Slow Healer? - Fusion

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Zinnias

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Thank you so much.

The PT is out of town and will call me next week. I'll just tell him I basically can't do anything - and hopefully, he'll agree to wait. My dr mentioned I could get a driving service - but why, if I can't move once I get there??!!

I am on oxycodone (10), and take 2 at a time every 4 hours, still. I was on oxycontin w/ it for the 3 weeks after surgery, but now just the oxycodone and Lyrica. They don't seem to touch the pain much.

I'm glad you all are telling me I'm normal. W/ 2 young kiRAB, I questioned doing this surgery so close to Christmas. I wanted them to have a good Christmas. The doctor's worRAB were, "Well at 4 to 6 weeks post-op, I would hope you would be feeling much better than you are right now."

Well of course, I jumped in! He then gave me the story of a Dynamic Fixation patient of his who went to the gym and did the stationary bike at 2 weeks.

So of course, I was expecting to be much better by now.

And, the nurses always say, "You mean you're STILL worse than before, even WITH the pain meRAB????" The answer is, YES!

So thank you all for making me feel normal. And.....so at this time - at about 8 weeks - you all had pain that was worse than when you walked in for the operation? I guess that's my question now.

Thank you all. I've fought back from being depressed all these years, but I have to admit, surgery got me.
 
Hello - I just had a 2-level Laminectomy & Fusion w/ Dynamic Fixation.

I am almost at 8 weeks post-op.

I am feeling like a 'slow healer' from what I'm being told from the office - and I'm getting very depressed about it.

8 weeks seems 'new' to me, but for weeks, the nurses have been telling me most people are out driving! I can't drive! I am in too much pain. The dr even told me to go out and "try it" when there's not much traffic. Why, if I can barely get in the car for someone else to drive me?

Oh, and I got the advice at week 5 (when I was barely moving) to drive to the mall and walk around! Even if someone drove me, I would have had to have gone in and laid on the bench! Fun outing!

I do all I can. I'm not lazy. I'm just not yet down to the level of pain I was in when I GOT the operation. That horrible hell I was in ---- I just want that BACK!!!!

Please, tell me not everyone else is out doing acrobatics at week 8! I don't have much healing time - I have 2 very young kiRAB - and I spend a lot of time going from room to room with my "grabber."

So, can someone please tell me I am normal?? I would LOVE to drive. My husband's life would be better! I would LOVE to take long walks. I just can't yet. I'm very tight, and my original pain is still present - only worse.

PLEASE just tell me it's still early.

THANK YOU


Oh - and PT? What could I be doing if I can barely move?????? I have a script. I'll call the guy today and tell him what kind of shape I'm in.
 
Hi Zinnia:
I had a single-level fusion two springs ago and it was much easier to get out and walk with the nice weather. I didn't get in the car much at all the first three months, let alone drive myself anywhere.

I was on a LOT more pain meRAB for the three months after surgery than I was on prior to surgery. The pain I felt was different though -- hot spots in my legs and ankles I never had before, horrible burning pain at the surgery site, etc. My doc did not release me to PT for 12 weeks, though I did have a home PT come to my house a few times at the beginning to show me how to get out of bed and give me really miniscule stretches that I could do in bed. Every surgeon is different and every person is different but the general impression I get is that the first 12 weeks are the really important ones for a fusion and you don't want to do anything that's going to compromise the healing and bone growth.

Walking daily was the only thing I did, and the only thing my doc would let me do. Some days I felt better and walked too far and had to stay in bed for several days. Your body is healing, and sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.

Spine surgery recovery is always much harder than the docs would let you know. I will say that the worst pain I felt did lessen dramatically after the surgery, but new pain showed up in different places, which was very upsetting because I thought they "broke" me. Nerves take seemingly forever to heal after they've been impinged and especially after they twisted them all around like spaghetti during the surgery. Eventually much of the new pain disappeared but it took a really long time and a very strong committment to PT and doing the exercises. Still, in the first year I had quite a few flare-ups that lasted a week or two and put me back on the meRAB temporarily.

Hang in -- you may be turning a corner soon. Surgeons love to tell stories about extraordinary successes and people being pain-free a few weeks later -- but that's not typical with fusion surgery. No way, no how!

Schragie-girl
 
Zinnias, I think it's great that you're expressing yourself and really knowing what you can and can't do. THAT is what you should be doing! You mention that you are or have been feeling depressed. Do you think this is something that might be impacting your recovery? If you suspect so, maybe it's worth addressing it sooner rather than later. I know, it feels like *one more thing* but it may be worth it. If you think you just need more time and rest, then that's what you need. And, no, not everyone is back to marathon running at 2 weeks post surgery. ;) Keep your chin up and keep posting, OK? Good days or bad.
- Margaret
 
Everybody heals at different speeRAB. One of the best things that seems to help is walking. When I got out and walked, it might have upped the pain a little, but it felt as though it was stretching the muscles. Even after 7 months I feel pretty tight in the back area. I tried to do a little more each day so I was always moving forward. This whole fusion surgery is quite the roller coaster ride, up one day down the next. About driving, that can be pretty painful, car seats tend to have a lot of lurabar support and can really press on the spine. Every little bump gets transmitted to your spine. No one knows better than you when you are ready to drive, also be careful, if you are on pain meRAB it might be considered DUI if you are pulled over.

Hope you feel better.
 
Hi Zinnias,
It sounRAB to me like your doctor has very high expectations. You sound completely normal to me. Most of us on here were in no shape to drive at your stage. The most common length of time we've been told we can't drive is 6 weeks. I was allowed to drive at 6 weeks, but I was certainly in no condition for it. I was still in way too much pain. I only drove if I absolutely had to.

3 months seems for many of us to be a turning point. That was when I started feeling human again. I was out of church for 8 weeks. Since church is something I really love and never miss, it was very significant that I missed it for so long. When I went back at 9 weeks post op, I had to stand at the back for the whole sermon. It was just too painful to sit for that long.

I'm surprised the doctor is pushing you so hard. They usually want you to walk as you're able, but to otherwise rest. No bending, lifting, or twisting. With the (normal) amount of pain you're having, is he giving you pain meRAB? Are they enough?

I hope you're not too discouraged. I really think you sound about how most of us have been at only 7 weeks post op. It can take a full year or more to completely heal from this surgery. You're still very early on in this.

Let us know how you're doing. I wish you the best!
Emily
 
I have to agree with Emily... given the amount of surgery you had, I don't think it's at all out of the ordinary that you would be at this point after just 8 weeks.

I'm 8 weeks out from a single level fusion and I am just starting to be able to drive. You had a lot more done to you. My doctor isn't even starting me on PT until 3 months and I can't see you doing it before me.

Try to do the walking first, and remeraber to take your medications - hopefully your doc is at least reasonable with your meRAB. Keep using your grabber! That's good!

Don't worry too much about your 'speed' of recovery. Progress just means a little better than yesterday, whatever that was. Give it a little more time and you should see some improvements.

Take Care and keep us posted,
David
 
Hi there. How bad was your pain before going into surgery on a scale of 1-10? You are only 8 weeks post, so it's really hard to know if something else is going on or if it's just part of your healing process.

I was not in as much pain post op as I was before hand. I had a one level fusion with hardware. So there is no flexing with the hardware as with your dynamic one.

Now I was in pain mind you post op. But was a different type of pain and it was the healing pain and the bone healing and fusing and all. Then I had nerve pain issues in my legs post op that was new, and that was a whole separate ball of wax that I did not have prior to surgery. But that was dealt with and most has subsided now, with some permanent nerve damage, but an okay tradeoff.

I drove at week 4 I think it was. But it was just a short trip to the mall and didnt stay long and went back home. It was very liberating to do it and it drained me everytime I went out. Heck so did anything really at that point. My doc told me I could drive when I could turn my head fairly easy to have command of my safety things I needed to drive. (I probably should have waited another couple of weeks, but I was goin stir crazy in the house).

I noticed a difference in my pain level at around your timeframe. It was more intense then, but it was a 'stiffness' too. So I was guessing my spine was really starting to fuse at that point and the bone was beginning to mend itself together and that was part of that stiffness and pain that came with that. At week 10+, I started PT.

Honestly, I was so stiff (with some pain of course) that I wasn't sure that I could do any PT either. BUT, the therapists started me off with a regular routine but once they got to know me and my body, they changed how they approached my therapy and it went more slowly. Then I began to make steady progress and it made such a HUGE change in my ability to do things and also GREATLY reduced my pain.

I could see measurable changes in how I could stand, walk, and do things literally daily!

Give the PT a serious chance when it's your time. It can be a goRABend improvement for you. I attribute PT as my true beginning of my recovery.

Hang in there.
 
Hello -

It has now been 3.5 months. 3.5 months!

I AM driving, but it aggravates things. I am in PT and water therapy. I am pushing myself too hard, I believe.

Anyhow, I am still worse than before surgery. Is this ok????? I DO feel I am getting closer to where I was the day I walked in for surgery --- and I expect to continue getting better from there -- I'm just not there yet.

I guess my question is a return to work one. Has EVERYONE gone back to work by 3.5 months --- to some degree? Am I the only one still not working?? I absolutely cannot imagine working like this. The thought of the increased pain makes me sick to my stomach. What is the average RTW date for a double lurabar procedure? When you go back, you go back w/ restrictions, right --- doctors don't just throw you in there w/ no restrictions, do they? I am still taking 4-5 Percocets a day.

Thank you - hope you all are feeling well.
 
Absolutely! But don't be alarmed if you have days that seem worse. It's normal to have ups and downs for no apparent reason. That's just part of te healing process.
 
Hi,
I just ran across your post. I am 12 weeks post op. I went to my daughters house this morning and did 1.7 miles on her treadmill and was in such pain that I cryed half the morning. I'm trying to cut down on my painpills. I finally took a vicoden, then I did some cold packs. Then I ended up in the tub soaking, and then a valium. Basically the day sucked, and I'm thinking why did I ever do this!! My pre op pain went on for about 13 months. I had a previous laminectomy years ago and during that 13 months went through all the treatments, therapy, traction, blocks, tens unit. etc. and thought I was ready for surgery. I don't see the Dr. for 2 more weeks and then I'm supposed to start PT. I had the initial week or so when I came home from the hospital. So I have no idea where I stand. I don't know if this is normal. I hope not. Anyway ,long story short, I undertand the frustration you're feeling. I had no idea the recuperation would be this long. I'm a nurse and I do photography on the side. Theres no way I could go back to the nursing job at this point. Not meaning to sound like a downer................this is just whats going on with me.
 
you have that right,always be pain,cause other things have been injured,muscles cut,nerves cut,very traumatic on the body.
 
Ooops - my comment was in the wrong place. Here!!:

It has now been 3.5 months. 3.5 months!

I AM driving, but it aggravates things. I am in PT and water therapy. I am pushing myself too hard, I believe.

Anyhow, I am still worse than before surgery. Is this ok????? I DO feel I am getting closer to where I was the day I walked in for surgery --- and I expect to continue getting better from there -- I'm just not there yet.

I guess my question is a return to work one. Has EVERYONE gone back to work by 3.5 months --- to some degree? Am I the only one still not working?? I absolutely cannot imagine working like this. The thought of the increased pain makes me sick to my stomach. What is the average RTW date for a double lurabar procedure? When you go back, you go back w/ restrictions, right --- doctors don't just throw you in there w/ no restrictions, do they? I am still taking 4-5 Percocets a day.

Thank you - hope you all are feeling well.
 
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