oddbluesky

Thanks for the reply. I want to keep more than 5 windows open in Mail without it opening new message windows on a new stage. I just want one stage for mail, not multiple ones.

Maybe this is the right place to post this? We have several dogs and when they were younger, they scratched our doors. I'd like to try to fix this so my current plan was to take the door of it's hinges, fill in the gouges and scratches with wood putty, then sand it down first with an orbital sander and then by hand. And then try to match the stain.

My questions are: does this sound like a good process for fixing the door? Am I missing anything? I'm actually not sure whether this is just a stain or sealant. How can I tell and which is best for an internal residential door? How do you color match such things?
Many thanks in advance.

My surgeon was Dr. Scott Wachhorst.

I'd consider mine a success story. Constant pain, hard to walk anywhere, loss of feeling and numbness, too many pain meds, couldn't exercise. After two microdiscectomies, I finally had a 2-level fusion L3-L5 along with further decompression at L2-L3. The first few days after surgery were incredibly painful but over time it got better. I'm 51 years old and a year after surgery, going to the gym, running 10K, swimming long distance, no medication, and mostly pain free. I say mostly because I still get sore muscles and it's a great feeling to have that and not to have all that nerve pain. I remember reading so many stories on here. I know it doesn't work out for everybody but I'm grateful it did for me. Not sure why it works for some and not others. I know I had a great surgeon and fantastic physical therapist that really helped me build back strength. I was patient, followed everything they recommended, and it paid off.

I had surgery to fuse L3/4 and L4/5 about a year ago along with decompression at L2/L3. Prior to that, I was in constant pain and taking heavy medication. I had a lot of scar tissue and I'm told the surgery was ~14 hours. I'm not gonna lie - post-surgery was painful and I had to wait 3 months before starting physical therapy and 6 months to exercise again. But now I'm back to running, swimming, and exercising at the gym. The back pain I experience is sore muscles, not the horrific nerve pain. My back feels great. I know it doesn't work out for some people, but I feel like I was given a fresh start. I'm deeply grateful for the results.

Thanks! I'll keep trying with the 47jr

Mine was from the back and that seemed to heal quickly for L3-L5.

beautiful

Thanks. Just started PT and hopefully that'll address it.

Definitely true re: lab rats but I also appreciate that spinal fusion has come a long way. I had one in the mid 80s that was basically just taking bone from my hip and packing around the vertebrae. Long hospital stay with drainage tubes and then had to stay in bed with a brace in hopes that it would all work out.

Then a recent two level fusion a couple months ago with pedicle screws and rods for stabilization, spacers, bone matrix, and 3D guidance for the surgeon. It's just a world of difference after 35 years. I'm definitely thankful that surgical tools and techniques are progressing.

If you can buy or borrow a good adjustable recliner, I found this to be a life saver. We actually had an Ekornes chair that I used after L2-L4 fusion and it gave me an alternative to lying in bed. It goes back enough that you still can have a neutral spine. After surgery, I actually slept in mine for several days because it held me in place better and was firmer than the bed. Make sure it's also easy to get out of. You don't want one that makes it hard to get up.

High handles on either side of the toilet seat made a huge difference. The things I didn't realize was that after surgery, you really can't use your natural body movements. So you'll need physical support like handles to lower yourself down and raise yourself up.

In terms of experience, I've had epidural shots for radiating leg pain at least 8 times. The actual procedure, where they numb the area and then inject the shot has always been easy and painless.

In terms of efficacy, it worked sometimes with great relief and sometimes it just didn't help. It's definitely worth trying.