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Almost at the 3 month mark

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  • Almost at the 3 month mark

    Hi everyone,

    It is nice to see the forum getting busy. I read and re-read posts so much during the first 8 weeks. It really helped me survive. Yes, the first 6 weeks were definitely survival mode. Looking back and reading others, I think every recovery is certainly different. I didn't particularly have an easy time. I do feel the pain changes dramatically at 2 to 2.5 months. My old posts talk about that ax in my low, left side of my back. It hurt like a mother every.single.day. Until 2 weeks ago, and it literally disappeared over night. I would be more excited except it just transferred to the very top of my fusion, where I have a hook that bumps out. It is not as intense but when I walk a fair amount, it feels like I have a metal vice squeezing there. I start physical therapy on Tuesday and I am hoping something can help.

    I had to remind myself to be a patient this week. Getting back to a busy morning schedule with 3 kids and the hour driving to school and back totally wipe me out. Like exhausted beyond. I am overjoyed to be out of the intense recovery stage but this stage needs pampering too. If I get too busy or try to run some errands, I can feel very weak and terrible. So I am trying to just keep things to a minimum. My cluttered floor drives me crazy everyday, I am so used to bending over picking up the kids things, messes, etc. I use my grabbers all the time. I can squat to get something off the floor if I have to, but I try not to! It can be easy to get frustrated with how much more effort everything takes. The dishwasher is a nightmare!

    I will see my spine surgeon and neuro-opthamologist at the end of the month. My lazy eye is still there all the time, but the double vision has gone away some. I can drive, but I prefer not to! Changing lanes is hard because my peripheral vision on the left side is very poor. I don't park where I have to back up into traffic. Overall, I feel night and day better than I did a month ago, but I still have a long way to go. This fatigue is really hard. I am so glad it is a 3 day weekend!! Best to everyone on this journey, wherever you are.

    Jana
    Diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis at age 11
    Dr. Edgar Dawson of UCLA
    Braced and "stopped" below 50 degrees
    Age 25: 47 degrees, 48 degrees
    Age 38 (3 babies later): 60 degrees, 63 degrees and 2.5 inches shorter
    Age 41: 64 degrees, 70 degrees
    Dr. Gregory Mundis Jr. of Scripps Hospital, La Jolla CA
    June 2015-ALIF on L5-S1 for a slipped and degenerated disk
    June 14, 2016-T4-L4 spinal fusion with instrumentation
    Post-surgery: 16 degrees, 12 degrees and 2 inches taller

  • #2
    Good to hear from you Jana!

    I feel like our recoveries and very similar. I'm just 1-1/2 weeks behind you and I feel the same way you do - feeling decent but the fatigue is definitely still an issue. And, it is very frustrating to me too. I didn't have the "ax in my back" but unfortunately I do now! Ugh. I think I've just had too busy of a week, and I've been on my feet and running errands way too much. So now I'm paying the price. It seems to travel from my low left back down my butt and thigh. It doesn't feel like nerve pain (I sure hope that never comes back!) so I think its that long muscle that attaches at the back and then again at the back of the leg.

    My muscles all along my spine are still tender to touch and I still have that terrible thigh pain. I talked to my local orthoped this week and he said all of that is normal. He said the thigh pain will take a LONG TIME to go away. Then he looked at me and said "You knew this was a year recovery." I know.... I know....

    I'm glad to hear you are doing better. Keep up the good work!

    Kathy
    Decompression surgery L4/L5
    April 3, 2015
    Twin Cities Spine Center - Dr. Joseph Perra
    Fused from T11 - Sacrum anterior/posterior
    June 24, 2016 - 55 years old at surgery
    Twin Cities Spine Center - Dr. Joseph Perra
    Before Surgery: 42 degrees lumbar, 28 degrees thoracic
    After Surgery: 10 degrees lumbar, ?? Thoracic
    2 inches taller

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