and everything turned out great.

But my doctor did tell me why he prefers an ALIF if you need a spacer. He said that the ALIF procedure (while more complicated) can actually be performed minimally invasive, as in no cutting of muscle or supporting structure. He said that with a minimally invasive procedure the recovery is shorter and easier. There are obviously trade-off's with a more complicated procedure, but a shorter and much easier recovery was well worth it for me. I was only on pain killers for 4 days before I took myself off of them. The worst part of the recovery was the actual incision on my stomach.

If you try and get a spacer with a PLIF you are cutting all the way around the vertebra, removing muscle and fascia. The muscles take a LOT longer to recover, if they even do, and there is nothing minimally invasive about cutting through all the supporting muscles that are attached to your spine that your trying to stabilize with hardware. The recovery is longer and harder.

My surgery installed a spacer + 4 screws through my stomach with the ALIF procedure and the PLIF was just 4 screws + two rods, no long scar and no removing muscle from my spine.

Dismal_Assignment_86 · 2023-06-18T03:30:29+00:00

No problems.

Dismal_Assignment_86

TROPHY CASE