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Juanita S

New member
My name is Robert. I am 36 yrs old. At age 34 I had a multi Lumbar back fusion with hardware from my L3 to S1. The operation went very bad with many complications..the biggest being that for 11 days PT was unable to get me up and walking as my muscles in my legs would not funtion properly. I was sent to a rehab to learn how to walk again. I was wheelchair bound for 4 months...I than started to walk with a walker to a cane and brace and now walk slow without aid but sometimes if weather is bad I must use an aid. My problem is that my left leg muscles in my quadriceps and calves have atrophied significantly. When i walk my left knee won't stay slightly bent like a normal walk. I take a normal step but when my heel touches the ground my left leg hyperextends to step. After about 30 mins of walking like this my leg gets so tight like a rubber band that i have to stop....now because of my inability to be as active as I once was I now have Vascular Stasis....My leg is unable to pump the blood and fluid properly so now my legs and ankles and feet are retaining the fluid...I have estimated 30lbs of fluid being retained and it is constriction my movement and flexibilty and many other things. I can't do leg extensions because my leg only moves a quarter of the way thanks to the muscle being so weak. I don't know what to do. I attend PT but have been going for over 18 months now and although it has gotten better, it has very slowly. Now with this new issue with the vascular stuff..they said if i don't get moving faster that the vascular stuff will affect me more. Is there anything i can take, supplements, vitamins, steroids? What excersise's can or should i try to do? I have a stim at home, its ok, and i have a perm implant of a spinal cord stimulator in my body. Please help I am scared....
 
rob4974

What a terrible outcome. Has aqua therapy been mentioned to help build up the muscles and circulation in your legs? The pool should help you move your legs without the worry of your muscles counteracting what you are trying to accomplish.
You sound like you have accomplished quite abit and I congratulate you. I question whether your nerves in your left leg are functioning properly. I hate to say, but is there a chance that you still have some compression on your spinal canal? Is there an option to obtain all of your records and get a second opinion from not only a neurosurgeon but also a rehabilitation doctor? Was your surgery done by a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic surgeon? You may need a fresh set of eyes to look at the total picture and see how they recommend getting the last bit of therapy to get your left leg muscles moving again.
Please let me know how you are doing.
 
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