• The KillerFrogs

Had my Dorsal Spine implant today!

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frogbyproxy

New Member
Well guys I'm walking like I used to before the injury! No limping or grimacing in pain or taking morphine instead smiling from ear to ear. :tongue: It doesn't matter how the back is injured whether it is an old sports injury, injured at work or slipped in the bath tub. The implant really worked and I am truly amazed. I wanted to put photo's on here showing the placement of the wires in my back but forgot my camera. They will be giving me a image showing the placement but will look like an x-ray.

The placement is really strange with one wire set at T1(mid back) on the left side of my spine. Then the second one really shocked me because they set it at the right lower hip in the back going to S1.

I have a back brace that cost $940 which is really unbelievable compared to older back braces because it tightens very easy and really supports. I attach the wires which believe it or not is ethernet cables to a unit which sends the electrical impulses to the electrodes. :tongue: The unit is set by me and when I feel it working it is almost like my legs are asleep or shall I say a thousand ants crawling on my legs. :rolleyes:
But when I start walking I have started taking steps like I did before the injury 2 years ago. I almost want to start running it feels so good. By the way when I start walking the strange feeling goes totally away! This is the first day and I will be wearing the trial implant for 10 days then they will take it out and let me heal. After that I will have a permanent put in.

Ooops! I almost forgot. You don't leave it on all the time and while I am sitting I turn it off and release the back brace. If I feel really bad while trying to sleep I can turn it on but hoping Hydrocodone will keep that from happening. All of this means I can start going back to my horned Frog football games!


Go Frogs!
 
FROGDADDY

FROGDADDY

New Member
Great news! Had surgery on a herniated disc 6 years ago. Pales in comparison to what you've dealt with but I can sympathize completely with you that back issues can simply ruin your life.
 
tcumaniac

tcumaniac

Full Member
how did you hurt your back again? I had to quit football freshman year of high school because of a back injury. Hurt it during off season at the end of 8th grade. MRI showed my disk was completely gone in between L4 and L5 and we concluded that the missing disk was obviously the problem. Couldn't figure out why the disk was gone or why it had just now started hurting, but the doctor put me into rigorous physical therapy... 2 a days came along freshman year in Aledo and by the end of the first practice I was back to where I started and couldn't even move I was in so much pain. Doctor made me quit football. Swtiched to tennis which was just a mess of frustration because I'd train my [Craig James] off and then end up sitting out a month because my back hurt so bad. Mid way through sophomore year (2 years later) , I switch to my 5th orthopedic surgeon and he requested that I get a cat scan. Low and behold we find out that my back had 2 fractures in it that had been there since 8th grade. The whole missing disk thing was a fluke and was apparently not the problem at all. Anyway, it was broken for so damn long, that it apparently can never heal all the way despite wearing a back brace for 6 months and wearing a bone growth stimulator.

I was able to do very well in tennis with off and on pain that was for the most part manageable. My back still bothers me to this day. Had an intramural football game last night and it hurt like hell to get out of bed this morning. Scared what it's going to be like as an old man
 
Opintel

Opintel

Moderators
Three back surgeries - three implants, three plates and straightening in the lumbar...sucks.

I'm with you. The Doctor told me that "once a back patient, always a back patient".

I'm just happy to function - or not be under ground. :ph34r:


Maniac - come over, we'll do beers. :biggrin:
 
F

frogbyproxy

New Member
tcumaniac said:
how did you hurt your back again?
Click to expand...

I had L3 through L5 fused two years ago and ended up with gas gangrene in the spine and several other areas.
I was lifting more than I should while working DOD in Corpus Christi. :blush: When your young most won't lift because they just don't want to and some of us older guys try to show up the young guys. :rolleyes:
Moral to the story! Never try to out do the kids you will pay for it later. :tongue:
From my school days until my injury I have always given 110% because it was in my blood but I learned the hard way give 70% at work and use a fork lift for the big stuff. :wink:
I ended my career at Fort Belvoir VA. writing contracts and am now retired but with this implant I shall return!
 
FROGDADDY

FROGDADDY

New Member
Opintel said:
I'm with you. The Doctor told me that "once a back patient, always a back patient".
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As I walked out if the office after my final post-op check up I thanked my doctor for everything. His response "I'll see you again down the road". So I've got that to look forward to.
 
F

frogbyproxy

New Member
FROGDADDY said:
As I walked out if the office after my final post-op check up I thanked my doctor for everything. His response "I'll see you again down the road". So I've got that to look forward to.
Click to expand...

Thanks to you and the other well wishers!

Yep you have that to look forward to I hate to say!
They put me under today and after they got the leads in they woke me up so they could maneuver them into the right place. While this was happening I was telling him I spoke with a lady recently from Australia who had 3 man made disk put in and doesn't have a problem. The doctor stated we are still in the experimental stage with them but a few doctors do it here in the US. I said "so we pay more for health care in this country and overseas they are more advanced?" His answer is "it's a business" :blush:
 
C

Comet7745

New Member
I know I'm a Mustang and don't really post here much (I really just joined recently for talk about realignment). Anyway, you have a touching story and I wish you the best through all of this. It takes balls of steel to go through all of that. If I ever see you around Ford stadium I'll be sure to buy you a beer or two.
 
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frogbyproxy

New Member
Comet said:
I know I'm a Mustang and don't really post here much (I really just joined recently for talk about realignment). Anyway, you have a touching story and I wish you the best through all of this. It takes balls of steel to go through all of that. If I ever see you around Ford stadium I'll be sure to buy you a beer or two.
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Thank you comet I may take you up on the beer next time around! :tongue: When it comes to having something like the implant done it's a last resort. It was that or be in a wheel chair next year. I'm just buying time.
 
Horny4TCU

Horny4TCU

Active Member
FROGDADDY said:
As I walked out if the office after my final post-op check up I thanked my doctor for everything. His response "I'll see you again down the road". So I've got that to look forward to.
Click to expand...

Nice Caddy Shack reference.


Wait, a tick... "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice. "
 
Stiff Arm Frog

Stiff Arm Frog

Active Member
Dorsal spine implant? Is that anything like a dolphinoplasty?

broflof.jpg


:biggrin:


In all seriousness, back pain can be brutal and my mom had something similar done a few years ago. Hope this helps.
 

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