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  • question for those fused to sacrum

    Do you feel like someone is pushing on the base of your spine ?

    I have the feeling that someone is pushing on the base of my spine and it is not very pleasant .

    Melissa

  • #2
    I did have feelings of pressure down low, I think it is part of the healing process.... It was a temporary thing with me.

    Ed
    49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
    Pre surgery curves T70,L70
    ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
    Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

    Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

    My x-rays
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Melissa...I'm fused T10 - Sacrum and I too have strange feelings low in my spine....kinda like you describe like someone is pushing on it all the time. It's annoying but seems to be subsiding a bit over time.

      Nitram
      Pre-Surgery Lumbar 65 degrees
      A/P Fusion T10-Pelvis by Dr. Christopher Good
      Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA 3/17/10, 3/18/10
      Post-Surgery Lumbar 19 degrees, and 2" in height

      Comment


      • #4
        melissa
        i think of you so often...and hope you get some relief soon...
        it sounds like a slow and long process....and you had a long, low fusion...so i think that makes it take longer...

        thoughts and prayers!
        jess

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks

          I am really begining to wish that I did not have this surgery.

          At least before, I know the pain that I had and it was not so bad.

          Melissa

          Comment


          • #6
            Melissa

            My surgeon told me that it would take me 12 months to heal. At 12 months, I feel that I was 90% healed. It was only after the second year that the remaining 10% of my healing and fine tuning was complete.

            With the amount of pain I was in before my surgeries, any improvement was welcome. I felt better at 4 months of course, but now at over 2.5 years out, I'm glad I'm not 1 year out.

            I feel that at my age, it takes 2 years to judge your outcomes. Yes, it was a long recovery!

            Melissa, you are still early. Try to keep your sprits up. There is still plenty of time to heal and adjust.
            Ed
            49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
            Pre surgery curves T70,L70
            ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
            Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

            Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

            My x-rays
            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

            Comment


            • #7
              See, I did not have that much pain before
              I had this surgery as a preventative measure and now I have all this pain.
              I have pain on my left side going down my left shoulder and my leg. I have the pain at the base of my spine where I feel some one pushing all the time and then I have the regular back pain and muscle spams
              I know that I am only four months out but I feel worse now then I did when I came home from the hospital

              It just does not seem to be getting better

              Then when I take my brace off everything gets even worse

              Melissa

              Comment


              • #8
                Melissa-- you are still having what I consider pain from the surgery itself and all the reorganization/restructuring of your spine. I guess some people don't feel it as much, but some of us sure do. It will just take awhile. My surgeon had said that at 3 months many people regret they had the surgery, at 6 months, some still do, but by one year almost all are so glad they did.

                What you are feeling when you take your brace off is extreme muscle fatigue. The brace is holding your back up instead of your muscles. When you take it off, they just can't do the job. I wore a brace too, for five months. It was hard work when I weaned off the brace, but it works out, believe me. Hang in there. You will make it. It's just a hard recovery, but you will be glad of it one of these days. You WILL regain your strength.
                71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                Corrected to 15°
                CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                Comment


                • #9
                  So how did you take your brace off at five months? did you do it slowly or all at once? I am suppossed to do it several hours more each week. I am going for a MRI tomorrow because I have pain on my left side in my left arm & left leg . He thinks that it is from my neck -like a bone spur. I am just miserable. You are most likely correct that by one year I will be happy that I had the surgery but until next May is a long time. Every part of my back hurts

                  I am not usually a complainer but I feel worse now that I did when I came home in May

                  Melissa

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Melissa-- I had a weaning schedule that took me 4 or 5 weeks. I'll see if I can locate it, but it was something like two hours off in the morning and two off later in the day, then adding on to that each week till I was totally off. At the beginning of each week it was really hard and I was very achy. You will make it though. You just have no strength in your back right now. I totally understand what you mean about your back hurting everywhere. Just try hard to be a trooper. Go ahead and cry and feel bad if that helps. And remember that you WILL get through this and be a better person for it. It is making you a stronger person in many ways, not just in your spine. You are a survivor. Hang on to that and take one day at a time and please know that there are many of us "post-oppies" that have worn braces, had long fusions, and have walked in those same shoes.
                    71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                    2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                    5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                    Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                    Corrected to 15°
                    CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                    10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                    Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Chin up Melissa ;-)

                      Melissa,
                      After my first surgery, at 5-6 months out I was still in so much pain that I was going to a pain management doctor using pain patches and Percocet. I cried alot. I even had to start antidepressants because I got so depressed thinking things were never going to get better. I tell you this because even though my first surgery was rough and the recovery long and slow, it DID get better. I can tell you, I have NO pain now. Except for some sciatica pain. But my back does not bother me at all and I did not think I could ever go a day without thinking about my back. The best advice I have received on this forum was when I was in your position and Susie Bee told me that some of us recover like hares and some us recover like turtles. I was a turtle and I suspect you are too. You will get there and at the end when you get there you will be glad you had your surgery. In the meantime, your friends will be here for you!!!
                      May 2008 Fusion T4 - S1, Pre-op Curves T45, L70 (age 48). Unsuccessful surgery.

                      March 18, 2010 (age 50). Revision with L3 Osteotomy, Replacement of hardware T11 - S1 , addition of bilateral pelvic fixation. Correction of sagittal imbalance and kyphosis.

                      January 24, 2012 (age 52) Revision to repair pseudoarthrosis and 2 broken rods at L3/L4.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Awww Melissa, you are NOT a complainer! You're just stating it like it is. You are having a hard time of it. Keep posting, don't ever feel you're complaining, you have every right to feel miserable, feeling the way you do. Anybody would! I know how disappointed you must be in your results so far, especially as the pain is worse, not better. I am just trusting that those here who also had a long and difficult recovery but say that after a year or so, the surgery was worth it, are correct.

                        Hope the MRI goes well, and gives you a definite result, one way or another.

                        And remember, telling us how you're feeling is NOT complaining. Wish I could offer you some practical help, because I know things are difficult for you. I hope that in a year you look back and see how far you've come and that some of your other concerns are getting ironed out as well. Don't give up!
                        Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                        Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                        T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                        Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                        Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Melissa-- I found the directions for weaning off my brace-- I could split the time how I wanted, and I spread it out as much as I could during the day:

                          1st week - off for 4 hours
                          2nd week - off for 8 hours
                          3rd week - off for 12 hours
                          4th week - out of brace

                          Again, it was really achy and difficult, and every once in awhile I cheated and wore it when it got to be too much. If I had it to do again and didn't follow my doctors orders, I'd take an extra week. Best wishes. Gentle hugs.
                          71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                          2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                          5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                          Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                          Corrected to 15°
                          CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                          10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                          Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Melissa-

                            I can totally relate to you about the shoulder pain. For the past 2 weeks, I have had SEVERE left shoulder pain. For the past week, it has been so bad I'd give it a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Before my surgery on June 8, i had no pain in this shoulder. I am in tears everyday (cry when my kids are asleep). I can barely keep my left arm up, and even when it is down, i feel like someone is stabbing me in my shoulder (think around the rotator cuff area). I am not using the arm at all, so PT was showing me how the back of my shoulder is totally atrophying. I don't know what my next step is...we are not allowed to use anti-inflammatory drugs so I'm not sure how this pain is going to go away. I am started to get very depressed too. My son's 1st day of kindergarten is tomorrow and I am in so much pain it's so hard for me to be happy. Getting through the day is very, very rough. Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone.

                            How does your shoulder pain feel? Did you have this pain before surgery?

                            Here's to hoping our shoulders get better! I don't even have time to go to the dr to have it checked out. Too busy with my 3 and 5 year old and their school schedules. Keep us posted as I'm interested to see what they have to say about your shoulder and leg pain.

                            Jen
                            Surgery date: June 8, 2010 with Dr. Boachie
                            Thoracic curve: 55 degrees, corrected to 25 degrees
                            Lumbar curve: 58 degrees, corrected to 27 degrees
                            Posterior-only surgery, Levels T3-L3
                            31 year old mother of 2 young kids

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Jen & Melissa,
                              I am so sorry that you still have major surgery pains, however, I'm glad that you are posting and can get some encouragement from those who have experienced the same post surgery pains. If only those who felt great after a few months posted, it would make this surgery unrealistically a piece of cake. I'm glad I at least know to expect pain! Good luck in getting your pain issues resolved.
                              Karen

                              Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
                              Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
                              70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
                              Rib Hump-GONE!
                              Age-60 at the time of surgery
                              Now 66
                              Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
                              Retired Kdgn. Teacher

                              See photobucket link for:
                              Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
                              Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
                              tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
                              http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/

                              Comment

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