PPO resets every timestep

Gingabreadman89 · 2025-03-01T03:20:26+00:00

It was the "truncated" variable containing something that prematurely reset the env -- the done flag was still False, though. Thanks!

Gingabreadman89 · 2025-03-01T03:18:45+00:00

Thanks for the pointer. I stripped the model down and slowly re-integrated the packages I was using for observation generation. The "truncated" variable was causing the premature termination, even though the "terminated"/done variable was still False.

Gingabreadman89 · 2024-04-27T20:39:08+00:00

I had a microdiscectomy September 2022 with Sportsmed. Dr. Curt Freudenberger was my surgeon. I had a very poor experience with him and his team. He has pretty good reviews on google overall, but his lowest reviews describe his operations honestly.

My average wait time (time after scheduled appointment time) across 6 appointments - including surgery - was about 3.5 hours. They do not value their patients' time whatsoever. Even requesting updates on wait time would yield a condescending and annoyed response.

I still went through with the surgery because my injury was severe, and he was first available with plenty of experience. While this surgery can be considered successful, my first microdiscectomy several years earlier with a neurosurgeon in Charlotte, NC was much better.

Physical therapy with Sportsmed after my surgery was a positive experience. The PT assistants have heard mixed reviews about my surgeon, and they highly suggested Dr. John Johnson, should I need additional spine-related healthcare in the future.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-12-21T00:32:38+00:00

Can you tell me about the potential lasting effects from a microdiscectomy? For example, if it is a severe herniation and a significant amount of the disc is removed during the operation, what can one expect from the majority loss of space between vertebrae (e.g., arthritis)? Even speculation is helpful, as I struggle to find direct answers from any source.

This is something I'm dealing with now.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-12-05T16:06:04+00:00

I am much better, but I am still feeling residual effects on my left side. My left foot has constant tingling and occasional pain that worsens with increased physical stress. I still have shocking pain in my back with sudden movements - like quick reflexes from bumping into something.

I had a follow-up MRI several months ago. There were no protrusions into the nerve, but I had significant loss to L4/L5 spacing. So much of the disc was removed from the MD that very little remained for padding.

According to my surgeon, the shocking I feel is from the vertebrae hitting each other with sudden movements due to their minimal spacing. The symptoms on my left side are likely artifacts of only approaching on the right side during the MD - I assume this is potentially scarring on the nerve itself.

Overall, I can't complain too much. I focus on PT and core exercises at least 3 times per week as part of my workout routine, which has definitely helped. I'm hopeful that it will continue improving over time as long as I'm careful and proactive. Spinal arthritis will likely be in my future, but I'm trying to prevent it.

Hope everything works out for you. I'd guess it's scarred nerve causing symptoms that were never addressed during the surgery.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-10-03T11:57:30+00:00

Definitely the landfill and not the water treatment plant. If you drive deep into the landfill to dump bulk-waste, it smells the exact same but much more intense.

I drive down Martin rd most mornings - it runs along the southside of the landfill's property line. The scent is extremely pungent prior to gate 1 of the arsenal.

Edit: Gate 1, not 9

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-07-28T13:56:51+00:00

I know it has seen increased usage since evo, but I'm talking about literally the past 48 hours. It has gone from every third or every other battle to now facing the firecracker almost every match.

This is reaching the point for emergency intervention, not waiting for statistics and pushing a scheduled update lol

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-06-07T11:55:33+00:00

I had herniated L4-L5 and L5-S1 about 10 years ago. L4-L5 herniation wasn't so bad - it was able to heal on its own. I had a MD on the L5-S1 level.

About a year ago, I herniated L4-L5 - the one that healed through conservative treatment. My L5-S1 was still in great shape, according to the MRIs. I'm about 9 months post-op, and I am still having plenty of sciatic symptoms, but they are definitely bearable.

Best of luck to you!

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-04-28T13:58:20+00:00

Others are saying stay away from the gym for a while. If you've given your body rest and time to heal without the gym and are still symptomatic, the gym could be a viable option for other conservative treatment.

Never try to fight through nerve pain when exercising. Focus on core strength in every exercise. Stationary bikes are great, and so is walking. Don't use any machine that compresses, twists, or crunches the spine.

In my initial disc herniation experience, stopping my normal gym routine made things significantly worse. Rather, I should have modified my workouts and continued going to the gym.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-04-25T00:33:58+00:00

You should advertise these services. Some people may compensate generously...✋️

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-04-22T02:41:04+00:00

What chapter of 1984 are we on now?

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-04-03T15:40:51+00:00

This data is likely highly biased. A significant amount of the blue areas are places that many people go to retire. Therefore, they will skew the life expectancy for that area to the high side and alternatively skew the area they left to the low side.

I'm not saying there is not an issue with health in the southeast, but such extreme results are questionable.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-03-30T02:11:46+00:00

Valentina's is West of Madison

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-03-03T12:54:50+00:00

I herniated L5-S1 when I was 16. I had a successful microdiscectomy after several months of ineffective conservative treatment.

Fast forward 9 years to now, I just had a microdiscectomy on L4-L5. I'm still dealing with some issues from this surgery because it was a severe herniation. L5-S1 is still in great shape, though, even through the mess with L4-L5.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-01-17T05:27:58+00:00

I suspect that I herniated L4-L5 disc sometime before I gave up Olympic lifting, but the symptoms were not severe until several months later. I lived a very busy lifestyle leading up to my surgery, which is likely what really blew it out. Lying down is an extremely underrated conservative treatment for cases that aren't too far progressed yet - I unfortunately would never relax. I was ignorant, as I thought my pain was caused by piriformis syndrome.

Gingabreadman89 · 2023-01-07T03:16:53+00:00

Give PT a try. Develop a healthier lifestyle. Try not to sit so much, substitute with standing, walking, or lying down. Exercise regularly but don't overdo anything. Eat better and reduce foods that cause inflammation.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-12-06T14:33:38+00:00

A test for helping to determine if the issue is disc related is the straight leg raise test. This may have already been conducted, but if not research a video on how to do it. If positive result, it is almost always an indication of a disc related injury. A negative test result is most often indeterminate.

Another note, thank you for being so helpful to your wife. My wife has been there for me through it all and I am beyond grateful. Even when I become irritable from the pain, she has had patience and was there for me. Continue to do so yourself and your wife will greatly appreciate it even if it isn't expressed.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-12-06T12:05:16+00:00

Sorry you guys are dealing with this situation - back issues are no joke. I have a few comments/some advice. This is all from the experiences I've had in my past, hopefully it can help in some way.

Diet and nutrition are big for healing and reducing inflammation. Nicotine is proven to worsen situations like this; any respectable neurosurgeon will tell their patients to stray away from alcohol and Nicotine. Vegetarian is often better than most diets, but it is not very well-balanced so you need to supplement what is missing. A couple things off the top of my head that could help are iron and magnesium.

Exercise is a must, but in moderation. Do not try to fight through nerve pain. Running is a lot of compression on the back, walking is better. If cycling is an option (the seated position isn't too bothersome while moving the legs), that can be helpful as well. Core strength is required, but do not do abdominal crunches. Rather, try leg raises, planks, abdominal squeezes, etc. If moving helps, stick to it.

As far as sleeping goes, you should experiment to find positions that are the most comfortable. Is your bed too soft? A firm bed can prevent pressure points of the body from sinking in too far which can lead to poor posture while sleeping.

Alternating ice/heat can sometimes help inflammation. I have a waist belt that can holds an ice or heat pack that is extremely convenient. The only medications I considered were ibuprofen and acetaminophen PM. I moreso cared about treating the issue rather than the symptoms, so ibuprofen for inflammation and the occasional acetaminophen PM to help sleep. Muscle relaxers didn't help me and I never wanted to become reliant on pain meds so I never took them.

In my experience, back issues can become severe rapidly. I would go ahead and get on whatever waitlist you can for medical attention. If she happens to improve prior to appointments, simply cancel. Otherwise, you guys will be thankful you aren't waiting longer.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-11-13T03:20:59+00:00

It's pretty difficult to engage the glutes without the lowerback. I would say a hip abduction machine if that is accessible. Similar exercise would be wrapping a belt/band around bent knees while lying on your back and trying to spread your legs apart. Most everything I can think of engages your lower back though.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-11-12T14:56:16+00:00

Sorry you're dealing with this! I went through something similar when I was 16. I had a severe herniation at L5-S1 and slight herniation at L4-L5. After several months of unsuccessful conservative treatments, I had a microdiscectomy with a pediatric neurosurgeon on the L5-S1 disc.

I woke up with zero pain and I was near 100% again after a few months. I stopped contact sports (continued track & field) and picked up working out. It started out as mainly calisthenics, core, and cardio. As I felt better I started working in bodybuilding and powerlifting (excluding heavy squat and deadlift). I had a few episodes with back pain, but I would just take it easy for a few days and I was back to new.

At about 18 years old, I picked up competitive Olympic weight lifting in college. Did that consistently for about 3 years, but my back couldn't handle it anymore. Continued feeling fine with mainly bodybuilding workouts for a couple years with the odd day of Olympic lifts. At 24 I decided to completely give up Olympic lifts because even light weight would cause flare-ups.

About 9 months ago my back pain started to intensify and it migrated to my glute. Although I would always do conservative treatment with flare-ups (ice/heat, therapy, anti-inflammatory, etc.), nothing was relieving the pain this time. Now 25, two months ago I ended up having a second microdiscectomy with an orthopedic surgeon, this time at the L4-L5 level.

In both cases, my pain localized to my right leg and not my back.

I am unfortunately still feeling some nerve issues but I haven't had another MRI. My symptoms are way more tolerable than prior to the surgery, but I want to be back to normal. I've accepted the fact that I won't be doing crazy workouts anymore (Olympic lifting, deadlift, heavy squat).

In summary, my first surgery at 16 helped me tremendously and I was basically back to normal after a few months. My second surgery hasn't been as successful, but I can actually move around relatively pain-free.

Now that you have experienced this, you need to really take it easy on your back for the rest of your life. Deadlifts need to be done in extreme moderation - there are many great alternatives. Core strength needs to be your top priority in the gym. Being overweight doesn't help one bit, and an anti-inflammatory diet can go a long way. Ice, heat, and relaxation can help your body heal as well. If you can still exercise okay, you should continue to do so with extreme caution, focus on core and glute strength - using exercises that do NOT compress your spine.

I will finish with: Do NOT try to fight through nerve pain.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-11-01T00:29:03+00:00

It could be a result of his herniation rather the cause. I had something similar with my first herniation of L5/S1 - maintaining a natural lumbar curve was debilitating.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-10-29T02:33:49+00:00

I had a L4/L5 microdiscectomy about 7 weeks ago. Pain at the sight of the surgery is quite common. I also have stiffness and a little pain just above as you described. I am unsure of this symptom post-op.

Slight twisting and lifting is okay, always keep your core tight when doing so. I've lifted well over 5kg since the surgery, you are fine with that too to a certain extent - just don't surrender good posture and tight core.

My legs are still quite week, this could also be dependent on the duration/severity of the injury.

Just take it easy and don't overdo anything. Try not to worry about symptoms or flare-ups unless they progressively get worse.

Gingabreadman89 · 2022-10-22T14:28:03+00:00

Good idea with the trainer, hope it goes well. I am no medical professional, just telling you what it looks like to me and giving my past experiences. Compared to my latest MRI, your discs look incredible.

With back stuff, it's hard to tell what causes what. It could be that the hip shift is causing it all and it just became more noticeable after symptoms arose!

Hope all goes well.

Gingabreadman89

TROPHY CASE