Post L4/L5 Fusion and l5s1 stabilization on Feb 20th

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Vanityismyfvtsi

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Hello all, I was just curious about restrictions and such as I was told that I am able to drive 5 days post op and I had my l4l5 plif with hardware and l5s1 stabilization with removal of partial vertibrae from bilateral pars defect at s1 all of this done on 2/20/09. I am driving and walking with a back brace on, but my serious concern is of traveling, sex, and (erabarressing) wiping after going to the bathroom. I am having some serious issues with that last one and was wondering how long until I will be able to do that again. I realize i am only about 2 weeks post op but i've been known to heal very quickly and am getting frustrated. I too get angry when I drop something and cant get it.. consequently I have a dog and if he has an accident I have to wait for someone to come over and help me with it.. so I stare at it all day. I am also concerned as I am in a long distance relationship currently and while I can't travel he is willing to come here and visit me, but when is sex ok? I have masturbated and that is fine (I can't believe all i'm spilling here). I also have a bad ache in my left hip (which freaks me out because it's metal) when I walk for 5 mins or more. Is that normal? Any helpful suggestions for healing faster will help! You seem to have it down.

I am trying to walk steadily for 20 minutes a day at a leisurely pace and try to push it up by 1 minute everyday. I do also take my dog to the park and stand and walk around with him for about 45 minutes every other day. My biggest excersize is shopping though. I will walk forever to get a good deal lol, but forever seems to be shorter these days. I started out with this surgery being 242lbs at 5'9" and now have lost 5 just due to movement as I wasn't moving at all before surgery. Anything I'm missing would be greatly appreciated!

I really wish you all the best on your recoveries as well. I'm new to this.
 
Hi Vanity,
Well, being four months post-op myself, all I can say is if you are two weeks out and already not only thinking about sex but acting on it, you are on the fast track to recovery LOL.

Do you have a grabber? I have one that has rubber suction type cups on it and I would suppose you could do the puppy clean up with that. I've picked up very small pills with it, cleaned the bathtub with it, etc. Multi use tool as far as I can tell. It would be worth a try anyway just for your sanity.

I, too, had the ache in the hips bilaterally initially with walking but it eventually got better (until three days ago when I accidentally dropped my wallet in the toilet at the book store and dove for it......been paying for that episode since!). I have more good days than bad at this point but it is all in relation to how much I do and how far I push myself. Everytime I do some new activity and use muscles that have been dormant for months it takes a few days to recover. Just have to hit the heat pad and keep on going.
SounRAB like you are doing well.....just keep on keeping on!!
Jan.
 
I was wondering about you going back to work because at this point I could not imagine being at work. You are amazing. I am fortunate that I do have STD so that I can take my time to get back to work. Just remeraber that you don't want to have to go through all of this again so don't push yourself too hard.
 
I'm excited! I saw my doc for post op yesterday and the brace is gone and I've been cleared to go back to work and travel and have sex and all those wonderful things within reason lol. Still going to wait a bit to travel but I can't wait to get back to work. I'm so bored! I did start walking on a treadmill and then going to the jacuzzi afterwarRAB... that seems to be working wonders and have now stopped taking the muscle relaxers at night. Still getting the pain in the hip but he said that's normal so i'll just keep on truckin. thank you for listening and your advice. I hope the bookstore episode isn't still haunting you.
 
Hi there....i had my ALIF along with partial laminectomy/diskectomy on Jan 20th. I saw my dr yesterday as well and there is definite bone growth going on. He still wanted me to stay off work for 3 more weeks, then 3 weeks of 3-4 hour days....with follow up on apr 22. i'm bored too, but after being at same place of work for 10 years & with 2 small kiRAB, i keep reminding myself this is a treat, lol !
 
Hi, I am new to the site. I am scheduled for posterior l5-s1 fusion april 21 and am nervous. My doc says I have to wear a brace afterwarRAB and start rehab eventually, but my questions are post-op how do you manage? I live alone and wonder if I can handle things. My bedroom is upstairs. can anyone give me any insight on what to expect. again, I live alone. how long will i be immobile? will I be able to do anything? Should I try to find someone to come out to my home for a day, a week, a month? please help
 
At this point I can't do it though. My job doesn't offer any kind of short term disability and I am single and live alone. No way to make money this whole time. I had to rely on my ability to heal very quickly to get me through this. Yesterday my job tried to tell me that because I have restrictions to take my leave indefinitely and I told them I'd sue them for discrimination... needless to say I start work on Monday lol.
 
If ANYONE has any info to share regarding posterior l5-s1 surgery, how the surgery has helped or not, how long is recovery and what you can and cannot do, and for how long, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Hi Hevynn,
I really don't understand why surgeons don't have someone like a PT or occupational therapist talk to folks prior to surgery so they will understand what they need in order to manage at home after this surgery. Thank goodness for these boarRAB. There is a thread called post-surgical tips that is always at the top of the list here on this board that has a lot of recommendations.

I had a single level fusion and came home after three days. I was unable to drive for six weeks. Riding in the car was uncomfortable as far as the ride and getting in and out of the vehicle for about the first five weeks. I was able to go up and down a short flight of stairs but only had to enter the house via four steps. I did wander downstairs about two weeks after surgery and the 10 step flight back to the main level did me in for two days. So you might want to consider a main level sleeping area for a few weeks if you have one. I needed assistance with taking a shower and putting on clothes, particularly pants and socks. There are just so many things that come up that you don't think about in advance that I feel like you should have someone available to help for at least three or four days. At least someone who can come by and help with showering and dressing.

Items that you can get in advance that will make things a lot easier too are:
-a toilet seat riser (available at the pharmacy)
-a couple of grabbers with the rubber suction like cups on them (available at the pharmacy or hardware store)
-insurance will provide you upon discharge with a walker or a cane. I used the walker for about two or three days then was able to transition over to a cane just for security. Didn't really need the cane but used it until I was sure of my strength.

Arrange the things that you are going to be eating or using to cook with where you can get to them. Even with the grabbers if the pan is too heavy you won't be able to get it up to the counter!

If you have pets make sure you can get to their food easily. I wasn't able to feed our dog for weeks as his bowl was too heavy for me to put on the floor with the grabbers and I wasn't able to get down to set it on the floor. My husband has taken over the pet care during my recovery.

Check out the post-op thread and it will give you an idea of what to expect and you can determine then if you need someone with you. The discharge planners at the hospital should make sure you are being discharged to a safe environment; speak up if you have any doubts prior to leaving. Try to maintain a positive outlook....it will get better every day. Jan
 
Hi Hevyn,
Yes, I am pleased with my decision although it did not come without lots of knuckle chewing and wringing of the hanRAB. I had essentially lost the ability to walk for longer than 5 minutes without weakness in both legs, had some mild foot drop on the right foot, and bladder incontinence everytime I walked. I had reached the point where I wasn't in a lot of pain just loss of mobility and was told if I didn't do something that it would remain as is or potentially get worse. At 55, I wasn't ready to cave in and not be pro-active. Now I can walk over two miles without any nurabness or bladder problems. Still have some issues that I hope will improve over time but all in all glad I took that leap of faith and went ahead before it got any worse.

I slept mostly on my sides with a small pillow between my knees. The first week or so I did wake up every time I turned. You have to log roll maintaining a straight spine. It might be a good idea to start practicing this prior to surgery in case you don't already do this related to your current back issues. The PT folks will instruct you on the proper way to get out of the bed by rolling to your side, swinging your legs off the bed, and pushing your trunk up with your arms. You will have to go up and down stairs with the PT folks prior to discharge also. But, I didn't find that to be a problem. I was so anxious to get out of there that I would have taken flight if they asked me to!!

As far as going outside, it depenRAB on your access. I think I was outside on our deck during the first week just to get out and get some fresh air. I was walking in the house every two to three hours. The most important thing that you can do post-op is to walk. Doesn't have to be fast or far, just move frequently. My neurosurgeon wanted me to just walk in the house on a level surface (didn't even like the treadmill idea). The fusion will set up better with a good blood supply which is obtained by walking. Also helps with your GI motility and recouping general muscle strength. As far as the motility thing goes, while you are in the pharmacy buying that toilet riser, might want to pick up some stool softeners too. Those narcotics have a tendency to slow EVERYTHING down!

As far as the return to work issue, that seems to be very variable. I have seen folks on this board return to work at 5-6 weeks post-op and some who were still out at 9 months. So, you see, there is a wide variation. There are so many variables to consider there as far as type of surgery, physical condition going into surgery, type of work returning to, etc. You can't always go by what the surgeon estimates prior to going to the OR either. My guy thought I would be ready to go back to work at 6 weeks but there is no way I could have done it. Interesting too that my neurosurgeon did not insist and kind of frowned on PT post-op. He preferred that I just continue to walk and work on core strengthening at home. No formal rehab. He would have sent me if I had insisted on it, but I had had some bad experiences in the past with PT so it was fine with me that I not go. I am having to look for a different kind of employment though as what I did prior to my surgery involved lots of lifting, bending, transporting heavy items.

Hope this helps. Lots to be gained from reading posts on this board though as everyones experience is different in some ways and similar in others.
Best wishes, jan.
 
thank you for replying. are you pleased with your decision to have the l5-s1 surgery? how did you sleep? how long before I can walk out onto the patio and sit and have a glass of lemonade for example? how about going to the bathroom? how long is rehab before you are able to go back to regular duty work?
 
Hi there..I thought I'd give you a quick answer too as since I'm subscribed, it senRAB me a note of course that there is a new email...I had the ALIF thru-the-front fusion L5/s1 on Jan 20th. After that surgery, they then flipped me over & went in thru my back to fix a badly pinched nerve. I did have lots of help, and anytime anyone asked to help or "call if I need anything"..I'd then say, well so & so said they were going to bring a frozen dinner & anything like that would sure help.....just make sure you have cozy & easy to get into sweats, etc. The grabber & baby wipes were really my best frienRAB...the first few weeks I was pretty much bed bound, so beside my bed i had a lil plastic basket with a pen & sticky notes, my medicines, my cell phone, etc. At my 6 week dr appt, i could actually see the bone growing on or around the titanium. At that point, my dr had me off an addtional 3 weeks, then 3 more weeks of 3-4 hour days, where I am now, until I go back on the 22nd & I'm sure I'll be released. The last few weeks I"ve finally felt a lot more normal, but if you take a step wrong, or start doing too much, you really feel it. BUT I can say it totaly feels better & does not hurt like it did, only in a healing/hurting way. BTW I'm female 43 & have 2 kiRAB, so normaly I'm pretty active...feel free to email me & I'd be more than happy to share anything else with you. Personally these boarRAB gave my soooo much info than my dr---you just have to try & stay away from the "debbie downers" :)
 
Depending on your pain level before surgery it should be a relief. I had an l4-l4 fusion with hardware and l5s1 stabalization and laminectomy and I was driving in a week and it is now 7 weeks post op and I have been back at work for 4 weeks and walking and participating in most activities. The important thing is to keep your focus positive and don't let it get you down if you can't move fast. Patience is key. You will want someone to help you out at home for a little while. I'd say 2-3 weeks. if you can, I'd say have someone move your bed downstairs.
 
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