sorry to hear you're under the weather. i suffered with serious back issues for 12 years and finally couldn't take it any more when i couldn't even make the 45 min ride from my office to home each day without stopping and getting out and walking around for a bit before resuming. finally bit the bullet and had 2 major major L3/4/5 fusion surgeries within 12 months (in 09 and 2010). add to that my age (first one at 65), and it was a really interesting time in my life, lol. wasn't able to drive the vette for about6 weeks or so, but never looked back. wouldn't even think about an automatic (but that's just me). my daily driver; a 6 speed porsche carrera, my 04 ce 6speed convertible, my 78 pace car 4 speed. next up is a left knee replacement, lol!! take it easy and rest your back as much as possible. the key is to avoid sitting for any long periods of time and don't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk.

 

Back trouble is a serious problem for most of us. I'm 60 now, and had to take a disability pension from firefighting in 2009, couldn't deal with the lower back pain any longer, but for my Vette, I fight it, enjoy it, and get in, and out like an old man.....

One real aggravating problem for me is sitting, standing too long. On long trips, I have to take frequent breaks to stretch out.

Good luck....

 

I had spinal surgery to repair a perforation in my L4 vertabrae in 2002 (a cyst had grown inside that vertabrae, compressing my spinal cord and causing back pain and a complete loss of feeling in my right let). Four years later, I had the L3-4-5 vertabrae fused in a 360 (front and back incisions) surgery - doc installed a titanium erector set to hold the three vertabrae and the cadaver-bone-replacement discs rigidly in place till the everything fused (grew together) into a single unit - about a year's time. Eliminated my back pain, but now I can't bend over to tie my shoes or cut my toenails (pedicures are actually plesasant). And golf is no longer a pleasant endeavor.

Like an earlier respondant, after the second surgery driving my 2003 HD Night Train and rowing through the gears in my 6-speed BMW turned into chores (rather than enjoyment). So I sold them both, waited a while, and in 2010 bought my 2002 A4. Best (but most expensive) motor vehicle enjoyment I have ever had.

Stick with it. Fix your back surgically if you must. But know this: once you get to the other side of your spine issues, your Vette experience can be very enjoyable.


The Lizzard

 

Maybe I'll just my other car for a while..a Geriatric Vette

 

im thinking id like a caddy cts-v perhaps...

 

Since were on the subject [back pain] I, by coinsidence, had a severe trapizoid muscle spasm last night that lasted 2 minutes and was so bad i almost passed out. i just went to my doctor [old school Army doc] and he examined my back and said he could actually see and feel the knots and swelling. He gave me a lidocain injection directly into my back muscle [hurt like heck] and a script for valium. My question is has any other of you ever had one of these injections and will they really help? Also my Vette is torch red to keep it on subject as this is a Vette forum and all