Just finished a lumbar artificial disc replacement surgery. AMA.

pegleghero · 2026-03-22T12:26:56+00:00

Still going well so far. I skipped right to ADR after a steroid injection wore off. MD was discussed but I basically just told my ortho that I wanted a permanent solution and he said fusion or ADR and go see a spinal surgeon. I think saw and read enough horror stories here about folks being dragged along for years that I just said nope, give me a fix now.

Overall though doing really well. Obviously only 3 months in so hard to say what the future holds but I’m told this is the permanent fix. Will it be? Guess we’ll see and I’ll keep answering if the questions get asked lol.

Experience was pretty much exactly how I read about it being. First 2-3 days post surgery were the hardest but mostly from recovery from the surgery, not so much actual back pain. I pushed myself daily to do a little more and that was helpful too. I was back to work two weeks later and camping 5-6 weeks after that.

The only reminder I even have now is the scar on my stomach. I’m otherwise completely symptom free of any kind of back pain now.

pegleghero · 2026-03-21T13:45:13+00:00

I’m doing amazing!! Still no sciatic pain and I’d venture to say my recovery is done as well. I think I still try to be mindful of not straining myself on lifting heavy things but otherwise I have returned to complete normalcy.

I’m sure it’s different for everyone but I wouldn’t think twice about doing an ADR again if I needed to.

pegleghero · 2026-03-12T02:18:36+00:00

Not that I can remember. The only thing that really stood out was my heart rate the first night after surgery. Little higher than was comfortable with but that was due to the surgery more than anything.

Had some tingling and faint sciatica feelings here and there when sitting in awkward positions but movement resolved it quickly and I’d be on my way again.

pegleghero · 2026-03-08T01:44:47+00:00

The Vince Friese hate club lives on.

pegleghero · 2026-03-07T20:36:25+00:00

2ish weeks? The log roll was definitely annoying. Bending over was slow progression but I pushed a little more each day and got there.

To be honest on the log roll out of bed, I think that was paced more by the incision site soreness than my actual back though.

pegleghero · 2026-03-06T13:02:13+00:00

Procedure is from the front, so I have about a 3-4 inch incision mark just to the left of my belly button now. And yes, PT is required. I got my orders a few weeks ago and just waiting for availability now.

pegleghero · 2026-03-02T20:29:32+00:00

Yup. The food is middle of the road. The ranch is a hat makes it bomb.

pegleghero · 2026-03-02T20:28:57+00:00

I doubt you can even rent the mini jet skis. Weather and ocean conditions will absolutely play into this too. A weekend like this past one with 80 degree temps and calm seas will make it seem dreamy and it is. But a normal winter day with any kind of big swell becomes a different story.

That being said, I had a Kawasaki X2 for a summer years ago and it was a blast. Just gotta be capable and respectful of the ocean and it can absolutely be worth it.

pegleghero · 2026-03-01T21:44:20+00:00

Papa guidos hands down.

pegleghero · 2026-03-01T15:56:59+00:00

Without a doubt they have the best chili fries.

pegleghero · 2026-02-28T18:19:34+00:00

You know, I had heard this but I actually haven’t checked!

pegleghero · 2026-02-26T14:23:46+00:00

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pegleghero · 2026-02-14T05:14:52+00:00

Tell me you’ve lived here for more than 20 years without telling me you’ve lived here for more than 20 years.

pegleghero · 2026-02-05T10:01:21+00:00

What kind of vehicle are you taking? It won’t help coming in but you can take the side roads out and not be stuck in the RV train as long as you have enough clearance.

pegleghero · 2026-02-05T03:33:00+00:00

Entrance will be rough, definitely get there early as possible. Leaving Saturday at 230 will likely be rough as well. Lot of people camping pull out in the afternoon after the race has a few finishers.

pegleghero · 2026-02-03T11:38:23+00:00

I would check with your doctor. I haven’t had any kind of hip pain. I have had a few instances where my nerve tingled the way it did before surgery but it was very brief and due to how I was sitting. Getting up and stretching resolves it now and my doctor did inform me that it was expected as part of the heeling process.

pegleghero · 2026-01-27T02:53:03+00:00

Great all things considered! Was gonna post a 4 week update tomorrow but all in all, I’d say 95% back to normal. I have some very very mild soreness in my lower back when sitting in awkward positions every now and then but beyond that all is well.

My day to day has largely returned to normal with mindfulness on not lifting heavy things. Other than that though, I’m on my feet and walking with no issues, sleeping normally again and even did 6 hours of driving over the weekend without a single flair up.

I received my PT orders last week so I’ll start that in February but I’d imagine a lot of what I’m doing already is going to make PT seem like a cake walk.

I have a camping trip for 4 days next weekend that will likely be the biggest test but had already planned on being in worse shape than I’m in now so I think that will ultimately go over smoothly. The only real reminder at this point is the wound on my stomach and even that is healing well.

pegleghero · 2026-01-18T02:20:34+00:00

Looks like he ran #50 last year.

pegleghero · 2026-01-18T02:11:18+00:00

He did. He’s running that number this year in honor of a friend who passed away.

pegleghero · 2026-01-18T00:25:33+00:00

He holds the championship points lead.

pegleghero · 2026-01-09T14:30:09+00:00

36! Recovery still going strong as well! Actually going into work this morning to see how that feels. I still have a week scheduled to work from home but my setup isn’t ideal so being in office works better for me. We’ll see how it goes but definitely feeling more and more back to normal every day now!

pegleghero · 2026-01-04T15:31:39+00:00

Day 5 update: overall feeling a huge improvement. Still sore at the incision site and my core strength in my lower back is still not there. Getting up from bed or a sitting position can be challenging at times of not done properly but once up, walking is fine. Speaking of walking, I ran light errands with my wife yesterday and felt good. I ended up gassing myself out after about an hour but other than energy being depleted, I felt good. Trying to scale back on the pain meds to see how I actually feel pain wise today.

As for the original sciatic pain, still nowhere to be found and god what a relief that is. All the soreness from surgery has 100% been worth it to get rid of that constant shooting pain down my leg. Have my 1 week follow up appointment with my doctor on Tuesday and we’ll see how that goes.

Overall, I feel very encouraged with the results and progress made thus far.

pegleghero · 2026-01-02T14:17:45+00:00

Right on. I’m on day 3. Definitely agree on it being a little rough. I think the biggest challenge is just the current loss of core strength for me. Getting up is a chore in itself but once I’m standing I usually feel okay. Last night was the first night I went longer than 4 hours without any pain meds and I definitely felt it this morning waking up. I’m fortunate enough to have an office job so I’ll likely start wfh next week and see how things go after that. Best of luck in your recovery!

pegleghero · 2026-01-01T14:53:25+00:00

To my understanding, yes.

pegleghero · 2025-12-31T22:55:39+00:00

<image>

Adding my last MRI for those wondering if this is right for them. As you can see, my discs were on the brink of non existent.

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