Fishing After Fusion

[clarki]

hey guys and gals. I recently had back surgery involving the removal of the disc between my L3 and L4 vertebrae, which was replaced by a bone graft and then had 4 screws inserted to hold it all together so the bones can fuse together. i also had 2 fractures on my L5 fixed with a type of bone cement.... so my question is... has anybody on the site had this fusion surgery and how is the quality of life for you now?? are you fishing again with no worries or is there lingering stuff that I can expect to always have bothering me etc.?? anybody hunting after this type of procedure? I havent fished for over 7 weeks now and i am going crazy (naturally). as well, i am going to miss the entire hunting season and i still have a couple more months before the bones fuse and i can start doing normal activities. ive sworn off ice fishing for the season and plan on fishing again in march (crow) or april (oldman). so anybody with any info regarding this i would appreciate some insight.

 

as a side note i feel compelled to inform everyone of the incredible care i received while at the medicine hat hospital. everyone was so professional and compassionate. a huge thank you to them all and especially to Dr. Riaz. i even had a nurse show me vids of a big pronghorn buck he video'd one evening on his way home after we had chatted about hunting and fishing etc. talk about your bedside care and attention!! later

 

M

 

ps. i am fishing vicariously through the members of this forum for the next few months. keep up the good reports all of you! later

[ladystrange]

well i cant speak from personal experience, but my ex-husband had bone fusion graft surgery exactly a year ago - oct 26th or 27 2006.

 

he had his neck done, C5-6

 

6 months previous to that he had herniated the disc, lost muscle mass on the left tricep & pectoral. feeling in the same areas as well as for arm and thumb, forefinger was either like pins and needles or gone completely.

 

his muscle strength has come back some but will probably never be the same, the tingley sensations come and go but are much better. and he played contact foot ball a little this summer.

 

he has taken up the dirt bike again and riding hard and falling down.

 

give it some time, you should be up and fishing again.

[bloom]

Hey Clarki, if you're from the Hat, come out to the Cypress Fly Fishing Club meetings over the winter. Will help with your fishing fix when you can't hit the river.

 

Take care

[clarki]

thanks for the offer Bloom but im actually in Lethbridge. i was referred to a surgeon in the hat rather than wait longer for one in calgary. no spine surgeons in Lethbridge.... later

 

M

[Inconnu]

A friend of mine had the same sort of operation. He had a piece of bone from a fetal calf inserted in his neck. The only side effect he ever complained about was when he was passing a field full of cattle his neck would stiffen up....go figure that!