Bill's Story

BILL VOYLES: age 73.

I was 25 years old and ruptured a disc L4-L5 in Korea, Sept 1952. The Army's Dr.s diagnosed it as a 'sprained back'. After  going to several clinics and admitted to various hospitals over the years, they ruled out many things that wasn't the cause, but termed the problem as  'some form of arthritis' and put me on 16 APC's (heavy duty aspirin) a day for years.

I went from Infantry to Motor Sgt, to Anti-Aircraft Gun Command. By l955, I had to be on my feet all day and use hot wet towels on my back every night to get enough relief to sleep. From '56 thru '59, in Germany, I was 1st Sgt, and had a sit-down job, but found that after sitting a couple of hours, I couldn't get up and walk without stretching by back,  using both arms to supporting my weight and 'popping' my back. By now my right leg hurt all the time as well as by back, I also walked with a limp  because my right leg felt shorter than my left, I would suddenly develop severe headaches to the point that I couldn't open my eyes due the light.

Back in the States in '61, I had the job as mechanic and crew-chief of an  aircraft, getting into odd straining positions, my back would 'lock' and I  could not get up or out of where I was without help. After years of this, I  went to an Osteopath.  He adjusted my spine, held me off the ground and  'jerked' my spine straight, the headache suddenly went away and my right leg seemed longer than my left but nothing hurt. It didn't last long, but the  relief lasted longer with each visit until I got orders to go back to Korea.

As Shop Foreman for Aviation Maintenace, my back would 'go out' on the flight  line. I would go to my bunk, lock my boots under the foot rail of my cot and pull on the head rail until my back 'popped'. Then I could continue  working till the next time. Back in the States I had a stand up job as  aviation maintenance instructor.  I learned to snap my back frequently by  putting my hands on my crotch, bending over and stretching my back till it  popped. l4 yrs of this until I retired in '66 with 2l yrs of service.

I worked for 9 more years as an outside rep for auto parts companies,  more driving than standing.  When laid off, I couldn't find a job in 6 months  due to a 'bad back', I was always 'over-qualified' for the job. By now  stenosis had set in at S-1 and both legs were almost totally numb, so I took  the drastic measure of going to a civilian neurosurgeon.  My first myelogram was lying on my side and the Dr said "don't flinch".   What a joke! However he claimed I had the largest ruptured disc he had ever seen and was ready to operate, but I reminded him that I came there to find out what was wrong.  I took his diagnosis to the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and had  my second myleogram within a month. Surgery on L4,L5,S-1.

Sept '75 I became 100% disabled both by the Vets Admin and Social Security, with failed back syndrome and Arachnoiditis. I was in a plaster of Paris cast from neck to buttocks for 3 months. Follow-ups were for the next 9 years as pain got worse and activities grew less.

In July '84, I had the second round of myelograms and surgery with fusion of L4,L5, S1. Still failed back syndrome, more casts, more  follow ups, more pain for another 9 years, countless epidurals and another myelogram. In the meantime, I had torn my stomach up from taking about all  the NSAIDS listed in the medical book for the past 17 years for pain.

In '92, the plan was to re-do the fusion but I was put out of the military  medical system due to over load and sent to a civilian Internist for my  stomach problem who by an endoscopy, found that I had Helicobactor (a fungus) in my stomach causing ulcers (something the service doctors  couldn't find).  

3 more myelograms later, the surgery was the implantation of titanium  pedicule bolts,screws and plates from L1 thru S-l in Aug '93. I spent 6  months in bed and haven't been able to walk 30 feet since. Still in extreme  pain, another myelogram, more epidurals and 30 days incarceration in a  hospital in Richmond Va. for rehab, and they doubled my dosage till I was a zombie and put me through what I call an obstacle course of exercises (somewhere that I surely didn't belong), and definitely helped cause the major heart attack 45  days later.

I had a triple by-pass surgery 1 Jan '95, In between admissions for  congestive heart failure and more epidurals for the back, there was an  attempt to implant a Spinal Chord Stimulator which was aborted because it  didn't work, (I tested the 9v battery to my tongue and it was dead), but I  couldn't convince the Dr. that was the problem. By now I am walking bent over  about 30 degrees and its very stressful to walk 20 feet with the peripheral neuropathy and numb feet and straining back muscles.

The next phase was implanting the pump in June '96 with Dilaudid going  straight to the spine, which suddenly paralyzed by bladder, pectoral, and  bowel systems. It took me until Mar '97 to convince them that the leads went  to the wrong nerves, screwed up the other functions and didn't help my back or legs one bit. They finally tapered the dosage off and removed the pump in Mar '97.

In Mar 99, I walked to the garage and was on my way back in the house,  felt real puny, headed for my bed and passed out, my heart had over-revved  from the stress and cavitated, (not pumping blood). I woke up in the hospital  with a defibrillator implanted in my chest.  Now if I over-do anything a little too much, I get jolted like I had been hit by lightening, and living on a 9v  battery.

I worked with intolerable pain for 23 years, robbed of all capabilities and  in worse pain for 15 years (since the first surgery) a total of 48 yrs.  7  myelograms, 3 back surgeries, 14 epidurals; I haven't totaled up the other  surgeries. I can't draw my Army retirement because I draw a Vets Admin  disability. My pain varies from 1 to 7, normally on the lower levels, thanks  to an understanding Internist specializing in gastrointestinal problems, who  has learned about Arachnoiditis from me.

The 'up' side is that I get my meds from the government every month, 9 from  the Air Force Pharmacy and 3 opiates from the Vets Administration Hospital

Bill Voyles
These statements are true and may be used for the beneficial purposes of  ASAMS Support Group.