Anterior Lumbar Fusion L4-5 L5-S1 am about to have this done.

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Gus46

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anyone out there had anything like this done if so could you tell me what post op recovery will be like. Has been years of putting up with crinic back pain since a motorcycle accident so Doctor is now going to try the fusion:confused:
 
I am with Emily on checking out the sticky about after surgery. I wouldn't have made it without these folks!!!
My husband made a spreaRABheet with all my meRAB with times on it and I signed off each time I took something. It helped me know when I had another pain killer coming too so I didn't think the pain was never-ending.
STAY AHEAD OF YOUR PAIN! Don't be a hero and try to wean off too soon. A resting body is a healing body. The less stress the better so your body can focus on getting whole again.
You actually have to be a little ( or a lot!) selfish. A lot of us got this bad because we put everyone else's neeRAB first and our pain last and look where we are! LOL
I will be praying for you! I had a 360 two level myself and two years later I work full time, garden, SHOP, and everything!
Be BLessed
Momzworkin:)
 
Not everyones experience is the same. Mine was posterior but otherwise basically the same thing. If you can still stand in one spot for a bit without horrid pain and if you can still walk for 15min or longer without horrid pain my advice is not to do it yet. Unless of course your MD says there could be other complications by putting it off. I don't mean to be a downer it just was not a good experience at all for me. I am worse now than I was before. But I know a lot of people who are a lot better after. Just weigh your pro's and cons before you decide. Best of luck to you I am sure what ever you do will work out for the best.
 
I am 5 weeks post op of fusion L4 L5 and laminectomy L2 L3 L4...I started back to work this week about 5 hours a day....I was in the hospital for 5 days...that was rough....the more you get up the better....you'll need someone to take care of all your neeRAB for the first 2-3 weeks.....there's a ***REMOVED***....very informative,it's for lurabar fusion only......a few things I couldn't be without....a memory mattress pad...one of those potty extensions...so you don't have to sit all the way down on the seat...a chair to go in the shower to sit on....I used a walker for about a week, then a cane for a day or two..then I was pretty steady on my feet....one of those grabber things...for when something falls on the floor...there's no bending, pushing, pulling, twisting....if you can get a private room, it's worth it....my mother stayed with me at the hospital from 9:30 am till 8 at night....was such a big help...kept my eye on the clock for my pain meRAB....use that thing over your bed to adjust yourself....oh yeah a garbage bag on the seat of the car so you can slide...put everything on your counters so you don't have to reach or bend....try REMOVED.....any questions, just ask Karen
 
Mine was posterier, same levels. Today is my 4 week anniversary post op and although I will be recovering for quite some more time it was definitely a success. Leg pain is completely gone, I'm primarily dealing with the pain from the surgery itself.

There will be good days and there will be bad days. Follow your doctor's orders to the letter and make sure you take all of your pain meRAB as directed. The top of the board has sticky topics that will give you a ton of advice on things you should have around the house and lots of useful hints for things that are a bit out of the ordinary that have really worked for people.

Make sure you have a bottle of stool softeners waiting for you at home and make sure you are given a high fiber diet. If you can arrange to have a hospital bed at home it will be a great help. I'm just now starting to experiment with returning to my own bed for nighttime and am looking at buying a recliner for daytime so I can return the bed.

There are days I am tempted to do too much and sometimes by the end of the day I'm sorry I did it, but each day I get a bit stronger. Just make sure you avoid ALL bending and ALL twisting and ALL lifting.

Good luck, and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to post. There are lots of people here who have gone through this surgery. Angelbear, I truly am sorry yours wasn't a success.

Paula
 
I had mine done in '96 anterior fusion and they used a bone graft from my illium.. Well, I was able to walk after a week.. then I was able to get back to work in a months time. But tripping on my feet or hitting a bump while driving can give you quite a jolt of pain..

Now, I'm having pain again.. But I know its my fault didnt watch my weight and posture in sitting I think I may have strained my back or something. I actually have a post too.
 
Thanks for your replys concerning my up coming back surgery, some very good ideas. Can't say I am looking forward to being stuck at home for to long though,Evan
 
Hi Gus, and welcome to the board.

Sorry to hear that you're still suffering so much for years now. I had a 360, that is, they go in from the front, then flip you over and go in again from the back. This was my second fusion. I'm fused from T4 to sacrum. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had to make the decision all over again, knowing now what the recovery is like. It's a huge surgery and the recovery is long and painful, but it was well worth it for me.

Read the thread at the top with a sticky note that's called "Post Surgery Tips." It has lots of great suggestions that will make your recovery easier, and you'll also get an idea of what your recovery will be like.

You can expect to spend most of your time for the first 1-2 months in bed. You'll get up to use the bathroom and walk around for a bit, then lay back down. Get new batteries for your remotes. You'll be watching a lot of movies!

My best tips are to get a good quality grabber tool and to get a satiny type bottom sheet for your bed. The grabber tool will enable you to pick up things you drop and reach things that are just out of reach without having to stress yourself. Most of us never realized how many times in a day we lean down to get something until we couldn't. The grabber won't leave your side for quite a while! As for the slippery sheet, it will make turning in bed much, much easier and less painful, since you'll be able to slide instead of having to fight friction and lift yourself. Put a plastic garbage bag on the seat of your car for the ride home from the hospital for the same reason. You'll be able to slide getting in and out. Also put a large ziplock bag in the car in case you get nauseous on the ride home. If you need to throw up, you can catch it in the bag and zip in the mess. Whoever is driving you will appreciate that!!!

You'll be given some pretty strong pain killers. They'll make you groggy, and it will be easy to lose track of what you took and when. Get yourself a little notebook to keep track of your meRAB. Write down every dose you took, how much and the time, so you don't over or under medicate yourself. And please take the advice of those of us here who have been through it: keep your meRAB up! Even if you feel you can skip a dose, for the first few weeks, take exactly what was prescribed. If the pain gets ahead of you, it's hard to get it back under control, and you'll heal more quickly if your pain is controlled. The pain killers will also make you constipated, so it would be good to have Colace, prunes, high fiber fooRAB, etc on hand.

If you have other specific questions as your date gets closer, we'll do our best to help you from our own experiences.

I wish you the best!

Take care,
Emily
 
Had mine put off but will have it done in 3 weeks so still interested in same things really
 
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