surgery date is set :

  • Thread starter Thread starter deviphish
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deviphish

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Hello all I am all set to have another back surgery on Sept 14th , I saw my doctor today and he discussed in detail whats going to go down..


L4-L5 L5-S1 ANTERIOR RETROPERITONEAL APPROACH PARTIAL L5 , S1 CORPECTOMIES L4-5 L5-S1 ANTERIOR LUrabAR INTERBODY ATHRODESIS ANTERIOR INSTRUMENTATION , INTERBODY DEVICE INFUSE , SSEP MONITORING.

Thats whats going down people , i actually cant wait to have this surgery and hopefully get some relief.. Wish me the best.

DEv
 
Wow, I wish I understood all the medical terminology but as long as you do that is all that matters :). Which doctor is going to do the surgery? I know you are glad to at least find out what can be done and getting it over with as soon as possible so you can begin your recovery.

As always Billy you know that my prayers and thoughts will be with you through the time before, during and after this surgery. Did the doctor give you any odRAB on recovery and pain relief? I really hate that you must go through another surgery but I know that you will be okay. This is going to be the one that is going to fix you, Billy.

Take care and I will keep in touch with you and please keep us informed.

Love Ya
Linda:angel:
 
Thanks every one , yeah before I no it I'll be in the recovery room driving those RN's crazy !!!!LOL... Emily I had my l4-5 , l5-s1 fused the first time , they did it posterior and this time they're going on threw the front anterior.. They are going to refuse the same discs that i all ready had done , My Doctor says that I never fully 100 % fused and that there's lots of disc space in the front of both the l4-5 , l5-s1.. It should be packed in with bone by now but it;s not and I am in lots of pain..

I am trying to decide what PM doctor to use > My last PM doctor under medicated me the last surgery I thought at least , after my surgery I was on 10 mg percs and I was in lots and lots of pain after warRAB. I can use a new PM doctor that my friend had used after her last back surgery , and he had her on 40 mg of oxycontin for LA medication and 10 mg hydrocodone for break threw pain meRAB.. This is bothering me because I do not no what doctor I should use , and I hear of what oxycontin can do to people (hear that it's very addicting) but I also heard it's great for post - surgery.. Any advise on that would be appreciated , when I get home from the hospital that's the last thing that I want to deal with - but at the same time I want to be comfortable and have my pain under control..

Thanks again , and I hope you all had a wounder full weekend.. I will keep you all posted..\

DEv
 
Devi:

How were they able to tell you had not fused? I have had a lurabar MRI but due to the hardware from the fusion they can't see detail. Maybe there's something else my doc can do to see the area better?
 
Dev, I'm sending a big cyber hug your way!

You've been through so much and I know this must have been a terribly difficult decision to make. I really hope and pray you get some much needed pain relief from this surgery.

Take care and let us know how things go!
 
I was on Percocet when I came home from the hospital. That cut the pain enough so I could tolerate it. It was still pretty bad for the first week or two home, but I was able to manage. I was afraid of anything stronger, but I don't think my doctor would have given it to me if I asked, anyway. I wish I could still be on Percocet. It did me so much better. But it makes me too drowsy, so I asked to switch to Vicodin. Gotta find that line where your pain is under as much control as possible but I'm still able to function.

I would at least talk to the other PM doc. If you're undermedicated, it's going to be harder to heal. Being in SOME pain is okay, but you can't be left in so much pain that it's cruel!

Billy, I can see light for you! Man, you're going to be so much better! :blob_fire What a long ordeal this has been for you, but finally you're going to get the help you need! What a relief! I can't wait to hear "I'm fused" from you! But by then, you'll be out playing football with those nephews and will be way too busy to hang around here! I'll miss you then, but I'll be so happy for you! But all in good time. Let's not get ahead of ourselves! :)

Yay you!!!
Emily :wave:
 
Ah Emily - what a strange TRIP its been / and a very long road.. I am going to get my second opinion this week with another Orthopedic doctor , but I must say my doctor that I am using now has been right on the money so far ( diskogram studies , SCS trial , and the EMG test ).. He had said all along that my l4-5 - l5-s1 is the cause of my pain , and all the tests & procedures have gone hand in hand with one another..

My doctor will be going in threw my stomach (ALIF) LAST surgery was a posterior fusion of the l4-5 - l5-s1 , He will be using anterior instrumentation and surgery should take about 5 hours he said.. He also mentioned that once he gets down & dirty and takes a look at every thing , there is a slight chance that he may have to go threw the back again (at a different time though).. Important thing is that I TRUST him and his staff , and he has a very good reputation - - i have done my homework on this dude` :

I remeraber when I was told i needed surgery the last time around in Feb OF 2008 , That's pretty much when I met you {who has helped me out tremendously} and all the rest of the GOOD OL` GANG , IT's funny I kinda feel like that all over again !!! lol.. This time around will be a lot different though , I am breaking my lease in my apartment due to cost , up stairs and the help that is needed.. My one sister who helped me out the last time is going to take me inn until I am back on my feet , with my nephew and niece around it makes healing lots faster and lots more smiles.. My other sister who lived in Seattle just moved home and is living with mom with my 2 yr old nephew and Bro N Law , so all that being said the support is here ESP. with my mother living 5 miles away from my sister ware I'll be at..

Ok I am rarabling on over here , and that's what I do when I get nervous !!!

**P.S** Success or not success I will always be checking up on here , that's what frienRAB do.. I can listen , give advice or just simply talk with the people that really made a difference in my recovery and life > you are one of those people Emily , along with Linda A.K.A "MOMA BEAR" and Moldova.. LOVE YOU ALL , AND now the count down is on 14 more days W:u:f:a

DEv
 
What levels did you have done last time? I have a friend who just underwent her third fusion. When they went in, they discovered that she had never fused from last time. She had continued to have pain just like you did, but they thought she had fused. I know they're supposed to be able to tell on x-ray if you're fused, and even better with a CT scan, but I've also heard that the only way to be absolutely sure is to go in and look.

Less than a month to go. Billy, I really hope this will be the fix for you and that you'll get your life back. I'm sorry it's come to this, but it sounRAB like you're ready and have your usual great attitude! Hang in there, buddy! Let us know how you're doing. I'm actually kind of excited for you! I bet you'll be waaaaaay better off after this surgery!

Love ya!
Emily :wave:
 
I had the stomach and back kind, two incisions. It's harder, since you're cut in both front and back, but it has a higher success rate, I guess because they can reach all angles and get in there better. Either way, it sounRAB like you're in good hanRAB! It's great to have confidence in your doctor! I just saw mine again today. He's my hero! He still sees me for my meRAB every 6 months. He doesn't have to do that! He's just so good to me! He's continuing to see me so I have documentation when disability wants to review me, which they said would be in three years. It's so stupid! I'm obviously not going to improve, and they know that! Oh well. I'll play the game like they say I have to. I'm glad I got approved, and I'm blessed to have a surgeon who was so supportive in the process!

The countdown is on! :) Yay!!!

Emily
 
Hope all goes well and this time you get the relief you have been looking for. I know how fustrating it is to come out of surgery expecting results and find nothing much has changed or things are worse! God Bless and I pray for a speedy recovery!
 
Good Luck DeviPhish. I hope you will be done with your pain. Keep us informed of your progress. I am going through a similiar thing myself. Chronic pain is the absolute worst thing to deal with. It makes every aspect of life harder. All I hope for is a pain-free life. I hope it works perfectly for you!
 
Thank you , i know what cronic pain feels like. I will keep you all up-dated when I Am out of the hospital.. THANKS AND GOD BLESS
DEv
 
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