What % do you think obesity contributes to the health problems in our country? (ETA - and why is rucking the best answer? :) )

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Bamabuzzard

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Thank you for posting Brad. I NEEDED to read this. Great job on the stick-to-it-ness!



*bump*

So, in May of 2019 I started tracking my daily kcal intake via the myfitnesspal app and logging my daily exercise routine. Though I stopped powerlifting a few years ago I still enjoyed lifting weights, but decided to go to pure rucking and calisthenics in order to avoid further joint injuries - and to burn off the fat accumulation that generally comes with power lifting.

Today is my 533rd consecutive day of tracking both food (weighing portions) and exercise, and I'm down 80.8# (that's an average weight loss of 1.06# per week over that time). I'm currently at 199.0#, the first time i've been below 200 since the late 90's.

Not posting this to boast, but rather to encourage folks to make the decision to get healthy, find what works for you wrt weight loss and fitness, and STICK WITH IT. It takes a while to pack on pounds and it takes a while to melt them off. But it's worth it. #dothework #everyday #stayfocused #gethealthy
 

Padreruf

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Last Thursday I played a great, private course near hear, Chechesse Creek Golf Club. My lower back hurt -- as usual -- but I manned up, took some pain killers, and played. I finished...went out to eat and rode home -- in pretty good pain. The pain did not go away and by Sunday I was pretty much confined to my recliner with pain meds and either ice or heat.

Long story short -- I have an MRI scheduled for Tuesday and the 2 doctors (internist and PT) who have seen me say that it is probably a ruptured disc in my lower back. I had a couple slightly bulging 2 years ago and have in all likelihood completely torn one of them. The pain is incredible...just as bad as my 2 shoulder repairs. I'm taking the max in pain relief and confined to the house.

Anyone have any experience with disc surgery?
 

NationalTitles18

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Last Thursday I played a great, private course near hear, Chechesse Creek Golf Club. My lower back hurt -- as usual -- but I manned up, took some pain killers, and played. I finished...went out to eat and rode home -- in pretty good pain. The pain did not go away and by Sunday I was pretty much confined to my recliner with pain meds and either ice or heat.

Long story short -- I have an MRI scheduled for Tuesday and the 2 doctors (internist and PT) who have seen me say that it is probably a ruptured disc in my lower back. I had a couple slightly bulging 2 years ago and have in all likelihood completely torn one of them. The pain is incredible...just as bad as my 2 shoulder repairs. I'm taking the max in pain relief and confined to the house.

Anyone have any experience with disc surgery?
My sister had a newer procedure with minimal incision and felt better immediately after surgery. If you move forward be sure it's the surgeon you want doing it. 20 years ago I'd have said to toss a coin whether the surgery makes you better or worse. It's much better these days with a good surgeon.
 
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Padreruf

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My sister had a newer procedure with minimal incision and felt better immediately after surgery. If you move forward be sure it's the surgeon you want doing it. 20 years ago I'd have said to toss a coin whether the surgery makes you better or worse. It's much better these days with a good surgeon.
I was told years ago to only let a neurosurgeon operate on a back, not an orthopedic. My orthopedic is a spine specialist...but I'm thinking that is only for nerve ablation -- which I had and did not take. Your thoughts??
 

92tide

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Last Thursday I played a great, private course near hear, Chechesse Creek Golf Club. My lower back hurt -- as usual -- but I manned up, took some pain killers, and played. I finished...went out to eat and rode home -- in pretty good pain. The pain did not go away and by Sunday I was pretty much confined to my recliner with pain meds and either ice or heat.

Long story short -- I have an MRI scheduled for Tuesday and the 2 doctors (internist and PT) who have seen me say that it is probably a ruptured disc in my lower back. I had a couple slightly bulging 2 years ago and have in all likelihood completely torn one of them. The pain is incredible...just as bad as my 2 shoulder repairs. I'm taking the max in pain relief and confined to the house.

Anyone have any experience with disc surgery?
i had a discectomy about 20 years ago. mine had not ruptured, but were bulging and causing lots of problems. i had l5/s1 and s1/s2 taken care of. it worked very well for me.

sort of a weird aside, the surgeon who worked on my back was this guy

 

NationalTitles18

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I was told years ago to only let a neurosurgeon operate on a back, not an orthopedic. My orthopedic is a spine specialist...but I'm thinking that is only for nerve ablation -- which I had and did not take. Your thoughts??
I think these days it depends on the surgeon. The best thing to do is to 1. ask your primary provider for a recommendation. Ask if they needed this surgery who would they most want to perform it. 2. ask those who have had the procedure if they would strongly recommend their own surgeon or not, based on their own personal experience and outcome.
 
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Padreruf

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I think these days it depends on the surgeon. The best thing to do is to 1. ask your primary provider for a recommendation. Ask if they needed this surgery who would they most want to perform it. 2. ask those who have had the procedure if they would strongly recommend their own surgeon or not, based on their own personal experience and outcome.
Sound advice...thanks!!
 
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4Q Basket Case

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I think these days it depends on the surgeon. The best thing to do is to 1. ask your primary provider for a recommendation. Ask if they needed this surgery who would they most want to perform it. 2. ask those who have had the procedure if they would strongly recommend their own surgeon or not, based on their own personal experience and outcome.
Triple bold on that point. Not neuro / ortho related, but I had a Nissen fundiplication about 10 years ago....it's a surgery for acid reflux and the hiatal hernia that often accompanies that condition.

A college friend was and still is my GI guy, but he's not a surgeon. It's kind of like what they say with a knee or hip -- you just know when you've gotten to the point that you can't live with treating the symptoms anymore, and it's time for the knife.

I asked my friend, "If you had this, who would you get to do the surgery?" He gave me a name (since retired), and said, "I'd want him cut to on me." That was all I needed to know.

After the surgery, my only regret was that I'd waited so long. The relief was glorious, and still is.
 

B1GTide

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Pretty much every study done on this in the last 20+ years points to a single factor in the success of any operation - the frequency that the surgeon performs the exact operation that he/she would be performing on you. No matter the specialty, that is the deciding factor. If something goes sideways while you are under the knife, you want someone who has been there, done that, many, many times.

Also, the frequency has to be recent. You don't want a surgeon who used to be the best at this procedure but has been doing other surgeries for the last 2 years. You want a guy who is doing it now, and is doing it every week.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Pretty much every study done on this in the last 20+ years points to a single factor in the success of any operation - the frequency that the surgeon performs the exact operation that he/she would be performing on you. No matter the specialty, that is the deciding factor. If something goes sideways while you are under the knife, you want someone who has been there, done that, many, many times.

Also, the frequency has to be recent. You don't want a surgeon who used to be the best at this procedure but has been doing other surgeries for the last 2 years. You want a guy who is doing it now, and is doing it every week.
In spades! My wife had an ortho who does only backs and that every day of the week but clinic days. A neuro who does only backs would be fine also...
 

TIDE-HSV

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I was told years ago to only let a neurosurgeon operate on a back, not an orthopedic. My orthopedic is a spine specialist...but I'm thinking that is only for nerve ablation -- which I had and did not take. Your thoughts??
I've treated this right above, but there are neurosurgeons around here who should never touch a back. It may be a separate specialty some day. I'll PM you my wife's email. She had one for ruptured disk and then fell and crushed the vertebra above. Hers have turned out well...
 

B1GTide

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I'm meeting with a highly recommended neurosurgeon tomorrow...have a compression fracture of the L4 vertebrae. Will let you all know what we decide...
When I was in my early 20s I had compressions fractures in two of my cervical vertebrae from a car accident. Thankfully I had no spinal injury and required no surgery. I hope the doc is able to get this sorted.
 
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Relayer

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I had a fusion of L4 and L5 vertebra four years ago... life-changing for me. I'm back to about 85% of pre-injury ability. Before the surgery I spent 5 years of severely limited mobility and excruciating pain.

The potential good news regarding compression fractures is that they very often heal themselves over time requiring no surgery. Hopefully, this will be the case for you. Good luck!
 

Padreruf

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I'm having surgery -- 2 screws and cement -- on 4/21 for the compression fracture. Should go home the same day...rehab/PT will take about 3 months...no golf until August 1. I'm just glad this can be fixed and that I will play golf again and enjoy family. The break probably came from the falls playing kickball with my grandkids. They've put me permanently on the bench...btw, my doctor is the #1 Neuro-Surgeon @ MUSC and is also an oncologist. I am in really good hands...

Looks like I am going to get reacquainted with Hemingway and Faulkner over the next few months...and other classic works as well.
 

techster79

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Look at the numbers for childhood obesity since 1980 to now. I use that year because it's the great I was born, and I was a generation that grew up WITH technology.

Early/Mid 80s - home game systems (large scale, like NES, not Atari. Some families had ataris, everyone and their mother had Nintendo's.)

Mid 90s rise of the PC

Early 2000s PC is standard in every home

2010ish the smart phone.

I believe that in many cases the link is between technology and the fattening.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
That’s how it worked for me. As soon as we got a Nintendo I started packing on the pounds. My son eats like crap, stays indoors and is skinny as a rail. Go figure.
 

Padreruf

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I'm having surgery -- 2 screws and cement -- on 4/21 for the compression fracture. Should go home the same day...rehab/PT will take about 3 months...no golf until August 1. I'm just glad this can be fixed and that I will play golf again and enjoy family. The break probably came from the falls playing kickball with my grandkids. They've put me permanently on the bench...btw, my doctor is the #1 Neuro-Surgeon @ MUSC and is also an oncologist. I am in really good hands...

Looks like I am going to get reacquainted with Hemingway and Faulkner over the next few months...and other classic works as well.
Just an update...I debated sharing this for it sounds worse than it probably is...but it may help someone else. I have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma -- a cancer of the blood that is rarely curable but very much controllable. It seems we have caught it very, very early...the prognosis is 10-15 years if all goes well. Who knows? At 70 that would be the most I would expect anyway, as men in my family do not live very long.
Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers...and if you have any experience with or insights into this disease, feel free to share. I am currently being treated at MUSC...surgery next week and then whatever treatments will follow.
RTR!!!
 

NationalTitles18

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Just an update...I debated sharing this for it sounds worse than it probably is...but it may help someone else. I have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma -- a cancer of the blood that is rarely curable but very much controllable. It seems we have caught it very, very early...the prognosis is 10-15 years if all goes well. Who knows? At 70 that would be the most I would expect anyway, as men in my family do not live very long.
Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers...and if you have any experience with or insights into this disease, feel free to share. I am currently being treated at MUSC...surgery next week and then whatever treatments will follow.
RTR!!!
I'm sorry to hear this. Will you being having a stem cell transplant?
 
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Padreruf

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I'm sorry to hear this. Will you being having a stem cell transplant?
I really do not know...supposedly this is really early...the surgery comes first, then the plan of attack. My neuro-surgeon is also an oncologist...but he specializes in larger tumors, brain tumors, etc -- on the operating side of things. He is putting me with an oncologist who specializes in this type of disease. I was floored at the first diagnosis, but he called and said to relax...all my other "numbers' look great and that being healthy otherwise we can beat this. He's the top dog at MUSC so I'm trusting him...and my sister who is a retired hematologist-oncologist from UAB. I've got a lot of good doctors/resources...a close doctor friend in Atlanta is checking at Emory to see who is specializing in this.

If you have any input I would love to hear it...I know this is not something to fool around with, but I also know that life expectancy figures have gone way up over the last decade...
 
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