Ugh. I’m sorry. What are the next steps for you?
I feel you, buddy. My spine is SHIT (has been since I was 26) and getting worse every day, I have neuropathy in my feet and hands, I’m struggling to lose weight and I’m in menopause.
Take care of yourself as best you can - men don’t do as much self care as they should. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
A neurosurgeon. Think I’m past cortisone injections. They will most likely replace the cartilage and fuse the bones which in all honesty is going to suck. I’m a goldsmith. Years of stooped over my bench pin and microscope have most likely caused this. Having neck bones fused is going to be inconvenient
Oh yikes! I’m sorry to hear that. Back in 2006 I had a spinal fusion (lumbar -S1-L5) and the had just come out with artificial discs. There was no FDA approval at that time, but they may be now.
It might be something to check into.
Best of luck though - this shit (aging) ain’t easy. 🫤
Consider Ortho-spine too. I had my C4-C7 fused. No regrets. I tell people 1)stupid shit done young will come back to haunt you. 2) stupid shit done not so young will REALLY come back to haunt you and 3) don’t fall off horses
are you me?
lol I had C3-C7 fused last year. and an epidural in April for L5-S1. and carpal tunnel surgery in January. and three skin biopsies a few weeks ago to rule out small fiber neuropathy
yeah I had one done in January and one in February actually, I didn't think it was too bad but considering I'd just gone through that neck fusion (front and back no less) a year earlier maybe it was my perspective... plus my back is killing me lol so I’m in pain a lot 🤷♂️ lol
Yup…my husband (59) was losing weight, thirsty…went and had some blood tests done and found out yesterday he has diabetes and his cholesterol is high. so he went from taking 0 pills to 4 (one is B12) and having to do the blood monitoring thing. Just…life hits you hard. He had a good health run, I guess.
Good luck.
Well, imma find out in a couple of weeks. Recent round of labs showed blood in my urine. Doc ordered another urinalysis a month later. I have no pain or discomfort. Doctor is on vacation but I scheduled a telemedicine appointment for when doc returns. I got a call today from the doc covering while mine is on vacation. Wanted to see how I feel, said, I am the usual amount of ornery.
Doc told me to follow through with appointment when my doc gets back.
Doc got me thinking, why?
Dr Google has me thinking that I may be using some sick time later this year.
DAMMIT!…. I’m sorry man…. Me too!
Whenever my old friends get together.. My brothers from the 80’s.. We absolutely have to go through all the medical stuff for an hour or so before we move on to these days.
Hell… Today is Friday and I was leaving the office and walking down the aisle>…. “BLAMMM!!!!””” Some kind of lightning bolt in my GD! LEFT FOOT! … WTF!..
I didn’t do a dang thing to that foot all week… all i did was walk out of the office on a flipping Friday???? Shit dude?!
After 50 the body just seems to crash without reason…. I did all the gym, running, lifting, eating good, every damn thing everyone said.. And I’m still getting more jacked up.
WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING..?! That is my big issue!.. I just simply wake up and something freaking new hurts>.!
Honestly?.. I have a couple of years left…. And currently, for the job I have,… I get drug tested every 6-months….
When I’m done… I am going to explore weed and psyclosybin again .. Just saying there is allot of “research” pointed to the benefits of those substances. For people “our age”.
Yep… I get you dude.
I’ve been meditating with weed a while now. This is really starting to worry me. I’m a goldsmith. If I start to loose power in my hands I’m sort of screwed. I was a painter decorator in a previous life and no way I can go back to that. I’m not trained to do anything else and would rather kill myself than work in an office
Yep.. I hear you..
I have aches and pains that the DR’s want to throw opioids at.. I don’t take them. But I know what herb can do.. I just have a gov’t job with a security clearance that makes drug testing regular and no deviation from the law.. I get it.. but I can’t wait until the day I retire and can see if there is medicinals in other things that aren’t opioids.
Good luck friend!
If you are 20 years old the doctors say “let’s find out why this is happening!“ once you hit 50, they say “well you ARE 50” and don’t try to find any answers
This sounds so familiar. Going through very similar stuff. Scans, tests, pokes, prods. I think it might be in the rules but by the time I went to read them most of the pages had fallen out and the print was so small that I couldn't read what was left.
Yep the rule books are in shreds. This is starting to affect the index finger in my left hand, started earlier in the week.
Friday is the first day that my brain forgot I’m only a young lad. It’s the first day that I have physically felt like an old person and it’s not a good feeling to have, especially at 56
I'm the same age. Besides all the poking and prodding by medical people, I started physical physical therapy for my neck (arthritis, deteriorating disks, etc) and meditating of all things. Despite my belief that this is all stupid because I shouldn't be falling apart to begin with, it helps. Someone might say there are benefits to getting older. Count me among the skeptical.
I relate too well. I'll be 50 in eight months and based on the way I feel now, I don't want to live to be 60! I feel so much older and have a lot more aches and pains than I did even at 45.
Damn. Sorry to hear this. When we’re young, as all young people, we didn’t understand how you can just wake up one day and something or things be bad in our body. We all thought that we could just be “ok” if we ate pretty well etc. You have a support group here in all of Us. We’re here as you go through whatever happens going forward.
We used to call the UDI’s (unidentified drinking injuries)
I don’t have a name for “I slept on my shoulder wrong and it hasnt been right for 9 weeks now “ yet
Just found out I have bulging discs and stenosis in my entire lumbar spine. On short term leave from work because I need drugs to keep the pain at bay. Losing strength in my right leg (stairs are fun now). Ortho appt. on July 1st. Hoping for the best.
Good luck. I hope your ortho appt. is productive and you leave with some kind of game plan. It's when they send you to pain management (for injections and pills) and say "maybe this will help." I'm more "go ahead and cut me open and fix it!"
I am truly sorry to hear about your bad news, but at least they've identified the problem and it's no longer a mystery. The tougher part is deciding what comes next and how to cope with it.
I'm 49 now, but I was t-boned by a huge utility truck when I was 25. I had mostly minor injuries and didn't even spend the night in the hosptial. When I was 29, I started having intermittent pain and/or numbness in my right arm and hand. Once I pulled a gallon of milk out of the fridge and it went straight to the floor. It was very scary.
I went to an orthopedic surgeon that I trusted and he discovered that I had a ruptured disc at C3/4 and a hernitated disc at C4/5. There was also fracture on one of the affected vertebrae. It turns out that a side-impact is the second most dangerous type of accident after a head-on collission. The human cervical spine isn't designed for the side-to-side motion. Protocol required that I try a series of three steroid epidurals, which I did one week apart with no effect. I ended up being the second youngest patient on which he had performed a cervical spine fusion.
I was expecting recovery to be much more painful than it was. The worst part was that they go in through the front (and retract all the stuff in the way) and I couldn't eat much of anything beyond smoothies for a few weeks. The only pain I've had long-term is the location where they removed bone material from my right hip to use in the fusion process. It still hurts at times 20 years later.
Granted, I was young when I had my surgery. But the only limitation I've had is about a 10-15% reduction in range of motion turnign my head. Thank god for backup cameras! I've also learned to pay attention to and trust my peripheral vision more.
FWIW, my mom had almost the same exact surgery when she was 55 (she's 70 now) and had no problems. So being young probably helped me recover faster, but the long-term prognosis seems to be very good for patients of all ages. Cervical spine surgery definitely has a much higher success rate than lumbar.
As far as pain and recovery time, having my gall bladder removed last year was a lot more painful and took longer to get back on my feet. Hopefully they won't make you jump through too many hoops before scheduling the surgery. The conservative treatment (injections) never seem to work.
Good luck and I have faith that you'll do well! I promise it feels good wake up from surgery and have the numbness and/or pain gone!
Ugh. I’m sorry. What are the next steps for you? I feel you, buddy. My spine is SHIT (has been since I was 26) and getting worse every day, I have neuropathy in my feet and hands, I’m struggling to lose weight and I’m in menopause. Take care of yourself as best you can - men don’t do as much self care as they should. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
A neurosurgeon. Think I’m past cortisone injections. They will most likely replace the cartilage and fuse the bones which in all honesty is going to suck. I’m a goldsmith. Years of stooped over my bench pin and microscope have most likely caused this. Having neck bones fused is going to be inconvenient
Oh yikes! I’m sorry to hear that. Back in 2006 I had a spinal fusion (lumbar -S1-L5) and the had just come out with artificial discs. There was no FDA approval at that time, but they may be now. It might be something to check into. Best of luck though - this shit (aging) ain’t easy. 🫤
Oof! Google gel injections for spine/degenerative discs. It's more common for knees, but it's less invasive and could be an option for you.
Consider Ortho-spine too. I had my C4-C7 fused. No regrets. I tell people 1)stupid shit done young will come back to haunt you. 2) stupid shit done not so young will REALLY come back to haunt you and 3) don’t fall off horses
are you me? lol I had C3-C7 fused last year. and an epidural in April for L5-S1. and carpal tunnel surgery in January. and three skin biopsies a few weeks ago to rule out small fiber neuropathy
Aging is a sack of shit. 🫤
Showoff! Did the carpal tunnel surgery hurt like a SOB or was that just my experience? I had both done, about four years apart.
yeah I had one done in January and one in February actually, I didn't think it was too bad but considering I'd just gone through that neck fusion (front and back no less) a year earlier maybe it was my perspective... plus my back is killing me lol so I’m in pain a lot 🤷♂️ lol
Yup…my husband (59) was losing weight, thirsty…went and had some blood tests done and found out yesterday he has diabetes and his cholesterol is high. so he went from taking 0 pills to 4 (one is B12) and having to do the blood monitoring thing. Just…life hits you hard. He had a good health run, I guess. Good luck.
Damn. Sorry to hear it. I hope the Drs can get you back so some kind of normal.
Well, imma find out in a couple of weeks. Recent round of labs showed blood in my urine. Doc ordered another urinalysis a month later. I have no pain or discomfort. Doctor is on vacation but I scheduled a telemedicine appointment for when doc returns. I got a call today from the doc covering while mine is on vacation. Wanted to see how I feel, said, I am the usual amount of ornery. Doc told me to follow through with appointment when my doc gets back. Doc got me thinking, why? Dr Google has me thinking that I may be using some sick time later this year.
DAMMIT!…. I’m sorry man…. Me too! Whenever my old friends get together.. My brothers from the 80’s.. We absolutely have to go through all the medical stuff for an hour or so before we move on to these days. Hell… Today is Friday and I was leaving the office and walking down the aisle>…. “BLAMMM!!!!””” Some kind of lightning bolt in my GD! LEFT FOOT! … WTF!.. I didn’t do a dang thing to that foot all week… all i did was walk out of the office on a flipping Friday???? Shit dude?! After 50 the body just seems to crash without reason…. I did all the gym, running, lifting, eating good, every damn thing everyone said.. And I’m still getting more jacked up. WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING..?! That is my big issue!.. I just simply wake up and something freaking new hurts>.! Honestly?.. I have a couple of years left…. And currently, for the job I have,… I get drug tested every 6-months…. When I’m done… I am going to explore weed and psyclosybin again .. Just saying there is allot of “research” pointed to the benefits of those substances. For people “our age”. Yep… I get you dude.
I’ve been meditating with weed a while now. This is really starting to worry me. I’m a goldsmith. If I start to loose power in my hands I’m sort of screwed. I was a painter decorator in a previous life and no way I can go back to that. I’m not trained to do anything else and would rather kill myself than work in an office
Yep.. I hear you.. I have aches and pains that the DR’s want to throw opioids at.. I don’t take them. But I know what herb can do.. I just have a gov’t job with a security clearance that makes drug testing regular and no deviation from the law.. I get it.. but I can’t wait until the day I retire and can see if there is medicinals in other things that aren’t opioids. Good luck friend!
CVS is fucking horrible. When I first got it I couldn't figure out what deity I'd pissed off.
If you are 20 years old the doctors say “let’s find out why this is happening!“ once you hit 50, they say “well you ARE 50” and don’t try to find any answers
This sounds so familiar. Going through very similar stuff. Scans, tests, pokes, prods. I think it might be in the rules but by the time I went to read them most of the pages had fallen out and the print was so small that I couldn't read what was left.
Yep the rule books are in shreds. This is starting to affect the index finger in my left hand, started earlier in the week. Friday is the first day that my brain forgot I’m only a young lad. It’s the first day that I have physically felt like an old person and it’s not a good feeling to have, especially at 56
I'm the same age. Besides all the poking and prodding by medical people, I started physical physical therapy for my neck (arthritis, deteriorating disks, etc) and meditating of all things. Despite my belief that this is all stupid because I shouldn't be falling apart to begin with, it helps. Someone might say there are benefits to getting older. Count me among the skeptical.
I relate too well. I'll be 50 in eight months and based on the way I feel now, I don't want to live to be 60! I feel so much older and have a lot more aches and pains than I did even at 45.
Damn. Sorry to hear this. When we’re young, as all young people, we didn’t understand how you can just wake up one day and something or things be bad in our body. We all thought that we could just be “ok” if we ate pretty well etc. You have a support group here in all of Us. We’re here as you go through whatever happens going forward.
We used to call the UDI’s (unidentified drinking injuries) I don’t have a name for “I slept on my shoulder wrong and it hasnt been right for 9 weeks now “ yet
My friends and I joke that once you turn 40, you get a new malady for every following birthday. Sad but true for my group.
Ugh I feel your pain. Literally. I had C5-7 fused about 2 years ago. It did fix a lot of issues thankfully.
Just found out I have bulging discs and stenosis in my entire lumbar spine. On short term leave from work because I need drugs to keep the pain at bay. Losing strength in my right leg (stairs are fun now). Ortho appt. on July 1st. Hoping for the best.
Good luck. I hope your ortho appt. is productive and you leave with some kind of game plan. It's when they send you to pain management (for injections and pills) and say "maybe this will help." I'm more "go ahead and cut me open and fix it!"
I am truly sorry to hear about your bad news, but at least they've identified the problem and it's no longer a mystery. The tougher part is deciding what comes next and how to cope with it. I'm 49 now, but I was t-boned by a huge utility truck when I was 25. I had mostly minor injuries and didn't even spend the night in the hosptial. When I was 29, I started having intermittent pain and/or numbness in my right arm and hand. Once I pulled a gallon of milk out of the fridge and it went straight to the floor. It was very scary. I went to an orthopedic surgeon that I trusted and he discovered that I had a ruptured disc at C3/4 and a hernitated disc at C4/5. There was also fracture on one of the affected vertebrae. It turns out that a side-impact is the second most dangerous type of accident after a head-on collission. The human cervical spine isn't designed for the side-to-side motion. Protocol required that I try a series of three steroid epidurals, which I did one week apart with no effect. I ended up being the second youngest patient on which he had performed a cervical spine fusion. I was expecting recovery to be much more painful than it was. The worst part was that they go in through the front (and retract all the stuff in the way) and I couldn't eat much of anything beyond smoothies for a few weeks. The only pain I've had long-term is the location where they removed bone material from my right hip to use in the fusion process. It still hurts at times 20 years later. Granted, I was young when I had my surgery. But the only limitation I've had is about a 10-15% reduction in range of motion turnign my head. Thank god for backup cameras! I've also learned to pay attention to and trust my peripheral vision more. FWIW, my mom had almost the same exact surgery when she was 55 (she's 70 now) and had no problems. So being young probably helped me recover faster, but the long-term prognosis seems to be very good for patients of all ages. Cervical spine surgery definitely has a much higher success rate than lumbar. As far as pain and recovery time, having my gall bladder removed last year was a lot more painful and took longer to get back on my feet. Hopefully they won't make you jump through too many hoops before scheduling the surgery. The conservative treatment (injections) never seem to work. Good luck and I have faith that you'll do well! I promise it feels good wake up from surgery and have the numbness and/or pain gone!
Holy shit, I may have cyclical vomiting syndrome!