I was fast rapelling between two columns in the HydroCracker Unit at work in a refinery when i ran back first into a piece of angle iron that wasn't on any of the engineering or isometric drawings. I originally thought I had just got a 'deep bruise', (and didn't report it), but I severely cracked two vertebrae....in essence, I simply broke my back. I'm "Old School" in that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger...or so I thought. Since I didn't report the 'injury', there was no claim for workmans comp...stupid mistake....REALLY stupid. 4 days after being laid off, (not from job performance), I went in for my first back surgery...then my second....then my third....then my fourth....then my fifth....then my sixth. You are probably thinking.."Who's this guy kidding?"....Well, it's not you, or me. Here's the surgery count as it stands right now.... I've had 6 back surgeries in the last 3 years, (3 in the last year), with two of those in the last 2 months...the last one was 2 weeks ago. Total count: 1. Laminectomy/Fusion: Hardware installed. 2. Laminectomy/Fusion: Failed...hardware removed. 3. Neurostimulator installed: working at 50%. 4. Wires in Nuerostimulator broke/ Surgically replaced: now working at 30%. 5. Morphine Pump Installed: Works perfect, problem solved?! Morphine Pump Removed: Massive Infection at the incision As of today, April 15th, I've been getting Antibiotic I.V.'s every day as an out-patient at the hospital...i've got a PICC line installed in my left arm and i'm at 40 straight days and counting.... (hopefully it comes out next week). I have what is basically a team of Orthopaedic surgeons that have tried to fix my back. I was told at the beginning that the procedure(s) don't work for every one...(in my case thats a true statement). You learn to live with what you've got...or don't have...your health. I've been fortunate in that I've been able to keep my health benefits so far, and all of these specialist have been covered. Thats about to change, and not in a good way.. (I won't get into that, and going to a V.A. hospital puts an itch in the roof of my mouth that only the barrel of a gun can scratch). So...after years of doing a job that I really like to do, and that I'm really good at, the only thing that will work is another pump implant...and I don't know how likely that will be...time will tell. Some people heal after the first surgery, some don't....take care of your back. It's the only thing that supports you. This is a picture of me right before it happened at 47 years of age...now I'm 50 years old and about 30 pounds lighter with more scars than a biker gang...it looks like I was on the losing end of a knife fight. I've also had more than 60 spinal injections, but it got to the point where the injections would only be effective for about 4 days.
Ok, update time..... I am now at day number 49 of getting daily IV's and they just extended that for another 4 weeks. I am now seeing a wound-care specialist, and have come to the conclusion that when they stuff iodine soaked gauze into the incision site that it really stings...and since the gauze is soaked with the iodine, that sting just won't go away until the gauze is removed...but then it's replaced and it starts all over again. Right now there's no light at the end of the tunnel, but if I ever see that light, I hope it's soon. And I hope that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming train. I could put up some post-surgery pictures, and the associated infection, and the PICC line, but I don't want to make anyone hurl....
I have a buddy at work that had to be hooked up with the whole morphine pump and all for a bit. I know his back really kills him and hes always looking for painkillers from people to help him out. I have been in construction an few years and have moved onto forklift driving for a living on solid cement floors with no padding what soever. I'm 24 and my back constantly hurts, needless to say I self medicate, beer and laying flat on my back on the floor for a good amount of time with some stretches. Another buddy at work was run over by a half ton chevy when he was riding his crotch rocket one day, his body looks like frankenstein, and he takes no pills at all for his pain, he just is able to lay flat and stretch to help alleviate his pains. I wish I knew the pain i would be in for being a dumb **** trying to work too hard instead of smart... Oh well live and learn.
Getting busted up sucks. Then when the treatment fails, it sucks. But every day is a gift anyway, so you make the most of it. Within reason of course. LOL Good luck
Oh, man the VA system in Southern Nevada beats the private health care system all to pieces ! I go to the hospital at Nellis and it's 5 times the facilities the other hospitals here are. We are getting a new hospital being built right now that will be first class all the way. It's not that far for you. Something to think about. It ain't the back east crap any more. If you need info on enrollment, I either have it or can get it pretty easily. Depending on your status, they say it takes about 6 months, but I enrolled the same day and was offered treatment on the spot.
I ended up doing 70 straight days of I.V.s at the hospital....today is July 19th, and my incision finally closed completely about a week ago. I've had an open wound since Feb 16th...so it's been pretty much almost 5 months of treating this....it's still tender, but at least it's closed up now.
