Hey Pepper, hey all 9 weeks POST-OP!!

R

ReneeMarie

New member
:)Well Pepper, and all my spiney frienRAB, I apologize for waiting 9 weeks but,I don't have a laptop and sitting here at none too comfy.I broke my desk chair,and usin a kitchen chair isn't the greatest line in comfort! BUT!!!!...... I do jump on and off reading all the goodies folks are writing here. I am glad I have held my tongue cuz I noe see that many many wild and crazy things happen after spinal surgery. The new pains come and go and come agin and change and the different nurabness, tingling and warm water sensations, all in new spots,old spots,soreness here and there,it's a roller coaster ride of symptoms. But I think I am indeed going to be better in the long run. I pray so.I am now waiting for that 12 week post op set of films to see if things are fusing the way they should be. I have to be honest with all of you though. One of the biggest reasons I have not written is I have been bitter. I read all the stories on here and I hear "" thanks to my husband, or wife or boyfriend or room mate or son or daughter and I have done this alone. Live alone,been alone,came home alone.And I guess the honest thing to say is I am jealous.But I DID IT. Or, I should say I am doing it. It it extremely amazing what one can do when there is no one else to do it for them and they have no choice. I just hope I did not screw myself in the long run.But I made it through the worst part and all of you what those parts are!:( Enough said.

On a different note,after a week in the hospital and home for 3 days I was re-admitted for severe anemia,and pitting edema.I had a very big problem building up my blood loss again even though I donated autogulous units and received it back. So, who knows what the future holRAB but I hold my breath each day that nothing too bad happens. I know the road ahead is going to be long but I think I actually see a light at the end of this tunnel for the first time in a very time.
I hope and pray that each and every one of you have great success in all your troubles. Like they say..." once a spiney,always a spiney", and ya know what. We could belong to worse groups right? lol;)
Take care and May God be with you and yours always.
Renee
 
Renee, I'm so glad that things are going well so far. Keep up whatever you're doing! We'll look forward to hearing what you see on the x-rays in another few weeks.

I know it must have been hard to do this all alone. You must be a very strong person! You're right. It is amazing what we can do if we have to.

The anemia can take a while to get over, but give it time. You'll bounce back.

I hope you get your energy back and feel better soon.

Take care,
Emily
 
:wave: there! Welcome back!! We missed you. You should be so proud of yourself for comming thru this surgery on your own. You are so much stronger than I am. I was spoiled to max with help. But you are so right, it is amazing what you can do when you are faced with a challenge. You deserve a medal in my book.

I am so sorry that you have had a difficult time with the anemia. That must have been the pits to go back into the hospital. I know you just wanted to have more of that beef boullion or jello they serve. :D

Just curious cause I am a tad nosey, what has been the hardest for you being alone during your recovery?

Are you in alot of pain? Are you walking alot?

That computer chair that broke, if it was the back of the chair, I have a wonderful hint. Take off the back of it so that you only have the seat of the chair and use it for your laundry basket. You will have a laundry basket on wheels that you can move across the house as well as a carrier for all your goodies. I use mine all the time and it is great to lean on for balance and support.

Take care and I am looking forward to chatting with you in the days to come.
 
I am very proud of you and glad you can do it! Of course this is a very tough road and to go alone on it even harder. I feel for you!

I had donated my blood and all was used right after the surgery and some 2 days later. I had my last surgery 6 weeks ago. After my first surgery they used my blood 3 days after surgery - was both times severe anemic too.
It took me a while for the blood counts to go back to normal. Make sure apples (Iron), red meat, beets are part of your daily diet.

Good luck to you!
 
:angel:Wow
I am very thankful for all of your kind comments.......Yes I have been eating as much red meat and dark vegies as I can to build myself back up .It's amazing how weak weak weak you get when your counts are down even a little.
My pain level is an interesting question cuz being here alone I am always afraid of being out of it and then try to face an emergency....fire etc....so.....that's been a challenge. I wanted to be able to take the meRAB and rest the way my surgeon suggested but I simply could not so the answer is my pain level has been very intense.One of the biggest I have had to face.
No walking out of the house yet except I have in the last 2 weeks began to take out my trash to the roaddumpster which is a bit of a jaunt and get the mail a few times which is the same. Otherwise it would all wait till my daughter came.Which was not every day.I have actually been shopping twice.Once with a friend and once when my pregnant daughter took me to the post-op visit. Had to use the electric buggy but damn it, when they start and stop the pulling and pushing feeling in my back is TERRIBLE!!!!!
It took me days to recover just from that both times! lol
I used duct tape to put many gadgets and baskets on my walker to go from the hospital bed in my living room ,*( I had to pay)*,to the kitchen ,to the bathroom( which is in my laundry room. With it being a 2 story thats over 100 years old the pitch on my stairs is steeper than I have ever seen anywhere so going up MY stairs was a HUGE challenge.:( However....(drum roll please)
I am now upstairs! In my own bed! But, when I had them pick up the hospital bed, I had them put a trapeze upstairs in my bedroom to help me get up and lay down and move. The ** log roll ** can only do so much to help you and my fricken elbow got sore! lol :D
All in all the biggest troubles for me was cooking,dressing,bathing,changing my bedding .These are still my hurdles. But not as bad. Remotes are life savers but sure wish I could have controlled my furnace with a remote. Thank God my friend loaned me a tower fan with a remote! Watering, not feeding, but watering the animals. And right after surgery waiting,and standing,
( actually leaning ) for the damn dog to get done turning in circles outside to do her dirty job and looking for the right spot! God, why DO they do that! lol When watering, I wanted their bowls washed out, not just water poured in from above. I had 2 different GRABBERS that I NEVER would made it without.
But...you can not put a big bowl of fresh water down with no grabbers! lolNEVER would have got any laundry done without the shorter heavy duty one. And never been able to pick up things that.....
NEVER FELL OR DROPPED TILL I HAD SURGERY!!!!!!!! :mad::o:D lol lol lol
I am just now picking myself up.I have been very sad,lonely,depressed, angry, bitter, hurt, and all the crap that goes with it.
The only one I am going to make excuses for is my 8 month pregnant daughter that has been working full time with 3 other little ones and a home to keep that has been here more than anyone else!!!;)
But I must live and I must get better for my grandbabies. They need me.I live for them.
Look this is very important for me to say..........
No...I NEVER would have went into this ALONE on purpose. So for any of you saying....she shouldn't be complaining, we tried to warn her NOT to be alone.
I had it all set up. Even right down to the advice you all gave me about having someone to be at the hospital with me. But 2 days before the surgery that ALL FELL APART. And.... I will have a hard time to get over and forgive this person for doing that to me. She was like family to me, like a daughter and if God himself would have told me she would have pulled that **** I probably would have had a hard time to have believed him. And I am a Christian!! But the surgery was on and there was no turning back. My surgeon wanted me to go into a nursing home for a couple weeks after the surgery because NO ONE goes home alone after that kind of surgery but I refused. Would YOU want to spend Christmas in a nursing home????????? Would you?
Hugs to you all. Thanks for the kind worRAB. It IS AMAZING how strangers on a computer screen seem to care and pick you up more than the actual people in our family and lives. Thank you spiney frienRAB.
Renee .....aka TaKoda on the ever popular *******. Please keep in touch.:)
 
Boy you got courage and alot of strength doing what you doing.I got ones here but no help,only from my poor ill husband,and its not easy.
 
Renee, that was funny and brought back memories when you said you duct taped things to your walker. I had a reaction to the anesthesia that made me lightheaded for about 6 weeks, constantly "wanting" to pass out when I was up. So I was told by both my surgeon and my GP that I was not to do any walking without the walker, for my own safety. I had a strong little gift bag with handles tied to my walker to carry stuff, plus a hook to bring my grabber with me wherever I went.

It sounRAB like you do have a support system, even though you're alone at home. That makes me feel better! I always worry about something happening and no one knowing! I had two neigrabroador ladies on my cell phone and had given each of them a key to our house so if anything happened when I was alone, I had someone I could call who could get to me. My husband was there in the evenings, and my boys were there in the mornings, but almost every afternoon, the boys would go off to work and I would be alone for 6 hours or so. I never had to call them for an emergency, but it was reassuring to know they were there.

Hope your pain is under control.
Don't overdo it!
~Emily
 
Renee, my heart and prayers go out to you! I am so thankful that you decided to give us all an update...I know it may not be the same, but always know that you have all of us. We all know what you are going through and understand your mixed emotions. I pray that you will continue to heal and that your spirits will be lifted! Thanks again, for the update.
 
Back
Top