one month post op

[itsjustme]

Hello all,

I am a little over a month from having my surgery. However the pain is still intense at times. I'm out of Vicodin, and my GP has cancelled my appointment for today. I waited a week for this appt!!! However, my surgeon, cannot prescribe any painmeds over the phone because of the legalities with my insurance. Anyone have any advice??? My back is in knots and it's really REALLY stiff and it hurts, plus if I move a certain way I can feel the hardware and it hurts in my spine (yes, I've tried not to, but I think it's a subconsious thingie).

Thank you.

~Shelley

[LindaRacine]

Hi Shelley...

You might want to call your insurance company and see if they have any recommendation. Critical care and/or an emergency room is always an option.

Regards,
Linda

[Lavinia]

Good luck with Linda's suggestions, it sounds a dire situation. Hope at least you have support, warmth and sleeping pills to see you through the night. Let us know how it goes,

Lavinia

[itsjustme]

stupid stupid military doctors!

well, I couldn't take it anymore. I went to the ER on base... These doctors are hysterical! They were like, "well, it's already been a month since your surgery, you shouldn't be having anymore pain" I, when hearing this nonsence, looked at her and screamed, "If you had your back filleted like a fish with two rods and a bunch of screws screwed into your bones would you be feeling pain a month later! I didn't have an outpatient procedure! IT HURTS, NOW DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!" (see what pain will make you do) After arguing with them for quite some time they didn't just lightly touch my back, they PRODDED and POKED (not softly mind you, but with some OOMPH! it's already super sensitive and it hurt when they did that. They were then trying to get me to bend and to twist around. That's when I flat out told them they were freakin' crazy! They then tried to prescribe me Ibuprofin! This is why you should NEVER trust military doctors! I told them I couldn't take it because it would interfere with the fusion that is trying to take place, and if I could take it I probably would have because that's what you military doctors think that is the answer for everything! ACK! So now, as soon as I find out when my doctor will be in, I'm going to have to inform him of this little incident. :/ Oh yeah, and to make matters worse, the computer systems were all down at the hospital so I was there from 1030L to 1530L not only waiting for a doctor to see me, but also for my prescription in which they had me walking back and forth throughout the hospital. (I was in pain and having to walk, not a good combination) I was about ready to hijack someone's wheelchair so I could move around better. (so so sad) Well, they ended up prescribing vicodin again. This time only 500 instead of the 750mg I was taking. I think that it's for the better, I don't want to be getting addicted to any of this, however, my tolerance for pain meds is rather high due to the fact that I've been on a 'grab-bag' of meds since 2001.

Hmm, oh, among other things, I've a question to add to the middle of all of this. I've been noticing that when I lay down and move to get myself more comfortable, It feels like the inside of my back is tearing apart. Is that normal to experience or should that be something that is to be addressed to my doctor.

Thanks for listening

~Shelley

[sweetness514]

That's what gets me so freaking mad about some doctors and orthos

I remember going to my first appointment about one month post op and everybody in that hospital including the idiot secretary telling me that I SHOULD be doing so much better and pain free...Well I don't think it's realistic to expect to heal so fast after such a gruesome procedure not to mention all that needs to heal and get USED to(bone graft healing, muscles and nerves healing, etc, etc, etc!). What discouraged me most was THAT type of attitude INSTEAD of just some encouragement and REALISM that it can take up to two years post op to heal completely, not to mention that it's still a lifelong thing sometimes since it is unnatural to have either scoliosis or be fused. And if people in the medical field would understand that some of us have patience to realize we need time out to take care of ourselves and have patience, that would be MUCH better for our mental attitude. Well I had to get that out

Oh, one last important thing: do NOT bend or twist before three months post op, ALL the orthos I talked recommend that time before doing so.

I hope you feel better, and you can try Tylenol with Codeine, that's what the pahrmacist suggested after my Empracet(Codeine med) ran out about one month post op as well. And don't be shy to use a wheelchair ANYWHERE you go if it's too much for you, I know there are times even today with my broken rod where I should have done so. Take it easy

[HGD24]

Oh Shelley...I'm so sorry for what you had to go through. The doctors and nurses in my area have been great. I went to the ER 3 months post-op for a strange pain in my upper back that happened at work...I thought I dislodged something, it turned out to just be muscle pain around a screw that is very close to the skin, but I didn't know that at the time and sent myself into a panic attack to the point that I couldn't breathe or talk. They were very understanding and told me how amazingly well I was doing for being just 3 months post-op from such a major surgery. As long as you stay positive and strong and reinforce what you know about your body and surgery, you'll do just great in your recovery!

I have two nephews who are Marines and one had major knee trouble just after Basic from all of the marching and a weird knee "thing" that we have in our family....he was prescribed Ibuprofen by the Army docs too...so I had to laugh when you said it was their answer to everything...it really is!!! It did nothing for him, yet they continually prescribed it for him..even when he told them it wasn't working.

Good luck Shelley! I hope your doc gets some more relief for you! Hang in there Girl!

[HGD24]

Oh yeah...about the feeling inside when moving around....I felt alot of strange things too when rolling over and sitting up. I think it's normal, but definitely mention it to your surgeon so that he/she can look at your next set of x-rays to be sure everything is in place. I think that as nerves start to wake up, you start to feel more and because the nerves have been asleep, it feels strange. I'm still feeling new things everyday and have to remind myself that it's just my nerves waking up, but I do make mental notes of the feelings to see if they persist or not...just to be sure it's not something significant.