L5 S1 Fusion in 5 days just a little bit scared!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter janiee08
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I am 28 and have a 2 year old little girl:)

I do not have satin sheets, and I manage, but getting up can be a challenge. They will teach you how to do it in the hospital. It's called the log roll. I roll onto my side, push myself up and use my headboard to help pull me up into a sitting position. In the hospital they actually had be get in and out of bed on the same side I would be doing it at home.

Oh also make sure you have lots of loose fitting clothing to wear. It's just more comfortable, easier to dress yourself, and you don't want anything tight going against your incision.

I am doing okay, and yes trying to stay in good spirits! I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. I had a really hard time last week and into the beginning of this week emotionally and physically. The pain got a little out of hand (back under better control now) and I was feeling sorry for myself. That's allowed every once in awhile:D It's just that I may have permanent nerve damage, so I was feeling distressed about it. I am just worried about being so young and the prospect of being in chronic pain for the rest of my life.

Good idea about the cooler! Never thought about that! I have found that I get dry mouth easily from all the pain meRAB so ice chips might come in handy for you. I have been sucking on candy and drinking lots of juice and water. They will keep you on a special liquid diet at first (broth, jello) but by the time you go home you can eat whatever you want.
 
Hi Kellie,

I hope you are recovering from your fusion surgery. Please keep us all informed on how your recovery goes. My pain is getting worse, and I am getting desparate to do something to relieve myself. I'm waiting to see if my appeal is approved by my insurance for ADR. If they deny it, I may see if I can sign up for a policy that will cover it, or just get Fusion.

Hope you are doing well.

David
 
Hi all well its been just past 2 months since my surgery and yea I am getting better but still hae pain to the point that I am still on pain meRAB I still take Lrycia 200mg 2x day percocet 10mg/325 1-2 every 6-8 hours and i am still on Avinza 30mg in the morning and 60 mg at night this med is a pill form of morphine i am now being wheened off of these because i have been on them for about 9 - 10 months.

I have been dealing with server leg pain since the surgery and nerve pain in my foot nurabness in the bottom part of my lef and 2 of my toes and a burning feeling on the top of my foot this was so bad at one point that i cold not put a shoe on thankfully this has gotten much better i still feel the sunburn pain but much less and the nurabness feels like it is getting better too so that the good news now for my back i still have pain and i am not sure but i think that it should be better by now the back pain seem to get worse some times and sometimes it is pretty good. Dealing with all of this is really tough i knew it was gonna be a long recovery but sometimes it just seems like itwill never get better, i still havefaith that it will but sometimes ijust have a pitty party for myself and just get in bed and have a good cry.

In the mean time since the surgery i have become a grandma for the first time and he is the sweetest little boy ever his father (my son) and his new family live with us and I just love being able to see him every day he is such a good baby only crys when he is hungry or when he need a diaper change lol sorry to go on about him but cant help it.

Well thats my update i do have some good days but lately i seem to have more bad than good days just hope to get back to my life and off all meRAB within a year of my surgery i dont think thats too much to ask for do you???

I hope that everyone is doing well and are having low pain days and nights take care everyone i will try to keep updating my progress thanks for asking how i was doing :wave:...Kellie
 
Hello all,

Two weeks to the day since my surgery and my doc finally has my pain somewhat undercontrol so much better now than it has been, i know that i was told over and over how painful it was gonna be from people on this board and by my doc i guess i just did not think it was gonna be that bad BOY was i wrong. I do alot of walking around the house mostly in the middle of the night.

I dont know if i amsleeping in the wrong position or what but i have so much pain when i wake up all i can do is to get up and walk because it is just too soon to take more meRAB, soi justt wait and try to walk it off sometimes it workd and sometimes not.

So my question for the ones that have been through this how long does the worst of this pain last and is there a better position to sleep well that it or now very tired right now time for a nap i will check back later take care all...Kellie
 
I just can't say how really shocked I am that so many people come home from a spinal fusion surgery with either no pain meRAB, or something less than the strength of oxycodone . It really is not the norm....janiee08
 
Every week you'll see a difference. My first really big turning point was at 3 months, but even before that I saw steady progress.

Sleeping can be really hard when you're in pain. I slept with a pillow between my knees and one in front of me to hold me up. I also put one behind me because I was afraid my hubby would accidentally bump into me and hurt me. It was a bit of a production getting myself all positioned with so many pillows, but it was worth it. I also made sure I carefully turned to each side and onto my back for part of the night so I wouldn't be so stiff. And definitely set the alarm to take your pain meRAB at night. Even if you have to wake up to take them, you'll be better off keeping it in your system for now.

Keep your chin up. The worst is over. It's only going to get better from here.

Blessings,
Emily
 
Hi Kellie!
I'm sorry I didn't see your post before your surgery, but I'm glad Meg found it. She's a good one to talk with on here, since she's just had her surgery so recently.

I was given a 10 minute sitting restriction for the first couple of weeks. I'm not at all surprised that it's hard for you to sit up for very long. It was easier to walk around than to sit for me. And walking is essential to get bone growth going in your fusion area. It gets the blood circulating, which is vital to stimulate bone growth. Whenever I got up to use the bathroom, I took advantage of already being up, since it was so hard to get up and down from bed, and walked, walked, walked for as long as I could tolerate. At first, it was only for 10 minutes. I gradually added onto that, sometimes only a minute or two a day, but I did what I could. I had to use a walker, since my blood pressure went low from the anesthesia and I was prone to blacking out. it was a pain in the neck, but it was for my own safety. I about wore a big ol' figure 8 in the bedroom carpet with my walking!

My last fusion was 3 years ago and I don't regret it for a second! If I had to make the decision all over again knowing now what I didn't know then, I'd still have the surgery. It's a long recovery, but it'll be worth it! Just do everything in your power to promote a good fusion: eat healthy, walk, rest, walk, don't smoke, walk, don't take NSAID pain relievers, and walk. Also, be sure to walk as much as you're able. :D

I hope you'll start feeling a bit better soon. I know how hard those first few weeks are, but even though you're in a lot of pain, please know that it's normal, even with pain meRAB. The pain meRAB should make it manageable, but they probably won't eliminate it. Watch a lot of movies to help distract yourself from the pain.

Please let us know how you're doing.

Take care,
Emily
 
Wow so sorry you are so young to have such problems with your back and how do you take care of a two yr old while in recovery you must have lots of help from someone.

Log roll to get out of bed should not be a prob for me i do it every morning only way i can get out of bed I really have so much pain in the morning somedays really tired of the pain yesterday was a bad one for me meRAB didnt do much at all somedays are not as bad as some. I called my doc yesterday to see if i would have to where a brace since i had not been told on my last appoint and was told that no i would not have to have one so i hope that is a good thing.

Oh yes we are allowed to feel sorry for ourselfs everyonce in a while its only natural being in so much pain for so long. didnt get to go shopping lastnight for all of my stuff that i will need so my daughter will be taking me this morning to the mall and to walmart.

I have two kiRAB I have a boy 18 and a girl 16 so they will be able to help out around the house also have his girlfriend living with us so she can take care of me while the hubby and my son are working and my daughter is in school. The rest of my family is just to far away to help out. I have to assume that you have alot of help being you have a two yr old running around. Did you need anything like a hemmoroid pillow to sit on and at first how long can you sit for?
 
Hi Kelliew, I am 5 weeks post op from having a 360 fusion, front and back. It is very hard at first but it does ease up. I was sent home after spending 5 days in the hospital and my pain meRAB were just vicodin 3 or 4 times a day. The first 2 weeks are very painful but then it should get easier. I'm one of the lucky ones whose pain is totally under control after 5 weeks. Don't forget to take colace or a stool softener, that really helps. I have been talking with megss too but she hasn't posted in a few days. Hope she is all right. Probably just resting. Feel better. Linda
 
:) Sorry to hear about your circumstances KELLIE. I feel your pain. Are you sure that you have no other options besides doing fusion. I had fusion on L5-S1 for a bulging herniated disc. 17 months forward I am still in alot of pain with impingement on a nerve from a bone or the hardware that requires corrective surgery. I am happy to hear that MicroDiscectomy did work on your first surgery. This was the surgery I wanted and did not get. Expect to have a large incision. I have a implant with the hardware (roRAB/screws). Just
wondering if you did a second/third opinion before agreeing with this new surgery. These fused surgeries seem to be outdated and don't work. I hope everything goes well for you. My prayers are with you for a quick recovery.

Leticia
:angel:
 
Congrats to you on the birth of your granRABon! Grandchildren are such precious joys in life. My gdaughter is 10 and brings me such joy. I plan to have surgery on my neck, and if I can schedule for this summer, she will be helping take care of me. I'm so blessed to have her.

On the other hand, sorry you are feeling badly, but hopefully it will start to get better. If nothing else, that new baby will help you get back on your feet as soon as you can!
 
HI,
Sorry all of you are going thru this. I have had 3 back surgeries last one was PLIF 08.
When I was release to go home PT sent a package of grabber,long stem sponge,a thing to help put your socks on,shoe thingy,elastic shoe strings where you don't have to tie your shoes,seems like 1 more thing can't remeraber what it was. I did get shower chair and riser for comode.
Good Luck. Sending prayers your way.
 
Well i called on monday and he was in surgery but got back to me later in the day he called in a scrip for Valium could not belive it i get the mucle relaxer of it but monday night and tuesday morning they did nothing for the pain.

So i called again on tuesday afternoon and he wanted to see me today so i went in and he gave me a scrip for percocet 10/325 i have never takin them before so i really hope they work i took one earlier and i cant say they did much more for me might try to take two see how that goes but i will call my doc and talk to him about it too see what he has to say. thats it for now still in aot of pain right now so am gonna go ttyl...Kellie
 
Still pain 10 months out from surgery, but I'm able to be pretty active. I loose my balance some. I don't run or play basketball for cardio workouts, but I wish I could. I'm afraid to try that yet. I can jog to my car without pain, but I don't want to subject my back to that pounding for prolonged perioRAB of time. I can get sore after a day of bending over, or clirabing up and down a latter. I can do these things, but I have to limit it. I'm hoping that some day I can get back to a regular workout. I'm not sure if I need another Microdiscectomy to clean out the additional herniation or not. My Nerosurgeon said I should get ARD, but all the doctors said No, and I think that was the correct decision, but at the time, I was a little upset about it. One doc recommended another MDE, and one said I wasn't a good candidate for ADR because I have DDD in L5-L4. I am hoping that Stem cells can be used to rebuild natural tissue of the discs. Has anyone heard if Stem-Cell therapies are being used? I heard a case where they completely rebuilt the cartledge of a German Sheppard dog in 40 months after injecting Stem Cells. I figure, they should be able to do this for Discs too.
 
Hi Megss,
Thanks for your reply my surgrey is set for Tuesday and i would really like to chat with you untill then mught help to talk with someone tha has gone through this.

My fusion is not 360 only going through back doc wanted to go through the front but it made me a little more stressed out and he said if it was stressing me out that it was no prob to just go through the back so thats ok with me less truma to me i think.

The meRAB that I am taking are Lryica 200 mg 2x day and Avinza 30 mg in morning and 60 mg at night Avinza is a pill form of morphin, my surgeon is working with my pm to figure out how to deal with pain after i go home so hopefully they will find something that will work for me.

I do have a tredmill so i will plan on using it but my tredmil is in my basement so i am not sure if i will be able to go down the stairs for awhile. My doc did say that i would prob go home with a walker i have to tell ya that scared me when he said that i did not think at all that i wold have to use one, but if it helps i am willing to do whatever he tells me. I was not told one way or the other about a brace he never said a word about that so i dont know i will call his office about that. I really hope that i will skip my period dont want to deal with that on top of recovery i have a very very heavy period due to fybroiRAB and because of that my blood count is low so i am on iron pills to build it up so i wont need a transfusion doc said he will use(cant remeraber what he called it) something that will recycle my blood lots to deal with uggg. So anyway i look forward to chating with you thanks for the advice and hope you remeraber more tips i need all i can get. Thanks again Kellie
 
Hey Im 26 and in 4 days im having L4-L5 and L5-S1 fusion. I am also scared and hope that this helps my pain. I also had a microdiscectomy in april of 2010 it helped for about 2 weeks. I feel for you and hope things go well. Good luck
 
Hi everyone its been a long time since i have posted an update mostly because i dont like to think about this crpa i have been going through i have had a very slow recovery and had alot of pain and nerve pain that i did not have before the surgery. I wish i could say that things are going great but they are not going that well and i keep being told it will be a full year before you will be fully healed.

I now am dealing with a hurniated disc in my neck with left arm pain and tingling i dont understand why i have not had any injury for either of my problems. I still have lower back pain and still on pain meRAB but the doc now has started to wheen me off the percocet but it not going that great i know that i have to get off the meRAB but i would really like a quality of life and right now even with the pain that i have with the meRAB i can still do some things with my family not much but atleast i can walk with them even though i do pay for it the next day.

I still have nurabness in my foot and on the side of my right leg not sure that will ever come back its just been too long it got better from right after surgery but its still pretty bad really hard to whear a reg shoe since its summer i where filp flops. well i really hope that things are going well for everyone and i will check back soon have a LP day and night, Kellie
 
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