Is there life after an epidural?

[emskee]

Fine People,

I'm 53, had a pretty good powerlifting career in the day (still hold a 1999 national record in the deadlift, ADFPA, 610 lbs, 198 class, 40-44 year old group.)

Shoulder issues (military sevice) made my squat and bench just okay in competition (525 and 320 in competition, 181 class) but my deads rocked with a 630 in front of international judges at 181.2 lbs bodyweight, 635 in the gym. 600 without a suit, just a belt.

But I lost 1 inch of height during my 11 years of competing. I have ruptures at all lumbar levels, a few bulges and a rupture thoracic and a buldge and rupture cervical.

I've routinely been able to hit deads for 500 pounds. In fact, second week of January 2011 I hit a set of 5 at 500 lbs, no belt.

A week later, I'm swinging out of bed and the L4 nerve root gets crushed by the disk rupture at L4-5. Stupid pain, walking with a limp, foot drop. Two courses of oral steroids. Kept getting worse. I walk with a cane. Can't squat the bar without thinking I got shot in the ass and foot.

Last Thursday, I got a steroid/anesthetic epidural. Got a little better by Sunday (ate 50% less oxycontin) but going downhill since. Round two scheduled for two weeks from now.

My question: any of you other not-so-young ones gotten this far, got beyond it and still lift like you mean it?

I bought a Spudd belt squat belt and tried it and it does not hurt my back so I've some salvation there i guess.

Anyway, I'm just fishing for stories of success and tales of life after epidurals such that I can motivate, have something to live for, lie to myself, whatever.

Anyone?

Thanks,

Mike

[f4thpathway]

I never got more than a week or two of use of out the steroids. The medial branch blocker was wicked nauseating 4 hours after I had it done. All it did was make me hate the discharge goo, feeling the injection site in the spine, and changing band aids so I didn't get an infection. Air hitting the site makes me woozy. And makes my wife laugh. But it led to radiofrequency ablation, which has been rocking since the beginning of October. I once was able to total 1,500 but that was years and injuries ago (military as well). I am now back to almost 1,300 but I have my really bad days. I take pain killers for discogenic pain from time to time but I don't NEED it on a daily basis.
Without the ablations I would still be front squatting 200lbs on a heavy day and deadlifting bags of groceries. The steroids weren't even worth the anxiety of having someone sticking needles in my spine. And having to live on painkillers and lifting were never a good match for me. Made for some funny stories, but it wasn't enjoyable.

[emskee]

f4thpathway

Hey, thanks.

I checked on the RF ablation 2 years ago, and my insurance had it disallowed for reimbursement in that it was deemed voodoo.

Just changed to a carrier of more current thinking and I believe that ablation is on the schedule.

I'm scheduled for 2 more injections which I don't think are so bad in a clinical sense, I mean I'm okay with going to get them, I don't care about needles, refuse to let them see me flinch, no ooze, no good, just my leg feeling like it was grenading when he pushed the cocktail in. But I truly question the long term therapeutic effect. (had 3x3 in the neck maybe 15 years ago for NO help at all)

I had this disc drill me two years ago. Went south after I took a left hand turn in a McDonalds to head to the men's room. But it got better and I went back to my old self and got the deads back to a reasonable level, but I had outer right thigh burning and itching when I laid down, and pain at right outer ankle whenever a squat broke parallel or whenever I was at the bottom of a DL.

So, I have some anticipation of some level of recovery, some feeling that I am slowly screwing myself into the ground.

So, thank you for the feedback. I'm reinvigorated to research the RF ablation.

Thanks.

Find it hard to believe that you and I are the only kindred souls on this forum.

Maybe most PL'ers fall into the culvert before they get this far.

Mike

[f4thpathway]

Mike,

Be patient, this forum is a bit...different. I don't know how much you read the discussions on here, apologies if you are aware of the atmosphere. The other heavy lifters will see your thread eventually. Right now people are discussing various forms of idiocy and the standard focus on "studies" vice experience. I'm sure there are other spine fighters on here. Most here are new to the lifting world, however. Even if they have pain issues they likely don't have previous iron time to compare their current performance to. So this post may scare them. Kids.

Jim Wendler has a q&a on strengthvillain.com. He has probably seen more lifters dealing with spinal injuries than most.

A week after I had the RF done I was able to do things much more normally than before. I was sore as hell because I wasn't limited to walking lunges and machine work and I loved it. The nerves that get numbed during the procedure are what would paralyze me for an hour or so during flare ups. Before I had to squat down to use the sink, taking a shower was a serious task, stairs required dips, used my cane a lot, etc. It won't get rid of the deep disc pain but that stuff is easy to deal with. Especially if you can keep training and maintaining strength.

I had some botox shots in my upper back and neck that helped for a while. It isn't the same effect as steroids but provides relief to the most aggravating pain. Enough to not snap at people all the time.

But my overall view on the RF ablations is I wouldn't have picked up a barbell again without it. Not for anything other than deadlifts. Compression, forget about it.

Best of luck. If you can get it, go for it. A year or so of severely lessened pain is wonderful. It's good for me that you're still going at 53. I just turned 33 and I'm a bit concerned about the future.

Stay tough,
Ryan

[emskee]

Thanks Ryan.

"Spine Fighter"! Outstanding. Did you make that up? I WILL use that phrase, probably have a T-shirt made.

Had second epidural two days ago. Didn't hurt as much as the first. Little numb in leg today, but still have burning on outer thigh and pain/electric shocks from ass cheek to big toe.

Pain doc sees me April 18. I'm going to ask about ablation. Thanks.

My first blown disc was in my 30s also, and I was DLing in the mid 500s. Stayed with it and did the 630 a few years after. So I know that there CAN be signs of life after one becomes a Spine Fighter.

And I have trolled around here a bit and I have noticed that the various discussions appear to be between rookies trying to out guess each other. Such is life; I was young, dumb and full of cum myself once.

Stay well. I appreciate your time.

Mike

[Mark E. Hurling]

Young, dumb, and full of cum! Here I thought I was the only one who still used that expression to mock my youthers, as opposed to my elders, since at 60 there aren't as many of those as there used to be.

[f4thpathway]

Young, dumb, and full of cum!

I use that for many people who are older than me as well. Those who have not walked the harder road.

Spine Fighter is original, it may be adopted. Like a Foo Fighter...with a barbell. Unusual, inexplicable, awe inspiring... Spine Fighter.
I hope you can get some ablation work done. I wish I could have some right now, after tweaking my back on a warm up set somehow. And then finishing my work sets, front squats, and high bar work. Feeling old today.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I use that for many people who are older than me as well. Those who have not walked the harder road . . . Feeling old today.

Trust me on this, you do not stay full of that stuff forever. Kind of like batteries with a shelf life. Old? Old, you say? Oh, what wonders you have in store for you. Just keep breathing and, well, you know.