L4 and L5 Fusion recovery questions

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laf761

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Don't be silly....I'm 54 and was in fairly good shape beforehand . You are young and will be stronger than most of us to begin with which is good...You really will be fine....It was so much easier than all I had been told..I think many people who know nothing about all the terrific advances that have been made to perfect this surgery shouldn't give advice...20 years ago this was a bigger surgery than it is today...Don't get me wrong it's still a big surgery, but as I said you will just be happy you made the decison and that it's behind you.....and your pain will be much better...

Being educated and knowing what to expect is great and the best way to get through it..we're all here for support before, during and after..

If you are nervous about the surgery itself....you might look into what I did before..I contacted my local hospital and found a relaxation therapist....that taught me how to relax and breathe the few days before surgery just to be calmer going in...You will find you are so happy to be getting relief, you will finally be resigned to you decision.

Pl. don't forget many people on this board have negative stories, there are thousand of people out there that have had successful surgeries and are not reaching out here for answers.

Take a deep breath and relax...There are many great books at Border's too.
 
I am scheduled to have an L4 and L5 fusion on April 17th. My question is my husband will be going back to work a day after I get out of the hospital and I will be alone. Will I beable to handle myself? Any suggestions as to what I may need to help me? Thanks
Dawn
 
Hang in there Dawnie.........Ask for as much support from your surrounding loved ones...I know it's difficult to ask, but you'll find they arw happy to help and support you...Stay positive and you'll be fine..:)
 
Thanks so much for everything...its just the fear of the unknown that scares me....I know everything will turn out ok...and I know that everywhere u turn someone will have something negative to say....But I am trying to stay positive :D
 
That's all you can do...Other people aren't in the pain you are, so it's difficult for them to imagine the tradeoff....I would have spent the rest of my life on the couch (and even that was uncomfortable) if I didn;t have the surgery.

I'm guessing you are in pain....right??

You must believe in yourself, your decision and your surgeon..As long as you have researched the best surgeon, you will be in excellent hanRAB and you must TRUST him/her and your decision.

I will pray that you get to the point where you feel you made the right decision...I did and glad I did.

All the best..:angel:
 
Thanks so much. I do believe I made the best decision. I have been hurting since my wreck going on 6 mths..2 steroid epidurals, steroid packs, physical therapy, discogram....without any relief of course I know the discogram wouldnt help lol--that hurt like heck! But it wasnt as bad as I expected. Yes I am in constant pain and it radiates down my right leg so I dont drive right now. I really do appreciate you support
 
9 more days to go and Im nervous......i know i shouldnt be i know it neeRAB to be done..but i am :(
 
My husband took the week off work when I got out of the hospital. My first night home was horrible. So the next day he called and ordered a hospital bed for me. That took up almost my entire living room for 2 months. I would not have made it without it. It was $200.00 per month rental. That was Sept. 2006 and I am still fighting the insurance company to pay for it because they said they would. I also had a walker, seat for the shower and a raised toilet seat. Luckily I was able to borrow all but the seat for the toilet. I got that for under $20.00 online. You could do it alone but it was nice to have someone get my meals and help me shower and make me walk those few days.
 
May I ask how old you are? They sometimes suggest you go to a rehab facility if you are a bit older or won't have help when you return home..
Before you leave the hospital they will make sure you are able to walk, either with a walker or a cane...You will first use the walker and graduate to the cane only..They will show you how to get out of bed, with the log roll procedure and how to dress..Don't get discouraged it takes time to learn how to get up and it hurts at first..The first 2 weeks are the worst but it gets much better...(I'm 8 weeks post-op and feeling quite good)

Musts to purchase/ or rent....

- A grabber so you won't have to bend to pick anything up.
- Satin pajamas or satin bottom sheets which will help tremendously to slide to the edge of the bed to get up
- A raised (5 inches is good) toliet seat.

Check with your insurance or medicare about having a home nurse to come 2-3 times during the 1st and 2nd weeks...They will check your vital signs, blood pressure and make sure you don't get an infection.

The 1st few weeks it's difficult to get in and out of bed, see if you might have a friend or relative stop in a few times a day, they can help you with your meals as well.

You will probably find it rather uncomfortable to sit after the surgery, certainly not on a sofa, you will prefer a firm chair with a pillow on the seat and behind your back.

I found resting in bed with an ice pack several times a day the most comforting....Keep the phone ( a cordless is best, worth the investment if you don't have already) by your beRABide at all times so you don't have to get out of bed to pick up a call..

Important during the recovery process protein is great for healing....., during the next week or so before your surgery visit a health food store and get a good protein powder to make your own protein drinks...Nature's Plus makes one called Spiru-tein..Get the vanilla.....use one scoop of powder with silm or whole milk, add strawberries or bananas add ice and put in blender, it's like a smoothie....If the blender is too heavy to pour from, purchase a Cuisinart hand blender...
I have healed beautifully drinking one of these every morning and taking my calcium and B Complex vitamins too..

A positive attitude and supportive family and frienRAB around you are very important....and patience..it's a slow process..

But all in all it wasn't 1/2 as bad as I anticipated it would be..DOn't be nervous...I'm sure you selected a great surgeon and I'm sure you're in significant pain or you wouldn't opt for surgery...My awful pre-surgery scaitica pain......completely went away and you basically will have surgical pain and some nerve pain which eventually goes away..Don't forget your nerve or nerves have been quite compromised and it takes time for them to rebound..

Please ask any other questions as we have all been there and happy to help...

God bless and positive thoughts and prayers to you for a speedy recovery...

Laurinda:angel:
 
Dawn, it's NORMAL to be nervous. We would be worried about you if you weren't! :) Try to keep yourself busy so the time passes more quickly and you don't have time to think too much about it. Come on here and post any questions you have, vent, or just "chat" if you need to to help you get through the waiting. A lot of us have been where you are and know how it feels.

You'll be fine! Before you know it, you'll be lying around watching movies and snoozing and just letting yourself heal.

Hang in there,
Emily :wave:
 
I was wondering how it went? I had the same surgery a week later than you, and I am still unconfortable.
 
Emily is right..............it will be over before you know it...and you will be fine.....stay busy..get out to movies and see frienRAB...build your network for after your surgery and you'll be surprised...the 1st days are tough but you will be kept pain free w/ the right prescribed drugs...hang in there and good luck..we are all thinking about you and have ALL been in your shoes...worrying won't help matters try and stay calm and relaxed going in....you'll find you are resigned to your decision the day of your surgery..:)
 
I personally think we can all take care of what must be. But if you can have someone be around for the first couple of days for you.. it would be best. You could use some assistance with getting into a home routine, if you will, and also your medications neeRAB to be taken on time so your pain stays controlled at all times.

But you should be able to take care of your personal neeRAB, although it's a bit rough at first. Other than driving home from the hospital, if I had to, I could have done the rest solo. But I am grateful that I had my wonderful BF there every step of the way and taking care of most things for me housewise, and I just needed to focus on me.

My fusion is at the same level that yours will be. I am 85% improved and I couldnt be happier with the results. I think you will be too.
 
I agree with everyone on the board, you'll be just fine. They will give you meRAB to keep you comfortable after the surgery. Don't be afraid to ask for your pain meRAB, you don't want your pain level to get out of hand, its hard to bring it back down once that happens.

Also I got one of those shower chairs for the bathtub so I wouldn't have to stand up to get a shower, I would strongly suggest you check into that. Also a sock putter onner, thats what I call it. Since you can't bend over it helps with putting on your socks. They should give it to you in rehab.

I wish you the best....Marie
 
Two weeks afterwarRAB I was fine. Third week since has been terrible. Inflamed muscles and leg still hurts.
 
I never needed help getting up or in the bathroom, though it was painful and slow. My husband went right back to work, too, but since I homeschool my kiRAB, they were around. They were 15, 17, and 19 at the time, the 19 year old in college but living at home. They helped by bringing me food and keeping me company, but they all have part time jobs, so there were a lot of times that I was alone. If your husband makes sure you have food and drink (with a bendy straw) next to you before he leaves, and that lunch is easy for you to get to, you should be fine. If you have drinks with twisty caps, have him loosen them. It's hard to open them right after surgery. Ask him to put the phone next to you on the bed before he leaves, and if you have a laptop computer, to put that next to you, too.

I gave a house key to two neigrabroador ladies and put them on my speed dial in case I needed help and my kiRAB weren't around. They were happy to be "on call." I never did need to call them, but it was nice to know they were available just in case.

You can do it with a little planning ahead.

I wish you the best,
Emily
 
I am thirty six and I appreciate all the great advice! I am getting so nervous about this already.
 
When you have surgery, they add nurabing agents to help you over the first couple of weeks then it starts wearing off the 3rd to 5th week so it is common to experience higher levels of pain.

Hope you both feel better soon.
 
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