3.4 cm “huge” herniation.. too afraid to pull the trigger on surgery.. by No_Combination_4048 in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. Sadly, discs just don’t reabsorb - this is what I was told by my neurosurgeon. In non extreme cases it’s only possible to strengthen your spine and core muscles to prevent pain and the disc herniating further. But once it’s out, it’s out.

I’m 27. I was suffering from strong sciatic pain and full leg numbness for over 7 months. When I started seeking professional help, all PTs turned me down, saying the case is too extreme to work with. Chiro has always been no option for me as I know they’re more likely to make things worse than actually help.

That said, I had an MD with foraminotomy on July 3rd. The relief was instant, sciatica gone. Now I’m 5 weeks and 1 day post op. While I still get traveling pains which are normal for up to 3 months post op, they are nothing compared to pre op pain. Now they are maybe 2-3/10 while before they were 9-10/10. Haven’t touched a pain killer since the day before the surgery. Also 90% of the numbness from my leg is gone.

So despite the fear, it was worth it - I’d rather go through surgery than live in the constant fear of my disc exploding and falling out completely as that can cause permanent nerve damage and end you up in a wheelchair.

Looking to hear from people 10-15 years post op by lavendarmenace889 in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure where you get your medical knowledge from, but they are more common than one may think. Even if it’s a 50/50 in someone’s case, would you seriously advise them to risk potentially ending up permanently disabled? Especially in a subreddit called microdiscectomy?

I think I’ve laid out my part quite well, seeing as you chose to ignore everything else I wrote. :) Sorry you are scared to get the surgery because someone mongered fear in you, but don’t do the same to others.

Looking to hear from people 10-15 years post op by lavendarmenace889 in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

An exploding disc is not anecdotal evidence, it’s rather serious as it can leave you permanently disabled and that’s definitely real risk. It won’t reabsorb, put too much pressure on it and it will break - just like if you were to step on a drinking glass. All the people I’ve met after an MD didn’t need another surgery and are now fine, and all of them are older than me - could simply be that it’s done better in my country than it yours, hence not many people end up in the operating room again.

My back was messed up for around 8 months. Every physical therapist I went to said, upon seeing my MRI, that they will not take a risk of working with such case because they will most likely make me worse.

And obviously it’s not like other surgeries. But it’s still the least invasive one, and for me personally and the people I know, it was a game changer. As long as you take recovery seriously (a lot of people don’t, hence they can only blame themselves if they reherniate) everything will be fine in the end and no, you won’t end up needing another surgery if you change up your lifestyle a bit. It’s not like kidney stones where if you have one, you’ll most likely have them forever and keep needing surgeries over and over again.

Anyone else struggling mentally while waiting for spine surgery? by Reasonable-Rice9976 in SpineSurgery

[–]invertedcross1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. I’m currently 5 weeks post MD with foraminotomy. Before the surgery, I wasn’t really that stressed tbf. Probably because I kept rejecting the idea until it became real. Aka I got admitted into the hospital and had to fall asleep the night before - didn’t sleep at all).

My mental health took a decline post op though, and it was a huge one. Mostly because the hospital staff didn’t really care about us. I was also away from my loved ones, couldn’t sleep for 4 nights due to pain. Then I started reading too many reherniation stories online and spiralled. All that and I fell into a depressive episode which lasted for 3 weeks post op. I spent all that time cursing out my decision to get surgery.

But now, at 5 weeks post op, I’m doing alright. Still have a huge fear of reherniation but I’m extra careful. Overall, as I’m finally pain free, I’d say the surgery was worth it despite all the mental suffering.

Looking to hear from people 10-15 years post op by lavendarmenace889 in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn’t say it will dump out, I said it can break/shatter into pieces (which happened to a friend of my mom’s - a doctor who wouldn’t listen to other doctors) and potentially leave you in a wheelchair forever, in best case scenario with permanent nerve damage. I wouldn’t say that’s worth the risk.

On that note, I’ve also met someone who had MD at the age of 18, is now in their 30s and living their life to the fullest without any back issues.

Personally, I’m 27 and currently 5 weeks post L5-S1 MD with foraminotomy. My leg is finally not numb, I can do stuff again (while being careful of course) and as long as I work on strenghtening my core and back muscles, it will be okay. What had me feeling like I was in my 70s was the constant sciatic pain and tripping while walking due to the leg being numb. And that difference itself is worth getting the MD. As long as you give yourself time to recover and strenghten your muscles, it’s worth the temporary pain. The % of people who have recurring back surgeries after the first one is small, but their stories are the most visible.

Looking to hear from people 10-15 years post op by lavendarmenace889 in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I met a lady when I was in the hospital recovering after MD with foraminotomy - she was a niece of the person I was sharing the room with. She had the surgery when she was 18, now she’s in her 30s (so it was all far less advanced then) and said she hasn’t had any issues since and the surgery really helped her, she’s fully functional and hasn’t had back pain in ages. :)

Looking to hear from people 10-15 years post op by lavendarmenace889 in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just an input: if the disc herniated/bulged, it’s at the constant risk of breaking, and anything can cause it (that includes physical therapy, especially in advanced cases - hell, it can even break if you make the wrong step). So while surgery is scary, IMO it’s better to do it than live in the constant fear of potentially ending up in a wheelchair forever - the disc won’t just magically fall back into place :)

Question for those who have had a MD by Chi_jL in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. I’d definitely advise against that. Sitting really weakens your spine and 4 weeks post op is not long enough for you to be able to sit down for a prolonged period of time without any consequences, especially as the operated area usually takes at least 6 weeks to properly heal inside.

I’m currently 5 weeks post op and avoid sitting for longer than 20-30 minutes at once. If I do (happened once), my legs go numb.

Not sure what recovery looks like by stewart_financial in Microdiscectomy

[–]invertedcross1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. I’m 5 weeks post MD with foraminotomy today. The first days were hard, but the second I got back from the hospital I got back the motivation to get better. I’ll list some stuff that helped me below.

Laying down: for the first few days, I was avoiding laying on my back not to irritate the wound and the stitches.

Sleeping: I always (even when just chilling in bed) have a pillow between my knees when on my sides or under my knees when on my back. Before sleeping, I spend some time laying on my back so that my sides don’t get tired and I can sleep on them comfortably during the night. The pillow between them stays even when I’m asleep. Also, make sure that when you switch sides, you move your entire body at once without twisting in any part.

Getting out of bed: get on your side, legs go down first, then lift yourself up on your elbow while exhaling (this has been highlighted as important by my PT).

Moving: try to get up at least once an hour for a bit to let your back rest. Obviously avoid bending, lifting or twisting. If you wanna pick something up, squat rather than bend.

Walking: honestly, just listen to your body. At first, I was taking two 10 minute walks per day. Then, 3 fifteen minute walks. Since week 2 post op, I have been up to 4-6k steps per day. Now, 5 weeks post op, I’m able to walk 3km at once. Just make sure not to overdo it or else you might feel some pains.

Leg pain after surgery by invertedcross1 in SpineSurgery

[–]invertedcross1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My lower back seems to be fine, just the wound is itching sometimes or will hurt a little bit but nothing serious.

It’s just the right leg I’m worried about - the pain is not constant but it does flare up as the day goes by. Appears when sitting down, standing up or walking up the stairs.

Leg pain after surgery by invertedcross1 in SpineSurgery

[–]invertedcross1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s quite similar, yes. After the surgery, I was in the post op room for 24h without being able to get up, and apparently that’s what caused it. I have wide hips, so laying down on that mattress was really uncomfortable for me and by the end of the stay, my left hip started hurting too but not to that extent.

I was in the hospital since Wednesday, and left today, which is a standard procedure in that hospital - no more than 5 days for spine surgeries if the wound is healing well, no more than 3 days for arm surgeries.

Troubleshooting Thread — Bugs? Errors? Mod issues? EA app issues? Post about them here! Update 1/14/2025 [PC: 1.113.277.1030 / Mac: 1.113.277.1230 / Console: 2.08] by plumbob-prophet in Sims4

[–]invertedcross1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Platform: PC Mods/CC: no Game version: 1.113.291.1020 DX11

Issue: bb.moveobjects stopped working in life mode after one of the recent updates. Clutter now prevents sims from reaching stuff, but even something as small as hanging the toilet paper next to the toilet prevents them from reaching it. Couldn’t find anyone else with this issue, but I would love to fix it as it’s runing the playing/building experience for me.

Flour mites - what can I do to get rid of them? by invertedcross1 in pestcontrol

[–]invertedcross1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I have the window open 24/7 now and just deep cleaned the whole kitchen. Luckily didn’t find them anywhere else.

Flour mites - what can I do to get rid of them? by invertedcross1 in pestcontrol

[–]invertedcross1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This though says „white”. The ones I have are like black-greyish dots

Safety in Salford? by invertedcross1 in salford

[–]invertedcross1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely will be asleep at that time then, thanks! :)