I had S1-L5 fusions done June 30 of this year. I was home for about 3 weeks and had to go to the emergency room because the pain in my right leg was intolerable. They admitted me and kept me for 3 days on IV dilaudid (not sure about the spelling). My doc explained to me that nerves are the slowest healing part of our bodies. I have spondylolisthesis (not sure about that spelling either) any the disc between L4 and L5 was completely gone so my sciatic nerve was being crushed. My surgery created a space to relieve pressure on the nerve and the pain from the nerve "repairing" itself is what sent me back to the hospital. They sent me home on the pill form of dilaudid. I'm doing really well now however everyday, there is a different feeling somewhere in my right leg. Like for a few days my toes feel like they are scalded and then that goes away. Then it will come back again for a few days. One day i may have hip pain, one day i may have knee pain. I just never know what to expect. What i can say, is that these weirdo healing pains i have are still easier to deal with than the sciatica i had prior to the surgery.
Was your surgery done by a neurosurgeon or orthopedist?
Have they done a CT Myelogram?
