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  • Questions for those 10 months post-op & longer

    I was wondering if some of you who are 10 months post-op and longer could check in and tell me how you are doing and feeling now after surgery. I am working only 30 hours a week instead of my usual 40 hours. I have a desk job and try to get up and move around as much as I remember to. By the time I get ready to go home, I am glad I am leaving because I get to move around more or lay down when I get home. I just can't imagine what 40 hours is going to feel like when I'm feeling like this at 30 hours. I still get tired too; not as much as in the beginning but some days I do have to come home and nap for an hour before making myself get up so that I can sleep that night.

    I was told that I could start riding my bike now and going swimming. I try to alternate between walking one evening and using the stationery bike the next evening. I started at 5 minutes at a time on the bike and am now up to 20 minutes at a time. I didn't want to over do it so I started slow which was really hard for me as I have a tendency to overdo it. If I am sore one evening, I will forfeit exercising to give myself a rest. I am supposed to be continuing with my arm exercises for frozen shoulder which is doing much better so I haven't been as diligent which probably isn't good. I've gained 10 pounds since having surgery which I don't like. Prior to surgery the surgeon wanted me to gain weight because he said I was too thin and I only gained two pounds now I can't seem to make the weight stop.

    Lastly, have you found that you look at life differently now? I feel I do.

    I would really appreciate hearing from some of you and how you are dealing with your circumstances, where you are in your journey and what your expectations are for the future.

    Look forward to reading your feedback.

    Marjorie
    Marjorie

    Surgery in 2 phases, May 17 & May 22, 2012
    Prior to surgery: Thoracic 75, Lumbar 45
    After surgery: Thoracic 27, Lumbar 28
    Surgeon: Dr. Nathan Lebwohl, Miami, FL

  • #2
    Originally posted by mbeckett View Post
    I was wondering if some of you who are 10 months post-op and longer could check in and tell me how you are doing and feeling now after surgery. I am working only 30 hours a week instead of my usual 40 hours. I have a desk job and try to get up and move around as much as I remember to. By the time I get ready to go home, I am glad I am leaving because I get to move around more or lay down when I get home. I just can't imagine what 40 hours is going to feel like when I'm feeling like this at 30 hours. I still get tired too; not as much as in the beginning but some days I do have to come home and nap for an hour before making myself get up so that I can sleep that night.

    I was told that I could start riding my bike now and going swimming. I try to alternate between walking one evening and using the stationery bike the next evening. I started at 5 minutes at a time on the bike and am now up to 20 minutes at a time. I didn't want to over do it so I started slow which was really hard for me as I have a tendency to overdo it. If I am sore one evening, I will forfeit exercising to give myself a rest. I am supposed to be continuing with my arm exercises for frozen shoulder which is doing much better so I haven't been as diligent which probably isn't good. I've gained 10 pounds since having surgery which I don't like. Prior to surgery the surgeon wanted me to gain weight because he said I was too thin and I only gained two pounds now I can't seem to make the weight stop.

    Lastly, have you found that you look at life differently now? I feel I do.

    I would really appreciate hearing from some of you and how you are dealing with your circumstances, where you are in your journey and what your expectations are for the future.

    Look forward to reading your feedback.

    Marjorie
    Hi Marjorie,

    At 10 months, you're still healing and many of us here are still not 100% at that stage. I don't think it's fair to compare yourself with others because our results vary so much. Having said that, I also believe that the more you do - swimming, walking etc. the better you'll feel. I also think you will know if you've overdone it and need to slow up. I think pushing yourself a little bit is probably good at 10 months, but if it lays you low the next day, even after a good sleep, then it was too much.

    As for how I saw life at 10 months, I was still on a high at that stage. I've always been such a wimp when it came to medical things but post-op I felt brave and able to face anything...down the track I've discovered a heart condition which will likely require surgery at some stage and suddenly I'm a wimp again!

    As far as my spine's concerned, I feel reasonably confident that I'm back in the general population as far as spines in almost 62 year olds are concerned, possibly a little ahead because of all this new bone I have. I hope so anyway. Meanwhile life's good and I can do anything and despite the heart thing hanging over me, I feel optimistic about the future.
    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


    • #3
      Hi Marjorie...

      Sitting for long periods of time can be really tough for people with long fusions. At 2 years postop, I still find it difficult to sit in an office chair the entire day. I'm finally getting a sit-stand workstation at work. You might want to check into getting one.

      Regards,
      Linda
      Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
      Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

      Comment


      • #4
        I am at 7 months and going full time from next week. I feel the same way too. I think getting a workplace assessment from an ergonomics perspective may help. I find it hard to sit for more than 30 mins at a time and everyone that I talked to advised me to avoid sitting for extended duration as sitting is considered the worst thing in terms of loading the spine. I am also getting a sit stand table at work. I'll see how that goes.
        I found that having a chair which can allow me to lean back and forth helps. Leaning back feels easier than sitting erect or leaning forward.
        Having a footrest to elevate the feet so that my legs are resting on my toes but having the heel at a level higher than toes helps.
        Physiotherapy after 5 months was a big change for me in terms of being able to stretch my hamstrings, shoulder muscles, calf muscles etc.
        The stronger the hip, thigh and abdomen muscles, the easier things will be on the spine and the better the endurance.
        Congenital Scoliosis and Kyphosis
        Diagnosis at Age 42, Main Thoracolumbar curve 72 deg
        Surgery on Aug 15, 2012
        Fused T4 to L4, 2 SPOs

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Marjorie,

          I am a year post-op now. I feel much the same as you. I can do most things I need or want to do, but some make me uncomfortable. If I sit for a long time (more than 1.5 hours), I am generally sore the next day. Also, I can't seem to get any speed up walking. The PT told me to try raising the incline on the treadmill instead of walking faster. I have also gained 10 lbs, which I feel is from being more sedentary/less able to exercise vigorously. I am hoping to reverse that in the next year!

          I think 20 min on the exercise bike is great! I haven't used it much, but the few times I have it has been 5-8 min or so. I am hoping to build up gradually, as well.

          Has my outlook on life changed? I don't know. I'm not as worried about my physical appearance as I used to be. Now I am pretty happy if I'm just feeling reasonably good. I also do feel like I am well equipped to tackle medical problems as they may arise. We recently took my 10-year-old son out of state for knee surgery. I don't think I would have tried that if it hasn't been for going through the scoliosis process. He's doing great!

          One thing I will say: I have continued to improve in the past three months, and I fully intend to keep improving! People on this forum have been so inspiring to me. I was only walking 1 mile at a time a few months ago, and now I'm up to 2.5! So, little by little.

          Take care,
          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

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