I will be having surgery 25th November and could use some advice.

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allanbruce

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I am going to have a fusion at L5-S1 and a disc replacement at L4-L5 from the front. I am starting to get nervous about it now as the time grows closer and I would like to be doing more to prepare but I have trouble walking very far. I try to walk at the shopping centre to stay fit but the pain in my leg and foot etc just gets worse the more I walk. I try to do as much as I can around the home and that seems to be ok as I am not going very far before stopping to lay down or lay back on the couch as I can't sit long. I have started doing the tummy muscle exercises and as I said just keep active. I do lots of little projects and work on my guitars. I would love to get lessons but as I mentioned can't sit and really need to save as mush as I can right now. I hope that I can afterwarRAB and would love to be able to make frienRAB in that field as to do some jamming. Also I am now living with my disabled niece and she can't do much to help me apart from getting me some shopping and cooking for me at times. In return I do what I can for her as she is in a wheelchair and also has some brain damage from her disease. She is pretty much busy with her 4 year old daughter and their life, so I try to make my own life but still get lonely.
I really don't know how I will cope after the surgery as apart from my aging parents being there for me I am going to be alone in the recovery. My parents want me to go and stay with them for a week after hospital but I am not sure if that is the right thing to do as I will have to come home and get settled eventually and If I need to see the doctor of visit the hospital I am closer here. I also will need to arrange any help here and not at my parents 40km away or about 40 odd minutes away.
I don't want to turn this into a novel so I suppose I have got my situation across and if someone has any advise for me I would appreciate that. I have been in pain for the last 10 years so it is normal for me to be here in bed but I don't want to be here for another year. I want to have some life back. I have lost those 10 years of life and it is only getting worse. If there is anything I can do to change that I would be willing to try. As I am starting to have boats of depression again and I want to live not die here.
Allan.
 
I am hoping that the disc replacement at L4-L5 will help reduce the chance of damaging the disc's above, along with changing my lifestyle also. The disc at L5-S1 is very degenerated so there is no option apparently but the fusion. The surgeon said he would jack the Vertebrae at L5-S1 apart and then use something other than my own tissue to fill the gap. So I am not donating any hip bone or anything like that. There must be other things in use now that they can put in place, which was a relief to me. That was one of my first questions.

I am just hoping of course that I am one of the success stories and I am able to reduce the amount of med's I take, but I also know that will be another difficult chapter as it took me a long time to find the right balance to be where I am now. I am not saying I am that stable but I can usually stay under a certain threshold of pain unless I do something that I usually know is going to put me in bed for a day or two. I still resist the new life and over do it at times but I suppose we all resist change. It is very hard to except what I have to do now too just get by, I miss being able to go boating especially.

I have realised that I have no option but change my lifestyle and I may not be able to go back to work, but I am hoping that I will be able to play guitar at least and maybe in the future do some part time work just to be able to get by or I am hoping to be able to live in my own place.

I am not happy with where I live and I hope I will not have to stay here permanently. I love my niece and here daughter but there life is way different to mine. She may need a carer in future and I will not be that person. Some people are better suited to that kind of life as she is very difficult and to stay here with her would be way too demanding for me. I will not be up to lifting her wheel chair after the operation anyway.

Thanks for your support. I will need it to get through this operation as it is my first and very foreign to me. I have only been in hospital for a stay once for a chest infection. So It is more than a bit scary to me.

Allan
 
Had xlif 3 days ago; I'm a 58 yr. old female in very good shape (yoga teacher for 20 yrs.) but my sciatica got out of control this past summer and every day it seemed to get worse. I cancelled a back surgery 6 yrs. ago and now I wish I would have gone ahead with it. Anyway, I must say my sciatica is totally gone! I had it down buttocks and down both legs and that pain is gone. The pain of the incision is very minimal, my back pain is tolerable. I had L4-5 fused with hardware. The worst of it is pain in my left thigh due to the psoas muscle being displaced during surgery.
I am truly hoping this will go away and will keep you all informed. I feel good putting weight (standing on left leg) or contracting muscle in thigh) but as far as trying to put pants or socks on...well it's a long process. I have to pick my leg up to get in bed or on the couch. It's very severe pain ...and it feels like nerve pain not muscle pain. I am going to try and see what I can do to help it along. A good stretch of the psoas is to put your heel of injured leg close to groin and stay like that for several breaths and if you can stand it come forward a bit from the hip flexors (crease in between hip and torso).
I had to get this surgery because of severe sciatica and I'm glad I did; just hoping this thing pain goes away in time. Anyone else have this pain after xlif? I know it's common. Did it go away.
Best of luck to all of you pre surgery or post.
Cubby
 
I am not sure when you posted this but any way here goes. I am 46 yrs old and have had so much back surgery its ridiculous!!! My last one was a laminectomy with a double fusion only 6 months ago!! I still have pain everyday about 50 percent to 75 percent of my day still in PT. have been for 4 months all in all this really sucks. So I totally get where your coming from. I also had the wonderful opportunity to go to the OR 3 other times for various reasons L5 S1 FUSION WITH PLATES PINS AND SCREWS AND NOT TO FORGET THE CAGE IN MY SPINE AS WELL ALSO MY NECK HAS BEEN FUSED IN TWO PLACES. i BASICALLY HAVE HARDWARE UP AND DOWN MY SPINE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. So I feel for you and understand where your coming from.
If you have any questions feel free ask away thats why I call myself old pro because I have been thru it all!!! And by the way Yes, I am sick and tierd of pain and have been in pain for the last 15 yrs.:angel:
 
Now I have ended up with food poisoning and it's not like I don't spend enough time in bed. Now I have had to spend one day in bed and may end up in bed again tomorrow. I haven't been able to eat much just a little fruit. Well one thing I may loose some weight. I feel like I might be sick again tonight as my tummy still hurts. I have been getting that way that I feel sick from something or another now for a decade and I don't know if I will ever feel good about life. I shore stuffed things up. I made a lot of bad decisions and now I pay for it and I don't think I will ever feel normal I just suffer always.
Allan.
 
Thanks for your message I am a little nervous about my first surgery and I need some help getting through this all. My surgery is some time on Thursday.
Allan
 
Hello Allan,
I have been reading about your struggles with pain since I first started on these boarRAB way back in 2006. I am in Canada, but have very fond memories of the 6 months I spent down under! You seem like a nice man who really has had such a lot to deal with.
I am just wanting to wish you the very best of luck with your surgery. I truly hope you get the relief and peace you deserve!!
I hope you will post updates on your progress so that we will know that you are ok.
It may be tough but you have great courage and will have a much better life after.
My very best wishes for a speedy recovery!!!
Daisy
 
I will catch up for a chat then as I don't really know what I'm in for and I am hoping that If anything I have some benefit as the leg problems are getting me down now. I used to be able to go out for a while at night or just shopping but now it is just really painful and I don't enjoy going out at all. I have also cut back back on driving as my clutch leg is the one which is bad. I used to love driving, boating and motorcycling when I was younger but now the driving is even difficult. I hope to talk again. Allan
 
allanbruce I understand all about leg pain. I drag my right leg around after a failed discectomy back in march.
I wish you nothing but the best from your surgery. Have you ever had back surgery before? I know you just want your life back as you know it. We all want that. The ones on this board are very giving of there time and caring. That's why I come to this board as I'm sure you do.
I'm pretty sure I am going to have to have a double fusion. L3-L4 and L4-L5. I'm going to my last surgeon for an opinion on the 18th of this month. Went to my PM doctor today and he said that is what I need. If the doctor can convince me that he can take care of my leg pain then I have no choice but have the fusion. I had a single fusion at L5-S1 in 2004. That fusion went well. Nothing wrong with that. But as they will tell you, when you have been fused, after that you put more pressure on other discs to the point that you have to have another fusion. So I got 5 plus years until I had another problem with another disc.I'm not trying to scare you or anything just letting you know. We are only here on earth a short time. There is no need being in pain all the time. I wish you the best. You will do fine. Just follow doctors orders. Keep in touch. I will come back here to let you know about my doctor visit. Take care.
Keith
 
Thank you so much Daisy as your support means a lot to me. I will try to update everyone on how I go, maybe my mum can bring my laptop up when she visits me in hospital as I have a usb internet modem I can use when I am out. I certainly will when I get out of hospital. The surgeon said a week so I will see how things go. I will fill everyone in on my recovery as I assume the disc replacement may be slightly different than if I was having 2 fusions. I am starting to feel somewhat nervous but I know I have lots of support. I know my mum will be there for me and visiting regularly. It is a bit harder for dad and others in my family.
Elisa (My niece I live with will) be here alone with her daughter but I am sure someone will keep an eye on how she is going, I get a bit nervous thinking about her being alone as she had her carer before, as useless as he was but she has not been alone before. She is adapting very well though and gets around town on her scooter. She only lives up the road a Km from the shops and only a phone call away from help so I will try not to worry about her. She has the fridge stocked up and is right for money.
The sooner this happens the faster I will be back on my feet and I can start my walking and later on swimming. It will be so good to be able to walk without the limp and the pain that goes with it. I so hope that the surgeon solves that problem for me. It has only been an issue the last 2 years before that it was only back pain and I didn't have the lightning like nerve pain up my spine so I hope that will be a thing of the past also.
Well I hope all the others having surgery this month also have some success and I will drop in here to say hi.
Allan
 
Allan,

Wishing you the best on your surgery. Depression and pain go hand in hand. I think the pain medications only make the depression worse yet I understand how they are needed to control the pain. There is another web site that has a lot of great information from people recovering from ADR. I don’t think you can post other sites here but if you search ADR support you will find it.

Best wishes,

Dlib
 
One of my biggest problems I have is this has been wearing me down terribly and sometimes I feel totally drained and just don't seem to be able to motivate myself to getting on the phone or contacting people etc to get myself sorted out in preparation for this surgery. I'm so tired from the medication and when ever I do anything I am in pain. I don't know how to keep myself motivated and confident as others say to me oh it's getting close I must be looking forward to getting better. But I am so worn down that I find it hard to stay motivated. I do want this to work but I am trying not to get my hopes up as I have been hurt so many times and disappointed with events in my life. I so want to just have a chance to be happy for some of my life. I have been fighting to get well since my divorce 10 years ago but I don't want to give up yet. I want to find someone to spend some of the rest of my life with but I have not been trying since my last girl friend about 3-4 years ago. I was hurt again and sort of gave up with my excuse being no one will want to be with a chronic pain sufferer. I may have been right but after this surgery and some rehab I really hope I can get motivated again to go out and try to enjoy my life. I hate depression but it is always lurking there for when I'm down.
I need to be around some motivated people to start re-cooperating from pain, depression and lonesomeness. I know it is in me but the pain works on it and it does tier my body. So I sleep a lot and don't go out much. This doesn't help. Sorry to bore you if you have taken the time to read this but to me it is very important. So I have to start preparing to get well. That is my only option or back to depression. Thats no good. Wish me luck I will try.
Allan
 
Best of luck in your operation.

I had the XLIF surgery thru the side and I can't boat, drive, or ride a motorcycle. The only way I can function is pumped up on drugs. I can't even sit at a computer without medication.

Having the surgery is a risk. You might get better....you might get worse.

In my case it was worse.
 
Allan, It is just uncanny how our symptoms are so much a like. There was not one thing that you said you were going through that I don't have the same problem. Except I don't have anyone else to take care of. I'm guessing that you have been taking care of everyone else around you, except for you. Is this correct? I go in for my surgery on Dec 4th and i'm scared as hell. I think my biggest worry is that I have noone to depend on to help me out. I will have to hire a stranger to help me even though I have family all over the place. Those would be the people i've always taken care of and now can't find the time, effort, or love to help me out.
It is so scary! I was wondering how the rest of you is doing? How are the rest of your joints? And do you also have a lot of arthritis running amuck throughout your body? And have you been diagnosed with fibromyagia? If any of this sounRAB familier I want to to search out Ehler Danlos Syndrome w/hypermobility. Read what it says and see if any of that sounRAB familier. If so, you might want to mention this to your doctor. If the doctors in your area are like mine here, they won't even know what it is. Make them read it themselves, it might give them another idea why your bones are failing you. I have already had 2 surgerys to keep my neck together, fusing bones, removing 2 and replacing them with bones from the "bone bank" And it is starting to seperate again. I'm 49yrs old. And now they are removing L4-L5 and repairing the bulge on S1. They will also be going through the front, which from what I understand is a good thing. Healing is faster and after all is said and done there should be less pain instead of more. I'm sure you've heard all the "back surgery horror stories" Anyway, I wish you luck with your surgery, and a better quailty of life afterwarRAB. Depession isn't gonna help anything, so try to keep your chin up. I've been going through this nightmare for just about 25yrs now.
Be thankful for the little things in life, sometimes thats all a person gets to be thankful for. Most of all, take it easy. Don't over do because you think people, or yourself feels like you should be doing more than you can. All you are doing is making things worse. Lay down if you need to. sit up when you can. try taking small walks, if you can walk that day. Just take care of you. Right now, its you that matters. Try not to make plans in advance with frienRAB or family because, with me at least, that day will come and i'll be having a really bad day and have to cancel, which makes ya feel even more worthless. You aren't worthless, you're just sick right now, if the people that are around you make you feel bad for being sick then its time to set them aside for now. Noone has the right to make you feel bad because you are sick. Maybe that's not whats happening around you, but that is what i've been going through for years and years. I'm tired of being erabarrassed because I have problems with my body that I have no control over.

Take care of you! You are important and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
All the best... Matilda (Sherry)
 
Hi Sherry, I am sorry you have been going through this for so long and know somewhat of what you have talked about though I have been blessed in some ways having some of my family offer to help me. I am so happy someone cares but also they can be so far away at times.
Everyone has there own difficulties and have their own responsibilities. I am having more support now than I thought I would. I have lead most of my life alone, and have pushed everyone away as I didn't believe they could understand my pain and anguish, but I wish I had have listened more. I think I was so full of fear I couldn't face the world and I used alcohol and drugs to mask the truth. I just didn't have the right person to love me and show me how to deal with life. I have changed so much since joining AA and deciding to change my life completely. And I also found that if I let someone in they would help me.
I have tried to help others thinking that would be rewarded but have learned that if I do help it is for my benefit first and I should only do so if I could give freely without expecting anything in return, so others will only help me if it is something they want to do. Some times I have been very disappointed and I have let myself be hurt and felt totally distraught. I have allowed this to happen to me all through my life and now I must look out for myself. So any assistance I receive will be welcomed but not expected of my family especially.
So I do feel for you but understand also that sometimes those close can't be there for us. I do hope someone shows up and helps you as it is wonderful when they do. I also think that I will have to ask for help outside of my family though for help with rehabilitation and to just get me back on my feet.
Life can be so hard and I have experienced much pain and self abuse but I hope there is something nice in my future to give me a little love and joy in the last part of my life.
Thanks for being here and I wish you well in your surgery also. Allan
 
Well 10 months post op and officially I would say that having right foot nurabness, burning 24/7 and nerve pain up and down both legs followed by hip pain, knees and back pain with spasms all the time would classify my laminectomy and double fusion not a success!!! Trying to find a pain clinic I can trust that's close to where I live. MRI REVEALED NERVE COMPRESSION OF L4 NERVE ROOT WITH SCAR TISSUE EVERYWHERE PRESSING ON NERVES. Wonderful know I feel totally lost I have no life can't work take care of my family nothing. I don't even want to leave the house. Surgeon released me says there is nothing he can do for me. Wow I am a TOTAL MESS. ANYONE IN MY SHOES??????????
 
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