pre - op + recovery time <2 level l4-5:l5-s1 fusion>

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deviphish

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hello to all : i am a rook to this site & i wanted to thank evrybody for helping each other out .. i am scheduled for surgery 2.20.08 , and i no what you all are going threw ! I have been stocking up on books(james paterson) freak , cross word puzzles & magazines.. I also invested in "netflix" about 2 weeks ago , & it's GREAT !!!! For $16.99 per month you get 3 movies at a time sent to your home , they have a huge variety of movies - well worth it.. i also bought video poker{anything to get mind off the pain} do your personal stuff before surgery such as - - - pay bills , or have them ready and available for someone else to pay out . cut your finger + toe nails , get a hair cut and if your going to be staying at a loved ones house try to have mail re routed to there home... i hope any of this is help full to some one out there !!

my questions are as follows : what is the recovery time to a 2 level fusion ? when is P.T started ? how is the pain after surgery ? how long is hosp. stay ?

thank you and GOOD LUCK to EVRYBODY , were all in this together ! stay positive and mentally strong !!! billy;):angel:
 
Hwy there,

Sorry I didn't get back to you on the other thread; I've been off the board for a while.

I think you asked how the pain was after the surgery. The first few days were rough, but I noticed immediate relief from the stabbing sciatic pain that was killing me. I had a lot of nurabness and tingling at first, but the tingling went away after about 3 days. The nurabness I still have, and it may be permanent, but compared to where I was it's great.

The thing that hurt the most was the spot on my hip where they took the bone for the fusion. That was sore for a good while - about a month. But, for me, things started improving rapidly at about the one month mark, when I got off the walker and started taking longer walks with my trekking poles.

P.T. just started for me - at the 3 month mark. You might start a little sooner, but 3 months is a pretty common amount of time to wait. I'm doing mostly calf and hamstring stretches, and some core strengthening exercises. Doc said push-ups were OK. Just NO sit-ups! And, of course, walking... lots and lots of walking. I started doing a quarter of a mie at the one month mark (and would be completely wiped afterwarRAB). Today I walk a minimum of 2 miles and usually more like 4 or 5.

Any other questions? Let me know.

Take Care,
David
 
Welcome! You look like you are getting properly prepared. Make sure your doctor has your post-op meRAB written for you ahead of time, so that you can have them filled and at home waiting for you. Saves a lot of hassle having to worry about this right off.

guy or gal, get some silky jammies or a bottom silk sheet. Takes the friction and effort in turning in bed out and much less trauma on your body. You hurt bad enough from the surgery and turning in bed is an effort, so you dont need the xtra friction that regular sheets create with cotton v cotton. I've had silk jammies for the last 5 years now. Wont wear anything else for bed.

Trash bag for the bottom seat cushion of the car, so you can easily get in and out post surgery.

Do you have grabbers to get things off the floor? If not.. get TWO. so you are not constantly hunting for the only one.

Kitchen. Lot of easy to fix stuff. FooRAB that are high in fiber and lots of water to keep your body hydrated. The meRAB and surgery will mess up your bowels at first. so be prepared for it. If you eat properly.. you shouldnt need a stool softener or laxative, but you should be prepared if you do.

Ask the doctor about a calcium/magnesium supplement.. as this helped me ward off muscle spasms that are normal post op for many of us. Muscle relaxers werent helpful here.

You have been in great pain for awhile now.. so you will be handle the post op pain that arrives. It hurts yep, but you can easily handle it. I noticed my sciatica was immediately gone, so that was less pain upon waking!

PT started at 10+ weeks for me, but was a one level fusion at l4/l5. But I think it would have been the same if the l5/s1 had also been fused at that time. It depenRAB mostly on the doctor. They are all diffferent.

Best of luck with your upcoming surgery and I think you will be happy you chose this route.
 
hello -> thank you for getting back to me !! i have 13 more days left , i'm in lots of pain. I am also very restless and pretty nervous about having this surgery done , i'm on oxycodone 7.5 mgs & i'm still in pain ! if you don.t mind i have a couple questions for you okay .
i'm seeing my surgent 5 days before my surgery , does he take care of the pain meRAB after the surgery or my pain mgt. doctor ? i am a male 31 , whare can i even get satan pajamas really don't no ? how long were you in hosp. for ? my doctor tell sme this surgery will last 7 to 8 hrs , what was yours ?
i thank you for all your input , i did purchase a grabber. i have my laptop , i-pod , books , anything else that you might think of ? thank you so much and god bless
 
david , thank you for responding .. what type of fusion did you have ? all your input is appreciated , i have less than 2 weeks till my surgery and i'm still nervous !
i had a back surgery 4 years ago lamanectomy & my back has ben hurting evry day since.. it's ben a long winding road , and i had about 5 tests in the last 3 months -- my doctor is not knife happy !! had a discogram 1 month ago and that hurt SO BAD , SO BAD !! ALL MY tests came up positive hernations , ddd , stenosis , nerve compresion , so to be honest with you i just want to get this over and done with.. i do no walking is very good for your back during recovery along with aquatic therapy {pool}..
thank you dave
 
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