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Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hello IceQueen - hope your post-op visit went well and your doctor was able to help you with the pain the sleeping problems. I saw my surgeon today for my first post-op and he says so far so good. He renewed my prescription for dilaudid and also gave me darvocet but I don't want to take them. I've gotten nauseous from them in the past. I told him I am still having the butt/leg pain and he said, in effect, that no surgery is guaranteed but that since I am only 3 weeks out, I should feel much more improvement at 4-6 weeks. I am setting up appointments for an x-ray and PT. Today was the first day I was able to drive. I even went to the pharmacy after my visit but I think I might have overdone it. My legs are still very weak and I tired fast. Well, I guess I will lay down for a while. Oh, of all things to happen. A friend came by for an hour on Sat night to keep me company. We were sitting at my dining room table when all of a sudden the chair leg broke off (no, I'm not overweight.... 130 lbs) , and I landed on the floor with the chair back against me. It's an old, rickety set but of all times for that to happen. Was sore on Sunday but feeling somewhat better today. But, geesh, that was a scare! Hoping the best for you... and all of us!

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hey Wondering,
That is so neat to find out that you are in New York as well. I live in Lockport which is about 20 miles from Buffalo. I see my surgeon today for x-rays and follow-up to see how I am doing. I am definitely going to talk to him about the back spasms and the pain in my right leg. It's like this constant dull ache and along with the spasms and back pain, it's just insane. I was able to get out and do a bit of walking this weekend and it totally wiped me out. I was also in so much pain last night that I was nearly crying it hurt so bad. Hopefully the doc will give me something to help me sleep as well. I will let you know how things went when I post tonight. I hope that you are doing okay and improving day by day. Take care

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hi Mommyof2ak!

Don't feel bad about not being able to do things around the house - your pain is justified and very normal. Just like you looked after your boys when they were sick, they get to look after Mom now. It's very fair and understandable - get your husband and older boy to help out, you need to relax and heal. I'm sure your little one will love helping mommy out (getting you the remote, pillows, etc). By improving your quality of life, and taking this time for yourself, you are improving their quality of life, too.

I had my fusion exactly 21 days after yours, and I'm still in pain every day. Not as bad as before - thank god. Like you, pain that was once going from my buttocks to my toes has vanished. Also, like you, my pain is worse in the mornings and if I'm up and on my feet too long. I had an appointment with my Doc 2 weeks ago, and he told me that so far everything was looking great - maybe that will make you feel better (someone with similar post-op symptoms to yours getting the green light from a doctor).

If you still feel like you need the pain meRAB, then keep taking them. The more comfortable you are the better you will heal. Don't try and push yourself to get better before your body is ready. Frustration is totally normal and all of us here on health boarRAB understanRAB and will help you through.

If you ever need to talk or rant or cry (etc) you can always message me. We had our fusions close together, so we gotta stick together!

Take care and I hope you get good news from the Doctor!,

XOXO!

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

I thought perhaps you might want to hear something positive. I had my surgery March 2008 - yes that's right almost a year ago. I also had pain at 4 months - in fact it got worse for a couple of months and it has finally gotten significantly better and is 95% gone. I used the walker from March through August because my balance was really off and I worried about falling. I am still up a couple of times at night but that is also decreasing. In my case, the spasms in the legs were from a lack of Magnesium/Calcium/Vitamin D - not enough in the supplements I was taking. As soon as I increased it, the spasms stopped. I get a bit better every week and am still amazed that I am improving. Be patient and try not to worry about the cleaning - that almost drove me over the edge as well. :angel:

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hi Mommyof2ak, and welcome to the board! This is a great place to get answers to exactly the kind of questions you have! There are plenty of us who have been through this surgery. We're happy to help you as best we can from our own experiences.

Pain at this point? Normal, normal, normal. This is a huge surgery, though the surgeons tend to downplay it. I think they're afraid of scaring off patients. Everyone is different, of course, but to still need pain meRAB at this point is entirely normal. For me, pain-free was never the goal, not even on my radar or my doctor's either, but I am sooooo much better off now. I'll take pain meRAB for the rest of my life, but I'm so grateful that my surgeon did what he did for me. So I pop pills, so what? I can deal with that. As long as I'm careful, I won't get addicted. My doctor is happy to continue to give me the scripts.

I spent most of the first two months in bed, and much of the third, too. After that, although I needed to lay down for significant spells during the day, I was up more than I was in bed. I did have a long fusion, 8 levels this time for a total of 14. You'll probably move at a faster pace than I did in your recovery. But don't worry about the timetable. You're really right in the ball park. Your doctor will let you know if he's not happy with your progress.

I'm glad you have such a supportive family. That really helps a lot! Make sure you let them know how much you appreciate them. Maybe if you can, get your kiRAB something special as a thank you, gift carRAB to the video store, or whatever would be special for them. Leave them notes. I sent carRAB to my husband at work. I bought them ahead of time, and my kiRAB would go out and stick them in the mailbox for me.

Remeraber that your job right now, mom, is to get better. You need to rest, walk, eat healthy, and rest and walk some more. It's a long process, but it will be so worth it! You hang in there! And if you have other questions, please don't hesitate to post them.

Blessings,
Emily

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hi mommyof2! I had my plif surgery with hardware one day after you, Dec 9th, and also won't be going to work anytime soon because of my occupation. (Daycare Teacher). I still have quite a bit of pain at this point also. I didn't have a 3 mo check up at all but I am doing physical therapy that I started a couple weeks ago. It's been somewhat helping. I'm also suppose to be doing a lot of walking which I do inside the house(boring) and at the mall, but can't wait to do it outside but who knows when that will be with living in WI! I've been ok'd to drive since 6wks, so I'm surprised you're not driving yet, but so many doctors do tell their patients diff things. But it is painful to drive though. One of my daughters has her temps so I let her drive a lot so she's getting good practice. Have you started any physical therapy yet? I also have x-rays before each appt so I'm hoping to see some fusion at my 4 mo check up in April. I was actually relieved to hear others are having pain too at this point, I was thinking maybe I shouldn't be hurting like by now. Mine hurts worse when I first get out of bed and then later in the afternoon thru bedtime. I was told I could start to wean off my brace this month but I really don't feel like I'm ready for that. Do you have a brace on, and if so, when are you allowed to have yours off? It helps to have others going thru the same thing that your going thru-esp so close to the same date. I have three children,
(18,16,13) and they've been a great help along with my husband. Keep me informed on how you are doing, ok? Tami

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hello, IceQueen, and welcome. I'm new here, too, and had my surgery the day before you did. I'm also having a difficult time with pain and from reading the other posts, I think we are in for a long haul. That's something I was not expecting. :-( I think we both have to reassess our situations and resign ourselves to bearing with it longer than we thought. You definitely need to get some stronger meRAB if you are tossing and turning at night. You should be sleeping on your back with a pillow or two under your knees so that your back is flat against the mattress. If you sleep on your side, be sure to keep a pillow between your knees. Once I get into position I try to stay there because it's too painful to start re-arranging things. But then again, laying on my back or either side puts pressure on my butt so I am forced to shift around a bit. Have you seen your surgeon for post-op follow-up yet? Although I am in pain all day, I do have a medication for at night. It's called seroquel. It's actually classified as an anti-psychotic (no! I'm not nuts!), but it's used for other conditions such as insomnia. 20-30 minutes after I take it I usually sleep the night through and wake up with no grogginess. Maybe you could mention that to your doctor. Of course, everyone is different. Maybe something as simple as Arabien will help. As far as the pain, I am taking 4 mg of dilaudid but it doesn't do much so I've added 500 mg of percocet, something I've had in the cabinet since August. It definitely helps but only for a few hours and there is no way it will last until my next visit so I take it sparingly. I'm curious to know what others are taking. I can understand the pain in my lurabar but the butt/leg pain was scaring me because it's worse than ever. And my legs are getting weaker. I'm glad you told me that your butt pain has subsided, maybe mine will, too. Well, good luck, and write any time you want.

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hey Marta,
I had a lurabar fusion of L4-L5 on Noveraber 12th, 2008 (without the hardware..bone onlay fusion only). Where have those lift teams been all our lives!! I have been out of my brace for about a week now and still I am very careful with all that I do. I am bending ever so slightly as I have to have a flexion/extension film done next month and don't want any surprises!!

I am still taking something for pain at night and muscle relaxer in the evening. My worst times of day are around 2 pm due to muscle fatigue. I usually put heat on my back at that time and it relieves it so I can make it to the evening before I have to hit the pain meRAB. I have walked, walked, walked but still not able to do anything that requires sitting for a long period of time.....I can but it is not comfortable. I've been able to drive short distances but still wear my brace when in the car as I am paranoid that someone will rear end me and guess I assume every little bit of support helps!

I read that the fatigue part from a major surgery of this nature takes about four months to improve. I have noticed some improvement in just the last week. Seem to be able to get more done around the house before I'm ready for the sofa. I am not having the nurabness and foot drop that I had prior to surgery but still have some electric like inconsistent pain (guess it's just those nerves waking up!) and of course the muscle fatigue. I am hoping that improves now that I am out of the brace. But, I think it all just takes time and lots and lots of patience....grrrrrr......I'm not too good at that!

SounRAB like from your note and questions that you are doing good. Just hang in there!
Jan.

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hi Icequeen - you know, we have a lot in common. We had our surgeries one day apart, we both see our surgeons for follow up on Monday, and we're both from NY (Long Island here)! I wonder why you're having spasms? That's one thing I don't have. I know what you mean about dilaudid (revised) but, I have always had a high resistance to pain killers. Even in the hospital on morphine, it didn't help but they wouldn't give me more. At least I am able to sleep during the day. In fact I've been doing a lot of that, so much so that I don't know what day it is. I sleep for hours here and there and also sleep at night (just plain pooped all the time). This Sunday we turn the clocks ahead but believe me it makes no difference to me at all. LOL! Well, IQ, take care and I hope for the best for both of us. I'll get back on after I see the doc. Good luck with your visit, too! :wave:

Post op Post. lumbar fusion.....

Hello everyone,
I am new to the boarRAB having just registered a few minutes ago. I had a L4&L5 fusion with instrumentation and laminectomy on February 13th, 2009. I have had other surgeries in the past such as c-sections and hysterectomy etc. but nothing was as painful as this back surgery. I too had the terrible hip and butt pain about a week after surgery and then it lasted until about two days ago and it now seems to be gone. Of course I still have the horrible back pain from the surgery and I have weird pain in my right calf. It's like an aching pain and goes to my foot sometimes. It's definitely not like the sciatica I had before but it is very annoying. The hardest part for me is just not being able to do much at all. I can't wash dishes or clean the house or stick something in the oven etc. I still use my walker because it's just excruciating trying to walk without it at this point. Sleeping is absolutely crazy as well. I can never get comfortable and toss and turn all night. It feels like there is a log in the middle of my back or a rolled up towel or something lol hard to explain. I am still on pain meRAB and muscle relaxers and don't see me going off them anytime soon since I still have incredible pain. Anyway I am being long winded once again. I just wanted to introduce myself and see how everyone else is doing after this surgery.