So what happens next?

I decided that I should start to document my experiences with Spondylolisthesis and Arachnoiditis. While there is tons of information on the Spondy as well as surgical advances that have made living with it better, there is no known cure or treatment for arch.

What is Spondylolisthesis? Basically it is when one vertebra slips forward of the others. This is a website that I have used since I was diagnose 2 years ago. Great site and tons of information for other ailments. http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1430.html

How did mine happen? Jury is still out on that one but most likely cause for me was repeated lifting of heavy (75kilos+) of items on the job as well as the beating my body took while I was a grunt in the Army.

Prior to my surgery in March 2003 I spent the better part of the previous year doing pain management and physical therapy in hopes of reducing the symptoms of the Spondylolisthesis. Pain management consisted of epidurals at the L5/S1 as well as muscle relaxers and opiods during flair ups, which can be quite intense and very painful. Imagine a charlie horse in the small of the back that lasts for days. Physical therapy consisted of basic hot/cold treatments and basic muscle toning exercise to develop the groups in the area of the spine affected. While all of these were helpful, in the end I had to much nerve compression at the L5 to continue without surgery. Due to the position of the disc & vertebra the nerve root was being compressed and I was losing feeling down the left leg.

Surgery went very well and I spent about 5 days in the hospital though most of the time was a blur thanks to our old friend Mr. Morphine. I did an overnight in ICU (standard procedure) and then off to the neuro ward to recover. The staff on the ward was excellent and they kept me as comfortable as possible. I do recall watching the ground war on TV as well as my visitors but what I remember most was an unquenchable desire for orange juice. Strange enough since it is not something I would normally have a desire for. Must have been the meds???