5 years after lumbar laminectomy (stenosis) pain is back. 84 yrs old.
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I'm writing this for my brother who does not have a computer. He is a complicated person. Very intelligent but somewhat anti social, especially when he is in pain.
I'm trying to help him get some information but he will probably tell me to mind my own business.
Right now he lives in senior housing across from a park. He will not consider a second surgery at his age and I don't blame him but what to do about the daily pain?
He became addicted to opiods a few years ago (before his laminectomy) and is now off them but is very crabby and its difficult for us to have a relationship as he contradicts everything I say or suggest...but I endure!!
He follows a daily exercise plan devised by his physical therapist - before he dropped her as she was on the phone and ignored him one day. He's like that.
He spends 6 hours a day doing these exercises and then walks for one hour in the park. He is always pushing himself to go further as he has a terrible fear of winding up in a wheelchair as many of the people in his building have done - then he would lose his independence and have to hire a live in attendant which is very expensive - about 5k a month or more.
He lives in fear of that scenario so he pushes himself so hard I wonder if he's not making his pain worse or aggravating his back.
He, also,has prostate cancer (its returned) and is 15 years after his prostate removal. At his age they say he can treat it or not, whatever he wants. I don't know what he's decided about that as he hasn't shared it with me, only with our niece who is an RN.
Bottomline - any other post laminectomy people here - what do you do for pain relief? Does walking help and if so, how much do you do? Thanks for any advice!!
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PeterAK ro77360
Posted
I think your brother is doing pretty damn good. I came close to getting a laminectomy and avoided it, at least for the time being. But I was sent to my clinic's Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department. This is apparently a relatively new specialty in medicine. The doctor's there have several state of the art methods for relieving pain. Plus they offered Chinese anti-pain methods like acupuncture which I find very useful. Massage by a licensed therapist can also be used.