Down time... what to do...

[Demodulate]

about 3 months ago I hurt my back exercising.. long story short I have ended up pretty much out of commission with a severely herniated L5 disk

It was a downward spiral mostly due to my stubbornness and instead of laying off after the initial injury I kept on pushing through..

I am scheduled for a 2nd epidural this week, hopefully that will get me over the hump, but at this point I am pretty much useless.. I lay in bed most of the day. I have gained about 10 lbs in the 6 weeks I have been unable to exercise at all.. I am told I will need 4-6 months to heal the disk and will be unable to exercise even moderately until then.

all in all I am pretty bummed out.. I walk around like a 85 year old man with a bad hip and osteoporosis. I am going stir crazy at home by myself.. I feel like a freak when I go out in public..

so what would all you guys do with all this down time? my house is spotless now, I have watched enough tv to last me the next year or two..

I done enough research on sciatica and disk herniation to satisfy my curiosity for now..

cant work on my cars or bikes in the garage..

I probably shouldn't be going to work but I am forcing myself to go so I dont go nuts here at home..

my social life is in ruins.. I live out of the way for all of my friends, and I havent really had anyone over..

i need some ideas here..

so yeah.. give me some ideas guys...

 

[NewMan]

I've been in a similar situation for the last 12 months - double knee surgery put me out and I gained 20lbs in all.

I pretty much got myself into the right mental state - yes it sucked not being able to go to the gym, but long term health is more important to me.

I used the time to put into some none physical hobbies - made trhe effort to visit friends. Read a lot. worked on my poker game. and spent time investing in my personell welbeing.

Get your head right - and find a hobby or two you would like to sink your teeth into.

 

[Warrior74]

work on your finances..study a subject you always wanted to know about. Join a support group for people like you and try to game any women in them into having low impact oral sex! lol.

 

[jophil28]

about 3 months ago I hurt my back exercising.. long story short I have ended up pretty much out of commission with a severely herniated L5 disk

...

About four years ago I had moderate to severe neck pain . An X-ray revealed significant disk degeneration at c4 to c6.
The doc wanted to give me anti-inflammatories. I declined his kind offer.
I did a LOT of research and discovered "gelatin therapy " from Germany.
The Germans use chicken gelatin to rebuild damaged or degenerated disks.
I used bovine gelatin from the supermarket instead. That fixed my neck pain permanently within four months. NO neck problems since.
Big Med. will never tell you this.

PM me if you want more details.

 

[mikeraw]

Take up a musical instrument.

 

[speed dawg]

I suggest you don't sit around waiting on your disc to heal, because it won't. You know why I know? Because I'm 6 weeks recovered from a microdiscectomy that corrected my severely herniated L5-S1 disc. You want advice on what to do? Go see a credible doctor immediately and schedule this surgery. You will end up with nerve damage if you leave a disc herniated for too long. I let mine go on for 1.5 years, and my nerve won't be completely healed for another 4-5 months.

In the meantime, you have to find a way to lose that weight. PM or reply I can tell you anything you need to know about this condition.

 

[Demodulate]

I am under the care of a credible doctor.. so I am not worried about that.. if the epidural does not give me relief I will be seeing surgeon.

I am leary of having surgery because it seems in half the cases it only improves it short term.. there are also a few people here at work who have all regretted having surgery on their backs..

you are only 6 weeks post surgery and I am sure are feeling lots of relief from the surgery.. some people here are 10 years post opp and are dealing with scar tissue. others are looking at 2nd a 3rd surgerys to correct the 1st..

sugery isnt something I want to go rushing into... especially if I keep making daily, yet slight, improvements..

 

[speed dawg]

I agree with you about not wanting to jump into surgery. I've been in your position. I've seen it all when it comes to herniated discs. I had 5 epidural shots. They mask the pain and you end up doing more damage to yourself in the process, or at least I did. It's just not worth it. A couple of weeks without pain then a spasm or a movement then it's back, and I'm out for the count. Sciatica is h3ll on earth.

Put it this way. I have asked many of the docs I have seen how to cure a herniated disc and how they did it back before this surgery was available. I keep getting a consistent answer: Either live with the pain or get hooked on pain pills. The only way you can attempt the life you lived before is the surgery. And even then, you have to be VERY disciplined.

Either way, I realize this is not the purpose of your thread. I am here for advice if you need it.