What is one thing you know now you wish you knew before you had spinal surgery?

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tetonteri66

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Hope your surgery went well...in any case, you are now on the other side...and ready to start asking all those questions about recovery.

Best wishes for an uneventful recovery. Remeraber to be PATIENT and to walk and rest. You've had a BIG surgery and it will take time...but, you'll get there sooner or later.

Come back and report when you feel up to it.
 
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, TRY TO OVER DO IT!!!! (There's the CAPS LOCK). I don't care if you have to put small rocks in your shoes. Don't do anything that would cause you to trip and fall.

- Don't go outside if it even looks like it might rain or snow.

- Don't just wear socks. Wear house shoes or others with soles that grip.

- Be careful in the bathroom with wet floors.

- Hold on to the rail with both hanRAB when going up and down stairs. Elevators where possible.

And when it's time for physical therapy. GO!! Most PT's are really gorgeous women. And the tip: Take a pain med about an hour before your session, it kicks in to help you out right after the session is over.

wb
 
Hi All-
I am having a single level lurabar fusion at l4/l5 with a laminectomy this Monday 11/29. What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew before you had the spinal surgery?
thanks
 
I just had my L5-S1 fused 2 weeks ago. I wish I knew that effects of anesthesia can linger for a couple of weeks after surgery...mainly in the form of nausea. My biggest problem the first week was not pain, it was nausea. But I'm one that's sensitive to anesthesia....if your not sensitive you have nothing to worry about, but if you are be sure to let the anesthesiologist know before surgery.

The other thing is that I wish I knew it wouldn't be as bad as I was expecting. It wasn't nearly as painful as I expected. I had pretty much no nerve pain after. In fact, within the first week, I had less pain post surgery than pre surgery.

I was afraid the brace was going to drive me nuts, but I got used to it really quickly.

The two things I found useful after surgery at home are a grabber and a raised toilet seat....I recommend both!

They will get you out of bed by the next day after surgery. Don't be afraid, it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. It helps to take a deep breath and exhale when you stand up. I used a walker the first few days too.
 
My own reply- make sure you completely clean out your bowels prior. I mean completely. The abdominal pain from constipation does not even compare to the surgical pain. Not even the same ballpark. Use any means at your disposal to make sure you are clean and ready for surgery. your lower abs are going to be anesthetized for days, that constipation will bring you to tears. PM me with any specifics if necessary.
JIM
PS- Everythinhg else went perfect, etc but I have to go to bed now good night
JIm
 
I agree with that and I am glad I did and didn't have to use the toilet for a few days as I was on clears for 2 days then a light meal until I left hospital. That made it much easier than it could have been.
I wish I new that I was going to feel like I had been hit by a Mack truck when I woke from surgery and that they would be pulling a tube out of my throat that left me feeling like I had a reflux attack. That was the worse part but they had me wrapped in hot blankets and a hot towel around my head. That helped to settle my cramped and shocked body. Then it is wiggle ankles etc to loosen the cramped muscles.
I don't know if that is normal but they seemed to know what exactly was happening and how to manage it till I was back in the ward and feeling a bit better. I had no nausea as the anaesthetist gave medication for that.
But as I said this all only lasted for a short time until I realised I was ok.
Then there is the catheter that isn't the most pleasant thing. Especially for us guys. As things happen to make it quite uncomfortable in the mornings beyond our control.
Hope I am not being to specific or scaring anyone. But it is my experience.
Allan
 
Thats to funny!! hahaha I honestly can say I never had that problem in the morning with the catheter,especially with all the meRAB. I had the other concern without being to specific :)
 
I cant wait for PT. I am a really serious 5/6 x a week martial artist and am going to take extreme care like you said to really minimize the risk of slips and falls. after 3 months I will be going to PT with a therapist that works with pro fighters so I know I will be in good hanRAB. After 6 months hopefully its full fusion and back into the full routine.
Good night
Jim
 
Guys- I feel amazing! My biggest fear now is that I am going to do something stupid and mess things up because I feel like I am capable of much more. Surgery 11/29, no more night spasms, driving very short distances (I have cut my med use by almost 1/2. All I can say is wow, these surgeons have completely changed my life. I have almost ZERO incision pain as long as I stick to the schedule. I am blown away and every day is only getting better!
good night,
Jim
 
I wish that I had known about Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) before I allowed myself to be fused.

wb
 
As far as I know it takes 12 months for bone fusion and then you might be able to do fully what you did before. I don't know of it happening much earlier. If you do too much, too early you may regret it later. My brother in law's brother broke his fusion before 12 months and he went back on morphine but over dosed and now is dead. Just realise you are not bullet proof though you may think so.
My warning is to take it easy and do it sense ably and take your time. I know how easy it would be for me to just jump in my car and start driving or over do an outing but I am not going to risk having to go through another surgery.
You might be younger than me and heel faster but please be careful.
Allan
 
I had ACDF on C5-6, and wish I had researched more on the swallowing/choking issues that are now permanent due to nerve damage and the pressure of the plate against my esophagus. As far as my l4-5, I wish I had known it would take so long for me to get full movement b/c of the muscle cutting. I had no idea it would take so long for healing! Still, there is nothing I would change as the "pre-body" condition and pain compared to post is so much better!
 
I had L5-S1 fusion 5 months ago today. Be ready for the back contractions right after you wake up holy smokes it was labor all over again.
Also my Dr. did not mention scar tissue issues and welp 5 months later an MRI shows scar tissue formation at the exact area and is pressing on the nerve exiting to the lower back and leg so I am at step one again. Same aggravating pain but now with steel in my back.
Another thing is the weakened L4 disc carries the brunt of my activites so on the above mentioned MRI it is tearing and bulging so same exact pain but now only higher and on the right.
Walk walk walk and more walk. I refuse to just accept this bad back card in life so I chug along day and night with as much positive minRABet as I can.
Allow yourself to heal mentally as well as physically slow and steady wins the race. I jumped up 3 days out to cook dinner and wash dishes. I just could not stop and let things be and accepting less then perfect is really ok...
 
Wow you are right about the back contractions! No one told me about what to expect when I woke from surgery. I am 50 years old and this was my first ever surgery and I was in shock when I woke. You may read my experience in an earlier post but yes they help you a lot though and it doesn't last for too long and also because you are still a bit groggy you forget that pain quite fast or I did anyhow. And besides I did not think this was going to be pain free, this is a risky operation and I was prepared for anything. I am happy they went in from the front as I have no issues with scaring on my spine as the work was done from inside and the back pain I have now would be mostly from the pressure on my facet joints and surrounding tissue that has been stretched apart by the wedge driven in between the vertebrae.
I do have a 6-7 inch cut across my tummy 4 inches under my belly button which was obviously pulled to the left side as that is where most of the bruising is. It is healing well and now feels like a band of hard tissue down through the muscle. When I first looked all my stomach felt like it was pulled to that side and it took a while for it to settle back slowly to where it is meant to be.
I am starting some swimming this week, 3 weeks out from the surgery and I am happy with the progress but know that any future pressure I put on my spine will go onto the already damaged L4-5 level and I plan on being very careful not to end up back in surgery. So a drastic change in lifestyle and no more freely doing extra work for others. I plan on looking after the function I have now and no way will I be risking my back over a job in future. Any income I will have to make using my head not my spine as was before.
It is so important to remeraber this and I will have to engrave it in my mind.
So if you read this and are still working or putting a lot of pressure on your back remeraber you are not invincible and the more you do the worse the pain gets and the more likely you will develop leg problems and that impacts on your life to an extent you will not understand until it happens. Not good!
So good luck to all and do your research into the surgeon and the surgery he performs regularly. Definitely ALIF for me at that level.
Allan
 
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