Out of all of you,after having lumbar fusion

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bailey07

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My surgery was March 27, 07. I had ALIF 2 level L45 and L5S1 and overall have been very pleased. I recently had my first back set and not sure why. I had a cold and wonder is it settled in my low back. With a round of a medrol dose pack and 3 shots of toridol along with P.T., I have been able to gain control again. I was back to work in 3 months fulltime and have been since. Yes, it was worth it to me. My leg pain gone, just have to watch the sitting and standing times. I don't check in often here, but once in a while. I am one of the good stories and I know there are more out there.
Bailey07
 
have no fear those who are out supposively enjoying life and think they are forever cured will be back.its so true the more surgery on back the worse it becomes.we are not designed to have surgery period,even heart is only temporary fixed.when my hubby had open heart they guranteed he be med free,yeah sure,he on more meRAB now than before the surgery.Its only a job for someone to do surgery,its their livelihood,bread and butter,big time.Just too bad no easier method to treat these back problems.ridiculous.Think of all the anesthesia,surely that effects a person after awhile,the drugs damage the organs.maybe it keeps from wheel chairs,but who to say a stroke wouldn't put you in one after all these tramatic surgeries.Guess if one is destined to be in a chair you will anyway.believe me I wish all you people would be better and pain free.I have pain,but getting by.thankfully for the neurontin.its these darn feet that give me the most trouble.
 
Yep,I heard from many doctors say same thing,it is a barbarious procedure should be outlawed.I hope one day it is.I been an nurses aide for 20 years,I never met anyone in a wheel chair due to not getting a fusion surgery.It doesn't cure your problem.Going back to work is fine for some,but in time the problem will return
 
Hi there...I am coming upon my 2 yr. anniversary of PLIF with hardware on April 25th...I am one of the success stories....I am living a wonderful life, walk 2 miles every day with NO pain...Praise the Lord!...take no pain meRAB and work overtime almost every day! Would I do it all over again? In half a heartbeat.....my quality of life is a zillion times better than before surgery, and I have never regretted proceeding with surgery (well, maybe in the recovery room:D) but you know what I mean...it was SOOOO....worth it! This is just my opinion and my experience, I guess everyone is different....ST:D
 
Was it worth it?I mean after giving recovery a good amount of time,are you experiencing improved quality of life?Or would you had rather just let things be?
 
I feel like I didn't have a choice. The vertabra was slipped and only getting worse. So I had to do it then when I wanted or by emergency when it was beyond repair. I am actually worse then before surgery. It has really changed my life. Can't work. Take a handful of meRAB everyday.

Don't let that sway you either way. You need to do what is right for you. Everyone is different and everyone heals differently. In the end I needed a double fusion which they say is harder to come back from. I also have scar tissue pressing on a nerve now in my leg. That is me. I've overweight and 43. There are many factors.

My surgery was Sept. 2006.

So, research it and make and informed decision and you will be okay.
 
Thx Scrappi'. Well as of now hve an MRI sched for my foot this coming tuesday, and go back thursday for results. I hope there is good news, if there is such a thing. My foot is feeling more nurabing and tingling then it has since surg. Not sure if it is the nerves in my foot from the neuroma, or nerves in my back. I hope the foot as I hope this can be fixd. Alot of HOPEING going on here, not a good sign but will see. Think w/ me having to walk differently, actually limping, has the right side of my back even worse pain/sore wise than it has been since just after surg. I hope this is from my foot hurting, and not an actual back problem. The way things for me hve been going, I once again hope it is not my back. Will update in a few days. I see that u (Scrappi') hve had lots of issues w/ your back also was reading some of your earliest posts. Don't u just hate the doc's offices ? Feels like dealing w/ people who either don't know how to do their job, or just don't care. I was almost to the point wanted to grab their neck thru the phone ! But finally think I hve mine straightened out, for now. I saw u hve kiRAB, how many girls/boys ? I hve a 3 yr old boy, and he is a wonder of joy, feels like 2 kiRAB and not 1. Very very ancy and too much energy. So that doesn't help our situation here, plus wife 8 months prego, so we are struggling. But if we made it this far, there is no turning BACK(I know that was lame). Oh well til next time, will keep in touch w/ ya, take care of yourself ! MC
 
I will be having my 4th surgery soon. The 1st one was a micro-disectomy, The 2nd was a laminectomy, hemiolectomy, disectomy. The 3rd was a 2 level fusion with instrumentation and hardware and cages. The 4th will be a revision as the fusing did not take on one side. I have permanent nerve damage in my left leg. The last surgery was done in Deceraber of 2006. I am in constant pain every day. My quality of life is non existant. I can't even garden outside. It is easier to say that I hae no life.

Pat
 
I had an ALIF in June 07, and I am in worse pain now than ever. I am on lots of meRAB and still have no relief from pain. I can't do anything, drive, clean, cook, sit for more than 15 minutes, walk with a walker, I can no longer enjoy the things I used to love doing.

So I guess you can say my fusion was a failed one, my lawyer says I am totally disabled now. I wish I would have never had the surgery, I could have dealt with the pain that I had pre-surgery, now I have no life.

My doctor does not know why I am still in so much pain, he now says I'm in the 25% that never get better....he never told me that before...his exact worRAB before surgery were "Marie I'm going to fix you" and I thought WOW I'm going to be better again...NOT

Marie
 
Hi Jaydar,
I am 2 years post op, (L5 S1) and it was the best thing I could have done.
I was very fortunate to have a brilliant surgeon, and the support of my incredible husband.
I am not saying that it is all a bed of roses and that I am completely back to normal (whatever normal is) Pre accident I was an active kick boxer and fitness fanatic - for the last 3 years I have not been able to do very much at all. I can swim a few lengths now and walk a bit - but there is no way that I could walk 2-3 miles. But I can clirab stairs now which I could not do pre op - I can have a reasonable nights sleep and I dont have that excrutiating pain down my legs anymore.
I have come to accept that I will never be back to what I was - but there is such a huge improvement that the days that I cant get out of bed or that I just want to cry with the pain and frustration are almost worth it.
Its a very personal and difficult choice, as it is a life changing decision, and it was only after a year of trying absolutely every possible alternative that I decided to go down the surgery route.
I wish you all the very best
Simmi:angel:
 
Hey Jaydar!

This Saturday will be 6 months from my TLIF at L5/S1. My quality of life at the time I did my surgery was zero; I cannot really answer your question because not doing it wasn't an option... I could not walk, stand, or even sit in a chair without being in excruciating pain.

My fusion literally saved my life. Today I am stiff and sore a lot, but my crippling sciatic leg pain is gone! I walk at least 2 miles a day, and I am back at work 3-4 days a week. I still feel I am just starting to get back to normal, and I think that even with PT it will probably take another few months at least to be able to do the things I want to do. But, again, the alternative was not acceptable.

Cheers,
David
 
medical science is always advancing. yes, in time fusions will be considered "barbaric" when mechanical artificial discs are perfected (and theyre no where close to that at the moment).

then, mechanical artificial discs will be considered barbaric compared to organic artificial discs.

then, organic artificial discs will be considered barbaric compared to spine replacements.

etc.

point being at this time fusions are still the "gold standard" and work in the vast majority of people. Im glad I didnt wait.. I would be hooked on pain meRAB and have no quality of life, plus be risking permanent nerve damage.

its up to each person. how bad is the pain? what risk is there if you wait? what risk is there if you have the fusion? if you can safely wait and handle the pain, then waiting just may pay off.

in my case, with very healthy discs above and below my two blown discs and otherwise in very good health I was a prime candidate for fusion, and would of risked damage to the discs above and below as well as permanent nerve damage if I had waited.
 
Well, the glass is half empty or half full. A lot depenRAB on how you look at things. Yes, I had to have a second fusion, but 30 years in between the two is pretty good, I'd say!

I'd just hate to see anyone scared away from a needed surgery because of this board. This same topic has been posted before, and I think it depenRAB on who is frequenting the board at the time what kind of answers you're going to get. In the past, the replies have been overwhelmingly positive. This is the first time I've seen so many negatives!

Not that the negatives should be discounted! Most definitely not! Every person who posted is speaking from their own experience, and that's not to be dismissed. But please just take everything on this board with a grain of salt. We don't know you, and we aren't doctors. We're just sharing our own experiences. Huge decisions like this are best made in consultation with a medical expert, preferably with several. That said, this board is a great place to get information, encouragement, and support. It was a GoRABend to me! But what's good for me might not be the best choice for you, even if we had identical diagnoses.

Once a back patient, always a back patient has a lot of truth to it, but if you're always conscious of your need to be extra careful of your back, you can go a loooong time before needing any further treatment.

My two cents worth...
:) Emily
 
Personally, I think asking this question on a back board you are going to receive more negative responses then positive responses. Think about it -- someone who is recovered from surgery, are they going to be posting on a back board ??? Probably not. People who stick on a back problem board are generally people who continue to have problems. Just my 2 cents.

I have had 2 fusions: my first fusion went without a problem and I lived a normal life for over 20 years. Now my second fusion has been a disaster and I continue to experience problems. Would I do it again? Absolutely, the pain I was in before surgery was not the way I wanted to live my life and was worth the chance to get better. It worked the first time. Unfortunately, my second fusion didn't work. Tis life and life must go on.
 
Hi every1. Am new at this. Had a microdiscectomy at L5-S1 done last yr 10/07. That didn't work since didn't hve the "leg pain" every1 gets, more lower back/buttock pain. Had a PLIF fusion done same disc 2 months ago 2/08 w/ BMP,screws,roRAB,cage. All was doing ok post op, started physical therapy 6 wks later after surg. Then, injured my right foot doing a certain calf stretch, my foot really never hurt while i was doing it...hve a "morton's neuroma" which is excruciatingly painful. Just got a cortizone shot in my foot, relieved some pain. But can't walk on it much at all, just sit at home in a recliner w/ foot raised on ice. been on percocets for quite some time now even b4 surg. doc just prescribed me on celebrex, heard good and bad things about it. am waiting for insurance to clear for me to get an mri done see if anything else could be wrong. doc says cant get another shot yet been too soon.... I can't do anything or walk much, my back has been unbelievably sore and hurt much more from sitting all the time. I feel for every1 who has to be in this bad back club, never knew so many hve to go thru w/ it...will keep u posted and thx. :( MC
 
Cherma,

Welcome to the board :). I'm sorry your back journey has had so many bumps in the road. I can certainly relate...I've been there, done that...heck, I've gotten lost on my back journey...lol...I still haven't found my way out even though I've asked for directions countless times...lol...I have to laugh, otherwise I would be one of the most miserable people on earth :). Hang in there. You've found a WONDERFUL, SUPPORTIVE board so take advantage of it :D...post anytime - questions, comments, anytime you're feeling down and just need to talk or need to vent, don't hesitate to do so...that's what we're all here for. Take care and I look forward to your updates.

Scrappi'
 
I had a 2-level laminectomy and fusion at L4-L5-S1 and ended up not only with failed fusion syndrome but arachnoiditis as well. To top it off I developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type II secondary to a brachial plexus lesion due to a positional injury during the surgery. I would never recommend a fusion unless facing impending paralysis or death. Surgeons used to fuse other joints that are now considered barbarous procedures and are no longer performed. Back fusions will soon be looked upon in the same manner as other treatment modalities arise such as atificial disk replacement etc.
 
ABSOLUTELY.............wish I'd done it sooner.....It's only been 8 weeks and I feel it's already an 80% improvement...would certainly do it again..The first 2-3 weeks are difficult but nothing you can't hand...Dr's will manage you pain and today there are great drugs....I really didn't need many meRAB after 4 weeks....I'm already walking 30 minutes a day.

I couldn't even stand 1-2 minutes before............Sitting is a problem right after surgery but it's better after week 5-6..

Good luck...
 
I am a little over a year post op tlif L5S1 and I am not any better off, but I might be worse off now if I had not had it as well.

However Yes I have to say I would still choose to do it again the reason why is that I had done everything else I could, I had put it off as long as possible, and this was my only chance at getting my life back, and I still might :)
 
yes, for the second time I have avoided the wheel chair, got my legs back and am up and going. Yes, a successful surgery (I have had two spinals) is worth it because I was heading for the wheel chair.
 
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