I'm reluctant to tell my story because I don't like to whine about my
health problems or listen to very much whining from others about their
various aches and pains either. I'll skip some details, a little over a
year ago I had Laminectomy surgery on L3, 4 and 5 lumbar vertebrae.
Bodyweight is not part of my problem as I am 5' 6" tall and now weigh
about 135 lbs. My problems were brought on by many years of heavy
weightlifting and at my best I weighed 180 lbs. I swore that I would
never have surgery but my pain got so bad I told the doctor's
assistant to move up my surgery date if there was a cancellation.
After five days in the hospital I came home with a walker and high
hopes of being able to function normally in a few months. Shortly
after returning home I realized that I brought something else home
from the hospital. A MRSA type staph infection. So three weeks after
my spine surgery I had surgery again to deal with the infection and
save my life. Spent six weeks on IV antibiotics and two more weeks
on orals. Now over a year later I am little if any better off than
before surgery. I have severe burning pain around the wound site,
maybe from scar tissue, and a curve to the left in my body that seems
to be permanent. My limit for walking seems to be about fifteen
minutes before pain forces me to sit down. Realize that HA, hospital
acquired, infections are killing 100,000 people a year in the US. I
wonder where is the public outcry over this? All the attention given
to "gun violence" and impaired driver accidents but not much for the
"Super Bugs" that are resistant to common antibiotics. Everyone's
back problems are different but you asked for advise so realize that
when you have a deep open wound as in surgery you are extremely
vunerable to infection. The hospitals try but infections are common.
Also keep a close watch on your incision and if it shows signs of
infection, extra reddning or stabbing pain, don't ignore it. If you are
ever so unlucky as to be one of the many who acquire infections from
a hospital time is of the essence.