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Posted (edited)

@Brent, I'm no neurosurgeon, but I do remember Cauda Equina Syndrome being very serious stuff. One of the big deal diagnosesyou need to consider to avoid major problems. That WebMD link looks pretty accurate and detailed, maybe so detailed that the important thing gets lost. The big thing is that it can quickly lead to permanent nerve damage, resulting in permanent loss of bowel and bladder control, or paralysis of the legs. Which would be bad. Really bad. I 'm really glad you caught it and treated it quickly!

@Jim, hope you feel younger today! I am older than anyone in our circle, and older than anyone here that has 6 year olds. That makes me feel old. And my knees hurt when I give them a piggyback ride. And when I play soccer with my son, it's hard to run and change directions, and he says 'I hate to take advantage of an old man' and cracks up. Which is actually kind of funny. But hey, my life is more stable than any of them, my career further along, my experience and life knowledge, on and on. I feel like Yoda ... slow moving, but quick when I need to be, and more patient wiser than I was 20 yrs ago. I imagine you to be the same. But some days, I just feel old. and tired. Just like Yoda did.

Edited by jvlgato
Posted (edited)

Got up at 4am to feed/change Benjamin (which was awesome, made me feel a whole lot less useless). I then went to work where back to feeling useless because I have not managed to find work for best or second best guy (issues with export control and not having a green card) and we are going to have to lay him off. Totally f'ing sucks because he's very good, very hard to replace and just had a second kid about a month before me.

@Jim: Feel young

@Shelly: I hope you can fit the surgery in and get it fixed, your health is more important than conferences

@Brent: Really glad they caught it. Sounds serious.

Edited by Dreadhead
Posted

Sorry for the bad news, Shelly. Is the surgery an arthroscopy procedure? If so I'd go for it instead of rest, cortisone and PT.

Brent, it's really great that they operated you before the serious complications started. Compression of the cauda equina, as Jvlgato said, may be quite disabling. I'm glad things went well for you :)

Posted

Sorry to hear you need surgery and down time Shelly, Good luck and I hope it all works out well in the end.

That was an extremely nasty diagnosis Brent, I'm glad that it seems will be living your normal abnormal life again afterwards. Hope things have been getting progressively better still.

Posted

Guys our entire team is falling apart. What's up?

Our hobbies of drinking, listening to music, and spending time online and shopping may not be very healthy it seems. :( When was the last time most of us visited the doctor for a check up? (rhetorical question)

Posted (edited)

Good luck Al!

Sorry for the bad news, Shelly. Is the surgery an arthroscopy procedure?

Yes. Seems like there is still a long recovery time because of the lack of blood flow to that region. sad.png I have been looking around and seeing a lot of variations on how long they expect you to be on crutches, how long you have to go without driving... etc. I don't want to be an invalid for 8 weeks. Also having to sleep on my back for several weeks makes me tired thinking about it. I guess I will be on a lot of drugs... maybe I will be able to sleep better. Sigh.

Guess I will have to get that Segway after all. smile.png

Edited by shellylh
Posted (edited)

Best wishes Al!

And Shelly! I would go for the surgery as well. Since it is only one side, I would think you would be down to a single crutch in a short time? Can't remember if that was easier for me or not. Didn't matter cuz the ortho kept me out of work the whole time anyhow :lol:

If it is your left hip/leg, you should be cleared to drive faster.

Edited by Pars
Posted

Good luck Al!

Yes. Seems like there is still a long recovery time because of the lack of blow flow to that region. sad.png I have been looking around and seeing a lot of variations on how long they expect you to be on crutches, how long you have to go without driving... etc. I don't want to be an invalid for 8 weeks. Also having to sleep on my back for several weeks makes me tired thinking about it. I guess I will be on a lot of drugs... maybe I will be able to sleep better. Sigh.

Guess I will have to get that Segway after all. smile.png

Problem is that a surgery removing a cartilage which gives stability to the articulation, leaves it less secure and not adequate to charge your whole body weight until some firm healing is obtained. Then you'll need to increase your muscular strength to provide more stability. That takes some time, but it's the ticket for a stable articulation and normal life. You'll be good :)

Posted (edited)

Just had quite a jolt from a quick earthquake.

Unconfirmed magnitude 4.2 centered in Berkeley. Hopefully it won't amount to much because today is the 20th anniversary of the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm.

Edited by Voltron
Posted (edited)

Best wishes Al!

And Shelly! I would go for the surgery as well. Since it is only one side, I would think you would be down to a single crutch in a short time? Can't remember if that was easier for me or not. Didn't matter cuz the ortho kept me out of work the whole time anyhow laugh.png

If it is your left hip/leg, you should be cleared to drive faster.

Unfortunately it is the right. sad.png

How long were you out of work? I hope I wouldn't have to be away for more than a week. I do have a pretty anti-(labor intensive). I could get a recliner put in my office. I think Brent is right, a cane and vicodin is definitely the way to go. smile.png

Edited by shellylh
Posted

Well, I can't say I'm all that certain what is going on with my hip after seeing the doctor. She seemed pretty certain it was trochanteric bursitis but then switched to gluteal tendonitis, even though she wasn't certain that pain both in the groin and on the opposite side of the hip could be caused by the latter. She said that some anti-inflammatories would be the first step in either case. I guess I will see if this does anything, and it is going to really hamper moving into the house if this remodel is really done this week. chair-hit.gif

Posted

@Shelly + Al... maybe we should all pop Vicodin, get canes (already have mine), and go as House for Halloween. (There's a girl I work with who begged me to go as him... the popping Vicodin part works, the cane plays, not much different than usual here). You should get a sword cane, Shelly. Cold Steel makes one with an entertaining video as well.

or

@Al Hope the AIs help. Glad you got czeched out, though. And look on the bright side... gives you a good excuse to hire the movers to carry you in on a sofa while you direct them from your Throne Lounge.

**BRENT**

Posted

Boot Full Of Meat has got to be my favorite. Maybe Shelly should just borrow Larry's sword cane in case she comes across any turkeys hanging from meat hooks while convalescing.

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