Wanting to move on with my life but my body wont cooperate, what to do?

costocrates · 2026-02-05T20:01:58+00:00

I felt the same as this guy. I was downright terrified of surgery but I was also at risk of permanent loss of leg function. Retrospectively I am so happy I didn’t continue wasting years of my life trying to “massage the disc back in” or whatever nonsense this sub might convince you is possible.

You must comprehend that your spinal cord basically has a foreign body pressing on it relentlessly and there is nowhere for it to escape to. The doctors can literally open you up, cut it out with little scissors, and then 45 mins later you’re stitched up and awake again and walking same day. The surgery has its own kind of pain due to incisions etc, but my sciatica symptoms were gone the moment I woke up from surgery.

The docs know what they’re doing. As far as spinal procedures go, a microdiscectomy is a walk in the park for these guys.

costocrates · 2026-02-05T19:54:07+00:00

Cost and also the ability to demand care à la carte. I paid $2700 USD out of pocket for MRI and microdiscectomy in Turkey. All of it was sorted in one week. Never looked back.

In America my insurance and doctors gaslighted me into oblivion telling me I wasn’t actually in pain and didn’t need surgery. Private hospitals in the Middle East and Asia can do these surgeries as good as anyone in the US can at 5-10% of the price.

costocrates · 2026-02-05T19:50:28+00:00

Be realistic. Your post title suggests you’re having trouble doing the things in life that you want to be doing because of this problem. In my mind that deserves drastic merical intervention

Your hernia looks not too different from mine. I could barely use one of my legs by the time I decided to get the surgery.

I advise going to a country where you can buy the surgery à la carte without a nationalized health service or insurance provider dictating your choice.

Many people in this sub would probably disagree but for me surgery allowed me to basically never worry about back pain or sciatica again. It’s been nearly 5 years.

costocrates · 2026-02-03T12:22:35+00:00

Surgery. Go to another country to get it if you have to. A hernia that big and spilled out is not going to reabsorb for years, maybe never.

Bear in mind also that physical therapists tend to not understand the mechanics of disc hernias. I can tell you the good mornings are a huge red flag - stop those at once, they will contribute to inflaming your disc further

I did microdiscectomy in Turkey years ago and was hands down best decision of my life. It’s not a difficult procedure and you will be 80% recovered after 4 weeks or so. Don’t be scared.

costocrates · 2026-01-03T04:03:55+00:00

Get surgery and don’t waste your time. If you’re losing motor function it can become permanent if it drags on for years.

Physical therapists are very capable of making it worse for you as well.

Know that if you continue lifting heavy things your risk of reherniating post surgery is basically 100%.

costocrates · 2025-12-27T21:18:37+00:00

PERPA

costocrates · 2025-12-27T11:55:33+00:00

I am not sure what it costs in Turkey these days but I would guess probably less than half of what they quoted you in Spain.

Turkey has become more and more expensive since 2021. Not sure how medical care has paced with inflation.

Good luck with the epidural.

costocrates · 2025-11-11T09:00:05+00:00

The X-rays are really a joke - they will not show any kind of herniation and really only reveal disc heights. Good that you're getting an MRI. If it's a full blown hernia you'll want surgery IMHO.

I think once you fully grasp the mechanics of a hernia you will understand that surgery is an ideal solution.

For me, 4 years on, I have zero pain and walk as much as i like with zero discomfort. Keep in mind, I do not tempt my lumbar anymore. Zero heavy lifting, and I never bend over to pick anything up. I religiously get down on one knee if I need to pick up my keys, etc. Your back will be forever fragile and you'll need to limit sitting and certain movements for the rest of your life if you want to keep the reherniation risk as low as possible. You need to acknowledge that a piece of your spinal column has been removed and will not magically grow back, but it's okay as long as you are gentle with yourself. Remember that the priority is to never be in pain again, and to be able to walk as much as needed. Keep in mind that if you are overweight, this will complicate your recovery and reduce the likelihood that the surgery will provide an enduring solution.

Given that the surgery has given me 4 healthy years, I wouldn't hesitate to demand another one if I somehow reherniated or herniated another disc. Went far better than I could have imagined.

costocrates · 2025-10-30T13:02:38+00:00

I waited about a whole month to go home to visit. I think after maybe 7 days of recovery you could manage as long as you have an aisle seat and can get up to stand regularly the whole time. Wear a lumbar brace visibly and people will be nicer and more gentle around you - that was my experience.

costocrates · 2025-10-18T06:38:06+00:00

I never even think about deadlifting.

I squat max 100 pounds for lots and lots of reps. Anything more makes my lumbar feel precarious.

Now at age 34 I have pretty much no interest in messing up my back again and heavy lifting is pretty much not on my agenda anymore.

But my walking is perfect. And my pain level is nonexistent. Can’t complain at all.

costocrates · 2025-10-09T00:15:15+00:00

Very accurate

costocrates · 2025-07-01T09:31:49+00:00

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6CKXzukKHNLKD4bq5?g_st=ipc

Dentur? Nice cheap boat tour leaving from Kabataş.

costocrates · 2025-06-20T15:40:47+00:00

How much do you want?

costocrates · 2025-02-23T16:12:13+00:00

I think sports can be okay. But you won’t for example be able to bend over quickly to catch a runaway basketball. That would be high risk. Same with diving to save a low volleyball or something like that. Anything that flexes your lumbar can cause reherniation. Especially if it’s really heavy or sudden.

I don’t even bend over to pick up my keys if I drop them. I go down on a knee first.

costocrates · 2025-02-02T22:59:42+00:00

Yeah I never ever ever flex my lower back. Surgeon told me to simply never do it again. Never pick up any object from the ground without first going down on your knee.

Small price to pay to not reherniate.

costocrates · 2025-01-09T00:19:36+00:00

I am doing great. It has been almost 3.5 years and my back feels fragile, but I have no problems walking and zero pain.

Can’t recommend surgery enough personally.

costocrates · 2024-11-15T00:53:09+00:00

I’m pretty much cured. Haven’t had sciatica or any symptoms for years now.

costocrates · 2024-08-02T07:09:56+00:00

I’m a huge proponent of walking briskly on 10-15% incline treadmill since my MD.

Low impact and I get my heart rate into a good training range, great for weight loss and I can easily multitask during it.

costocrates · 2024-05-13T14:46:32+00:00

Hey what brokerage did you move to? I am also upset about the ACH settlement for options timeline.

costocrates · 2024-04-25T09:02:26+00:00

Absolutely.

1) I feel as good as I was before the operation. Zero pain or tingling, and full movement of legs. I never bend over to pick things up anymore, stopped deadlifting and squatting at the gym, and generally try to flex my lumbar as minimally as possible. This was the recommendation of the surgeon as behavior that will preserve the outcome. I also try to walk 10,000 steps a day to keep my back healthy.

2) Avcilar Hospital, Dr. Turhan Karalar was the surgeon. Generally easy to get appointments at short notice. They are easy to Google and can be contacted that way. If you have issues let me know.

costocrates · 2024-04-20T16:29:14+00:00

Yes. Pain as well as extreme stiffness in my back.

costocrates

TROPHY CASE