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  • Feb 23 came and went

    Hey there - this will be brief as I am really exhausted but I am 2 wks post op and ok. I lost 6 units of blood during almost 7 hrs srgry which left me w 2 days in SICU instead of heading directly to the floors. Still anemic, had a lot of prob w PCA (didn't work; dosage would reset itself, etc. and morphine was a no-go for me) and was delayed a day in PT due to an un-ordered orthotic jackoff who came in and measured me for an unordered brace 3 hrs post-op as they were trying to mng my pain, and returned the following day to log roll me into this new brace that I didn't even need.

    I am going to sue his 3rd party company unless they fire him. It was the part where, blinded by pain and hyperventilating, I ceased movement, the nurse and my husband were watching my heart monitor go thru the roof and I heard him say to me, "pretend it's your bday and you have to blow out your candles. I use that one on my toddler when she's having a meltdown." <-- said to his useless assistant. I'm not paying for the brace, his services, nothing and fully intend to sue him.

    The hospital itself was great, my scar is straight as an arrow, ortho team was awesome and the nursing staff save for one incident was amazing.

    The pain and fatigue are frustrating but I take it as a good sign that I am annoyed to be tired. Op was Wed Feb 23 at 8:30, and I climbed stairs unattended Saturday at 11. The poo thing wasn't too bad afterall either so that's a blessing.


    What I did not expect was the full torso swelling. My entire torso, front and back, is swollen. How long until my hourglass returns?
    Female, age 38
    4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
    currently 64*upper/40*lower
    Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
    now 32*upper/18* lower

  • #2
    Hi!!!!

    I am so glad you are on the other side!!

    No more anxiety about having the surgery. Now you can concentrate on just healing. I'm not going to lie and paint a pretty picture-recovery IS tough. But you will be over it soon and feeling so much better. I have noticed the last several days that I seem to be finally feeling a little like my old self, and not so frustrated with recovery.
    I'm sorry you had to deal with an idiot. They are everywhere. And you climbed stairs already and aren't having "poo" problems. You are doing great! So many people think the poo issue is worse than the surgery, so I'm happy for you about that! Swelling is normal, most people all comment about that. Morphine didn't work for me, either. Didn't control the pain. I did so much better on oral meds than the pump.

    Get your rest, and soon you will be feeling like a new woman. It sounds like you are right on track. It is so good to hear from you!
    Jenee'-52
    Bend, Oregon

    Braced 3 years in high school
    Lumbar 70'+ Thoracic 70'+
    I had 3" shrinkage in 6 months...

    Surgery Jan 10, 2011
    9 hours
    T3 to S1 with pelvic fixation
    Both curves now 35'

    Possible revison for Flatback Syndrome
    Non-fusion
    Loose/broken hardware-awaiting CT results

    Here is the link to my before and after pics..
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt......&highlight=

    Comment


    • #3
      Hey Lily, was wondering how you were. Someone actually started a thread a little while ago asking about you but I can't seem to find it. Glad everything is moving along with your recovery and you sound like your feisty self so that's a good sign, lol.
      Son 14 y/o diagnosed January 20th. 2011 with 110* Curve
      Halo Traction & 1st. surgery on March 22nd. 2011
      Spinal Fusion on April 19th. 2011

      Dr. Krajbich @ Shriners Childrens Hospital, Portland Oregon



      http://tinyurl.com/Elias-Before
      http://tinyurl.com/Elias-After

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi

        I just sent you a private message to see how you were. So glad to hear from you...What an idiot to bother you hours out of surgery! Def get him in tons of trouble. Glad you are doing well. Keep in touch. You are in my prayers!

        Sarahcant
        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


        • #5
          Welcome back! I was beginning to worry.
          I started that thread, but stupidly put it over on "Revision". . .no wonder you couldn't find it, Elisa.
          Fused T-3 to L-3, Aug 25
          Hardware removal surgery, Nov 2, 2010
          Fused T-10 to L-2, osteotomy, Feb 22, 2011

          Comment


          • #6
            OMG--3 hrs post-op? That must have been horrible!!! Sounds like you are coming along normally now. As for the swelling--I know I had some torso swelling for months. Sorry, I can't really remember how long it took to totally go away!
            __________________________________________
            Debbe - 50 yrs old

            Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
            Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

            Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
            Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
            Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

            Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
            Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

            Comment


            • #7
              Congratulations, you're through it! I'm impressed with the speed of your decision-making, getting the surgery done and now on to recovery! I'm glad it went well for you--(except for the mega idiot with the brace).

              ,
              Evelyn
              age 48
              80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
              Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
              Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
              Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
              Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

              Comment


              • #8
                How did that guy get to you? Must have been a total screw-up. That's awful. Glad other things are going well. Yes, the swelling is pretty typical. The weight gain from that went away after a couple weeks I think. There was still quite a bit of swelling for some time. Hard to remember. Hope the recovery continues to be good for you! Janet
                Janet

                61 years old--57 for surgery

                Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Lilysaidwhat and welcome back.

                  You sound good, feisty and good! Glad you avoided the worst of the constipation, that puts you way ahead of most of us at the same time. Sorry about the brace-guy who I gather would have been rolling you back and forth to measure you? What were the nurses doing while this was going on? Surely somebody knew something wasn't right!!

                  Very happy your surgery is over now and you can just relax and heal. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Relax, walk, sleep, eat good food, walk, sleep, walk some more and you'll do just fine. Best of luck!
                  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


                  • #10
                    glad to here it went well! hope your recovery goes smooth, and the only blip will be that idiot =)

                    i had a similar experience with a "physical therapist" after my 2nd surgery. he was very insensitive, didn't listen and made me very uncomfortable (i still had my catheter in and he brought in a student physical therapist WITHOUT asking me, and had her sit right at the end of my bed, made me do leg lifts with nothing to cover up and her looking straight up my gown!!!). My husband and my mom were there and felt the same way and we reported him immediately. it was kind of a headache dealing with having to tell the story over and over to each hospital rep, but I thought it was worth it to keep him from "treating" other girls like me.

                    anyway, glad to hear you're on the side safely!! Oh and p.s. I had CRAZY swelling that lasted around 7 weeks. (check out my photos in the links below) My back looked like a pillow. It will go away, it just takes time. =)
                    Last edited by peachrush7; 03-10-2011, 12:48 PM.
                    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/

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks guys - and btw I got out in 5 days on the nose. It would have been 4 but they kept me an extra day due to anemia and my hematacrit being low. And when the housekeeping supervisor came by to do a spot-check survey I was with it enough to be like, "There is no soap in the dispenser, hasn't been since I got here, and it's really insult to injury that the TP is on backwards so that not only can I not SEE the TP, but I can't even get it rolling once I've sat down." He was like, "Good point. We clearly didn't think that through." Ha! Also he brought in the proper dispenser (I was in a 3 person room alone and the wrong dispenser had been installed..whatev) and it was installed before I checked out.
                      Female, age 38
                      4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
                      currently 64*upper/40*lower
                      Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
                      now 32*upper/18* lower

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Glad to hear it's all going well, despite the fella with the brace. Some people, eh?!
                        Looking forward to more positive updates on your recovery!
                        B
                        Billy
                        32 year old male from UK
                        Fused at 25yrs
                        62 degree thoratic curve
                        45 degree lumbar curve
                        Fused T3-L1 on 3rd Jan 2012

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          You a re one fiesty girl,! ) Maybe thats what I need to be to kick this pain and BS in the ___. )

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hey there - I'm now 7 weeks out as of tomorrow. So far PT has been going well - I'm not walking as much as I should (either rain or cold or my husband's not home and I am afraid to walk far alone), but with PT I'm doing really well. Able to do a lot of strengthening exercises and I've gained back about 5 of the 10 lbs I lost.

                            Still swollen through my torso. It's going down but still bad enough that I try to avoid looking in mirrors that show below the neck.

                            Milestone achieved last week was eating in a restaurant. I was able to sit for 1.5 hrs in a bar-style chair, have a delicious beer and burger, and make it home in time to slurp down an oxycodone and take a pre-bedtime nap.

                            This week's milestone is to get off all narcotics. I'm down to 1 more night of oxycontin and 1 more day of oxycodone, before switching on Thursday to Tramadol and tylenol. I can't wait to get off of all the narcotics. I miss champagne and will be imbibing this weekend when my parents come back to visit.

                            In short, the recovery is murderously slow going but it is going.
                            Female, age 38
                            4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
                            currently 64*upper/40*lower
                            Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
                            now 32*upper/18* lower

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              update

                              Hey Lily so glad your doing well I had to stop the PT except for walking because my hip was giving me so much trouble. It still is but its better without such intense therapy. Im four weeks out and wish I could just get my stomach under control the drugs and then the stool softners are just killing me. Who is guiding you to weaning off the drugs? I guess I need to call the surgeon to see what he wants me to do. I am looking forward to getting out to dinner too! Glad to know I'm not the only one whos still swollen...its so annoying and painful. Oh well glad to hear from you keep posting!

                              Sarahcant
                              march 15 dr errico nyu
                              full fusion
                              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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