Surgery Tomorrow AM

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yakkwak

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I am very touched by the well-wishes. My ALIF surgery was blessedly uneventful; I stayed 34 days in hospital. So far, I've been able to deal with this by myself. I had a fever almost nightly for most of the last week and half - now 2 days without fever. Had cellulitis - skin infection in arm from either one of my blood draws or one of 4!! IV lines. I sleep all the time but it is broken sleep from the pain. The surgeons (two of them - a vascular surgeon to open me up and maneuver around all those veins, arteries, and an ortho. spine surgeon) used a PEEK cage at the disk site and tried to ensure fusion by "fusing" me to the ilium and sacrum and adding some of my own bone marrow (from my hip) to the PEEK cage mixture. It has been very lonely but things seem to be progressing well. I really screwed things up at my 1st week check up after discharge from the hospital because I misquoted what pain meRAB I was on to the doc and he prescribed it - so, I ended up with darvon instead of demerol to augment my hydrocodone. Please don't make my mistake!!!! I was stuck with a TOTALLY useless pain med for a week. Thought I was gonna die.... My surgeon only sees patients one day a week in this town and these kind of pain meRAB can't be called in to a pharmacy. You have to have a hard-copy Rx. I really, really recommend that everyone write down their meRAB or bring in bottles so that this error doesn't happen to you!!!! Thank goodness that I was able to get this corrected today at my 2nd week check-up. Well, I've sat for about as long as I can tolerate. Best wishes and prayers for all.

P.S. Want to send the universe thanks for the nurses who had a kind word and touch.

Anterior discectomy & fusion at C4-5, C5-6, C6-7
Anterior discectomy & fusion at C3-4
Posterior revision due to pseudoarthrosis (failure to fuse) and re-do of
instrumentation at all cervical levels
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Cardiac Pacemaker
Bronchiectasis
Now recovering from L5-S1 ALIF with PEEK cage & anchoring to hip bone and sacrum
 
:eek:
In the morning I'm having an ALIF w/cage at L5-S1 with anchoring to sacrum and hip bone. Have been getting things ready for post-surgery as I will be alone (no options - son left for college today) afterward. Thanks to those who have passed along tips and encouragement. Just now starting to get a bit anxious. Please send good thoughts my way. PS, any females have their period going on during surgery? How to handle????? Talk about bad luck! Haha.
Thanks.

Anterior discectomy & fusion at C4-5, C5-6, C6-7
Anterior discectomy & fusion at C3-4
Posterior revision due to pseudoarthrosis (failure to fuse) and re-do of instrumentation at all cervical levels
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Cardiac Pacemaker
Bronchiectasis
Soon..... L5-S1 ALIF with cage & anchoring to hip bone and sacrum
 
Glad to hear that you are finally home--34 days??? Sorry you ended up with the cellulitis because the surgery itself is plenty to deal with. Please take care of yourself and don't overdo. You have been through some major surgery so give your body time to heal. Terrible thing about your medication also. How come the doctor didn't know what pain medication you were on? I hope you are dealing with a more pain free recovery now.

Gentle hugs
Linda
 
I am glad it wasn't 34 days for you. It sounRAB like things are working out some for you so I am happy for you. Please continue to take care of yourself and take it easy. I had leg pain for several weeks following my L5/S1 surgery so hopefully it will start easing up on you soon

I just broke my leg Friday, Sept.10th and the doctor said it will be along time before I can get around. I am also going crazy right now.

Gentle Hugs
Linda:angel:
 
I just want to wish you good luck tomorrow and I am sure everything will be okay. Please don't overdo when you do get home because you don't want to mess up what the doctor fixes. I had my husband home for 2 days after I got home and I know it can be tough but it can be done.

Can't help you with the other problem because I had a hysterectomy years ago but I do feel for you. You have my prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery and successful surgery.

Linda:angel:
 
Go for it dear. Dont be scared. Im recovering from L4-L5 fusion which I had 10 weeks ago. God bless. I had my perioRAB three days after the op due to stress. heavy flowing. But there's nothing to worry about it, nurses will be there to help you. Note that for this op you will receive special care as it is a major operation
 
How are YOU doing these days? Do you have supports to help you get fresh air and sunshine?
 
Best of luck tomorrow - I pray that it is successful for you. I had a hysterectomy so didn't have to worry about that, but what about birth control pills?
 
Wow. I don't know how you stood it for 34 days! You're a very strong woman to face all that by yourself. I'm glad you are home now and that you seem to be doing alright. You know, you shouldn't kick yourself about the pain med mistake.....any dr. worth his salt would have questioned DARVON for a pain med following major surgery. He should have caught that himself. It had to be a really tough week. Next time you need him, get an alternative phone nuraber to reach him at. He could at least send a script by mail, which would have been a bit faster, or if you need him for any other reason you should have a way to get hold of him.

Please be careful these next few weeks and remeraber that nothing is more important than YOU are.

Carol
 
I just want to wish you the best of luck in the morning for a successful surgery. Take it easy afterwarRAB and obey doctors instructions faithfully to increase your chances of full fusion and recovery.

I will be thinking of you.

Carol
 
Thanks for asking :) and I am doing much better then I was doing except my foot is really burning bad on the bottom and in the heel. I go to a new Orthopedic Surgeon on Friday so I am making my notes. It was beautiful here today so I asked my husband to take me out for a ride so it was a great day. I still cannot put weight on my foot & leg right now although I did push it a little yesterday and I paid for it last night with swelling & pain so watching what I am doing today.


How are you doing now? Is the leg pain any better and are you able to put weight on your leg yet? Have you been able to enjoy any fall weather, also?
Take care and thoughts and prayers are with you for hopefully continuing improvement.

Linda:angel:
 
Sorry about the typo of "34 days". I was in the hospital for 4 days; the surgery was on August 23rd. Must be the pain meRAB LOL. I have graduated from the walker to the cane and my pain is less consistent. Guess that means I'm healing? Still can't step down with full weight on my right leg for some reason or stand very straight without getting a sharp pain in my tailbone. A step at a time. The walls are closing in on me - complain, complain, complain - guess I really am getting better HA-HA. Thanks again to everyone for their support. It is incredible how someone taking a couple of minutes to share a few worRAB can have such a positive impact on another person.
Blessings to all.
Badback 95: Hope your recovery is going well.

Anterior discectomy & fusion at C4-5, C5-6, C6-7
Anterior discectomy & fusion at C3-4
Posterior revision due to pseudoarthrosis (failure to fuse) and re-do of
instrumentation at all cervical levels
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Cardiac Pacemaker
Bronchiectasis
Now recovering from L5-S1 ALIF with PEEK cage & anchoring to hip bone and sacrum
 
I will pray for you and for a speedy recovery. I wish you all the best. Do you think wearing a tampon would be the answer to experiencing your menses at this most inconvienient time. Goodness Mother Nature! As if you didn't have enough on your mind. Personally, I don't use tampons, but if in your situation, I would since you will be disrobed during surgery. With the previous surgeries did you have help following each operation? You may want to ask a neigrabroador to check in on you. Even though I had my family around me, my next door neigrabroador fixed lunch and dinner for me and my family everyday for a week, until I got back on my feet. She's one in a million though. I will be praying for you and please write again as soon as you are able.
Sunny
 
Good luck tomorrow. I am recovering from c6-c7 fusion I had last week. If it's not too late, you should consider buying a Complication Insurance policy. It is pretty good coverage for not a lot of money. God bless you.
 
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