Just had 3-4and fused yesterday Oct 8 24. Still in hospital for one 2more days

Post op almost 4 weeks. I have the same sensations as you. I look forward to seeing your progress. Be well!

I am at 6 months. Same surgery. I feel like I have had a set back, I was feeling great, walking, hiking, I was released from all restrictions, now I'm afraid I have injured myself. Pain, numbness is my right leg. I go back to the Dr on the 17th.

Its all In my legs num week In both legs can't sleep barely can stand up come the 17th of this month I'm going for a mri hope its not to bad to where thay would have to put strews in my back only thing that I'm really afraid of is being here by myself....

Hi, ran across this just now!! 9.5.24- I'm 75, wasted too much time on 'conservitive' treatment! 😮 Finally got 2nd opinion! Tlif L3-L4 L5- (Fusion) w heimlamectomy L2-L3 left side! Rough recovery- back is amazing!! NO more slumping! 7 weeks ago! Only problem is severe nerve pain dwn left leg! Plus, sudden unexpected edema of both lower legs. The Dr did say the team did all they could to decompress, however the nerves are very damaged & may take 6-8 months to dissapate! This has caused extended bed rest w feet above my heart- antibotics, lasix, decadron taper 2 x-- I am getting lil bit weak, but walking as much as I am able to. PT in 3 weeks- can't wait! So happy & encouraged to find your video! Thank you SO much! Youngsters - if you begin having severe lumbar pain w pain dwn ur legs-- may I strongly suggest you not put urselves thru all the facet injections, branch blocks, more PT-- Etc-- find a highly rated Orthopedic Surgeon- don't be stubborn & tell urself it will get better!! Don't be like me in other words 😂 I know I'm going to be much better-- & I'm looking forward to life again!! 🎉

Everybody's body is different. I just had the same surgery. I'm rushing nothing, don't push it. Take it slow

I am 60 & had L4-S1 TLIF on 2-14-24. I have been a personal trainer & fitness instructor for 25 years. My neurosurgeon said I was free to do Whatever I wanted after six weeks. He did not send me to physical therapy. I teach fitness to 60+ year olds 3 days a week. I have had the same roller coaster experience as you with pain. I have never been on any meds except right after surgery. I use massage therapy, ice, CBD cream & aspercreme or diclofunac to manage pain. If I only walk, I usually have little to no pain. I have to be careful what I do in exercise class & I am only using 1# dumbbells if I use any at all. I have been doing squats but it sometimes causes a considerable amount of pain. I hope at the 1 year mark I can play golf again. I did some water aerobics this summer which was better than land. When I hurt I rest. But I definitely push the envelope because I don't like the alternative of becoming a couch potato. Good luck to you.

Thank you for your update. 12 weeks post alif/plif. Taking one day at a time. So grateful for no more leg pain. From time to time I feel it and regress as you said. But so far not like what it was!!

Love the shirt. I wish they would up their clothing line like Nitrate 😂.

Or if you have an enlarged prostate which most men will have at some point in their life.

Yeah, excellent band...love the first two discs and EP too. Already have this pre-ordered!

Thank you!!

Thanks for the update. From time to time I'd searched your page to see how you were doing after 3 years. We had the same surgery, but different approach! Mine was the (XLIF). Currently I'm at 18 months post surgery. Doing good , no back pain unless I over do it. Just get achy. Still on Gabapentin, I tried to taper down but my right thigh nerve pain can get a little intense . I can totally agree with you about knowing your baseline and not giving so much thought to some details that's taking a while to get there . We can truly say we are better now than before the surgery.

Thanks for the update! I'm glad to hear that after three years, your symptoms are manageable without neurontin. I have not tolerated this drug (it was pregabalin in my case, but the two drugs are similar) very well so I'm not using it. My L5S1 fusion was 9.5 months ago, and it was the fifth lumbar back surgery overall (the previous ones included three microdiscectomies / nerve decompression surgeries at L5S1 and another at a higher level). While my back is feeling quite good (I never had very strong back pain anyway), I'm struggling with nerve pain / symptoms in the leg and/or foot. The symptoms seem to get better, but at a very slow pace. My surgeon and neurologist believe that the problem, in my case, is excessive scar tissue surrounding the nerve root, irritating nerves when I move. In addition, some permanent nerve damage may be present in some of the nerve fibers. I was advised that any surgical intervention to remove adhesions is very likely to generate even more scar tissue / adhesions and therefore not likely to help. My observation is that the more I stand and sit on any given day, the more the nerve becomes irritated, and hence the more pain I feel. Also, when overdoing it with leg stretching, the nerve seems to get triggered. In consequence, I feel I have limitations at work (need regular rest) and cannot do very long train/plane/car travel, although it is slowly getting better. I do have a question to you: Was scar tissue removal ever discussed by your doctors? Is it likely a factor contributing to your ongoing symptoms? Do you observe a correlation between standing/sitting/stretching intensity and symptom intensity? Good luck and best wishes!

I love this whole album. Amazing talent with Jimi's amazing vocals. He's absolutely amazing in concert, you can't the difference between live and studio sound. Not many artist can pull that off. I listen to this album quiet often along with Jimi's solo albums.

A three tire version is safe to balance. Riding a bike requires quick foot on the ground and this one has those covers on top. So three tire one yes. Two tire version big no. And I actually like this concept.

"I See You In Everyone", Track 9 on Vital Signs, is one of my favorite Survivor tunes of all time.

It’s been a year for me this month! Shaved bone, a rod and six screws! I walk seven days a week and do a 15 minute low back yoga stretch class every day as well, also one 50 mg tramadol! Probably 12000/13000 steps daily! Before I get out of bed I do some stretches and that definitely helps with the soreness first thing in the morning! I can still feel the weight of the hardware but it is getting better! The recovery for this surgery is long and hard, you just have to keep moving! My limitations are standing too long or sitting too long! It’s a balance! Stay positive, you do have set backs but as I said it’s a long recovery physically and emotionally! You’ll get there! Just keep moving! 😊

Hello, thanks for telling us your experiences. I had an L2 to S1 fusion a year and a half ago and then a revision of the fusion four weeks ago. Within a couple of weeks after my fusion I knew that I was still having nerve issues, issues and problems with my right foot, but it took me a whole year to get the surgeon to see that there was still a problem. I also have good days and bad days. I also have strange feelings and my leg and buttocks area that are not consistent from day-to-day. It’s interesting that today is a bad day and I found this video of yours. It helps me somewhat to know that I’m not the only one that has these inconsistent strange symptoms in my leg and buttocks area hopefully within the next year the symptoms will dissipate more and I’ll have more frequent good days. Right now I’m having two good days and one bad day. I am able to ride my bike go to the gym and do weights on the machines and do small yardwork projects around the house, but i can, overdo it easily. Sleeping is a big challenge for me. It may be because of the revision laminectomy that I just had four weeks ago, but I’m not able to sleep on my back and I have to change positions from side to side in order to make it through the night. Thanks for your story.

Four months lates, and I am still in pain in my rigth leg. My life depends of Tylenol and gabapentin. Everybody advised me waitb6 months, a year and I will see bettercresults. To be honest sometimes I feel so hopeless butvthe good thing is I am in PT.

I am currently at the 4-week mark post-op following my L3-4-5 spinal fusion surgery --- the one symptom I am experiencing is hip pain and groin pain. Is this something you experienced at this stage post-op from your surgery? Thanks .

By any chance do you get pain in your neck when it’s cold?

Did you feel any improvement between 2.5 and 3 years? I'm almost 8 months out of L5S1 fusion and I'm still struggling with nerve issues. I'm slowly building up core training and a little bit of cardio, but nerve pain is with me every day, as are a certain amount of numbness in my foot and tingling. The pain level is perhaps decreasing a little bit on average, but it's up and down from day to day. This is certainly a very slow and long process.

Hi, thank you for your videos. I enjoyed watching them. How are you feeling today? I just had a Laminectomy and an L3-4-5 spinal fusion. I am now 3-weeks post-op. Recovery is slow. But I keep moving. Thanks again for your videos. They helped a lot.

I just had my own L3-L5 lumbar fusion - I had to stop the NORCO 5-days post-op due to severe constipation.

Do you feel this in the hamstrings at all?Seems like it would be focusing more on the quads?I give you props for getting back out there after surgery.Stay safe.

Hi am also at 4 months post l5 s1 fusion Today i went to fallow up apointment with my surgeon no bone growing forming yet how many months did it take for you ? For bone growt star forming ?

I'M GOING TO GET L5-S1 ENDOSCOPIC TRANSFORAMINAL LUMBAR INTERBODY FUSION FOR SPONDYLOLISTHESIS ON MAY 15, 2024 🙏

I am 15 months post having a two level XlIF L3-L5 and a laminectomy! I saw your beginning post op post walking with physical therapy in that dreaded hospital gown. I've also saw a few of your progress post, but this one is where I'm at now. My back feels fine, with occasional achiness during the cold wet weather. Did the barometric pressure affect your back? I do still have some numbness and tingling on the front side of my right thigh, still on gabapentin. Not walking as far you, because I'm older, LOL, but walking everyday, Gym 2-3 times a week, One other thing, I faithfully do the physical therapy exercises they taught me everyday! and I was advised to do them the rest of my life! Thank you for your post.

Hello, I am at day 4 post op for TLIF at L5-S1. I found your channel last night and I want to thank you for all the time you put into it. There's a lot of accounts of folks describing their experience, but yours is the most relevant, and informative that I have found anywhere. Thank you again! At day 4, I am pretty beat. Got my first shower yesterday, and felt good enough to go outside for a walk. I did about 1/4 mile and felt great, only to find myself in severe pain at bedtime, any pressure on the site was just too much. Made for a long night, but I feel better today. For me, the G.I. stuff has been just awful. Can't wait for that to let up. I am also scheduled for C6-C7, C7-T1 ACDF with C7-T1 posterior cervical fusion in 5 weeks. I am terrified at the thought of going through this again a month from now, but in the account of your cervical spine surgery, I get the impression that it was much less painful, much easer recovery. Would you comment on that please? I would love to hear from you how they compare. Again, thanks.

❤Thank you so much! I’m really happy to know you like the album. It’s an awesome review! 😀🥰

Thanks for your video. I am 5 weeks post-op so your video really helped me to ease up on myself and slow down so I have a good fusion. I heard all these other people who were walking 10 miles a day, and I’m struggling to get 1.5 miles a day right now, safely. You are right - it is variable.

Thanks for the update. I'm 5.5 months post L5S1 fusion and my nerves are still causing intermittent pain in my leg / buttock area. Fortunately it's not constant, but interfering with work/sleep nevertheless. Question: you had mentioned neurontin in some of your earlier videos. Did you use this to treat the numbness / tingling or rather some pain (e.g. burning / stabbing) symptoms?

Hello friend how you doing now. ??

Had L3-L5 fusion with lamenectomies as well. Made it 8 months post surgery doing great until I had a slip and fall on black ice last spring 2023. Blew out the disks both above and below the original fusion. Now going in for more surgery in a couple of weeks finally, getting L2-L3 and L5-S1 fused. They're going to replace and add new rods to cover L2-S1.

Had L3-L5 fusion with lamenectomies as well. Made it 8 months post surgery doing great until I had a slip and fall on black ice last spring 2023. Blew out the disks both above and below the original fusion. Now going in for more surgery in a couple of weeks finally, getting L2-L3 and L5-S1 fused. They're going to replace and add new rods to cover L2-S1.

I hope the original foreigner!!!

L3 L4 fusion on Weds...hope it goes well

I’m at the 2 month mark and already feeling so much better. My right leg doesn’t hurt at all. Before my surgery I was always in so much pain. You mentioned just standing in line at stores or an event , and I can totally relate. My surgeon said that would probably take a full year to recover so I’m patient doing everything he tells me to do. I’m glad I came across your testimony. Thank you so much.

I am a 66-year-old man who had cervical discectomy and fusion of C4, C5, C6, and C7 last February. My surgeon told me that my lumbar needs the same surgery on L3, L4, L5...but he said he would rather not do it because of my age and being compromised from my last surgery and a widow maker 3 years ago. He said that lumbar fusion on that many levels is a difficult rehab for someone my age who is already compromised. However, that was last May when he told me that. Since then, my lumbar has gotten significantly worse, which was confirmed by a CT scan yesterday. The person who evaluated it said there has been significant deterioration since my last scan. I saw the CT scan and I was shocked it could get that much worse in a short amount of time. My reason for asking is to ask if someone who has had a lumbar discectomy would share a picture of their lumbar with me so I can compare it to mine, and maybe giving me a better idea of whether I should consent to surgery or not. I realize I should leave it up to the doctor, but after telling me that he would operate in a heartbeat if I was younger because I need it badly, he said he will leave the decision up to me. If anybody is willing to do that, please let me know and I will give you my contact info. Or if you have a way of posting it somewhere that I could access, that would be great.

Very informative video. I had operation on L 4/5 S1 many years ago now Need Fusion pars fracture spondylitis 70 retired law enforcement having major problems walking now due to dad fall some months ago just wait for operation just uncertain due to age. Thanks for video.

I agree for sure with everything he says. Especially about the psychological aspect. I’ve been dealing with back pain for years everything I do when I leave the home or even inside the home I have to think about it. I had OLLIF surgery on my lumbar. Which is the most advanced back surgery. My doctor and my physical therapist keep telling me to stop using the walker. Or try to wean off of it. But my brain is telling me I need to have this because I don’t wanna fall again.

Do you know anyone that he/she has 30 years post op? Are they doing well also! Sorry for this question, I'm not offending anyone, just worrying about my case! Thank you for sharing your story!

I had my surgery in July and it was a fail. I am in more pain now than I was before.

Thanks so much for sharing! So glad you're doing well. Amazing!! I am 5 months post op.

What handlebar bag are you using in this video?

Very cool. What are your thoughts now that you've had more time to use it? Does the motion feel similar to writing while standing on a traditional mountain bike?

Depressing! I am one year in with worse foot numbness leg pain than before same surgery!

2 years so far ,great results

I have my postlateral spinal 2-level fusion and laminectomy on Sept 11th, 2023. L3-L5. To hear you are hiking 8 miles makes me so happy. Right now, I can’t walk 1/2 mile before I am in extreme pain. Can’t stand longer than 15 minutes before pain sets in. All I want to be able to do is take my granddaughter for a walk around the block. Lol. If my surgery is half as successful as yours, then I’ll be super happy.