| You are currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and that there are some features you can't use or read. We are an active community of worldwide senior members participating in chat, politics, travel, health, blogging, graphics, computer issues & help, book club, literature & poetry, finance discussions, recipe exchange and much more. Also, as a member you will be able to access member only sections, many features, send personal messages, make new friends, etc. Registration is simple, fast and completely free. Why not register today and become a part of the group. Registration button at the very top left of the page. Thank you for stopping by. Join our community! In case of difficulty, email worldwideseniors.org@gmail.com. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| Housing Boom! | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: May 31 2014, 04:33 AM (630 Views) | |
| swing | May 31 2014, 04:33 AM Post #1 |
|
swing
|
Housing prices have risen here, time to list and get out of "dodge"! Problem being, our adult son who still lives with us is awaiting an appt. with a surgeon! He has a degenerative disk which is pressing on a nerve, and is in a great deal of pain! This was revealed by a recent MRI! He had back surgery in 2006, for sciatica. The pain Dr. informs him (who is also a surgeon), if he doesn't go ahead with surgery he will be on pain meds., forever. I've talked to people who have had similar disc problems and were advised not to get surgery. They did a combo of physio and exercises and are fine today! He is awaiting an appt. with the Dr. from U of A who did his last surgery! I maybe a cynic, but more referrals, more surgeries, more $$. The solution is ~ only God knows I guess! He is 38, two back surgeries before 40, not positive! Whenever the surgery happens, plus rehab., looks like we miss another housing boom ~ not happy! |
|
|
|
| erka | May 31 2014, 04:46 AM Post #2 |
|
Gold Star Member
|
Swing: My spouse had back surgery 40 years ago and his disk was removed. the pain was so great that he often miss work and had to stay on his back. Going to the gym 3 times/week for a work-out helped his back and general fitness and he can't say enough about the beneits. edit to ad: I didn't realize the post was about housing boom and not about your son's back problem. Edited by erka, May 31 2014, 04:48 AM.
|
|
|
|
| swing | May 31 2014, 09:54 AM Post #3 |
|
swing
|
Thanks for the affirmation Erka. There are so many opinions on this, as we await the word of the good Dr. I was just venting! In future I will contain my vents lol!! |
|
|
|
| Trotsky | May 31 2014, 10:36 AM Post #4 |
|
Big City Boy
|
A doctor who does back surgery will recommend back surgery. A chiropractor will advise manipulation. A pain management doctor will advise medication. A witch doctor will advise appeasing the spirits and a Doctor of Divinity will advise prayer. A Doctor of Jurisprudence will advise suing all of the above. Never forget that they are ALL in it for the money. Personally I think back surgery has not advanced much beyond the medieval and of course they would not DARE to do a large study (of course it cannot be double-blinded) for fear that many will be put out of business. Swing, it is pretty obvious that the 2006 surgery was a botch job and second back surgeries tend to have worse outcomes than the original one. I feel bad for your son. My back was destroyed in my 30th year. I've lived with it for 40 years, and a LOT of pain, but I cannot risk having it made worse or, god forbid, facing paralysis. Edited by Trotsky, May 31 2014, 03:34 PM.
|
|
|
|
| swing | Jun 1 2014, 05:46 AM Post #5 |
|
swing
|
My thoughts as well Trotsky! We have friends who sent their son to the Mayo clinic, several years ago. He's doing fine, we however cannot afford that expense. Our son had an MRI two years ago and this disk was fine. I'd like to know how in two years, it's degenerated! Some people I've spoken with become offended, when I suggest money is a huge motivator! |
|
|
|
| yaya | Jun 1 2014, 06:09 AM Post #6 |
|
Small Star Member
|
Swing, can he not have another MRI to determine the state of the disk? Trotsky - I love your post - so true. |
|
|
|
| swing | Jun 1 2014, 08:34 AM Post #7 |
|
swing
|
He did Yaya. He got the results last week, which determined the degenerative disk pushing on a nerve! When shown the MRI he said his disks were all in line, but this one! |
|
|
|
| Trotsky | Jun 2 2014, 01:33 AM Post #8 |
|
Big City Boy
|
Oh it happens...I blew a disc in less than one second. |
|
|
|
| Darcie | Jun 2 2014, 01:59 AM Post #9 |
|
Skeptic
|
A young man who was a bus driver used to live next door to me. His back was so bad he could not walk because of disc problems. He had surgery and after 4 years is perfectly fine and back at work. I suppose have more than one opinion might help. That is what I did, had 3, all said not to have surgery as my back was in a condition that the odds were not good. This was told to me by orthopedic and neurologist surgeons. |
|
|
|
| swing | Jun 3 2014, 04:17 AM Post #10 |
|
swing
|
Thanks Darcie, good to know all surgeons were in agreement. My son has an appt. next Tuesday with the orthopedic surgeon, who did his last surgery. The pain Dr. put a rush on the requisition, so this is good. We'll see what his opinion is! He also had a bone scan last week, so hopefully we'll have solutions soon! Thank you all for your opinions ~ i appreciate. |
|
|
|
| swing | Jun 15 2014, 06:25 AM Post #11 |
|
swing
|
My son saw the surgeon that did his previous surgery. He waited 1/1/2 hours for a 5 minute consultation. The surgeon told my son he had a 60% chance of improvement after this surgery. My son doesn't like the guys' beside manner and was thinking of going the phiso/exercise route. The pain Dr. has him on meds.and the perscription expired yesterday. The Dr. refilled it for today in error, thus he was up all night writhing in pain! He's now thinking he's going to go ahead with the surgery! I had to drive him to the pharmacy. They wouldn't let me pick up the perscription, as it's a narcotic and he has to sign for it! He sees his pain Dr. on Monday again. Where to go from here? |
|
|
|
| Darcie | Jun 15 2014, 07:36 AM Post #12 |
|
Skeptic
|
Swing, the question to ask the doctor is "Is there a chance that I could be worse?" My consulting neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeon told me there was a 50% chance that I could be paralyzed. It is the 'worse' one should be concerned about. If there is no chance to be worse I would try surgery myself, even on a 50% odds. If it doesn't work I have lost nothing, just back to where I was. OK, 60/40 is clear, who cares about bedside manner. The best cancer surgeon I had was horrible, no bedside manner at all, but he was competent. I don't want to 'like' a surgeon, I just want him to be very capable and an expert. After he has my first question answered is when he should take a decision, he is young to be living on narcotics or in pain for the rest of his life. Just what I think. |
|
|
|
| swing | Jun 15 2014, 09:25 AM Post #13 |
|
swing
|
Thanks Darcie as usual a voice of reason. I will indeed relay this to him. You are correct who cares about the beside manner as long as he's competent. I went into rate my Dr. he has 3.5 out of 5! Thanks again for your input ~ appreciate. |
|
|
|
| Trotsky | Jun 16 2014, 05:47 AM Post #14 |
|
Big City Boy
|
swing, The old treatment of bed-rest for several weeks deserves a try. I know it isn't 21st Century stuff, but neither is cutting a person open and screwing in metal struts. I am also fond of an extended period of traction but where to get it done these days is iffy because the BIG bucks is in surgery. For surgery, the least invasive is a laminectomy of one disc perhaps done with microsurgery. But if they start talking about multiple discs and fusion think 10 times. For one bulging disc there is also the method of injection of the disc with papain to dissolve some of it and take pressure of the nerve. Again, losing popularity because they cannot bill anyone $100 G's for it. Thing is, the PATIENT always makes the call without realizing it because the treatment he will get will ALWAYS depend on the method employed by the chosen doctor. Pick a podiatrist and you will get orthotics...pick a voodoo practitioner and you will get smeared in chicken blood. Has you son tried a week in bed? Has he tried a good corset? For a drug, I recommend SOMA (carisoprodol)...it is the best antispasmodic. And then there is the old truism: a slipped disc usually resolves itself...the body absorbs it and accommodates. But this takes time. Edited by Trotsky, Jun 16 2014, 05:49 AM.
|
|
|
|
| swing | Jun 18 2014, 05:15 AM Post #15 |
|
swing
|
Thanks Trotsky. Yes he was immobile for a couple weeks until he got pain meds. from the Dr. He's walking three or four times per day now. I was so hoping this could be resolved without surgery. The pain generates down the leg and into the foot. His G.P. told him he has to get the pain under control so he doesn't focus on it. It's difficult to redirect your focus though, when you don't feel well. He sees his pain Dr. on the 23rd, things move slowly in this province!! |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Rants, Bouquets, Consumer Issues · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2