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Beasty's sweaty plaster cast - the road to recovery 2014/5/6/7.....

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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Beasty wrote: »
    Slipped disc.
    Official line is 3 slipped discs:eek:

    However 2 of them are quite minor (not much left to protrude as they are the ones operated on previously), and 3 embellishes the story:P The 3rd one is a bit more of a worry as it is trapping a nerve which results in the sciatica

    Anyway, now need to get to see a spine specialist.

    In other news I don't need to see the eye specialist for another year.

    Training is a matter of doing what I can when I can, which means I'm heading out to the lair for a WB session shortly....


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Finally got to see the neurosurgeon a couple of weeks ago. Been taking things relatively easily as I get some discomfort in the lower back on the RHS when cycling, but it typically switches to the LHS at other times. Had quite a few sciatica symptoms again usually one leg or other, but rarely both at the same time. The main issue though is when sleeping (or trying to sleep) as I will get sciatica again in either leg but it's much more painful than during the day. One night it woke me 5 times and each time I had to adjust position to ease the pain

    The good news is the specialist is happy for me to continue cycling, although due to the discomfort the vast majority of what I have been doing has been indoors. I had a couple of sessions at the Velodrome in Manchester in March and a couple more last week. I have though eased back in my efforts. I also did an hour on the road earlier today, which is probably only about my 4th road spin all year. While over in Manchester last week I got to see the Team GB Paracycling physio and she has given me some exercises/stretches that are going to help overcome some of the things that are restricting cycling (with the notorious tight hamstrings being one of the main issues!)

    So next week it's a spinal injection. I know I won't be able to do much certainly for a few days. But hopefully it will allow me to build up the back muscles over the next couple of months, when I'll be getting an epidural (had one of those about 25 years ago) to again provide relief and hopefully allow me to get back into a decent shape

    So at this stage 2+hour vets races are out of the question. I've not done anything more than an hour at a time all year and the roads are not the best place to experiment in my current condition. Hopefully I'll be able to do track league and some 10m TTs (might do them on the road bike though). If everything goes well I might then try out the odd vets Tuesday night race. I'll certainly not be doing the GBR Masters this year - had already pretty much resigned myself to missing them, but that was confirmed when the second injection was pencilled in for earlier that week.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    RobFowl wrote: »
    Certainly keeping the Irish medical system in business Beasty !
    Been totting it up - currently over 3 grand out of pocket over the past year, although I'll get large chunks back through PHI and tax relief.


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Facet joint injection done, but little if any improvement. Still struggling particularly at night when I get sciatica in whichever side I sleep on. Can't get comfortable sleeping on my back, and my sleep is very disturbed

    I've been doing some WB sessions, and also a couple of track league evenings. Need to give myself at least a day recovery after all efforts though and I'm finding the sciatica worse after a hard session

    First week of the track league was really just to test things. Did a scratch and wins and out. Made more effort in the second race but was never anywhere near picking up any points. I was feeling it in the back and gave the other 2 races a miss, although I did feel it was generally a good result just getting those two races in

    Then last week I was quite a bit more competitive - not only did I take part in all 4 events (Scratch, elimination tempo and hare & hound), but for the first 3 I was not too far off the points. Indeed in the elimination I pretty much sat at the front for 5 or so of the first 8 laps, being able to keep a steady if hard pace. Ended up being eliminated when I didn't know how many had been behind me. Still had something in me, but although pushing hard I still did not want to go to the limit for fear of causing a reaction

    Planning heading back to Sundrive tomorrow when if all goes to plan the youngest kid will be making his track racing debut

    Got an epidural lined up in just over a month - hopefully that will have more of an effect than the first injection.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    Good luck big lad
    You are a model of perseverance


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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    5 months since I updated this, but can't really say I've done much in that time due to the ongoing back problems. The facet joint injection didn't improve anything and back in July I had an epidural (my 6th surgical procedure in less than a year, even if 4 of them were outpatient procedures). That showed immediate improvement to the left lower back, but the right side has continued to deteriorate. Road spins did not help and indeed on one when I put a bit of effort in I endured excessive pain to my right leg, on the inside of the knee (I initially thought it could be cartilage trouble, but that was ruled out and it's pretty clear it's referred pain which I have been experiencing at various places particularly in the right leg).

    The other recurrent issue has been with my right foot. Almost as if my shoe is way too tight with a lot of discomfort (as well as numbness) across the top of the foot and down into the toes.

    I've been doing a bit on the WattBike, supplemented by work on the rowing machine and cross trainer, neither of which seem to aggravate the leg as much as cycling. I did my first commute in a number of months last Thursday, but am still feeling the after effects in the foot.

    So now I've got another day-patient procedure lined up for the end of November. A rhizotomy, where they will deaden a nerve in my spine, with the intention of cutting out the pain. That should make it easier to cycle without so much discomfort. The alternatives were either to continue with painkillers, or go for fusion, with the warning that the latter could put paid to cycling altogether. I would need the bottom two joints fusing and was warned by the neuro surgeon that I would probably be back every couple of years as problems move up each joint in the spine in turn. Really did not fancy that option, but recognise it may come to that eventually.

    Apparently the nerve will regenerate in 12-18 months. Theoretically I may have strengthened the muscles enough to mitigate any further symptoms, but there appears to be a fair chance I could need a repeat procedure (assuming the first one is actually successful)


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    Would you try an MTB suspension saddle to see if that eased any discomfort?
    Looks for solutions and grasping at straws....
    Keep the head up though and don't let the bastards grind you down...


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    It's OK Rob - we got a draw over the weekend and I'm sure we'll beat then when they come to Old Trafford....


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    So on Monday I was in the Santry Sports Surgery Clinic and underwent a rhizotomy, which involved them deadening the nerves at two disc levels on the right hand side. I was out on Monday evening and noticed some odd sensation - the procedure is to prevent pain and which certainly seems to have reduced on the right side (which is what the procedure was targeting)

    One problem persists though. Last week I was noticing sciatica in the left leg - typically that's an intermittent problem, so I'm hoping it clears up quickly

    Was planning to try and turn the legs over on the Wattbike yesterday, but was feeling the after-effects of the anaesthetic. Wasn't much better today, but hopefully will be able to start re-building over the next few days.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,256 Mod ✭✭✭✭Borderfox


    It certainly is a long road back Beasty


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  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 74,687 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Nearly 4 years into this "recovery", and I finally feel like I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel as if the procedure 4 weeks ago has worked, in I am not getting the persistent pain down the right leg and the lower back. I did a commute last week, and was feeling it a bit in the lower back, but that was more down to the fact I was doing a bit more than the body is currently used to - more of an ache than a pain. I felt it more in the neck, which again was probably as much to do with the fact my body needs to adapt to longer efforts.

    There are still a few niggles, but they are the type that I feel will not interfere overly with my cycling, and virtually all the specialists I have seen have encouraged me to keep cycling. I think it may be some time before I can do anything particularly long, but that's not an issue with track racing. I'll have to see how it goes next year with the longer vets road races

    I'm feeling much more positive now, although I know the back problems may well return when the nerves regenerate. However the procedure I underwent can be repeated and a couple of days out of action every year or so is a small price to pay. Hence I'm going to draw this log to a close and start a new one for 2018


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