It wouldn’t have been nearly as bad had I been prepared for it.
So, in August 2020 I had a two-level spinal fusion surgery (my official diagnosis). The short version is that I had a vertebrae that was crooked/broken along with two herniated disks and a narrowed spinal column.
I got cut open in my abdomen and also my back. The truth is this surgery was brutal. It really was. I’m not doing anyone any favors by pretending this was an easy and pleasant procedure. They call spinal fusion a major surgery for a reason. This will turn your life upside down.
Time tends to soften how we remember experiences. But, it’s crucial for me to communicate the truth to someone who’s going to be undergoing this procedure…speaking for myself: IT WAS BRUTAL! I don’t know how it will go for you. But, I’m doing this website because I have a burning desire to make it public on the Internet that this surgery rocked my world so much more intensely than I had anticipated. And, I was so damn unprepared in every possible way! And, I paid the price for being unprepared: including the need for a return hospital visit five weeks later.
Am I glad I had spinal fusion surgery?
Yes! It was perhaps the best decision I’ve ever made. The chronic pain (including urination difficulty) had me fundamentally and permanently miserable. It was the type of pain and misery that I couldn’t put out of my mind. Ever. Going to sleep at night—just being honest with you—I would think about jumping off this bridge on the other side of town. Hey, I’m just telling you the truth. That’s where my life was…I don’t want time to create a sugarcoating effect here! I want to emphasize the truth of how awful the entire thing was: the pre-surgery pain AND the post-surgery pain, too!
So, when I first consulted with the surgeon…and, he told me about things that could go wrong, etc…I didn’t care…I couldn’t live the way that I was…so, I was 100% ALL-IN! And, I was hoping for a good outcome…but, honestly…it sort of amazes me JUST HOW GOOD the outcome was…I’m not saying the same will be true for you! I’m just telling you about my personal experience! I’m amazed by how well I feel these days. But, that doesn’t change the fact that this surgery was absolutely BRUTAL!
It wouldn’t have been nearly as bad had I been prepared for it. And, that’s the exclusive purposes of this website, which is called SpinalFusion.net. Maybe I got lucky with that domain name. Maybe I got lucky with my surgery too. I’m not sure.
But, here’s the thing I’m certain about. I want to create the website/online resource that I wish I had found PRIOR to my spinal fusion back surgery. You no doubt notice how I emphasized PRIOR.
The truth is…I’ve got to try and be honest as hell here…and, the truth is that, to a large extent, I avoided information and videos about spine surgery. I did not entirely avoid them! I felt like I watched and read enough to be informed! But, I figured that I’m 100% getting this surgery: why should I psyche myself out by studying the horror stories.
Ignorance about your spinal fusion surgery is a MISTAKE!
THIS WAS AN IMMENSE MISTAKE ON MY PART! I can’t emphasize enough how enormous of a mistake this was!
Let me tell you: I was pitifully under-prepared for this surgery. I did not take it seriously enough! Oh, good Lord I didn’t take it seriously enough! AND I PAID THE PRICE FOR THAT! Including a return trip to the hosptial! I’ll be getting to that story later. But, first…I need to get some disclaimer type info in here:
I am not a doctor!
I AM NOT A DOCTOR! Repeat, I am not a doctor. NOTHING ON SPINALFUSION.NET is medical advice! I am not your doctor. I am not anyone’s doctor. A doctor, of course, has years of training and experience that I do not have.
My one advantage over most doctors
But, I do have one intense advantage over most doctors when it comes to discussing a spinal fusion surgery.I ACTUALLY WAS CUT OPEN AND WENT THROUGH THE BRUTAL HELL that we refer to as spinal fusion! And, if I had it do over again, I’d do it again in a heartbeat! In a heartbeat! It was perhaps the best decision that I ever made in my life. But, that doesn’t change the fact that this surgery was OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD FUCKING BRUTAL! And, I’m emphasizing that for a reason. That’s probably the single piece of info I would have wanted emphasized to me prior to this surgery.
Instead, I woke-up in the recovery room blinking and absolutely dumbfounded! 100% disbelief! Surely something went wrong! The only way I could feel this bad is if something went wrong! Well, everything went right, but we’ll get to these stories later…
Now, I’m not a doctor. I’m not a lawyer. I’m just a guy who actually had a spinal fusion surgery. Nothing on here constitutes medical or legal advice. I encourage you to use this website as just one of many resources in your research.
So, why am I starting this site?
I’ll tell you why…honest to God…this is the website that I wish I had read a month before I had surgery. That’s exactly how I’m designing this website. That’s how I’m determining what I write about. Oh, good Lord did I ever learn the hard way! I want to make it so you…don’t have to learn the hard way like me!
I’m pretending it’s July 2020. My surgery is a month away. And, I google spinal fusion surgery advice or somehttps://spinalfusion.net/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=pagething like that. This is the website that I would want to appear first in the list.
Because, really…it’s just so pathetic how unprepared I was for this major…repeat MAJOR!…procedure.
Spinal Fusion Preparation Tips!
You know, on the Internet you find articles and things about spinal fusion recovery tips. And, I have pages of that information as well: including some you won’t find elsewhere. But, what’s a lot less popular…but, possibly more important…is what I’d call Spinal Fusion Preparation Tips. Yes, I’m talking about the things you should do preceding your spinal fusion surgery! Click here to see my Spinal Fusion Preparation Tips.
Spinal Fusion Recovery Tips!
And, click here to see my spinal fusion recovery tips.
So, this website aims to tell a story. You can skip around if you like. Or, you can sort of follow my story chronologically using the links below. I begin by trying to understand how I ended-up with such a screwed-up back!
The origins of my back problems
Contact me