I write this post with tears in my eyes and a very sad heart. I have posted in the past about my back problems and some surgeries. I'm 43 yrs old, I have a wife of 23yrs and a 6 yr old daughter that is my life. I can't walk or sit most of the time without server back pain and my legs going numb. I took my family to Disney World a month ago for a week and spent three days of it in a wheel chair. Went this weekend to Six Flags and spent the day in a wheel chair, could not walk. I'm seeing two of the best back doctors in Texas. One spine doctor and the other is a nerve doctor. I currently have a LE21 Legend and love to tinker in it when not fishing. I have been tourney fishing for ruffly 10yrs but fishing all my life.

I had another surgery last Wednesday and the results is nothing. I have had 5 day surgeries on my back in the last 6 months and nothing is working and the back is getting worse. There trying everything they can but thinking I will have bigger surgeries or live with the pain the rest of my life and sometimes the pain is more then I can live with. I already had to stop some of the things I love to do. I live on medication that most of the time don't work and some that put me into never-never land. Many of you will say, " I don't care how much pain but will keep fishing or nothing will keep me from fishing". Until you lived in someones shoes don't say never. I will fish as long as I can. What if I'm fishing and my legs go numb and I fall in what am I going to do. I have to think of my family and health first. But I have to think my fishing days are coming to an end. I don't like fishing from the bank when you fished from a boat all these years. So you young guys that think your indestructible and love to lift heavy things, think twice about it before you end up in my shoes.

prayers sent my friend. keep your head up....

Prayers sent. As above post, keep your head up and spirits high. I know it is tough but the Lord will guide you through this.

prayers sent...

my backseat will always be open to you...

Prayers sent.. If you need to partner with someone, you can fish from the front of my boat anytime.

Dayuuum. I feel for ya Bro.. Thanks for the advice, I pray they figure it out soon. Try and find a guy like House(the not for real TV. guy). But an expert diagnostician, surely they can find the problem, and you can get on with your life.
Prayers for a quick recovery, don't give up on hope.

What is the docs diagnosis? I asssume if they are doing surgery they have isolated problem? Disc?

Good luck and God bless/

thoughts and prayers are with you Tom...

Jigfish,

I to have had the back problems you speak of, mine was L3 through 5, and my surgeon did what is called an Lumbarectomy, where they cut me open and removed the arithitic tissue from around the siatic nerve and injected steirod into the disk, and stapled me back up and sent me home. Right after the surgery, was the first time in over 10 years I had no pain. After 3 years from the surgery, I get a twing every now and then, but that is usually from my own stupidity. Best of Luck.

My doctor in that did my surgery was Dr Westmark in Houston.

43 is to damn young to be dealing with that kind of back problems. Are we talking disc problems, bone spurs, what's the deal here? Are they doing lazer surgery or actually cutting you everytime? I ask these questions because I watch my Dad go thru this and finally they figured it ouot and he was back to normal after about 6 months..

We wish the best for you.

Stay positive, and keep looking for a solution.

My back problems:
L4 and L5. the disk is cracked and evertime I sit the jelly comes out. They explained it like a jelly donut, you sqeeze it and the jelly comes out. L3 disk has built up a bone around it and everytime my L3 moves it rubbs on a nerve causing my numness in my legs. Then I have another Nerves that has caluim built around it. The L4 and L5 disk, they could get a needle into it to inject a die to see how bad it is cracked. L3, they tried for an hr and could not get a needle into it.

hang in there brother, always darkest before the dawn, im sure things will get better and there will be ways to set it up so you can continue fishing.....thoughts are with you

Wow Tom I hate to hear that. I remember the days when I lived right down the street from you and you were always messing around in the boat doing something. We enjoyed some good days just talking fishing until we both moved on. I have another buddy who had to sell his boat but finally had a procedure that finally allowed him to get back into fishing after a year or two. Hopefully you will eventually get some relief from this because I know how it can put a stop to almost everything because of the pain. Keep us informed and know that you are always welcome in my boat at anytime.

As far as I know, no one in the US can cure the problem. You may get temprary relief from the pain but it will come back.
Go to China and find some good traditional medication doctor, you will be in a much better shape very soon. Don't go to the Acupuncture place at here, not as good as in China.
During our vacation to China last month, my wife went to see a doctor and he could tell exactly what was the problem just by looking at her hand and face without her saying anything.