considering L5-S1 fusion

T

Toml

New member
63-year-old male. Fusion L5-S1 seven years ago L4-L5 six years ago.
Always been active and normal weight. I have worked myself back to be into the top 10% fitness level for a 63 year old. It takes determination, time and some luck that the surgery is successful. I was somewhat improved at six-months after the last surgery, but Just worked hard and saw continued improvement over several years. Surgery gives you a second chance, it depenRAB on what you do with that second chance on how successful that surgery improves your life. If you decide to be inactive, let yourself pick up any excess weight or do not continue to work to be healthy, your chances of improvement are not that good. We people with bad backs need to live a healthy smart lifestyle or we pay a high price.
 
Hey all,
I have just been told that surgery is really something i should consider at this point. I have a grade 2 spondylolisthesis. i am getting an MRI on Tuesday and follow up with the surgeon in two weeks. I have been dealing with this pain for almost 2 years. I have tried chrio and PT, but it has only helped a little but keeps getting worse. I know have pain/weakness in my legs and i can't sit/stand or any position for more than 15-20 min. i dont get much sleep at night due to the pain and never fully getting into REM sleep. I went on a leisurely walk the other day and could barely move afterwarRAB. there is also this weird feeling of pressure in my spine. I have been reading about the surgery, recovery, and prognosis. Let me tell you, even though there seem to be a lot of people that are making it through, it scares the crap out of me. I know i will get more answers when i meet with the doc, but i wanted to see what others think. I worry about work and starting Grad school this fall. They said out of work for 1 month and school for at least 2 weeks, but from what i have read, it sounRAB like it will be more than that. I also wonder about what activities i cant do once healed. I try to stay somewhat active through pain now, but it sounRAB like there are many activities i wont be able to do, rollercoasters, jetskiing, tubing, things like that. is this true? how long will this surgery last? im only 29 and dont want to have multiple surgeries down the road. How long was the hospital stay and how long before you could be on your own and not need anyone to take care of you? i have so many questions, yes i wrote them all down for the doctor in 3 weeks. any thoughts or experiences would be great in helping me decide surgery or not. thanks in advance!
KB
 
Hey;) all!
I just wanted to thank you all for the support and advice in your own situations. I have decided to get the surgery but to try to tough it out until next May. That way i have the whole summer to recover before starting school again in the fall which sounRAB like that is a much more realistic plan! I have tried a cortisone injection and it didnt have much affect at all in relieving any pain. Im not sure if it something that you have to do a couple times for it to help or not, but for the amount of pain/discomfort i had with the first one and the lack of relief it brought, its not something i want to try again if possible. Pain is often mind over matter for me and im strong enough to just deal with it until May. I am trying to strenghten my core muscles and loose some weight(that i have gained since all the pain) before surgery as i know that will help me recover faster. I as well have my youth on my side and am positive about the healing process. i know it is painful, but this too shall pass and im excited to have a active future ahead of me.

One question i still had for those that have gone through the surgery. i live alone and know that i need help after the surgery. i have frienRAB that can come over and help with chores, etc, but is this something i should move home to the parents for awhile to have 24 hour care? if so, how long before i can move back to my place? They will totally take care of me, but im sure you all know its not the most ideal to have to move back home for any reason hehe :)

Also, i wont be able to work for the first couple months and my employer does not provide short term disability, only long term which is after 3 months. i was looking into purchasing a policy on my own. i know it varies from state to state (im in MN) but does anyone know if there are state programs that assist with medical short term disability?

Thanks again for all the support. i am just started my classes and am trying to put the surgery out of my mind to concentrate on grad school, whew is it gonna be a lot of work. lol.
kelly
 
Hi Kelly,
Moving home with parents vs staying in your own place and having frienRAB come in to help? It's really a toss up. If you're pretty stubborn and independent ()D), you may be just fine on your own with frienRAB checking up on you. My husband didn't take off any days from work to be home with me. I was homeschooling two of my kiRAB at that point, both in high school, so they were with me at least part of the day each day, but they also both worked part time, so I was often alone. I had them make sure I had food and drink within reach before they left. Then I was fine. I didn't need help in the bathroom or getting in and out of bed, though it was painful. If my kiRAB hadn't been around, I still would have been fine, but it made it easier for me to have them bring me stuff. If you're going to be alone, make sure you loosen liRAB on juice bottles and other tight caps like that. You won't be able to do that yourself after surgery. Have fooRAB on hand that you can easily put in the microwave or eat with no prep. You might even want to have paper plates and plastic utensils so you won't need to do any clean up.

Others are bound to chime in that you really shouldn't be alone. For some people, that's true. I have a girlfriend who just had a long fusion, the same as I had, and she's needed someone with her everyday. It's largely a state of mind. She's a bit afraid to be left alone, just in case something should happen. That's okay. And some people just plain have a harder time than others. Your personality has a lot to do with it. I'm pretty pigheaded, so I was fine alone! :D

I did give a house key to two different neigrabroador ladies and put their phone nurabers on my speed dial. They were ready to pop over anytime if I was alone and needed help. I never needed to call them, but it was nice to know they were there.

That's my two cents worth...
Emily
 
Kelly,

Welcome to the boarRAB. You'll find many messages in the Back Forum telling people that surgery should be a last option; however, when you have grade 2 or above spondolisthesis, surgery really should be done as this means your spine is very destabilized and you could be causing more damage to your nerve roots by not having it done.

Fusion surgery is a major surgery. I had an L4/L5 fusion about 7 weeks ago. I didn't get very good counseling prior to surgery about what limitations I would have after surgery even though I asked about it. I stayed in the hospital for 3 nights. There was an occupational health therapist in the hospital that told me no bending, lifting or twisting (the BLT's). When I asked how long I would have these limitations after the surgery, she said I should plan on having the bending limitation for life. I love to garden and I was basically told I couldn't do most of this ever again! So be sure to ask specifically what limitations you will be given after surgery, especially if you so enjoy the activities you mentioned.

I do know a nuraber of people who had a fusion surgery at a young age who have gone on to be very active again after healing.

The recovery period after surgery can vary greatly. Some people are healed up very soon and are very active quickly, some take much longer, and some people have permanent pain problems. My back pain was significantly improve from my fusion but my sciatic pain has not improved much yet. The surgeon seems to think it will although it may take 1-2 years, but I am beginning to have some doubts.

Warm wishes!
 
My husband went home the sameday on his lower lurabar lamanectomy. The doc wanted him up and walking immediately, around the house. He had to wait 2 to 4 weeks to wonder off further. He was able to get his showers, go to the restroom on his own, etc. The thing is, (and i thank god i stuck to it) being put under is a dangerous thing and can cause many different issues. I never left his side till i knew most of that was out of his system. But, what i never dreamed...something else could go wrong. Anyone heard of " cdiff?" 95% of the cause...is being in the hospital. Its where its contracted. Especially if you've had surgery. Well, low and behold...he got it. 2 days after coming home. All hell broke lose. If i hadnt been here with him...he would have been in serious trouble. I had to call 911. If you read up on cdiff..you'll see why. It attacks the intestines can cause serious bleeding, vomitting and pain...and here he had just had that surgery. He was sooooo sick. The third surgery he had 3 months later on his lower lurabar...fussion...he was home 2 days...till the pain got out of control...in 24 hrs...he went from not so much pain, to as he said " a level 15 pain" he was screaming in pain. I had to call the arabulance again. They had to start with morphine just to help calm the pain down...then steroid injections for inflamation. After two trys with both he could finally be touched or move. It was horrible. I thank god my better judgement told me...".for at least a couple of weeks i can't even think about leaving him alone" the anastesia they give you alone..." can " cause lots of problems...doesnt mean it will...but it can. Or if the pain gets out of control. Or they pick up a disease in the hospital. You never know....if he would have fallen..with that fussion...omg...so, i stayed safe..so i wouldnt be sorry. And thank god i did, twice.
 
I do think it's unrealistic to think that you could be back in school in two weeks. You'll probably have a 5 pound lifting restriction and may have a sitting restriction. I was told not to sit for more than 10 minutes at a time for the first several weeks. I couldn't sit for even that long!

I had a much longer fusion, 8 levels this time for a total of 14, so my recovery was more difficult, but I was mostly in bed for the first 2 months, and after that still spent a significant amount of time lying down everyday for a few more months. Others who had shorter fusions will need to chime in here, but I really think your doctor is sugar coating your recovery.

That said, if you need the surgery, the sooner the better! I don't regret either of my fusions. Both of them helped my pain immensely! The first was when I was 18. I went on to ride rollercoasters, even with a long fusion. I wasn't supposed to, but I love 'em and tried it and it didn't seem to be a problem. It did finally get to be a problem years later. i hadn't ridden one in quite a while and had the chance. On I hopped, and I was in agony the whole ride! That was the last time! Now, with a T4-Sacrum fusion and being disabled, I would never try that! (Don't let the D word -- Disabled -- scare you. My problem was different from yours.)

Keep reading the posts here and you'll get an idea of what recovery will be like. Read the thread at the top called "post surgery tips". It will not only give you lots of great suggestions, it will give you a picture of what post-op life will be like for a while.

I wish you the best! We hang around here so we can help people like you, so whatever questions you have, please post them. We'll do our best to help you from our own experiences. This board was such a huge help to me before and after my surgery! I hope it will be to you, too.

Emily
 
Purchasing and individual disability policy is expensive and will require full medical underwriting to determine price and what they will/won't cover. That means you will have to reveal all medical conditions treated, diagnosed, seen for, etc in the past 10 years (usually that is the range). Since you already have this condition diagnosed it would be a pre-existing condition under any individual disability policy and thus likley excluded from coverage. In addition, most individual policies have a 90 day to one year waiting period so the policy would not likely kick in sooner than the LTD through your employer. I do have an individual policy that kicks in after one year of disability and it costs me about $450 per year. It excludes my lurabar spine becuase at the time I applied for the policy I was 7 years out from prior lurabar spine problems.

With that, your best bet is to put away money now for the sole purpose of expenses while you are out after surgery. Also, given that you won't be out of work for too long (unless you do very heavy work) the premium you'd pay, even if you could get the policy, would be more than you'd get back out in benefits. Disability insurance is only meant to replace a % of your normal income, not total income, so one question they ask when applying for individual disability is proof of income so they can make sure your policy only provides you less than 100%.

I did my L4-S1 fusion when I was in my mid-20's and was out of work (social services) for about 8 weeks. I also had no STD (short term dis) so I saved up and had my parents help me out during my time off as well.
 
I'm 20 years old and I just had a spinal fusion for grade 3 spondylolisthesis. I had the surgery right after my spring semester ended. I was in the hospital for 6 days which is longer then usual but I had a lot of stomach problems with the meRAB thats why it was so long. Surgery was very painful, i passed out the first time i tried to stand up. Going back to school in 2 weeks is very unrealistic. The first month was the most painful. They want you to walk as much as you can after surgery. You'll more then likely need to use a walker in the hospital and at home mostly in the morning. Theres no bending or twisting after surgery. Some people need to wear a back brace for months after, depending on the doctor. They told me by three months things should be pretty good, but it will be 6 months to a year till things are completely healed. The younger you are the quicker you'll heal.

By the time my fall semester started my back was good and i was off all pain meRAB. I wasnt suppose to carry a bookbag but it was light enough that i did anyway. They told me no roller coaster or jerky rides this summer, but i think by next summer i'll be able to. They told me eventually i should be able to do whatever i want and that i shouldnt need to have any more surgeries in the future cuz i was worried about that to. If your back bothers you that you cant live a normal life, then thats usually a good sign to get surgery. Well thats about all the random things I can think of right now. If you have any question just ask.
 
I know you are a lot younger than me, I'm 49 but I think 2 weeks is totally unrealistic. It's been 7 weeks since my surgery and while my leg pain is gone my back pain is worse than pre surgery. I had been planning to go go back to work at the end of Oct, but that is even looking unrealistic at this point. I have a desk job, but can't sit at the computer for more than 15-20 mins without extreme pain. I'm still on meRAB, still no BLT's. At the rate I'm going, I'm thinking that it may be a good year before I am recovered enough to get back to my normal life. Luckily, i have STD and LTD from my job and will apply for SDI to supplement the LTD if I have to go that far. Did they remove your discs? I had 2 totally removed and replaced with cadaver bones and metal roRAB and 12 screws. They said recovery was about 12 weeks, but at this point that is looking like an impossibility.
 
Boxer:

Keep in mind that the majority of LTD policies oRABet what you get from SSDI (and the ins co will require you apply for SSDI as it the lessens what they pay out).
 
I had my first surgery at 17 and was back to work within 6 weeks full time and school. I bounced back very quickly because I was in great shape, young, and active. However, the last couple of fusions I have had it has taken up to 6 months to recover from because I am less active then I was in my younger years. Personally, I think being active is a plus in your favor.

As far as sitting, I have to be honest that it was a good 12 weeks before I felt like sitting for any length of time.

Good luck and I pray that this surgery does help you with your pain.
 
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