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Wymom94
Guest
Hi, I haven't posted or read on here in quite a while, but this board was tremendously helpful to me prior to and following my back and neck surgeries last year. I'm over a year out from both of them now and doing much better, but did not have the recovery I was hoping for either. With my neck, I knew going in that it was likely I had permanent nerve damage --which is how it turned out. With my back, I honestly thought I'd get full relief since the damage wasn't as extensive there. I did get great relief, but I am still limited with my mobility -with how long or far I can walk. Standing for a period of time is still a problem, too, and sitting in 'normal seating' is also a problem (legs go nurab). I still have trouble going down to the floor for things and still use my reacher-grabber if I"m too stiff to get down on my own. There are times, too, when I know I will have a great distance to walk, when I still pull my walker out from the garage to take w/ me. I don't need it often, but I do still need it. Before surgery, I needed it constantly and it was often not enough -I needed to be pushed in it (it's a seated walker) like a wheelchair in order to get around. Before surgery, the daily pain was extremely high whereas now the daily pain is often the low to mid end of the pain scale (depenRAB on how much I do in a given day.. and how well I protect my back). Before surgery I was absolutely dependent on prescritption pain meRAB and even then they only cut the pain down a couple notches. After surgery, I manage almost entirely on OTC pain meRAB and only need Rx ones about 1day/week --and I can even sometimes go a day w/o anything (if I'm not really doing anything that whole day). So, I'm a LOT better, but had really hoped to be rid of back pain for good and to be able to walk "normal" again (and stand and sit normal --I had no sitting problems pre-op, that was solely post-op). Who else out there is over a year post-op and still has physical limitations and pain (lessened, but still pain)? Will this continue to get better over another year or more or is this my level for recovery? How long does it truly take to recover? I'd heard a year, but I'm past that now and not where I want to be. Any thoughts, advice, experience to share??
Thank you,
Meghan --oh, and I experienced my first air travel & hotel bed since surgery --last week. I managed! I brought my walker, which helped tremendously the first flight (very bad pain day that day), but the flight home, I wouldn't have needed it the whole time (had to use it, though, since I had it w/ me). The hotel bed for one night was not the nightmare I feared. I did use Rx meRAB for the trip, but figured I'd have to. I have two more plane trips to make this year (both in Sept and both farther and longer than this trip) and am so much more relaxed about them now. Any tips for air travel & hotel stays???
Thank you,
Meghan --oh, and I experienced my first air travel & hotel bed since surgery --last week. I managed! I brought my walker, which helped tremendously the first flight (very bad pain day that day), but the flight home, I wouldn't have needed it the whole time (had to use it, though, since I had it w/ me). The hotel bed for one night was not the nightmare I feared. I did use Rx meRAB for the trip, but figured I'd have to. I have two more plane trips to make this year (both in Sept and both farther and longer than this trip) and am so much more relaxed about them now. Any tips for air travel & hotel stays???