DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... It's almost Radiofrequency Ablation day!

I cannot wait to get these pesky nerves in my back zapped away. It's called Radiofrequency Ablation, where they insert guides into my back, put in a mild pain medicine, then deaden the affected nerves. I am having L1, 2, and 3 on the right side done tomorrow, and will have the left done later. (assuming this one helps)

I have been through so much with my back. so I hope this finally helps. I am fairly sure that I will have to have my back opened up as well at some point, but I pray this will be a good step in reducing pain. For the past year+, I have been unable to walk very much. On most days, if I get down the steps and through the house to the back door to let the dog out, that's about it for me. If I try to do too much more than that, or even if I don't, I sometimes fall. Being able to cook is almost gone, and I really enjoy cooking. I have turned into a real blob eating way to much pre-packaged, or take out food.

Anyway, I would definitely appreciate prayers for a good outcome. Thank you.

Prayers on the way. Let's hear some good news!

I'll pray for you dude. My father in law has had an ablation done on his heart. couple times, actually. the last time he spent ..........well, it doesn't matter how much time he spent in the hospital. A heart is different than a back.

What do you do with/for your dog if you can't let him/her out?

Thanks guys. I appreciate the prayers.

My dog will go down in the basement if I have trouble letting him out, and fortunately he can hold it well enough to go out only 2-3 times/day.

More prayers are on the way. We have to get you fixed up so we can go to lunch again.

Praying that you rock this out and get some relief so you can move around. Your mind and body need that.

Good luck Ytown, I hope all goes well and you are much better after. I know you've done your share of suffering and wishing you some relief.

Prayers your way Ytown!

Prayers for you my friend. May you get back to boogeying on the dance floor in no time

But he sucked at boogeying on the dance floor when he was healthy.

Best wishes, bro.
Hope you get some much-deserved relief.

prayers and positive thoughts that all goes well.

Hope all went well YTown.

With a failed L3 and L4 back surgery i've had quite a few ablations. Whatever the max times per year allowed was. Prob for 7-8-9 years straight.

Actually haven't had any for 5-6 years. The pain has subsided to "a constant 1-2 outta 10. Once or twice a year it'll shoot up to a short, 1 second quick sharp, wincing pain.

GodSpeed.

This has been quite the ............ adventure. O2 level plummetted during and after my procedure. They admitted me. I had no charger... 30% battery on my phone and felt like crap. They managed to get one day outpatient out of me ...... but they aren't keeping me captive tonight! Have to use O2 for a while, and get a.sleep machine. This getting old stuff sucks!

Did they at least play a blonde tape for you? Reminding you to breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out?

Nope. No help for me. Gotta figure it out on my own,

When I was younger I tried to figure blondes out on my own. Good luck with that.

It's funny. I was in the hospital, and they had me on oxygen, and my levels never came back up. They ordered oxygen to my home. I got out, and was using the O2, until I saw the lung doctor, and he said that he doesn't want me on oxygen, he wants my using a respirator at night to force my lungs open and going 100% again. He said that the O2 would actually drive up my C02 levels as well. So .... I have all of this O2 equipment here, and no need for it. The lung doctor was right. After just a few days, I feel myself breathing really deeply, better than I had been for quite some time. I saw my family doctor today, and all is good.

Oh, by the way, there is a book on understanding blondes .... but it's written in blonde. (a blonde girl once told me that)

Oh great if it's written in blonde I will never be smart enough to read it.

Prayers! Fingers crossed! Faith heals you, I hope.

Respirator or a CPAP?

Respirator. I have no idea what the difference is, but they told me it's not a CPAP.

Just curious, because I thought a respirator involved tubes down your throat. CPAP is a mask that blows air into your airways with more pressure. If it helped your breathing, I'm interested in knowing more, but CPAPs take my breath away when I wear them. It feels like I'm suffocating, which is almost impossible with one of those but it still feels that way to me.

I'm borderline on the O2 at home. My pulmonologist thinks I should be on 2 percent "if I feel I need it". But also told me if I don't feel I need it, not to use it because it is just like a drug and you can create a dependency when there shouldn't be one. I currently use it at night and it makes me feel much better, but if there is something that might be better I'm open to try it.

You're thinking ventilator, not respirator.

You are right. But a quick google says they are the same in one article, not the same in another.

"A ventilator, also known as a respirator or breathing machine, is a medical device that provides a patient with oxygen when they are unable to breathe on their own. The ventilator gently pushes air into the lungs and allows it to come back out like the lungs would typically do when they are able."

https://www.verywellhealth.com/when-a-ventilator-is-necessary-3156902

"There is a difference between a ventilator and a respirator. ... A respirator is used to protect a person who is working in an area with chemicals or perhaps germs. A ventilator is for patients to providing breathing assistance to patients for whom providing oxygen is not enough"

https://www.govtech.com/em/emergency-blo...respirator.html

And dictionary.com says a respirator is a filtered mask...

https://www.dictionary.com/e/respirator-vs-ventilator/

So I don't really understand the difference and what exactly Ytown is using.

The two main methods of postop non invasive ventilation are CPAP and BIPAP, the main difference is that BIPAP changes pressure on exhilation. This absolutely isn't my area of expertise, but we do get patients in my area that use both. I'm unaware of other options. If YT says he's not using a CPAP machine, it's probably a BIPAP.

glad you are feeling better.

Thank you.