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Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,343
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
Just got back in my shop this past week after back surgery 2 weeks ago (I'll elaborate on that further down this post). I have a shark vertebrae blank I cast that I didn't want to take the chance of it blowing up while drilling for the tube so I placed it between centers while I CA'ed some gauze to it. Saw I had dripped some CA on the banjo but didn't think much about it. Went out to the shop this afternoon to turn it and a few other blanks and discovered that someone o_O had glued the banjo to the ways :eek: and now it won't budge. Tried persuading it with a hammer with no successšŸ¤¬. Guess I'll have to disassemble it to clean it up.

Now as for my surgery.
Haven't been able to do much in my shop for the past several month as I started getting sharp, hot leg pains mostly in my left leg followed by my left foot going numb. Went to see my Orthopedic doctor the end of December. MRI showed stenosis and bulging disks at L5 and S1 and S1 and S2. He sent me to the physical terrorist. After 3 weeks with no improvement, he got me an appointment the end if January with a spinal surgeon. Surgeon suggested a series of steroid injections with the pain management doctor he works with. PM doctor scheduled me for a series of 3 steroid injections a month apart beginning the second week of February. Couldn't tell that the first one did anything as the pain was still about the same, but slightly more in the right leg. The second injection March actually made it worse in the left leg. Now I couldn't stand or walk for more that about 5 minutes before the pain started in the left thigh and worked its way to the left foot and made it feel icy hot. When I set down for 10-15 minutes the pain would go away. By the time for the third injection in April, we were under the Covid lock down and no elective surgeries or procedures could be done. By the end of April, it was so bad that I decided to skip the third injection and have the surgery as soon as the ban was lifted. So, Governor Abbott lifted the ban the first of May. The earliest I could get scheduled was May 11. Surgery went well but there was a slight spinal fluid leakage that the doctor fixed so I had to stay overnight for observation.
Been taking it easy the past two weeks. Fooled around in the shop doing a little this and that. Mowed the grass on my riding mower yesterday. Spent about 4 hours in the shop this morning and afternoon with no pain.
Now I get the staples removed on Tuesday and we'll see what the Dr has to say.
 
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leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,314
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
Hope you feel better soon. I don't wish back pain on anyone.

I have heard horror stories from people with back surgery going back more than 25 years. But as for me, I begged for some surgery for the whole time. I fractured a bone in my back when in Osaka, Japan but when I went to a back specialist, his first question was; Is you leg numb? Me: NO ITS MY BACK. Him: take some prescription meds. ME: Take an X-ray, PLEASE! Him - "no need. just a severe sprain."

A few days later, I took the Shinkasen (Bullet Train) to the English speaking Doctor in Tokyo Medical center and begged for an xray. His first question was: "Is your leg numb?" Me: NO, ITS MY BACK!. Him: No need for an X-ray."
One year later in the States and eating ibuprofens daily. Go to a Stateside Doctor: ME Please take an X-Ray. Him: Does your leg tingle or feel numb?" Me NO its my lower back. I lived that way for nearly 20 years.

in 2014, I was on a ladder 2 feet up holding a board for another to tack. I fell and jammed my knees and back. Went to an orthopedic, had X-rays done primarily on my knees but asked the technician to X-ray by back. The first thing the doctor asked as he entered was: Did you hurt your back about 20 years ago? ME: SURE DID. Him: Why didn't you go see a doctor? Me: I did, but they asked if my legs were numb, I told them my back hurt so bad I couldn't pay attention to my legs. He said I had a big mass of arthritis and what looked like a healing from a possible fracture.

Went to pain management for shots but like yours, that did fair at first, then got worse. Went to a different doctor and through a series of shot from him, have been more or less pain free most of the time. Arthritis in other places are taking its toll though. My orthopedic said I would have to see a different doctor for the arthritis.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2010
Messages
1,798
Location
webberville, mi
Just got back in my shop this past week after back surgery 2 weeks ago (I'll elaborate on that further down this post). I have a shark vertebrae blank I cast that I didn't want to take the chance of it blowing up while drilling for the tube so I placed it between centers while I CA'ed some gauze to it. Saw I had dripped some CA on the banjo but didn't think much about it. Went out to the shop this afternoon to turn it and a few other blanks and discovered that someone o_O had glued the banjo to the ways :eek: and now it won't budge. Tried persuading it with a hammer with no successšŸ¤¬. Guess I'll have to disassemble it to clean it up.

Now as for my surgery.
Haven't been able to do much in my shop for the past several month as I started getting sharp, hot leg pains mostly in my left leg followed by my left foot going numb. Went to see my Orthopedic doctor the end of December. MRI showed stenosis and bulging disks at L5 and S1 and S1 and S2. He sent me to the physical terrorist. After 3 weeks with no improvement, he got me an appointment the end if January with a spinal surgeon. Surgeon suggested a series of steroid injections with the pain management doctor he works with. PM doctor scheduled me for a series of 3 steroid injections a month apart beginning the second week of February. Couldn't tell that the first one did anything as the pain was still about the same, but slightly more in the right leg. The second injection March actually made it worse in the left leg. Now I couldn't stand or walk for more that about 5 minutes before the pain started in the left thigh and worked its way to the left foot and made it feel icy hot. When I set down for 10-15 minutes the pain would go away. By the time for the third injection in April, we were under the Covid lock down and no elective surgeries or procedures could be done. By the end of April, it was so bad that I decided to skip the third injection and have the surgery as soon as the ban was lifted. So, Governor Abbott lifted the ban the first of May. The earliest I could get scheduled was May 11. Surgery went well but there was a slight spinal fluid leakage that the doctor fixed so I had to stay overnight for observation.
Been taking it easy the past two weeks. Fooled around in the shop doing a little this and that. Mowed the grass on my riding mower yesterday. Spent about 4 hours in the shop this morning and afternoon with no pain.
Now I get the staples removed on Tuesday and we'll see what the Dr has to say.
Monty - suggest you try soaking the ways in acetone before you get crazy disassembling the lathe. Caution, though. It's HIGHLY flammable and best to use an activated charcoal breathing filter.
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
Boy can I relate to back pain. Going through it for the past 2-1/2 months and locked in limbo here because of lock down. I want to try my chiropractor to see if he can get me out of the pain. He has in the past. I do not have the shooting pain down the legs but shooting pain everywhere else. Just the past few days the pain is lessening up and maybe because I have increased some walking. Just trying to stay active. My problem is can not stand in one place for very long. Also sitting adds pressure and I have all the pillows and pads invented. Hopefully next week our restrictions will be lifted here in NJ. We have been hit very hard here and it is scary. I am in the oldman age group with many of the watch out for problems.

Your surgery sounds like it went well and recovery is quick. Have had 2 friends that did not do well with surgery and I do not want their pains. But anyone with a back problem can relate to the intense pain. Drop you to your knees pain. Good luck as you progress from this and do stay safe.
 

Don Rabchenuk

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
670
Location
Middleburg, FL
I can feel your pain. I have been fighting back pain since 2011. L3-4 has been fused so I can walk without my leg playing Gumby on me. L1-L2, L2-L3, L4-L5 bulging with narrowing of nerve canal. In November last year I sneezed and felt a sharp pain in me neck, stabbing pain in my right shoulder and numbness down my arm and thumb and my 1st two fingers. Get an MRI and see dr and first thing he says is " Has anyone talked to you about surgery.
Hope you do much better than me.
 

sbwertz

Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
3,649
Location
Phoenix, AZ
You might try soaking a rag in acetone and draping it over the banjo for a few minutes to see if that will free it. Or heating it with a heat gun. Try the heat gun FIRST! It might ignite acetone. I use acetone to soak CA off bushings and to clean it off the ways.
 

Gary Beasley

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2009
Messages
1,326
Location
Marietta, Ga. USA
A heat gun will probably be the most effective, the CA will soften and you can break it loose and slide it off the bed to clean both surfaces with acetone.
 

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,343
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
First, I want to thank everyone for all the well wishes for my recovery from surgery. We'll see what comes tomorrow after I get the staples removed and I get weened from the meds. Been doing this a little myself and so far results look promising.
As for my lathe, I've been able to remove the banjo from the ways, but eccentric rod that turns to lock the banjo to the ways will not turn with out me using some slight persuasion from a hammer. I'm now in the process of soaking the end in acetone and then trying to get the eccentric lined up to remove it from the banjo so I an get everything cleaned up.
Gary, had not thought about using a heat gun. Will give that a try this morning.
And Ted, I'm not too concerned about breathing the acetone. My brain and organs are already cooked from working in bio labs for 40+ years and from growing up in the 50's-70's in a city surrounded by large refineries and petrochemical plants.
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
Messages
3,032
Location
Wolf Creek Montana
Good info here. I've been suffering with a L4-L5 herniated disc since the first of April. I get my injection tomorrow and I'm hoping for a complete recovery. Thanks for sharing...even the scary ones.

Good luck on the Banjo.
 

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,343
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
GOT IT!!!!! Thanks Ted, the heat gun did the trick. Could not get the eccentric shaft out, but loosened it up so I was able to freely turn it. Lubed it with some 3n1 oil and it rotates great.
Scraped the remaining hardened CA off the ways, sanded and waxed them and am now ready to go.
 

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,343
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
All that fuss over the shark vertebrae for nothing. Don't know what happened. Bought the vertebrae off EBay several years ago. Had no problem embedding them in Silmar and turning the first ones at that time. This time, the mesh looking inside of the vertebrae just fell out with the hardened Silmar even though I was using a skew. Also, The edges of the vertebrae ranged anywhere from a light yellow color to almost black. The ones I turned a few years ago from this same batch were white.
 
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