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November 3, 2009 - 10:49am
Papaya - Has anyone been fused with it?
Years ago - many years..... like 25 yrs ago my hubby who was a coal miner and at the time about 21 yrs old was injured and his L5-S1 disks herniated.
They fused him using Papaya ( yes I am sure it was Papaya lol ).
He recovered GREAT! Was back to work full time in 6 weeks as a deep under ground coal miner. the highest height he worked in was 22"! I could not image that WITH a GOOD back lol 
he was a miner for 17 yrs with no back issues. He quit the mines as of his knee caps going bad ( go figure ).
Fast speed ahead - his back is still doing very well, with no treatments, PT, Meds etc since the 6 weeks it took him to recovery from surgery.
Now his legs just crumble for no reason. His legs are VERY weak. he sits down as often as he can. So far he does not fall down as he has been able to catch himself going down when the knees crumble under him ( crumble being his word ).
I spoke to my own Dr. in passing about this and he said that they stopped doing Papaya infusions as people were getting paralyzed from it. He also said that this leg issue my hubby has is a side effect from the Papaya fusion.
The only option is to get it removed and a re fusion. Hubby says it is not "that" bad yet.
So I am just curious if anyone else here had this Papaya fusion done and the results of it ?
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Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disk, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 49 - Here to find & offer support. Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
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I thought papaya was used for disc problems. I didn't realize it was used for fusion. I believe the FDA banned its use because the results were too unpredictable, with some resulting in paralysis.
I have no medical training. Comments are based on personal experience and lots of research and reading.
PLIF @ L4-5 with Peek cage, rods and screws Jan 2008
Lami-foraminotomy L5-S1 Jan 2009
Fusion L3-S1 coming up -- 1 June
Some time between my first (1978) and second lumbar surgery (1982), papaya came on the scene to help with shrinking herniated discs. I never heard about if for fusions.
NY Ranger Goalie John Davidson had some herniated discs and he went under that treatment. He was back playing goal that same season.
We had looked into it for me, none of my doctors could do that, because it was not approved in the USA, only in Canada at the time.
Since that time, I havent heard it being used for that purpose.
Ron DiLauro
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hmmmmmm. I will have to do a recheck with hubby. I "swore" he said fusion. But I could be wrong.
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disk, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 49 - Here to find & offer support. Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
Ok - I had him come and read these posts and he said that it was his L4 & L5 disks and that the Drs said that the Papaya would dissolve the interior of the disks and fuse them together. Which it did from the tests he has had done down the road. It actually held out really well - look at above posts to see all he did for 17 yrs !
However now he has the "falling legs" issue, that I was looking to see if anyone else know more about.
Thanks
Ms. Humpty Dumpty Took a great fall. L1-L2-L3-L4 - S1 & S2 full herniations. Spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, degenerative disk, scoliosis. Knees, hips & spine have degenerative bone disease, arthritis and bone spurs. Age 49 - Here to find & offer support. Had bilateral knee replacement surgery done March 15th, 2011
Papaya, as in the fruit?!
Also, I'm sorry to hear your husband is having such trouble with his legs. I hope if he does decide to go for the fusion, that he is pain free afterward!
Minimally invasive TLIF & laminectomy for L4/L5 done on 11-03-09. (With PEEK cage, rod, screws, BMP)
Medication: Lyrica, Metanx, Lidoderm patches