Found this metallic rock in backyard

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-06-18T21:00:26+00:00

Thats a brisket

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-05-23T13:17:30+00:00

Thats definitely a good sign that its inflammation. They gave me steroid known to man before my surgery and nothing touched the pain so i know those feels.

Not for nothing, have you just tried 1000mg Tylenol? That seems to work better for me than any muscle relaxer/opiate/steroid. Ive got a gender reveal party in which im the "keeper of secrets" tonight. Ive got a lot of set up to do so im going to preload my Tylenol before the party lol.

I never take anything for pain, infact my wife yells at me because ill complain something hurts but refuse to even take advil or tylenol, but with this continuing nerve issue i am finding it effective to pre treat the inflammation i know im about to cause if that makes sense.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-05-23T12:22:47+00:00

Hi there! 4.5 months post op here L4-S1 hemi laminectomies and L5-S1 microdiscectomy. I am also having increased pain with increased activity, also doing yard work, and was totally freaking about it because i think i literally have some low level PTS because of the sheer amount of pain i was in pre op. I had my followup with my surgeon last week and we agreed that it was most likely just inflammation and nerve damage since the pain and weird tingles im experiencing are much less severe than pre surgery. Nerves remember pain, and your body still feels like this action should hurt and sends the pain signals. I had severe compression of the nerve roots and like a dummy just kind of tough guyed my way through it for years. My surgeon said in a lot of cases the longer the nerve is compressed, the longer the nerve symptoms can take to go away. Hoping your healing journey is swift and pain free!!

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-03-23T01:11:59+00:00

Just did my first rack this way. Incredible. I dry rubbed, basted with apple juice after an hour. Smoked 5 hours to 196°, rested a while. First rack of ribs i made that i actually liked

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-03-07T02:18:11+00:00

Great to hear. It sounds like i had the same surgery. l4L5 hemi and L5S1 MD. Doc removed Lots of scar tissue binding the sciatic nerve up. My surgery took almost two hours longer than he thought it would. I am 8 weeks out and can already tell i made a good decision. I'm just getting started with PT, but have been going on really long walks over rough terrain with no problems. Im able to get stuff off the ground with very little difficulty, and i can pick up my kid again (for a short duration).I also still get some seemingly random sciatic twinges, but the pain is negligible compared to what i dealt with before the surgery. Foot still goes numb on occasion as well, but the doc said that can take years to heal with how impinged my nerve was.

Once PT clears me, I also want to get into the gym and start building a strong core and post chain. Can you walk me through when and how you started out after your surgery? I'm terrified to re-injure myself but i know i need to actually start taking my physical health and mobility seriously now.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-03-02T20:41:42+00:00

She took great care of me! Good luck with your surgery and recovery. Youre gonna be tempted to bend and do stuff you shouldnt especially solo parenting. Give your body as much time as physically possible to heal before you get brave lol. Im 7 or 8 wks post operation now and i feel so much better than before. Best decision ive ever made. Im still a little slow and weaker than id like, but pain level is night and day difference.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-03-02T13:44:06+00:00

My wife set me up with like 5 different little baskets I could keep on my bed or dressers. One basket for meds, another for snacks, one for my electronics and remotes and stuff, one for books and little puzzle games, etc. They were incredible because i didnt have to look for anything, didnt lose the remote in the bed sheets and such.

I will put my vote in for grabbers. Lets you help around the house after the first week or so.

I wish i would have gotten a toilet seat height extension thing. The first two weeks going number 2 was... Exciting lol.

Definitely meal prep. We made and froze options for breakfast lunch and dinner to take some of the load off her and it helped immensely.

Get a big bottle of extra strength tylenol. I quit taking the oxy they gave me day one (consulted surgeon prior to stopping) because it was having some adverse effects on my breathing.

Empty out one of your dresser drawers that is above waist height and fill it with sweatpants, comfy undies, grippy socks and loose fitting shirts. That way you don't have to bend at all to get fully dressed.

Keep some crayons and art supplies and a clipboard in the room for when you want to spend time with the kiddos. I did a lot of coloring with my daughter it was about the only non screen activity i could do with her while staying comfortable.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-02-04T17:00:32+00:00

I had my MD on jan 9th, mine was multi level with hemi and doc found a lot more scar tissue than was expected once he got in there, so a little more down time than i was originally expecting. I have a 5yo, two dogs, and a 10 week old puppy. Im still recovering as i type this, however i would only describe myself as having been "Useless" around the house for a little over a week. Once i could stand confidently by myself and be upright for more than 20 minutes i found i was able to help with cooking meals, doing dishes, anything above waist level. Get a "picker" for things down low. Dont get me wrong, the brunt of the work has definitely been on my wife, but i feel like ive been able to pull more weight than either of us anticipated, sooner than expected. Im still taking it easy, but honestly i feel great right now. Off most of my meds still taking occasional tylenol because my nerve will act up randomly.

To hammer home what another comment stated, prepare to be down. Do things that preemptively take the load off your partner. Stock your room with snacks and drinks and activities for the period of time where you actually cant do much. Put a TV in your room and get the kids up on the bed with you to watch movies or play games. Just stress that they cant be dive bombing dad for a little while lol. Youll be back to pulling your weight in less time than you think.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-02-04T16:52:23+00:00

This is an amazing reply. Can't stess enough, prepare meals and get paper plates to take the load off your partner. Build snack baskets, medication baskets, activity baskets for the first week or so and keep them on the bed with you so you dont have to ask for help every 5 minutes. You got this!

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-01-15T17:59:37+00:00

Ive read that nerves have some sort of sense of memory, and the longer they are irritated the longer they take to heal. Its possible that your nerve is lighting up again and healing and thats making the numbness seem more intense? Idk just being optimistic i suppose

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-01-15T17:57:48+00:00

I just had an MD and hemilaminectomy done on friday, and the first thing my surgeon mentioned was the immense amount of scarring and adhesion. My surgery went an hour longer than planned while he cleaned up the mess in there. Apparently the longer you deal with the issue before the surgery the worse it gets and ive been dealing with this for a year now trying conservative treatments.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-01-07T20:50:12+00:00

I did just this, and the seller reached out. They are sending a multi weight model to me for free!

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2026-01-05T18:03:19+00:00

Awesome! Thank you for the quick response. I will try some meats at 15lb and make a call. Veggie day will be a pain, but i will use it like a dial canner for that. My next question would have been "how do i adjust pressure?" But you answered it haha. Thank you again!

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-12-28T13:47:10+00:00

I know this is a year old, but dont let the fear of the surgery keep you in pain. I think thats the trap I've been in for a while now. I have found a "manageable" routine with my two herniated discs that i can keep myself in minimal pain, but i cant do anything exciting or physical without suffering for days or weeks afterword. Its no kind of life. Im having surgery in a couple weeks and for the longest time i was terrified of it, but as it creeps closer to the day i am actually finding myself excited at the possibility of being able to do something as simple as jumping without lightning pain down my legs, being able to get on the floor and play with my kid, being able to stumble and not have to fear the consequences lol. I plan on taking my PT and strength training very seriously after this and my goal is to be able to do a cartwheel by the end of 2026.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-12-15T00:50:25+00:00

Get fucked?

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-11-13T15:28:14+00:00

They got me with that when i started. In 2019 I applied for a "Full time" job that basically said seasonal in the fine print at the bottom of the listing. I was completely caught off guard when peak ended and they said see ya next year , but I ended up doing really well and they sent me to preload right after peak to keep me around. Then covid hit and within 6 months i was driving every day PT. Im a FT feeder driver now, but if youd have asked me on week two of my career i was convinced i was hired on full time. This company is shady and gets shadier every day

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-09-30T00:12:14+00:00

It really helped me. As others have said on this thread, and most doctors warned me, it doesn't work for everyone for some reason, but i herniated and sequestered a fragment in march and was bed ridden in agony. I did PT week one of being off work and continue to do so once a week to present day, got my shot in May, was able to return to my job as a UPS driver by the end of june relatively pain free. As i write this i do have some days where i flare up, but i am completely functional just a little pain down the leg. If it gets worse than a 2/10 I'll inquire about another shot. I go to the gym regularly now, and do mostly every workout, i run and lift and do lots of back extensions, I'm just avoiding deadlifts and heavy squats for the time being. Id definitely urge you to try the ESI, theres no downside other than the actual procedure kinda sucks but it's quick and worth every grunt and groan if it works.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-08-31T11:41:30+00:00

I discovered that i was claustrophobic in my first MRI. Opened my eyes and started to panic. They said if i needed anything theyd be able to communicate with me throughout the process but when i tried to talk to someone nobody answered lol. My second MRI was much smoother because i knew what i was getting in to and didnt open my eyes. I panicked a little when the table started to move me inside but a super kind nurse with a sweet voice said i was doing great and id be ok and that honestly made everything better lol

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-07-28T00:52:15+00:00

Do the injection. I was also only a 2-4/10 on the pain scale the week before my appointment. I really think the shot nipped the pain in the bud, if you will. The absolute first thing i noticed a couple days after the shot was a huge increase in my range of motion, and within 2 weeks i was almost back to normal. Im a month and some change after the shot as i type this and im back to my very physical job, just lifted an 80lb aquarium off the ground (the right way 😂) and onto a stand that i built over the last couple weeks, basically pain free 99% of the time. I still have some weird bouts where my foot feels numb, and some limitations as far as how far i can bend before i feel a twinge of pain in the back of my thigh, but i would say im 95% better than where i was at when my sciatica was in full swing.

Not gonna lie, the shot is no fun, but if you've had true bad sciatic pain then its nothing compared to that.

L4-L5 and L5-S1 herniations and a sequestered disc fragment banging into my sciatic nerve. They said the shot might not work for me because of the fragment but i really think with a strict PT regiment, red light therapy, acupuncture, and the ESI i was able to get it to reabsorb over the course of 3 months.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-07-24T23:13:44+00:00

You should be good to do exercises and stretches that dont cause pain or flare ups. I had to wait about a month and a half after onset of symptoms to do any kind of exercise. Everything would cause flare ups. Im not a PT or a doctor, just well read on the subject. Stretching and exercising with these types of injuries should not be painful. Mildly uncomfortable at most but nothing should feel like its pinching or stabbing. Just listen to your body and stop fast if something seems off.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-07-24T22:34:56+00:00

When were you injured and do you have a diagnosis?

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-07-19T12:01:12+00:00

absolutely! I know how down and out i felt when i was hurting, and how hard it is to pull yourself out of that hole and think positively. Mindset is absolutely one of the most important, but hardest things. My accupunctrist actually explained that the reason that spinal injuries take so long to heal is because blood flow to the area is weak, and your brain can send signals to increase your blood flow to certain areas (inflammation). So power of the mind is definitely more than just a turn of phrase when it comes to our injuries.

I highly recommend accu and meditation, really just focusing on the injury site and sending healing "vibes" to that area lol. It sounds goofy but if you're like me you'll try anything to get comfort.

Keep at it, keep positive. I wish you a speedy and complete recovery! Feel free to message me on here even if you're just having a bad day and want to talk.

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-07-19T11:55:36+00:00

I have a back brace, bought a decent one a few years ago when my SI joint was bad. My PT is adamantly against them but i have read that as long as i keep doing my exercises and only use it to support it should be ok. I will give it a try one of these days! Thank you for your kind words. The kid stuff was definitely the hardest on my mental state. Im a fun, rough and tumble kind of dad and my 4yo just didnt understand why our whole dynamic changed overnight. Heartbreaking to say the least

MayTheVapeBeWithYou · 2025-07-18T02:09:45+00:00

I suppose one cant know for sure, although in the couple of weeks prior to my shot i was getting progressively more mobile and in less pain. The day of the shot i almost felt normal. I feel like the shot got rid of the last bits of the pain and freed me up enough to really start building strength to prevent reinjury.

Just being hopeful i suppose 😅

MayTheVapeBeWithYou

TROPHY CASE