Melissa's life -update

[mbeckoff]

I have not been on much lately .When I went back to the doctor, I decided that I was doing too much and was just going to go back to what I was doing when I came home from the hospital. That seemed to be working for a while along with the Davrocet. Now , I am getting very bad lower back pains like where the bottom of the rods would be. Does any one else have that feeling or pain?

I knew that this was not going to be a 123 fix and I know that I can't compare myself to others based on surgery and age , etc , but it seems like I am 100 years old.

Melissa

[JenniferG]

Hi Melissa. I'd been wondering how you were getting on. So sorry to read about this new pain. Is this on top of the other problem you were having, or has that come right? I haven't had this lower back problem but wondered if you're still doing your walking or how much walking you're doing. I seem to remember it didn't help me to lie in bed too much, walking helped, but not to do anything much at all for too long. Walk for half an hour, lie down for 15 minutes, sit for half an hour, walk a bit more, lie down for half an hour....that sort of thing, so the pressure isn't on any one area for too long to cause soreness.

What came of your surgeon's visit? Did he have any answers to your questions about your pain?

[mbeckoff]

he had given me the steroids which did not really do much.

so now I am doing nothing except except walking and sitting

I guess I was expecting a much fasting recovery time based on what I was hearing on this forum

Melissa

[Susie*Bee]

Melissa-- I definitely know how discouraging this can be, especially when you read about others' apparently quick recoveries. Every one of us is an individual and our surgeries are all different and our bodies all heal in different ways. There just is no way to know how we will recover--how long and how well. Quite awhile ago I started a thread and I will put the link here. I'm not sure if it will give you some encouragement or not, but hope it will. There are really quite a lot of people, over the years, who do not recover so quickly. When I first joined, about 3 years ago, most of the people weren't "zooming" through recovery like they are now. Please don't feel discouraged. Your body will do it at its pace and you'll just have to accept it. Try to find the good, by looking back and seeing how far you've come, rather than wishing you were doing more. Here's the link I thought of: http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...=tortoise+hare

Best wishes-- and you will get there-- don't worry about it. It just takes some of us longer than what we'd like! Hugs, Susie

[JenM]

Hi Melissa,

I totally feel for you and understand what you are going through. I am 31 and had my surgery on June 8 and feel that there are people on this forum who are my age and had their surgery around the same time are doing sooo much better. I thought that the recovery would be faster also based on this forum, but what I am learning is that everyone's recovery is different. I am 7 weeks and my back feels like it was just cut open yesterday at times since I just weaned off my oxycontin, and feel I am no where near ready to drive. Other people started driving at 7 weeks and it kind of depresses me that I can't do it but just realize everyone is different.

I hope things get better for you. I'm glad you posted since I was wondering how you have been doing.

Take care,

JenM

[jsully]

Melissa,
I do have lower back pain on he L side of my back at times, it does feel like it comes from the rod. I am starting PT next week and hopefully that will help. I lean forward when I walk too. Have you tried PT? Did it help?
Janet

[TexEx]

Melissa:

Hang in there. I had my surgery on March 31 at about where you are felt the same way. I went through a really hard time mentally thinking I "should" be farther along, but like Susie*Bee said, we all recover at our own rate. This forum is great, but it did bring me down sometimes to read everyone doing so well, when I did not feel the same way. You will get there in your own time.

I am now just about four months out and about 3 weeks ago I would say I woke up one day and it seemed I reached some kind of plateau and went from taking 1-4 Darvocet a day to 1 a week. You never know when it will happen.

So many people told me not to get down, and of course as much as they wanted to help, it didn't. But you will get through it. I did. Just remember there are others of us who felt that pain longer. As my doctor told me, let your body be your guide, it knows best.

Hang in there and keep us posted.

Melissa 46 Years Old
Fusion T9-L5

[JenniferG]

Which is why when someone asks if they will be able to return to work by .....(date), it's really difficult to advise. There appears to be few rules to be guided by in this recovery period.

I am doing great, but my recovery period wasn't without hiccups. I was in hospital for 19 days due to requiring morphine injections to control the pain (the oral meds just weren't cutting it.) Once home, things went extremely well...until I began cutting back on meds at 6 weeks. The next 7 weeks were a nightmare and I became depessed. I was dizzy for 6-7 weeks, a nightmare I thought at the time, would never end. I didn't drive until week 13, but suddenly, about that time, everything came good. I was off all meds, no pain, no dizziness, the depression lifted overnight, I was driving, and life picked up where it'd left off pre-surgery, except now I was pain-free.

There's no explaining these things or their timing. I don't think we can emphasise enough that every recovery is different. That's one thing I've learned.

[jChris]

I have my surgery on Monday, so I am a novice, but my doctor told me at the 3 month mark, you can feel very discouraged and feel like your progress has halted. He said this will pass and you will move on with your recovery. Just wanted to share what my doc said as you are approaching that 3 month mark.

Good luck to you and I hope you feel better soon.

[JenniferG]

Best wishes Chris. Please let us know how you are once you are able. We'll be thinking of you!

[gmw]

Melissa and Jen -- Remember, just as our spines are all different, so are our recoveries. You both had very difficult surgeries and are both working very hard at your recoveries. Try not to be too hard on yourselves. You both have a lot going on in your lives and maybe you're trying to do too much. I am blessed at 63 to not have any children at home, retired, and able to devote my time to healing. If this surgery had been done when I was younger and having all the stressful things going on in my life that I had back then, my recovery may not be where it is. I also know, I'm just 9 weeks out. Anything can happen, I've still a long way to go. I'm praying I don't wake up one of these days with horrible pain someplace. I am still having the pain in my left foot that began after my surgery. I keep hoping it will go away without becoming a bigger issue.

Hoping you'll both turn your corners very soon.

Glenda

[Radiogirl]

Hi All...this journey is a very personal one and we all heal at our own speed. Our bodies are miraculous things and they will take care of us if we trust them to do so. Of course, we must take care of them so they can heal the best they can. My personal journey was a rough start at first, then after 8 weeks became a bit better, then at 13 weeks got strong enough to return to work...then last week (I think week 16?), I had a set back and it was a very rough and painful week...but now this week, I feel much better. I am now starting to put weight back on too, so I am taking that as a sign that my recovery is proceeding. I do feel better when I move around, or do some light yoga. Last week I did nothing and that may be why I felt so bad. We have all gone through the roughest part...now is the time to be patient and let these wonderful bodies do their thing. Someone on here said recovery is not a straight line, but rather a jagged line with ups and downs. You WILL get better.

[debbei]

It's hard not to compare our recoveries, our degrees of correction etc. I know, because I did it too. I was envious of other patients' better corrections. How stupid and petty of me! We are all different of course. In my case, I give so much of the credit for my great recovery to my husband and parents. For 2 months, I didn't have to do a thing, with respect to the house and kids. They took care of me like an infant. Once my parents left and I started taking over some household duties, I did have a few setbacks, which I guess is normal, but eventually came through it too.

Our bodies are all different; our surgeries were all different, and that's why we shouldn't compare.

Good luck to you Melissa. I know it's hard to see improvements when they happen so slowly. Maybe if you kept a journal to record how you're feeling you can look back and see the improvements?

[Shari]

Hi Melissa,

You have already received a huge amount of great advise. I had a rough recovery. It is so much easier to get on here and tell all of the good things, we try to stay positive for the sake of others here, almost to a fault, but with good intentions.

Don't make the mistake I did. You need to vent here as well as sharing feelings. The support is here, whether good or bad things are brought up. I used to think that if I spoke of my rough recovery, that I may scare someone from having it done.

Big mistake on my part,
Shari

[mbeckoff]

Hello all,

I am among the living. My computer died I did not.I am doing nothing . I hit the 3 month mark the other day. I really do not know what is going on. I see my surgeon on AUgust 16. Either way I feel terrible. If I do nothing and just sleep I feel bad but If I do anything I feel tired and in pain.

Before the surgery, at least I knew what pain I was having.

Thanks for thinking of me

Melissa