Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

I'm just sitting here this morning reading about all of the bad surgeries that different folks have had. I'm 80 yrs. old now and my first bout with back pain was at age 32. The first doctor I went to after months of pain, told me my back looked like I was an 80-year-old lady who worked on a farm all her life. I have seen many doctors over the years, I've had left foot drop, lots of leg weakness and nerve pain, ex-rays, MRI, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc. I have been afraid of surgery, which one Nero surgery doctor said I needed. I deal with the pain by sitting when the pain is bad, but for the most part, I walk 2-3 miles on good days. It hurts when I first go out, but after about 1-1/2 miles it is bearable. I do walk bent over and do not have good posture, and I cannot stand for a long time at the kitchen counter because of mid back pain. So I sit and it will ease off. I stretch, do hand weights, walk, and just try to keep as active as possible. And Tylenol is my go-to for pain because I also take blood thinners for AFIB. I also have had 7 joints in different parts of my body injected because of pain, so I may have a type of arthritis that no doctor has ever seen before. I try to keep positive, I deliver meals on wheels one day a week, help a neighbor who is in a wheelchair and have a huge family that keeps me busy. My thoughts control my feelings, so I try not to let the pain rule my life. Cheers!

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I'm just sitting here this morning reading about all of the bad surgeries that different folks have had. I'm 80 yrs. old now and my first bout with back pain was at age 32. The first doctor I went to after months of pain, told me my back looked like I was an 80-year-old lady who worked on a farm all her life. I have seen many doctors over the years, I've had left foot drop, lots of leg weakness and nerve pain, ex-rays, MRI, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc. I have been afraid of surgery, which one Nero surgery doctor said I needed. I deal with the pain by sitting when the pain is bad, but for the most part, I walk 2-3 miles on good days. It hurts when I first go out, but after about 1-1/2 miles it is bearable. I do walk bent over and do not have good posture, and I cannot stand for a long time at the kitchen counter because of mid back pain. So I sit and it will ease off. I stretch, do hand weights, walk, and just try to keep as active as possible. And Tylenol is my go-to for pain because I also take blood thinners for AFIB. I also have had 7 joints in different parts of my body injected because of pain, so I may have a type of arthritis that no doctor has ever seen before. I try to keep positive, I deliver meals on wheels one day a week, help a neighbor who is in a wheelchair and have a huge family that keeps me busy. My thoughts control my feelings, so I try not to let the pain rule my life. Cheers!

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I had a lumbar laminectomy/discectomy in Feb 2010. He did L2,L3, L4, L5 and part of S1. I went back to work after 6 weeks. Worked in a medical office, lifting stacks of charts. My surgery addressed the right side, I now have herniation, bulging discs, bone spurs, on the left side. I am 59 years old, lost my job after getting a c-diff infection, possibly from the surgery center. I am getting a mylogram this Thursday. Had a MRI and my surgeon said there was a lot going on, and sent me for a second opinion, which I appreciated. I am possibly looking at a spinal fision. I feel like I'm dragging mt left leg, living on pain pills. I just got disability, but scared to death to have more surgery. I don't live near a Mayo clinic. I do feel like I have a good surgeon, but still would like to know others experiences.

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