Now I've done it!

[Orestes Munn]

Gone and blown out my L3 disk, hitting roots 2-5 with the rubble (as an encore to C4-6 surgery and spinal cord damage in 2008). My entire left leg is in pain with mild weakness in three muscle groups. I can shuffle about 20' before the nerves run short of blood and start to scream. It took two trips to the ER, arguing unsuccessfully with the contract docs there, being a total PITA on the phone, and calls to senior people, to get access to Walter Reed neurology. I started myself on high-dose steroids on Monday because I knew I was fucked. No one should have to do that without a diagnosis in this country and I was lucky I could. I don't think the surgeons have a fix this time

I am home alone, buzzing on steroids and gabapentin, and soon a little gin. My poor wife has forgotten how to load a dishwasher. She cooks OK, but doesn't leave the stove nice. She works late on Thursdays. Oh woe is me!

The new Lawrence Wright book on Scientology is pretty good.

People at work aren't sending me stuff to work on out of misplaced solicitude.

Fuck Fuck Fuck. Sucks being old.

[bob perry]

Eric:

Fack! Fack! Fuck!
I know about the "sucks being old" part. But this is beyond just getting old.

There was this really cute blinde. nice ass, big tits in the grocery section today. I asked her if she knew what a Poblano chile was. We had a good vegetable conversation, we discussed zuchinis. She didn't even mind that I was keeping my eyes on hr tits. To her I'm just a toothless old dog.

Really sorry about your back. Doctor, heal yourself. I know you can't and I am one old angry guy you don't want to talk about doctors with. I have very violent thought about the doctor that killed Spike.

Shitski, now you are scaring me. I'm feeling really bad and helpless. With all you know about medical things you are telling me there is no fucking "expert" you can call to deal with this?

If there is anything I can do let me know. I doubt there is but I'm here of you need me.

Now I am depressed.

[Ish]

I'd love to supply some good old BC muscle relaxant, but chances of getting it through the mail are pretty slim.

Hang in there Moe, we need to get a few more years out of you.

[Orestes Munn]

Bob,

I think i know the Spike story. I'm not crazy about doctors either and have gone after a few in court on behalf of badly injured people. My grandfather, also an MD, used to say, "There is no condition known it to medicine, so benign or so insignificant, that, in the hands of a competent physician, cannot prove fatal". My brother, an ER doc in Seattle, has proven it.

You just need them sometimes.

Now back to your supermarket lady. You characterize her as "blinde" and from this it's hard to tell whether she had light-colored hair or whether she lacked the faculty of sight, which would explain why she bothered to waste seconds of her sweet little life with you while you lamped her goodies. ...and all those phallic vegetables! As my daughter would probably remark, you need some yonic ones to round out the stew.

[Orestes Munn]

I'd love to supply some good old BC muscle relaxant, but chances of getting it through the mail are pretty slim.

Hang in there Moe, we need to get a few more years out of you.

Hmmm. Have to retire before I can indulge in that again, but many thanks for the pleasant thought.

[kdh]

That fucking sucks, Moe. My best wishes for your feeling better.

Bob, age reversal compared to your situation. Hint: the movie was not "Local Hero."

[Anomaly]

Seezus Moerestes! That's terrible. PM me your mailing address, I'll send you something. Legal.

KD, good call. I have been shopping with Bob and he TOTALLY mimics the "mine's bigger" scene from Animal House. Sadly though, I haven't seen the blindes follow him home...

[BeauV]

Eric,

Sorry to hear about your back! Geeesh!!! I did some dammage to my back on my old IOD just lifting a mainsheet wrong, still don't know "why" it popped but it did. Three months until I was really getting around. I refused to lay down and let it heal. Bad strategy.

Now, my one big hesitation in doing long distance single handed ocean races is: "What do I do if my fucking back does that again??" I exercise etc... to keep it under control, but I can feel it, it's still back there, lurking... damn it.

I'm really sorry to hear this, if you want puzzlers to ponder sing out. You can always get the Click and Clack show off the web and puzzle those - although laughing can hurt.

Take care of your self.

Beau

[Orestes Munn]

Main sheets are dangerous. I have hurt myself before on the coarse trim on the J/105, after bottoming out the fine, as I always do, and this injury stemmed indirectly from my ridiculous antics on the machine at the gym, which I use for what i think of as main sheet training. Well, I suck at back of the boat stuff anyway.

Thanks, Anom. Won't put you to the trouble.

E

[LarryHoward]

Damn Eric

Here I was feeling sorry for myself for slow recovery of my stbd keel and you have to go and tear your back up.

Take care of yourself.

Larry and Lynne.

[Orestes Munn]

Damn Eric

Here I was feeling sorry for myself for slow recovery of my stbd keel and you have to go and tear your back up.

Take care of yourself.

Larry and Lynne.

We'll drink your whiskey and complain like right alter kackers in Sept, I hope.

[bob perry]

Eric:
Better get your ass out here Eric so I can take care of you.

Keith:
ANIMAL HOUSE.
Oh laugh. Go ahead and laugh.
But that was me today at the grocery store. I was trying to figure out what a poblano Chile was. There I was standing there, staring at the chilis when all of a sudden this cutie pie walked up. Plump little ass, nice rack and a very cute face. Not really my viking princess type but I knew I had little chance of scoring anyway. So I edged my way over, eyes fixed on the produce. then I sprang, pointing down, "Do you think this is a poblano chili?" She hit me so hard upside my head with a cauliflower it made my ears ring.

[Orestes Munn]

I dunno, I'm pretty high maintenance, Bob, but I'd love to drop by next time I'm out there visiting my no-good brother.

[Olaf Hart]

Nerve pain is not good, hope it settles soon.

Did you finally get access to the right neuro guys? Is is good to be looked after by someone you trust.

My ankle is pretty good. Can't run or bush walk yet, but back to working on the boat.

Nothing like becoming an informed consumer from time to time.

[Orestes Munn]

Nerve pain is not good, hope it settles soon.

Did you finally get access to the right neuro guys? Is is good to be looked after by someone you trust.

My ankle is pretty good. Can't run or bush walk yet, but back to working on the boat.

Nothing like becoming an informed consumer from time to time.

I have military health care, so it's not too terrible, but luck of the draw. I get called Sir a lot.

Fortunately the fantastic spine neurosurgeon who did my neck is still here.

Glad to hear about the ankle!

I'm back in the ER this am with new symptoms on the other side

[LarryHoward]

Nerve pain is not good, hope it settles soon.

Did you finally get access to the right neuro guys? Is is good to be looked after by someone you trust.

My ankle is pretty good. Can't run or bush walk yet, but back to working on the boat.

Nothing like becoming an informed consumer from time to time.

I have military health care, so it's not too terrible, but luck of the draw. I get called Sir a lot.

Fortunately the fantastic spine neurosurgeon who did my neck is still here.

Glad to hear about the ankle!

I'm back in the ER this am with new symptoms on the other side

Well that really sucks.

Good luck shipmate.

[Soñadora]

Nick Nolte has some advice for you...



Tough S.O.B.s like yourself don't go down easy. You know what you gotta do.

[Orestes Munn]

Ha! Thanks, Rick. Maybe I'll stream it today and take what's known in my house as a "girl pool".

[bob perry]

So, Eric, how is it going today?

[Orestes Munn]

So, Eric, how is it going today?

How kind of you to ask, Bob.

Woke up in a bit of a panic this a.m. because my other butt cheek was hurting and I wondered whether I was getting involvement in the middle of the spine. That is bad because it can affect the plumbing. So, I had my wife drive me to the emergency room where I played it up for all it was worth. I had emailed my young neurologist, so he stopped in to see me. We both agreed that my exam has not changed and figured that my other hip just hurt from lying on it all day. I was also due for another MRI to rule out tumor and that got done, incidentally confirming that the disc had not moved any more. I wasn't able to see the films myself, but I was much reassured by a better description. I also heard back from my neurosurgeon's nurse; they will fit me in on Monday and get me an injection right into the spine to reduce some of this pain. She said he wants to go the conservative route with bedrest and gentle physical therapy for a few weeks...but he's got his other hand behind his back.

I took a cab home and repaired to the couch of conservatism with a pile of cushions under my knees. One of my guys just showed up on his bike with samosas frm my secretary and tonight my wife will probably make our Fri pm martinis, a job she had been avoiding successfully until now, but may feel compelled to learn.

All things considered, the news is good and I'm grateful for all of the great people in my life, including yourselves.

[Rob McAlpine]

Main sheets are dangerous. I have hurt myself before on the coarse trim on the J/105, after bottoming out the fine, as I always do, and this injury stemmed indirectly from my ridiculous antics on the machine at the gym, which I use for what i think of as main sheet training. Well, I suck at back of the boat stuff anyway.

Thanks, Anom. Won't put you to the trouble.

E

Electric winches. Nuff said.

Hope you feel better. Spinal pain really, really sucks.

[Orestes Munn]

Main sheets are dangerous. I have hurt myself before on the coarse trim on the J/105, after bottoming out the fine, as I always do, and this injury stemmed indirectly from my ridiculous antics on the machine at the gym, which I use for what i think of as main sheet training. Well, I suck at back of the boat stuff anyway.

Thanks, Anom. Won't put you to the trouble.

E

Electric winches. Nuff said.

Hope you feel better. Spinal pain really, really sucks.

I'm going to be fully cleared by June or let you know as soon as there's the slightest doubt, brother.

[Orestes Munn]

It did happen.

image.jpg

[bob perry]

Are you doing a sauce to have with that?

[Orestes Munn]

Are you doing a sauce to have with that?

The chops or the sirloins?

[Ish]

Looks like back bacon to me.

[Anomaly]

It did happen.

image.jpg

Ummm. OK.... I think this is what they call a "teachable moment"--- what am I looking at and, specifically, where is the damage? (yes, I saw the arrow....)

Thanks.

[bob perry]

Yeah, Seth's right. I could use some help with this too.
It still looks like Hanibal Lechter's dinner to me.

[Orestes Munn]

It did happen.

image.jpg

Ummm. OK.... I think this is what they call a "teachable moment"--- what am I looking at and, specifically, where is the damage? (yes, I saw the arrow....)

Thanks.

Well, this is going to be TMI for everyone else, but here goes: the arrow is going from front to back through my L3 vertebral body and its head is pointing right at a dark line delineating bone from a blooped out piece of the disk from just below. The disk material is semicircular and is pushing onto a white space just to the left on the image (body directions are reversed here because you're looking up from below by convention). That white space is the thecal sack containing the dark, spaghetti profiles of the nerve roots, which are lined up in order of their exit, with the higher ones outermost.

The disk stuff is compressing the whole body-left side of the sack and the roots there (3-5). I'm also feeling 2 and I'm objectively weak there, but that's not well explained by the pics. Could just be the inflammatory reaction from the injury.

Google an image of a lumbar disk herniation and all will be clearer than this.

[kdh]

Moe, I'm hoping those marbled things aren't your butt cheeks. If so definitely TMI, but I can think of worse ways for you to show us your butt cheeks.

Hope you get well soon. We're here if you want to complain.