But me first.
After 5 1/2 weeks in hospital, this time, (58 weeks in hospital in the 22 years since 1993), I am slowly returning to some sort of normal. I have done a few stray hours out in the shed so fingers crossed I can get out there a bit more often. One hour puts me back to bed for a while each time though. So I am taking it easy as I don't want a 9th major back op to be needed.
What did they find? Well, one of the screws was not torqued up correctly and that allowed movement. The result was that 6 of the 8 screws became loose in the bone and the L5-S1 area refractured. That was last February so I was living with a broken unstable back for 5 months. All 8 screws have now been replaced with thicker longer screws and more cross braces fitted as well. The torque checked again and again they tell me.
Between each vertebrae there are dinky little screw jacks. These are just like a turn-buckle with both left and right hand threads. These are placed between the vertebrae and adjusted to align the spine. I am 1 ¼” taller now than I was before the op. Back to my before 1993 accident height. You can see them in the x-ray photos.
Another cross brace was included to support the rods.
I was given back 6 of the 8 screws, one cross brace and a couple of other fittings to display in the workshop to interested people. (BTW. Each blue coloured screw cost A$427.00. so there is about A$6,000 plus dollars of metal.)
The metal used is titanium and being non magnetic, MRI x-rays etc can be undertaken.
I go for physio twice each week and am wearing a shoulder to hip back brace. I also wear a leg brace to support my left foot which has suffered bad foot drop as a result of the damage to the nerves in my back. I am still on a walker but don’t use it inside.
Fingers crossed that this is the last of a long list of problems from an accident in 1993 when I suffered 5 prolapsed discs in my back and 2 in my neck.
So what is next? BACK INTO THE SHED AND GET THAT LYNX FINISHED.
Regards Rick.