Pain After Surgery

[mary ann]

I will be having surgery with Dr. Bridwell early next year for lumbar correction. I read very little re: post op pain. What should I expect? If "10" would be the worst pain level someone could ever endure, how would you quantify this pain after surgery? Do you get complete relief in/out of the hospital with the pain meds you are given?

[debbei]

I will be having surgery with Dr. Bridwell early next year for lumbar correction. I read very little re: post op pain. What should I expect? If "10" would be the worst pain level someone could ever endure, how would you quantify this pain after surgery? Do you get complete relief in/out of the hospital with the pain meds you are given?

Hi,

when I first woke up from the surgery, I was surprised to have no pain at all. They injected morphine into my spine before closing me up. I *think* it wore off sometime the following day. Then they transitioned me to a pain pump, and I experienced some terrible pain. I remember crying to my husband that it hurt so bad. After the pain pump (not sure what day), they transitioned me to oral meds. I remember counting the minutes until I could take another dose. I was on 2 types--short acting and long acting, so it seemed like I was taking pills quite often. I did NOT have complete pain relief in the hospital, but after a while it did get more bearable. I'd say after I was home, I'd get some really good pain relief at TIMES, but maybe not until week 3. By the time I was 5 or 6 weeks post op, I was mostly pain free (but still taking meds.) I weaned off all pain meds by 3 months, and then experienced some pain. It probably took a few months to adjust after that.

Everyone is different, so just because it was my experience doesn't mean it will be yours.

One last note, I do remember prior to surgery dreaming that I woke up from the surgery in terrible pain. I do remember thinking afterwards that my dreamed-up pain was worse than the actual pain when the time came.

Good luck,

[debbei]

You asked about a pain number. That's hard for me to pin down. I did give birth to 3 kids, all natural (no epidural because I was afraid to have one with my spine). I'd definitely say that pain was a 10. The scoli surgery pain was different, of course, but also a 10. Just a DIFFERENT 10. Maybe the difference is, as soon as the child is born, most of the pain stops, even with my first labor of 24 hrs. With this surgery, it goes on, and on, and on...... The only relief in the very beginning was when I slept from pain meds.

Am I making any sense?

Again, this was MY experience, and everyone is different.

[TiffanyK]

I just had my surgery on Aug. 5th. I don't remember a whole lot when I woke up after the surgery, but I'm told that I said I was in pain. The nurse told me to press the button in my hand and I did. I was on the morphine pump up to the day I was released from the hospital. I would say that my pain level in the hospital was an 8. Once I was home and on oral meds then my pain level jumped to a 10. It was a combination of things that caused the pain... constipation, very little sleep, back spasms, etc. I can say now that I'm a lot better than I was two weeks ago. Of course I still have pain from time to time, but it's more manageable now. I'd say my level is now at a 5 or a 6.

[JenniferG]

I woke with two epidurals in my back so experienced no pain until after they took out the needles which was three days after surgery. It was then a couple of days before the pain started, though I was put straight onto oral meds after the needles were removed. Much of the time there was no pain, but when it started it seemed impossible to stop. It's hard to say what level on the pain scale, maybe 8, but for me the pain was all over my body, not just my spine. The nurses were often late with my pain meds and that's when it got out of control. I would ask for a morphine injection and within five minutes there would be no pain at all. I couldn't leave hospital until I could get through the day without morphine injections. I thought I'd never go home. When the medication worked, it worked well. I had no trouble getting out of bed, walking around, though sitting was very uncomfortable. But when the pain started, unless I could have the meds immediately, it would just take over. For me, sometimes the pain would start 30-60 minutes before the medication was due, then, if they brought the meds half an hour late, I would be in bad pain. That's when I asked for the morphine. I was on this merry-go-round until day 19.

Once home, I never had that bad pain again. At home, I took my meds on time and they worked - no pain - then it would gradually start just before the next lot were due, but nowhere near as bad as in hospital, maybe a 2. No comparison. I think being home was a psychological relief for me, and being in a nice flat bed, with no lumps and valleys, certainly helped. The hospital bed was woeful.

We're all different so it's hard to plan for this pain, because there's no way of knowing how it will be. I've read some on this forum say the pain was perfectly bearable from day 1.

[Singer]

Debbe makes a really good point, which is that imagined pain is definitely worse than actual pain. I would say I never had unbearable pain, but I was definitely pushing the pain pump every couple of minutes (it dispensed Dilaudid every 10 minutes, which seemed like an eternity in the beginning).

I had nerve damage in one leg, and I found the nerve pain to be much more painful than my back. The nerve pain was searing and unrelenting, whereas the back pain was more of a sharp ache that would come and go depending on how many drugs I had in my system.

One good thing about being in the hospital: if you're like most people, you probably won't remember much of it, including the pain. Once I was home, the pain was pretty well controlled by the drug cocktail I took for a few months.

[mary ann]

Thanks so much for all your replies. For those of you with lumbar correction years past, how are you doing now? Are you pain free? Any limitaion in activity?

[loves to skate]

Hi MaryAnn,

I am 2 1/2 years post op. I still have some pain in my right leg, especially when the weather changes, but I am so much better than before surgery. I basically have my life back after being one step away from a wheelchair. I have some limitations, but nothing I can't live with or adapt to. If you have more specific questions, I would be happy to answer them for you. You didn't give your age or levels to be fused. It could make a difference in correction. At my age, the goal was to stabilize my spine to eliminate progression and pain.

Sally

[Karen Ocker]

Pain post op long term???

I have absolutely no pain 8 years post extensive revision.

[titaniumed]

Some thoughts on pain

Mary Ann

Scoli surgeries are serious surgery, and they hurt. You will have to deal with pain in your recovery, that’s a given. Meds mask pain and of course we are all glad that we have them available to us, but the goal is to wean off at some point and be drug free, and pain free.

10 level pain is very disturbing at first when you have never been there before. You cry out and hope that they will give you a shot to curb this new feeling that’s so extreme. You count the seconds, you watch the clock and then they give you that needed shot, and go to sleep. When you get this shot, you get that needed break from pain, and go to sleep.

When you wake up for the second go around, you have that mental picture and know what to expect in a 10 level pain, so its not quite so bad as that first time it happens to you. As time passes in the hospital, you will have these cycles of pain, they will come and go, usually that 10 level drops or at least doesn’t feel quite so extreme.

Transitioning to oral meds is tough. This was a very painful period for me, and best done in the hospital. When I ended up back at home, I found that hot water worked well for bone and nerve pain. 107 degrees hot.

I experianced quite a bit of pain in my life, and after all the years, I built up a high pain tolerance. The absolute worst is passing a large kidney stone, 8mm, I would rate that a 15. After that event, and my A/P scoli surgeries, I had broke my shoulder and after that shoulder rebuild surgery, I didn’t take any meds....

I had a pretty extensive fusion surgery done, and I'm pretty much pain free. I will get a bit achy in my hips if I sit too long,(I have large pelvic anchors) or if the weather gets bad, but there is no way I would reverse my decision. I'm extremely pleased and thankful with my outcome.

Its important to be informed about scoliosis. That’s why we are here.
Ed

[mary ann]

Hi Sally and other friends!

Thank you for all your replies. I'm greatful to be able to communicate with others in the same situation pre and post op! O thought my personal info showed up at the end of my postings and I read yours--- I guess not. Don't know how to post so it shows up on all my postings. At any rate, I will be 55yrs. old in 2 weeks. I will be fused for a lumbar curve--- exactly the levels I don't know. Somewhere lower thoracic to sacral area I suppose. I wore a milwaukee brace 24/7 ages 14-17, then at night only while in college. I was under that assumption after great correction, that was the end of it! Last month my curve with Dr. Bridwell measured 56 degrees lumbar--- up from 53 2 yrs. ago. Have no pain or numbness--- no activity limitation. I'm scheduling as he suggests while I'm relatively young, in good health, and not having any side affetcs. Hope to schedule for March. Thanks again. It's great to chat! Mary Ann

[LisaB]

Hi MaryAnn - to put info in your signature, log on to the forum; click on your name at the top by Welcome; go to the box on the left where they have visitor messages, etc; click on About Me and page down to the Signature and then just type in what you want!

[JenniferG]

I always check the signature to see the full picture of the poster. It's very handy.

In answer to your question further up, I am almost 18 months post op and am pain free, have been since 3 months. I am hoping I'll still be able to say this in 20 years time (and longer!)

I'm stunned at how quickly that 18 months went by.

[mary ann]

Hi Lisa,

I've done that with my personal statistics but for some reason it's not showing up for viewers! When I click on "as viewed by others" is shows-- but not on the actual posts, I guess

[Nitram]

Hi Mary Ann...I had surgery nearly 6 months ago and other than some mild pain in my lower back I have very little pain. I don't recall any time in the hospital that I was in horrible pain...maybe a 7...and more so for just being so darn uncomfortable in the hospital bed than anything else. Once they got my meds under control by the time I left the hospital my pain never got above maybe a 5. My experience was that the pain was the least of my problems after surgery...the constipation was the WORST for me....a real pain in the ass (litteraly!!). I was thrilled to get off the pain meds ASAP for that reason alone! :-)

Nitram