Dear Desert Rat

[Mitzi]

If you are still having problems with no feelings in a few of your toes, that would mean nerve damage to me. When my husband had his 2 ruptured discs, he had no feeling in his whole left leg and foot.
Turned out that, not only did he have 2 ruptured discs, pieces of bone from a deteriorating vertebrae had landed on a nerve. Soon as they repaired the discs and took the bone fragments out, he was fine.
Be careful riding that motorcyle with that back problem! Don't make me come out there and jerk you off that thing and throw you in a patrol car!
(Wow, brave, aren't I?) lol

[Mitzi]

Maybe you need to see a neurosurgeon. My husband was really bad off with his back injury. I pulled up to the emergency room with him laying in the back of my station wagon. It was so hard to hear him groan as they got him on the gurney but the surgery solved his problems. They kept telling him he had a sprained back. Or, because he is so tall (6'5) his spine was too long and inflamed. They did an MRI and nothing showed up. He was at his wits end then because he couldn't even drive. Finally, the dr did a myleogram. There, it showed his problems. At the time, they said 20% of people like my husband can't be diagnosed with an MRI.
If you are having that much problem, especially since it's your gun hand, I'd keep going to drs until one of them finds out what is wrong.

[DesertRat]

All right Mom, I mean Mitzi. Part of my problem is I'm lazy about doing the steretches I am supposed to do. when I keep up on them it takes strain off the lower back and the numbness is not as severe. but, they are a pain in the *** to do and take another 20-30 minutes out of my day I don't have. Besides, the kids think it's cool to pinch poke and twist my toes to try to make it hurt while I just sit there. The just think Dad's tuff. I'm waiting for one of them to get smart enought to ask to try it on the other foot.

[Jessica]

Hang in there DesertRat. I've had back surgery and I'm doing better now. Unfortunately, I'll never be he same as I was, but no longer having severe pain has made it all worth while. The doctors will put you off as long as possible which never made any sense to me.

There is nothing like severe back pain. It not only puts a strain on you physically, but affects your personal life as well. No one wants to be around a person that hurts all the time.

All the best,
Jessica

[DesertRat]

Originally posted by Jessica:
No one wants to be around a person that hurts all the time.

All the best,
Jessica

Unfortunately I know more about that one than I want to But heh, I married for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, I guess I'll keep her at this point Besides, I'm too old to train another one and I'm not real sure anybody else would have me.

[Jessica]

I understand completely. I wouldn't trade mine in either. But, it had to be annoying for my husband to constantly see me in pain. I had no one else to cry one, so he got the brunt of it. Back pain is so aggravating and annoying. You just get to the point where you want it to go away!

I lived in a brace for a year. Unfortunately, I got to the point of not being able to walk before they finally did surgery. I was in severe pain so much so that I couldn't even roll over by myself let alone make it to the bathroom. All of this occurred between the ages of 31-33! I'm no spring chicken, but old age doesn't fit in this picture.

Oh well...I'm just glad it is all over. (At least for the time being).

[Mitzi]

My husband has days where his back is sore but not anything like it used to be. Just before his surgery, when they couldn't find out what was wrong, I was driving him all over this city with the seat down in the back of my station wagon and him laying back there. Every bump we hit made him groan. He would try to sit up to give me directions on how to get places I had never been before. He resorted to drawing maps and I'd pull over to look at them to see where I was going. Now, if that wasn't for better or worse, I don't know what was! lol And getting him into the doctors or hospital for tests was a hoot. Me, 5'2....him 6'5, trying to lean on me and our even shorter son (at the time) to get into these places must have looked liked 3 drunks slowly zig zagging, walking down the parking lot! lol. He couldn't even sit in a wheelchair! It was really awful. But, the surgery took the pain away, even if he does list a little to the right at times!