HI, New, about to have Fusion from L3 toS1

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lynn1961

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hiya sugarhorse,

Good luck on your up-coming fusion surgery. I had mine dec. 16 and recovering very well. I had a set back with bad nerve flare up which was extremely painful but medication helps me deal with the pain now. You can expect some good pain from the surgery. Are you being cut in the front or back or both? I was cut in my lower abdomen. I actually suffered more pain at first from the incision LOL BUT....it got well rather quick. You will indeed need help at first. Such as getting in and out of shower ect.....I find that not staying in 1 position is helpful...meaning not stay laying down for hours. I get up and walk. I walk laps in my basement LOL I am determined to get back strong and pain free :) Do you have anyone that will be assissting you for your recovery? I am sure you will be heavily medicated. Drink lots and lots of water. And you will need stool softners ack LOL All the narcotic medications tend to constipate you. My doc has me in a back brace. It looks like a corset type brace. I actually find wearing it makes me more comfortable. Keeps you from bending HA I am just about 3 weeks post-op and starting to feel better daily now that I got the nerve flare up taken care of. That was for sure a agony and very painful. Had to be re-admitted to hospital to get pain back under control. If you are in somewhat of good physical shape.....I find that is helpful. I am in good physical shape myself. I was going to the gym 5 days a week. I plan on going back as soon as my doc gives me an ok to do that. I also have the greatest PM doc a person can have. He is absolutely the best. He is the doc giving me all the correct medications. So....he and my neurodoc worked a plan out together to get me going. Try to relax about the surgery although I know that is hard to do. Just have a positive attitude about your recovery. And expect the pain. If you have any more questions.....just ask. there is lots of help on this forum. I found it very helpful to read these post and also ask questions to people going through the same thing.......again, good luck!

LYNN
 
HI,
I have read through alot of this board and found some really useful, thoghtful stuff...so now I'm ready to ask my question, has anyone ever had a fusion involving 4 discs and how did it go..i have no idea what to expect for recorvery time, pain, meRAB, anything...it's in two weeks and I am really nervous, 35 and never even broken a bone!
ANy answer would be greatly appreciated!
My doctor did say that having a 4 level disc fusion is not that common! How's that for comfort??? But I really like him...
 
Hi Sugarhorse,

I had a L-3 through S-1 fused March of 2008. Yes, I would do it again and it has been successful. I did not think the pain was worse from the surgery - in fact I had such immediate relief that I was thrilled. The quicker you can get up and walk the better off you will be. The first week I just walked to the end of my driveway. I also had to try several different meRAB until we found one that worked and I have a high pain tolerance. I had an anterior incision and also wear a bone growth stimulator for 30 minutes a night. The raised toilet seat, the grabber, and the extension that I could attach my razor for shaving my legs were a goRABend. Again, I am thrilled with the results but you will need to be very patient.

Don't hesitate to write back with any questions and welcome....:angel:
 
You will no doubt get some help here....I only had the two level 360 and was very surprised at just how fast everything passes....literally every single day was a new day for me.....you will also have a few days worse than others but for the most part its quick.....(it was for me) I too was very comfortable with my doctor and that is a good sign!...the four level may not be real common but your doctor can handle it just fine...I think generally they stay at one or two levels for fusions.....so not being real common is just on your part....there are a few in here who will shoot straight with you and explain the process at several levels.....

After surgery in the hospital was the toughest....then it was tough the first three days home.....got better..... then I had a day or two of bad days...(tollerable) ...
The pain meRAB I went home with were percocet and soma.....I sure needed them but got rid of them quickly because you will have trouble with constipation....pain meRAB add to this......I will qiut now and wait on the ole pros to jump in....stay tuned because you will need this awesome place after you are getting better for small questions and great helpful advice....I wish you the best.

Good luck!!

Devon
 
Thank you Lynn, that was a LOT of great info.. I do have a couple questions..how many times did you actually see your surgeon before teh surgery? I saw mine for the first initial evaluation, and now I am told I won't see him again...I willl do all the pre-op with his assistant, but he will be "wandering around" that day.(according to the secretary), and we may be able to get him in the room. I really want to ask HIM certain questions I have that I did not know about 6 weeks ago when I first met him....He was the 4th one and the only one with a personality, so I went with him...but he has done over 1500 of these...I am pretty sure he said I am not having a 360, he said I'd be on my stomach...
and may i ask what level your probs were at? I'm a bit worried about meRAB...I have a very strong tolerance, and right now, I take 60mg Oxycontin 3x a day, and have 4 30 mg. for BT pain, also 3 10 mg. Flexerill, wich without, I would never sleep! I have heard that if you are on strong stuff before the big day, the less it will work after???? and what I am on now has been that way for almost 5 months, and starting to get used to it...But I have never been "imapired" as most ppl on pain meRAB...like my sister who cant' even take 1/2 a percocet without falling down! LOl....thanks so much for writing..I am glad I found this place..
Jilly B
 
Hey devon,
thanks so much for answering me! ihave so many new questions for the surgeon now,, like I didn't even know what a 360 is..I am a bit worried about the meRAB...I have been on 3 60 mg of Oxycontin and 3 30mg imm.release for about 4 months now..I know that's alot..i was lucky to find a PM that understood that some ppl just have a high tolerance! And I hear the pain after the surgery is worse than any I may have now...but this site is really helping find things to ask the surgeon when I see him for the last time next week before the surgery. the surgery is on 1/26..ha, my dad's birthday...
It's great to hear your's went well, and i'd love to hear anyone else's story on a 4 level...the good and the bad...i can take it..i grew up on a farm..I'm tough! LOL....
 
Hi Sugarhorse, and welcome to the board!

I've had two fusions. The last one was 8 levels for a total of 14. Your doctor is right, it's not all that common to have so many levels done, but all that means is your recovery might be a little harder and a little longer than those with fewer levels involved. He may also want to give you a bone growth stimulator to help get bone growth going. I had a 360 the last time. That just means that they go in first through the stomach, close you up and flip you over, then go in again from the back. It's a harder surgery to recover from, since there are two incisions and two areas that have been worked on, but it has a higher success rate.

You can expect to spend the first few weeks mostly in bed. You'll want to take your pain meRAB right on schedule so it stays in your system. You'll mostly just want to sleep in the beginning. I didn't want to read because the pain meRAB made my eyes feel weird. But I watched a lot of movies! Be sure to get new batteries for your remotes. I was on morphine in the hospital, came home with Percocet, and tapered down to Vicodin after about 2 months.

You'll be told no BLT's (unless it's the sandwich. :)) That's no bending, lifting, or twisting. I was also given a sitting restriction of 15 minutes at a time. No problem. It hurt to sit! You'll need to walk as much as you can tolerate, as that's what gets the blood going around your spine and stimulates bone growth. Since getting in and out of bed was the hardest thing to do, I took advantage of getting up for the bathroom and used that time to also walk. I walked as long as I could tolerate, which was only 10 minutes in the beginning, but I slowly built it up a little longer each day. The physical therapists in the hospital will make sure you're able to get around on your own before you're discharged. If you have stairs in your house, they'll make sure you can get up and down them. I was taught how to haul my walker up and down with me. It's actually quite easy, once someone shows you the right way. You may or may not be discharged with a walker. It all depenRAB on how things go. Most people aren't. Some of us are.

Now that you
 
Thank you, DG it's not often you hear such great responses to it! I am really glad it worked so well for you, and the same discs as me..gives me hope...my only concern is I live in WINTER, and even though, if you walk our driveway 3 times up and down, it's a mile...)i live on a 55 acre farm)...it's pure ice from now until most likely April....lol..but true. I moved home here to do it, as i knew i would need help, but before this, I was in Los Angeles, which seems like a much nicer place to heal! while looking at the palm trees! lol...
thanks again, and hoep you keep on dong as well as you areQ!
Jilly B
 
EMILY,
WOW! Do yo have a rod all the way up your back? Before I forget, did you experience that "Log" feeling I keep hearing about? I am very lucky to be an adult, sort of. lol, and have my parents let me come home to do this so they can help me after, so I'm all set there..it'll be like I had the flu as a kid..lol...ugh not quite, right? My mom already has a great grabber and toilet extender! (believe it or not, my dad broke his neck in a car accident in May of 2008!, no nerve damage, he's fine now, never knew it even happened! But he's a farmer and we're a tough breed! lol....))
Next questions, did your second fusion have anything to do with complications from the first one? That's what I am terrified of. Just always needing another surgery. But the Dr. said I have 3 great things on my side, age, I don't smoke, and not overwieght...(to him at least.lol!) And I wrote in another reply my fear of the meRAB not working well after, as I am on pretty heavy stuff now for most ppl...
Oh yeah, already have Satin Pj's, gonna get the bottom sheet, and hope for the best!
I'm also gonna get my hair braided, yep the white girl with the black dooooo....lol. NO, but I used to be in a pretty successful rock band, and I had all these crazy extentions and you dont' have to wash your hair, so I figure that would be a big help, plus, extentions, eps. braiRAB, seriously makes your ahir grow faster, and why not get a little something out of this??
Thanks again for your help..
Jilly B
 
Blue......your the best! I knew you would be along to help.

The grabber and the silky sheets and jamas are the best! Do it! you will be so glad you did....I waited and for the life of me dont know why.

Devon
 
hiya sugarhorse.....

I am trying to remeraber how many times I saw my neuro doc before surgery.....it seems....I saw him 1 time right before surgery. He pretty much just went over how the surgery was going to go down and answered all my questions. It sounRAB as if he is going through your back to do yours. I had my done through the front. ACK...a nice long incision on my belly . I think it is a bit more easier on recovery going through the front. When they go through the back, they have to cut through muscle. So, you may be a bit more sore than myself. It sounRAB as if you have great confidence in your surgeon and I think thats real important. And you also did your searching till you found the right doc for yourself. I like my neurodoc lots. He answered all my questions, even if they was silly LOL I had 2 levels fused. L4-5 and L5-S1.



***REMOVED****

LYNN
 
Hi Jilly,
I have 7 roRAB, actually. My severe scoliosis wasn't corrected with the first fusion, just stopped from getting worse. Over the years, the wear and tear on my back, along with early onset of osteoporosis, caused my lower spine to break down in spite of the fusion. The second fusion went up into the old fusion and strengthened it and continued it the rest of the way down. But what happened to me isn't likely to happen to you. My doctor had never seen a back like mine. There's always the possibility of the "domino effect" after a fusion, where the levels above and/or below the fusion wear out from compensating for the fused section, but it's not all that common. The log feeling? Hard to say, since I've been like this for most of my life. I do log roll getting in and out of bed and don't even think about it. It's just normal for me.

I have long hair, too, and kept it braided for the surgery and until I got home. People who don't have long hair don't know how to brush it, so I didn't want to rely on the nurses to help me. My daughter has long hair, too, and she got it all untangled and rebraided for me after the first few days in the hospital. The doctor's nurse mentioned that I'd probably want to cut my hair before the surgery. Are you kidding? It's below my hips. You don't just chop that off! My husband would flip! He loves my hair. Yes, do the braiRAB. It's the way to go!

Oh, and I saw my doctor three times before my surgery: initial consultation, second visit to hear the plan he and his colleagues came up with for my unusual problem, and third visit a week before the surgery for a final exam and to answer my billions of questions. He now has a physician's assistant, though, and doesn't see his patients quite as often. The PA sees them for routine things.

Yea for mom and dad! I'm glad you'll be in good hanRAB after your surgery. It helps so much to not have to worry about all the details of life along with your recovery.

Take care, and ask away when you think of other questions.
Emily :wave:
 
Hi sugahorse.....

Apparently i amswered 1 too many of your questions LOL The mod08 moved part of my answer to pain management forum. Go there and you can read the answer to your question about the meRAB. I take before and after surgery. I didnt realize I answered wrong.

LYNN
 
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