MY BACK, A STORY WITH A FUSION CONCLUSION
It began years ago, as many stories do. I did things I probably should not have done, forcing my back to support more off center weight than it should have. Added to those missteps were years (almost 40) of climbing vertical steel ladders of cranes with a heavy shoulder tool bag.
To combat the nagging pains, journeys to chiropractors helped. Within recent years, those chiropractor’s visits did not seem to help. The chiropractor noticed the lack of improvement and asked if I would like a referral. I replied yes. Enter Dr. Jeffery Carlson. After x-rays and a physical evaluation, Dr. Carlson showed me in the x-ray the source of my pain, the cocked vertebrae. He commented to me that we could go whatever route I chose, but the back would not get better without surgery. Spinal fusion of L4, L5, and S1 were recommended.
I told him to schedule my surgery as soon as possible. The date was chosen only a few weeks into the future. An at-home nurse and physical therapist were scheduled ahead of time and my wife and I attended a seminar with the company that was to supply the nurse and physical therapist. I highly recommend the seminar, as you are given ideas for recovery help and what to expect.
And what might you expect? From my experience (and I was told this ahead of surgery) the first two weeks will probably be miserable (and they were) not unbearable, but certainly very uncomfortable. The wearing of the bone growth stimulator two hours a day and the back brace, when out of bed, were annoying but tolerable and good drugs kept the severe pain at bay. I tried to follow Dr. Carlson’s instructions to the letter, and I think it was the good surgery and adherence to advice that ended in very good results with elimination of lower back pain.
Thanks Dr. Carlson!
TIM MILLER