Post surgery pain

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jomurray

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Hi Chickinard,
i can understand your fears regarding pain, I had surgery 10 weeks ago, i did not have surgery as severe as yours and Im still in bed lying down everyday due to nerve pain which prevents me from sitting etc. but i was also told not to sit unless i have to as this is the worst position to be in after surgery to lurabar spine.
someone pointed out to me yesterday on this that we think surgery will fix us immediately and get concerned very quickly when the pain has not subsided, you have had major surgery and are doing very well to be up and about so soon but make sure you do not overdo it.
I had partial fusion with a wallis implant and im 10weeks post op and i can do very little, i find it difficult to even put my underwear on! i suppose what we must remeraber is to take baby steps and not be disheartened by bad days we experience, recovery is a long road and im very happy ive found this site yesterday as it has really helped talking to others who are experiencing the same pain and concerns as I am. We will get there eventually, its just a little hard to imagine it after so much pain and lying in bed!
 
hello ibake&pray
I am 5 weeks out from having min. evasive post/ant spinal fusion at L4 L5 S1, didn't have any pain in hip and left leg down to about knee, but now i do. Laying down or sitting will let it go away, i am worried that something may be wrong. I hope this is something that will go away in time.
 
I had laminectomy, disectomy and fusion with instrumentation at L4, L5, and S1 two months ago today. I have a lot of pain still in my right hip and leg and yesterday began having terrible pain at my waiste so that I cannot sit straight in a chair. I am only confortable reclined or laying down. Don' know what this is all about. I am very concerned about all this pain. People tell me that the nerves have to heal but shouldn't they be healed by now?
Thank you for any answers you can give me.
 
It is probably just the upset nerves that are still trying to settle down from the surgery. It seems to take them alot longer that you expect. The very fact that they have been moved out of the way senRAB them into screams of agony that they twitch and jitter from forever it seems. Perhaps one was bruised and that can take time for healing....
 
Hello. I had ant/post fusion of L4 L5 S1 2 weeks and 3 days ago today. I have much more pain now than I did before the surgery, but the pain I had previously is totally gone now. I gained 1.25 inches in height during my surgery, and my doctor says the nerves are irritated and stretched and that it could take 3 to 6 months to mellow out. My pain is unbearable some nights. It feels like shin splints or growing pains in every inch of my legs and feet. My feet and a large portion of my left thigh are STILL nurab from the surgery. Each day I gain a little bit more feeling back, but with that comes more pain. I didn't even feel my front incision until about 3 days ago and now it really bothers me. Did anyone else experience this drawn out nurabness? How long does it take to come back? I feel like I've got rubberbanRAB tied too tight around each of my toes. I'm taking Norco, Flexeril, Gabapentin, and they just added Amitriptyline or something like that to help at night. Oh, and the horrible groin pain! I can't bear wearing my waist belt because it digs down into my left groin where I imagine they had me cranked open during the first portion of the surgery. I'm in so much pain. I was expecting to go back to work in 6 weeks but don't see now how that could be possible. When do/did each of you plan on going back to work? It's reassuring to hear your stories. Thanks for sharing and letting me butt into your post. I've never done this before. =)
 
It is not unusual to still be having pain at 2 months out. Your Surgeon moved aorund alot of your muslces and nerves and trust me, they don't liks being messed with. It takes time for them to settle down and readjust themselves to their new position in your body. It takes up to 6 months for fusion to starts so pain is a natural thing to expect.

The extra pain in your leg and hip may be nerve pain that can be taken care of with one of the meRAB that are specifically designed for nerve pain. Ask your doctor about it.
 
I see from your post that you walked right away but what about sitting? Most of the posts say that sitting is limited for a long time. Was that your experience? Thanks
 
Hi Chickinard, and welcome to the board!

I've had two fusion surgeries. It's a major surgery with a long recovery! Even without nerve problems, it can take up to a year for a full recovery. Nerves take a long time to calm down. It could take months yet before they stop bothering you. Sorry; I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But maybe it's actually good news to you, as you won't be worrying that something has gone wrong.

As far as the waist pain, I wonder if you're trying to do too much. At 2 months, I was still mostly lying down during the day. I was told to sit for no more than 15 minutes at a time for the first 6 weeks. No problem! I couldn't manage even that long! I was allowed to gradually increase it after 6 weeks, letting pain be my guide.

You might want to read the thread called "post surgery tips" at the top of the page. It has lots of little tips that might help you, even though you're not fresh from surgery.

I hope this helps a little,
Emily
 
Thank you so much Ibake and Blue Atlas for your replies. No you were not the bearer of bad news. i just needed some encouragement to the probability that all this is normal. I quite possibly have just been doing too much what with therapy and all. I probably need to rest more.
Ibake I am taking Gabapentin (Neurotin) for nerve pain but can't tell it helps any.
I can bear up knowing that it will eventually get better even if it is a year in coming.
Thanks again.
 
Maybe I am just lucky. I am now post op 5 weeks and am 95% pain free. Every now and then I fell a little pain in my lower right leg but that's about it short of a shot of very brief pain when I make an odd move.
I started walking immediately and it hurt a lot for about 2 weeks. Yet, I walked very day sometimes as little as 100 yarRAB. I am now up to 5 - 7 miles on a daily basis. Mostly on flat ground (Bike path) with no discomfort. My muscles have gotten stronger and I got into better shape. Dealing with shin splints? because of improper shoes but took care of that as well.
I truly believe that you have to make yourself move. Check with your doc first. Good luck.
 
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