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Hey Larry, man to tell the truth I don't know what happened. For a period I lost all interest in pool. I played my Monday night APA matches and that was it. No practice, no forums, nada.
Just out of hospital 6 days ago. Gonna be a long pull but am rearing to get back to playing, practice, forums, everything related to the game I love.
Still haven't found the question but that's OK I already have a Valley Bar Box and a 9' Diamond. Would rather see someone win that really needs a table.
When I have more energy I will go to nonpool and tell ya about my ordeal. You how us old folks love to tell everybody 'bout our ailments
Just out of hospital 6 days ago. Gonna be a long pull but am rearing to get back to playing, practice, forums, everything related to the game I love.
Still haven't found the question but that's OK I already have a Valley Bar Box and a 9' Diamond. Would rather see someone win that really needs a table.
When I have more energy I will go to nonpool and tell ya about my ordeal. You how us old folks love to tell everybody 'bout our ailments
Have had lower back problems since an initial injury in 1970 when I put a 250 gal propane tank in the back of a pickup by myself. Got over that in a few weeks but have had problems on and off over the years. Finally had surgery in 2001 to trim some discs and scrape away some arthritis growth to give the nerve roots a little room to function in. That doctor told me that I had what is called degenerative disc desease. Well, that surgery keep me pain free for about a year and a half. It began slowly but by early 2004 I had started epidural injections as over the counter stuff wasn't cutting it. At first I did epidurals with a local anithesiologist but after a few months moved to a specialist that did the shots under floroscope or xray so she could see the placement of the needle before injection. That carried me to early 2005 when the shots would only last a week or less. Moved to a pain management doc in Foley near where I have my business. He worked me thru several medication until we settled on Avenza after about 6 mos. Stayed with the Avenza, slow release morphine, by taking in in conjunction with an instant realease norhpine when thing got bad until I reach a point about last Sept where the dosage had increased to a level where it was affecting my ability to funtion; judgement, decision macking, concentration, and msot important, ability to bend over a pool table :-D . Well this pain doc is really a good caring doctor so we talk about it and he says "Richard, It is time for surgery." So I say, "OK Doc I'm game but IF YOU WERE ME and had to do this who would you go to." You see I had had my first one at Health South in Birmingham, AL where all the pro ateletes go. (In fact on the table next to me in preop was an Atlanta Braves AA pitcher). Anyway my doc says that is the grass is always greener theory. He say"If I had to do it I would use Dr Canley in Daphne, AL", about 45 minutes from my house. I tell him make me an appointment. I get a new set of MRIs and go see Canely. He says I could have surgery or else live off pain pills till I reach a point I have to wear a morphine pump and then go to the point I am just keep in bed in a total fog. I ask when we can do the surgery. He tells me to come back in two weeks and he will see when we can get it set it as he uses a vascular surgeon to assist on a surgery this major. I go back and he gives me a date in mid Sept. I tell him that I have a legal suite againest someone with a mid Oct date and will I be recovered enough to make it. He can't guarantee so wee delay. I get past my suite (I lost) and go back and see him. Now in addition to my back problem I had a fair sized adominable hernia which caused me no problem but figured I might as well have repaired while we are doing this. THat invloved coordinating the schedure of 3 surgeons, my Ortho, the Vascular, and a General. Don't you know Blue Cross loves my ass. Now, you are probably saying, This idiot is having back surgery, what does that have to do with an abdmonial hernia?" That's the kicker my damn discs in the entire lumbar spine had degenerated to the point that the spine had started reverse curveature. Was a curvin' back where it was 'sposed to cure forward. Know every has seen that section of spine in a doctors office. Anyway, that is where the abdomin comes in. He has to go in thru the front, push all my guts out of the way, any rasie the vertebre and place cages holding bone chips, called grafts, between either 3 or 4 sections of vertebre to get the proper curveture before he can do the work in the back. So long as we goin' that way, let's fix the hernia. He agrees if the vascular does, will depend on table time he says. OK, the staff of the three surgeons get together and compare schedules.
Dec 14th 11:30am, admitted to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, AL (less than an hour from my home). Processed and moved to pre-op just after noon. Taken to surgery about 2:30. Ortho and Vascular do their thing by making a 12" incision starting about 2" abobe my privates going straight up then around the navel then straight up again. Ortho finishes after three hours then General takes over. He works on the hernia repair for nearly 2 hours before I am taken to recovery. I kinfa don't know much till the afternoon of the next day. Then guess what, they this elastic band that is about a foot wide holding everything together and they want me to GET UP and go for a friggin walk. This therpy lady gets my ass outbed and staps this humungous brace on me and hands me a walker. I make it to about 10' out the room door and tell her that's it dahlin'. Shes says I did good and she will see me in the mornings and afternoons too. So we do this for 5 days. By then I am getting enough strength I can get out of bed on my own to go to the john or just stroll the hall's for exercise.
Day 8: They were going to do the second part after 2 days but I lost 3600 ml of blood on e first so they gave me time to build back up. Back to surgery for five and a half hours. Doctor described getting the nerves free of the scar tissue from the earlier surgery and the arthiritis and busted up disc was like trying to get cooked angel hair pasta out of dired concrete without cutting or breaking any of the pasta. He did tell my wife that when he was finished the nerves were all just laid out beautifully. I not have in addition to the grafts two titaniam rod with 12 titaniam screws running from L1 to S1. 14 days total in hospital. So my lumbar spine will eventually become one piece. Naturally that will limit bending mobility but hell it hurt so much to bend before the surgery I hardly ever bent mucn anyway. Would just bend at the hips. Going to doctor tomorrow and he will set me up for therapy. I am looking and 3-6 momths min. But getting stronger by the day. Even went out side today and with one resting break made all the way to my pier (about 250') Was sure nice to breath some outside fresh air.
So Larry my man, I know it's long but there is "The Ordeal" I hope, as I get stronger, to be able to participate more and contribute to the forum.
Your forum friend and I hope to meet you one day.
Pel
[ Edited by Pelican on 2006/12/7 9:17 ]
