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warning! don't over do it!!!!

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  • warning! don't over do it!!!!

    Ok, so this is probably obvious to all you experts out there, but I thought I'd share my experience to help others post-op.

    I have had an amazing recovery. Aside from a spinal headache the first week, I have had no problems whatsoever. I'm 8 weeks post-op and only taking hydrocodone and flexeril, and have been sleeping like a baby and able to go back to work for the last 2 weeks (I work from home).

    All this to say, PLEASE BE CAREFUL! My easy recovery led to a false sense of security, and I am sad to say I'm paying for it big time. I have been walking every day indoors since my surgery. 2 weeks ago I finally felt up to walking outside in my neighborhood. I knew that walking the small hills in my neighborhood was different/more challenging than walking indoors, but I didn't count on how different it really was. Walking a mile on flat surface is totally different than walking a mile with intervals. I was really excited that I could walk as far as I could pre-op, but on the day I did that I felt really sore(not in my back, but in my leg) that afternoon. I should have listened to my body, but I was just so sick of walking in circles in my house I refused. I have had major problems with my L2-3 nerve root, it is very tender and causes bad pain in my left thigh. It hasn't been too bad since my surgery, but that day I really felt it.
    So the next day I walked the same distance as the day before, and I really felt the pain when I was walking back. But I was determined to go out to dinner with my hubby (I had only left the house 3 times in 8 weeks for post-op appointments). I didn't want to stay home and so I ignored the pain. I did the same thing the next day, and my pain went through the roof.
    STUPID! I have had terrible nerve pain/sciatica all week. It seems like it's calming down, but I have made myself only walk inside for 10 minutes at a time instead of the 45 minutes I was able to do last week.

    I should have listened to my body, but the cabin fever got the best of me. I just want to encourage any early post-opers out there to be careful. I am frustrated beyond belief, and am constantly having to convince myself not to freak out. I did make a call to my dr, and am waiting to hear back. I may go in just to double check nothing is wrong, but I suspect that I did this to myself. I didn't have this bad pain until I walked that far and then got in and out of cars 2 days in a row. It was too much, too soon for me I fear. I really should have chosen one thing to do per day, and not ignore the pain that told me to take it easy.

    This recovery is so long, and I am dying to get back to normal things. But having to go backwards a little bit has taught me that I MUST listen to my body and especially with my bad nerve, be slow and steady. Hope my mistake will help somebody from doing it!
    Rebecca
    Age: 28
    Dx w/ scoli @ age 12 S curves T-40* L-42*
    wore night bending brace as teenager
    Curves changed to 50's plus or minus
    herniated disc L2-3, Discectomy October 2007
    fusion L2-3 November 2008
    Revision L2-3 Fusion, Removal of hardware August 2009
    Curves measuring 52 T&L September 2010
    Fused T4-L4, all posterior December 27th 2010
    gained almost two inches in height

    Before and After Exterior
    Before and After X-rays
    My blog: http://herscoliosisjourney.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    Hi Peachrush7,

    Don't beat yourself up over this. I have seen lots of threads on this same thing. You feel "so good" that you get a false sense of wellness. Then add that to the cabin fever we all get from being cooped up after our surgery and some of us overdo it. I have been getting impatient too, now almost 5 months from my surgery, and I want to get "back to normal", especially with living in California where the weather has been pretty nice so I want to get outside and DO things.

    I'm sure you did nothing serious to yourself. Just take it slow and easy now.
    Laurie
    Age 57
    Posterior fusion w/thoracoplasty T2-L3 Oct 1, 2010
    Thoracic curve corrected from 61* to 16*
    Lumbar curve, unknown measurement
    Disfiguring back hump GONE!!
    Dr Munish Gupta
    UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA

    Comment


    • #3
      Yes a similar thing happenned to me. 6wks post op, i was feeling great and over did things, reaching more than usual and doing too much on my own. Nothing nerve related, just overdid something in my back, which took 3 wks to get back to where I was before it happenned.

      Take it easy Peach but if you're that concerned I would go ahead and ask the doc.
      Age 25 male
      Upstate NY
      T3-L3 fusion for 80's degrees kyphosis
      Anterior 9/21/10 & posterior 9/28/10
      Post op degrees soon to come

      Comment


      • #4
        Peachrush,
        Thanks for the warning. I'm one week behind you post-op and it's so natural to try to do more as we feel better. It was so nice getting out when the weather felt like spring, but now we're back to winter here in the St. Louis area. The laps in the house get pretty boring. I hope your pain has diminished.
        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


        • #5
          flying?

          Im scheduled for March 15th. I am supposed to fly an hour to my daughters college graduation May 21. Has anyone flown that soon after surgery? Any thoughts? Thanks

          Sarah
          Sarahcant
          Surgery March 15
          Dr. Errico NYU
          Fused T-3 to S-1
          an inch and change taller
          nice and straight
          49 years old (yikes)

          Comment

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