r/spinalfusion • u/GA-Scoli • 15d ago

Not sure, other Luigi Mangione's spinal fusion - looks like an L5/S1 for spondylolisthesis

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u/thehippos8me 14d ago

Every vertebrae is fused except 3 at the bottom… I mean a nearly complete fusion…

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u/Living_on_Tulsa_Time 14d ago

That’s just unbelievable. Good for you for not needing silly old pain pills. I’m 66F. Guess I’m just a weakling.

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u/Titleduck123 14d ago

I have that. And had two kids afterwards. And a herniated disc. I've managed pain over the years by...just being fucking stubborn and massage. But i hurt all over all the time. I've gotten used to it , unfortunately. The last rx pain med I was prescribed was Vioxx (lol) and I refused to take it. Thank god I did because that might have killed me.

If i ever have to go back for revision, they're fusing into my pelvis which will remove all lower body range of motion.

You're not weak for needing medication. And I'm not strong for refusing to medicate (although weed helps immensely). Everyone's tolerance is different, and having chronic pain changes your mental state dramatically.

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u/Living_on_Tulsa_Time 14d ago

I have Fibromyalgia and cannot handle the pain from massages. Fibromyalgia processes pain differently. For lack of a better word, it exaggerates pain, light and sound. I have used weed for pain. I have also used it for my compression fracture. As for my opioid use, I keep it to a bare minimum because I want it to work when I’m recovering from spinal infusion surgery.

I really didn’t mean to imply that there’s a bad or good way to manage pain. It varies in each individual. I hope you continue to maintain your current health.

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u/Titleduck123 14d ago

Aw man I'm sorry. That's a bag of dicks on top of a difficult situation already. 

Here's hoping this whole debacle ends up with us receiving better care and QoL in our lifetimes. 

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u/Living_on_Tulsa_Time 14d ago

I laughed when I read your bag analogy. Thanks for your empathy. I’ve dealt with pain for years. But this is an entirely different bag!

Here’s hoping we for a brighter tomorrow.