Pain in my butt

I'm very glad to meet to have met you. I'm sorry about your condition, and I hope for the most part that it is mostly temparary. I'm kinda in a health scare at the moment also, and it's a pain in the butt, but without the pain. To say I feel your pain would be subjective.(ha!)
We all like it when our stereo's work really well, we don't like it when our dryers don't work, the car, the refrigerater, but we can just put that stuff waay down on the list. There are just some things that HAVE to work.
But then really there is just too much to life and in life to give up on anything. There isn't a bright side, there are many.
I think slipped disc can get you out of a colonoscophy. (yeah, I know it's not that bad, but you didn't want one anyway I bet).
I've had my back out from a strain, I've had pain that wouldn't go away, but sir, I must bow to your resilience. I hope you post, so we could learn from you. Like how to actually listen to music. I've heard stories about people listening to music without actually being in the sweet spot (I can't provide proof, I just heard that). I also read a review on a piece of music where there was these things in the recording that I hadn't heard, (different pressing?) and a friend told me it had to be played all the way through, and without stopping. (How does that work, that something is not there when you start it again?)

Good Cheer friend. You were missed. Welcome back.

I remain,

Yea, I understand that back thing. In the past two years I had to have a surgery that bolted seven of my vertebras together and fused them with bone from my hip in the thoracic spine area. This year, they went in through my chest and removed a thoracic disk and fused it with a rib and bolted it with a plate. SO, make sure you take very good care of it because once it is damaged beyond standard repair it is much more difficult and you have to take a lot more medications. I am very happy that I had finished my system to a good point to get through recovery. It made life very tolerable.
Take very good care of yourself. Don't rush it! Very few things are worth your health, especially when it comes to terminal pain.
Dale

Sorry to hear this. I know too many people who have this crippling problem. Hopefully physical therapy and massage can help. Many times problems like this will stabilize over time and problem becomes less. Wish you the best.

Chronic back pain can be distressing and can diminish quality of life as you have found. Speaking plainly, it sucks and my heart goes out to you and all those individuals (and their caregivers) who must live in near-constant pain.

My wife had an auto accident a few years ago and suffered disc herniation at L4-L5, as you have. She has not worked full time since and she spends a lot of time in bed in pain. Not fun for her or me. A while ago, as an alternative to risky disc-fusion surgery, we found out about a procedure called an IDETT (intradiscal electro thermal therapy). The procedure is minimally invasive and not nearly as risky as disk surgery. If I recall correctly, the success rate is better than that of disc surgery. They basically insert a wire into the disc under X-ray and heat it up, which causes the herniation to heal. I believe it is done under mild anesthesia. If I were you, I would look into this procedure and find out if you are a good candidate.

My wife is actually an ideal candidate, but she has now developed a phobia to undergoing anesthesia, which has caused her to postpone the procedure. Possibly after undergoing psychotherapy for this irrational (but very real) fear, she will eventually have the IDETT. SHEESH!

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that there are other alternatives to disc surgery. Do some research and find out more about the IDETT and you could also look at something called a nucleoplasty.

Good Luck!